RAW DIET WRAP-UP: My Statistics

Here is a list of statistics from my 30 day experiment with the raw food diet. Hopefully it will give you some insights in case you are thinking about trying this lifestyle for yourself.

Length of this diet:
30 Consecutive Days

Weight Loss: 25.2 lbs
(from 240.1 to 214.9 lbs)
Averaged over 30 days: 0.84 lbs lost every day

Body Fat Reduction: 3.0%
(from 30% body fat to 27% body fat)
Averaged over 30 days: 0.10% per day

Energy Level Reported: Low (6), Medium (17), Ok (1), Good (6)

Mood Reported: Angry (1), Annoyed (3), Cranky (1), Fussy (1), Bloated (1), Hungry (1), Bored (1), Blah (2), Neutral (2), Good (6), Positive (9), Sexy (1)

Like this post - ha!

Sleep Reported: Insomnia (1), Tired (1), Poor (5), Broken (4), Ok (3), Good (8), Long (1), Rested (7)
Average amount of sleep over 30 days: About 7 hours per night

Recipes I've created: 6

New foods I've tried or rediscovered: At least 14
Foods Include: Kale, Agave, Almond Butter, Pears, Coconut Oil, Flax Crisps, Giddy Yoyo Raw Chocolate, Vegan Protein Powder, Dates, Parsley, Brazil Nuts, Raw Oats, Parsnip,  Himalayan Salt, etc.

Money Spent on Fruits/Vegetables: $5 per day ($150)
Money Spent on Salmon: $8.71 per day ($261.30)

Exercises Performed: Biking, Hiking, Weights, Push-ups/Sit-ups/Crunches, Boxing, Painting/Renovating

Cycling done over 30 days: 236 km (7.85 km per day)

Hiking done over 30 days: 79 km (2.65 km per day)

RAW DIET WRAP-UP: Pros and Cons

Here is a list of my personal Pros and Cons while experimenting with the Raw Food Diet. I've colour coded each comment based on my experience.

 CON  In order to take advantage of an 80/10/10  raw diet (80% carbs, 10% protein, 10% fat), you have to eat an unreasonable amount of fruits and vegetables. Even after 30 days of practice, I could not consume 3000-3500 calories worth of food daily without feeling full, bloated, and uncomfortable.

 PRO  Eating a raw diet for 30 days helped me to lose over 25 pounds (3% bodyfat) with very little exercise or effort.

 CON  Worrying that I was losing weight too fast, and that I might be losing muscle, I switched from 80/10/10 to 70/20/10, and supplemented my protein with a vegan powder.

 PRO  I never felt hungry while on this diet. A veggie shake could keep me going all day.

 CON  I did not experience the abundance of energy that most raw foodists report. This may be due to the fact that I could not physically consume as much as they did.

 PRO  I tried a lot of new foods and recipes that I wouldn't have otherwise.

 CON  My mood was not consistent throughout the raw diet, but this could be due to a number of external factors, including winter depression.

 PRO  I saved a lot of money on groceries, and discovered a small market where I always shop now.

 CON  The raw food diet did not improve my insomnia.

 PRO  I am now encouraged to eat healthier. And I usually reach for a piece of fruit when I want to snack on something.

 CON  Not being able to have a cup of tea to wake up, or a mug of hot chocolate to warm up, is a hassle I am not willing to live with. Caffeine is a necessary part of my life, and I missed it badly.

 PRO  I now exercise at least a small amount on a daily basis.

 CON  A lot of raw food recipes require exotic ingredients and long prep times, so planning a meal sometimes has to happen days in advance. Eating all the time also takes up a lot of time.

 PRO  I've learned a lot about dietary health while on this diet.

 CON  A raw food diet limits your ability to eat out, and have/attend dinner parties. This can be a pain in the ass, but luckily I live in Toronto, Canada which has a number of raw food restaurants you can eat at.

If I can think of anything else, I'll add it to this list later.

Cheers.

Day 30: FINAL DAY!

Fuck Vegetables, ha ha. I wonder what it really says.

Energy Level: Medium

Sleep: Ok (Noon-5pm)

Mood: Good

Weight: 214.9 lbs (27.0% body fat)

Weight Change: 25.2 lbs (3.0% body fat)

Today is the FINAL day of my 30 day raw diet challenge. Hooray! I know the first thing I'm going to do at the stroke of midnight is have a scalding hot cup of earl grey tea. Before that happens however, I'm going to try to have one last ideal day on this diet, since it has helped me to lose over 25 pounds, and 3% body fat in the last 30 days. 

MEAL 1:

• Juice (Orange, Apple, Ginger, Lemon)

Veggie Smoothie

MEAL 2:

• 6pc Salmon Sashimi, Salad

MEAL 3:

• Raisins, Apple

MEAL 4:

• Veggie Smoothie

MEAL 5:

• Bananas

EXERCISE:

• Biking (4km), Weights (30 mins), Push-ups/Crunches/Sit-ups

Well that's it folks. Thanks for reading about my raw food diet experiment. If you have any questions or comments, please send me some. I'll post a wrap-up of my 30 day experience soon.

Day 29: In Soviet Russia, Mail Gets You!

Feel like it.

Energy Level: Medium

Sleep: Poor

Mood: Angry

Weight: 216.1 lbs (27.1% body fat)

Weight Change: 24.1 lbs (2.9% body fat)

Made the mistake of opening my mail this morning. Nothing but bad news and now I'm filled with rage. My temper was already very short because I didn't sleep well (third night in a row) and I awoke with a migraine. Today can only possibly get better. At least it &%*$-ing better!

