Raw August Challenge Intoduction

Hello fruity friends! It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged on here, but it’s time for a change, and I hope blogging will keep me accountable. To make a long story short, I am starting a month long LFRV challenge beginning in August. I would love to have company, so if you want to join, just let me know! Okay, now that’s the short version; if you want to know the how and why keep on reading :)

My name is Candice, and I am 21 years old. This fall I will be in my junior year of college studying engineering. I first became a vegan during the winter of my sophomore year of high school (so it’s almost been 5 years). I have been high carb cooked vegan (salt, oil, and other condiment free) since April 2010. I experienced a lot of benefits even though I wasn’t 100% raw. I lost a lot of weight (around 50 pounds), reduced my acne, and was feeling pretty good.

However, March of this year I lost control and started eating what I call an eat-whatever-I-want vegan diet. Most days I kept my fruit breakfasts and lunches then binged on fatty, salty, processed vegan foods for dinner and dessert. Well this pattern went on for 3 months, and I gained a lot of weight. I try not to weigh myself a lot so I’m not 100% sure how much, but I would say it was at least 20 pounds. As much as I didn’t like gaining the weight back, that’s not what made me realize I had to change what I was doing. It was the crippling depression that came with all the crap I was eating. It was terrifying to witness those same thoughts and feelings creeping back into my life from the days years and years ago when I was manically depressed. Some days I couldn’t manage to do anything other than just lay in my bed and cry.

Anyway, by the beginning of June, I had had enough; I couldn't go on living like that. I cut out all the fat, processed food, and salt, going back to my condiment-free HCCV diet.  It didn’t take long at all before I felt miles better. What I have been doing for the past 2 months is eating a 1,000 calorie fruit breakfast, a 1,000 calorie fruit lunch, then however much cooked potatoes, rice, and/or steamed veggies I want for dinner (which is usually a lot). I haven’t realized, but I’ve been setting myself up for failure. 2,000 calories is not nearly enough to fulfill my caloric needs, so I go crazy with the potatoes for dinner. Because of the potato binges (yes boiled potatoes are my weakness), even though I work out for 1 hour 5 days a week, I have not lost a single pound of the weight I put on!

I know this community stresses not focusing on weight loss, and I am much more focused on my longterm health, but it is so crushing to not see my weight budge for so long and to see that the clothes that used to fit me have become tight or unable to button properly. Not only am I not losing weight, but the cooked food makes me feel even fatter and bloated, even the next morning. I just want to feel better, kick this bloated feeling, and lose some of the excess fat.

SO, starting in August, I am going on a month long raw challenge! I know I will fail if I don’t get this out there so I have someone to be accountable too, so I am posting this before I change my mind. If you are interested in doing the challenge with me, comment, send me a message, e-mail me, whatever! I would love to hear from you and have/give some support throughout the next month :D

Okay, so later tonight or tomorrow I will try to post my pre-challenge photo, weight, and body fat percentage, so we can compare at the end of August. It may be a little embarrassing, but I know you guys won’t be judgmental :)