Raw Foods...help!

[dreemssold]

I have been wanting to do a raw foods diet followed by a Master Cleanse for a couple of months now. I talked two of my friends and my SO into doing it with me. Today was Day 1. One of my friends had to postpone starting because she has a date tomorrow evening and wants to eat. The other is nowhere to be found :mad:. My SO is whining about being on his deathbed, and I feel on the verge of jumping through my window. Does anyone have any tips on how to make this bearable? So far, I have eaten the following:

a banana
an apple
appox. 15 walnuts
a salad with dressing I made from olive oil, ACV, fresh basil, lemon juice, sea salt, and ground pepper (I actually didn't know if the pepper was allowed, but rather than research it, I convinced myself it was :ohwell: )
approx. 30 grapes
a half of a cucumber with sea salt and pepper
2 bottles of water

I am still starving. I decided not to go the route of doing the recipes from the raw foods sites, because I am not the type of person who wants a fake burrito, etc. Oh, that's the other thing...I EAT. On any given day, it's not crazy for me to make fried chicken, macaroni, greens, and cornbread for dinner. I also don't eat dinner without following it up with a dessert, so this is KILLING me. Please help :look:!

[BronzedGoddess]

Do you have to do it right now. IMO winter is not the best time for a raw diet, you may want to wait until summer when you have lots of fruits and veggies in season to choose from. It makes it much easier. This past summer my diet was 85% raw but once it started to cool down and most of the fruits and veggies were becoming out of season it became difficult for me. And I got burned out on the nuts and seeds. Whatever you choose, good luck.

ETA:http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=81

[Isis]

It sounds like you might be better off transitioning to a raw food diet, if that is where you want to go. I'm sensing (and reading) a lot of resistance to eating just raw food. Perhaps a vegetarian diet might be best for you. There are more dishes to choose from than meat diets. Also, it is much easier to go to a raw food diet after being on the Master Cleanse.
One book called, A Natural Way of Eating by Marilyn Diamond, has good, easy transitional recipes in it.

[dreemssold]

Thanks ladies. That's such a good point about this being the wrong time--none of the produce I bought over the weekend in preparation even LOOKED particularly appealing :ohwell: . Anyway, unfortunately, I folded about an hour ago and had real dressing with a little tuna on my salad :(. Not even 24 hours! I feel like a big loser, but I did make some decisions about how to handle it from here. I agree that I need to transition into this...I've been eating like a maniac since the holiday season started, and going cold turkey today didn't help me in the least...although it did feel good to just eat until sated instead of eating to a funky full point like I usually do :( . All the information I read about parasites and so on have made me disgusted with how I've been eating, so I am definitely going to make some serious lifestyle changes. A vegetarian lifestyle is in the plan (I rarely eat anything but poultry and seafood now, but I am dropping poultry this month and seafood as soon as possible thereafter ). Thank you both for the information...I could research nutrition all day! Lol, this is SUCH a switch from how I've been, I can't even explain :D . Thanks again!

[sengschick]

Don't be hard on yourself Dreems. I think most ppl start out too extreme and of course it becomes impossible. To be honest even as a vegetarian it took me a really long time to realize all of the things I could eat w/just a little modification. Everytime I do raw foods I don't even really realize it. Typically it just happens over the spring/summer b/c it's too hot to cook and we load up on fresh veggie juice and lots of salad, tofu chix salad, etc. I agree w/Isis, try veggie first then maybe graduate to raw foodism. Even as veggie as I am I'm hestitant to even try veganism. :look:

[dreemssold]

Thanks Sengs :). Yes, raw foods in a bit off in the future, I guess :ohwell:. But darnit, like bra strap, I'll get there SOMEDAY :grin: ! Thanks again!