MEAL 1:

• Juice (Orange, Apple, Ginger, Lemon)
• Banana

MEAL 2:

• Apple

MEAL 3:

• 6pc Salmon, Salad

MEAL 4:

• Dessert Shake (Banana, Strawberries, Cocoa, Agave, Almond Milk, Vegan Protein)

MEAL 5:

• Giddy Yo-yo choocolate

MEAL 6:

• Orange, Banana, Raisins, Apple

EXERCISE:

• Biking (4km), Renovations (3 hours)

I've been covered in renovation grime, dust, and paint for hours. I need a break.

Day 28: Giddy as a dog with a yo-yo?

Yo Dog? Yo-Yo Dog!

Energy Level: Medium

Sleep: Poor (again! took a nap)

Mood: Good

Weight: 216.8 lbs (27.2% body fat)

Weight Change: 23.3 lbs (2.8% body fat)

Since I lost a bunch of weight, I decided to treat myself with a delicious Giddy Yoyo Organic Raw Chocolate Bar. Nicole discovered them last week, and now I can't wait to try all of the different flavours. So far, Mint is my favourite. The thing I LOVE about Giddy Yoyo is that their chocolate is ridiculously good for you, but unlike most health food it doesn't taste like it's good for you. It's rich and sweet, and I take tiny bites and savour each square. There's 8 squares in a package, which is great for sharing (yeah, that's not going to happen, ha ha). I've been rationing myself down to just 1 square at a time, unless I want to spoil myself (like today). The only drawback of Giddy Yoyo is the beautiful packaging is not resealable. It's so good they probably assume you'll eat it all at once. Hey Giddy Yoyo, if you're listening, please put a tiny tab on the wrapper so I can reseal it. Thanks!

If you want to try them, I've been picking them up at The Big Carrot, where they are $3.44. If you know of a place that has them for cheaper, please comment below.

MEAL 1:

• Juice (Orange, Apple, Ginger, Pineapple - Tasty!), Banana

MEAL 2:

• 6pc Salmon Sashimi, Salad

MEAL 3:

• Dessert Shake (Vegan Protein, Banana, Strawberries, Cocoa, Agave, Almond Milk)

MEAL 4:

• Bananas

MEAL 5:

Giddy Yoyo (Mint)

• Giddy Yoyo Organic Raw Chocolate Bar (Mint) 

MEAL 6:

• Raisins, Apple, Banana

EXERCISE:

• Biking (4km), Renovating kitchen (2 hours)

I've been going easy on the exercise because all the renovations we are doing seems to be exercise enough for me. I'll pick it up again in a few days when we have a break in the work.

Day 27: Time for a skinny dip!

Dip Shit.

Energy Level: Medium

Sleep: Poor

Mood: Good

Weight: 217.2 lbs (27.3% body fat)

Weight Change: 22.9 lbs (2.7% body fat)

Couldn't fall asleep last night to save my life. I laid in bed staring at the wall for what felt like hours. Eventually I went to the living room and watched cartoons until I fell asleep (TRON: Uprising). Not sure how much sleep I got overall.

Also not hungry today. Hmm.

MEAL 1:

• Juice (Orange, Apple, Ginger, Pineapple, Lemon)

MEAL 2:

• 3pc Salmon Sashimi, Salad

MEAL 3:

• 1/2 Cantaloupe

MEAL 4:

• Sugar Snap Peas, Carrots, Avocado Spinach Dip

Sugar Snap Peas, Carrots, Avocado Spinach Dip

MEAL 5:

• Coconut-nut-nut Cookie

MEAL 6:

• Veggie Shake, Raisins, Orange

EXERCISE:

• Cleaning house (2 hours)

I have SUCH a headache right now. Probably from dust allergies. Stupid house cleaning and renovations. Stupid house is going to look so good. Poop.

Day 26: Lose 20 pounds fast! Wow.

S.S. Fat Guy - Haha

Energy Level: Medium

Sleep: Rested (7am-3pm)

Mood: Good

Weight: 218.4 lbs (27.5% body fat)

Weight Change: 21.7 lbs (2.5% body fat)

As of last night, I've officially lost over 20 lbs on the raw food diet. I've almost lost 22 pounds, actually. And I managed to do this by following these simple steps for the past 26 days ...

1. Do not eat cooked food. Nothing hot at all.
2. No caffeine or alcohol.
3. Only foods that are considered raw. No sugar or pasteurized food.
4. Drink water all the time. It helps you not be hungry.
5. Do a minimal amount of exercise every day. More is better, obviously, but 30 mins is fine.
6. I eat about 70-80% carbs, 10-20% protein, and about 10% fat every day.

MEAL 1:

• Juice (Orange, Apple, Ginger, Pineapple, Lemon) <- FAVOURITE
•  Banana

MEAL 2:

• Veggie Smoothie (Vegan Protein, Spinach, Almond Milk)

MEAL 3:

• Sashimi, Salad

MEAL 4:

• Sashimi, Salad

MEAL 5:

• Nicole made an awesome shredded carrot & zucchini salad with dates, sundried tomatoes in a sweet (agave) mustard dressing.

Shredded carrot & zucchini salad - Mmm!

MEAL 6:

• Orange, Raisins

EXERCISE:

• Biking (11km), Hiking (3km)

We did some serious renovations today and it really took all my energy and patience.