Assholes

[Angelica 1]

I have been reading recently about the benefits of Raw Foods, and thinking about what it could or couldn’t do for me. I decided I would go ahead, and give it a go, it seems fairly simple, and if I didn’t like it, I could just eat something cooked, right?

My first day into raw foods I started with some green juice, which, by the way, I have been drinking for several years on and off in the mornings, because it gives me a serious burst of energy, (green juice is made in a juicer out of an apple, lemon, kale, spinach or lettuce – not iceberg)

For a snack, I had an orange, and a kiwi, lunch was my own raw version of sushi, nori with cucumbers, alfalpha sprouts, carrots, diakon radish, and avocado, wrapped up like a sushi roll.

Next snack was a handful of raw nuts, dinner was just a huge bowl of vegetables with vinegar, parsley, and cold pressed olive oil dressing.

It was A LOT of food. My band isn’t super tight, it’s been a while since I had a fill, but slow and steady chewing helped me, and I didn’t get stuck once.

I have been on raw foods for 7 days now, I don’t know if I have lost any weight, I probably have, but I don’t weigh myself unless I am at my doctors office. My primary concern when thinking about changing what I ate to a raw food diet was the Protein, which I have been able to supplement with sprouts (did you know that one cup of sprouted lentils can have as much as 49 grams of protein!?!)

I feel awesome, honestly, the first few days were super hard, but I have yet to experience any withdrawal symptoms, I wake up earlier in the morning, there’s a new bounce in my step, and several people have commented on my weight/skin and how it seems to be changing. I’m excited about it.

I sat down and had a discussion with a few of my friends, told them about how I was eating, and was told that the band gave me an eating disorder (forced bulimia, they like to call it) and that raw foodism was just the next step. The foods I was eating weren’t going to be sufficient for my body to run, and that eventually, I was just going to keel over and die.

One, I don’t believe the band is forced bulimia, I think that’s a stupid notion, and whenever my friends say something about it, I want to chuck my shoe into their face, two, can shoving your diet full of vegetables, super foods, and fruits really be that fucking bad? I literally sat through a 3 hour lecture from 2 obese women, and one overweight woman about how I was eating myself to death; it was so offensive to me.

One of their main points was the lack of meat in my diet, which I countered by saying, just because I turned into raw foods doesn’t mean I gave up meat entirely, one of the principals of raw foods is that a food should not be heated about 116 degrees, but it can be dehydrated, I made Jerky out of lean steak, sliced thin and marinated for 24 hours, and dehydrated it, and it was rather delicious.

I am so sick and tired of having to justify everything I do to my fat friends, it was never that way until I had my band, and let me make this point clear, I am still a fat girl, okay, I haven’t met my goal weight. Before the band, we would all sit around and talk about various diets that we went on, and how they worked, and now, its like, you actually DO something about your weight besides a bunch of failed diets, and bitching and you’re not part of the group?

I’m tired of these catty bitches, and I’m tired of being judged because of my effort to evolve, and make MYSELF better. It hurts my feelings that these women KNOW what it feels like to be picked on and singled out because of their weight, and now, they are turning around and doing the same thing to me because I had a WLS and want to eat some vegetables, fruits, and nuts?

I’m done ranting, I’m going to take these hurt feelings, and anger, and put it into my workout, which I am sure, according to my friends, is going to kill me too.

:thumbup:

[jegtlf 0]

I am sorry you have to worry about this! You should be focusing on doing what you need to do and it sounds like they are bringing you down. Each person has to figure their own way out and no two people are alike. Don't let anyone else bring you down, its sure not worth it! Good luck with your weightloss!

Tracy

[harlito 0]

Angelica,

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel...

I've been reading quite a bit about the raw foods diet: "In Defense Of Food" by Michael Pollan(sp) and a book about Biblical times diets. Both books are OK and they both seem to stress alot on the raw foods diet. It has definitely got to be more healthy for you but I would find it sooooo hard to do. I just can't think of enough vegetables that I would like and it would probably get old. Although I never thought about sushi... yum!

Good for you for trying it and I hope it works out for you.

Friends! Gotta love 'em. They look down on you when you are successful woth weight loss and then they look down on you when you are not successful. Could be jealousy showing its ugly face.

Edited May 5, 2008 by harlito
spelling and some horrible grammer!!!

[Angel_P 0]

WOW! I love how people love to judge things they just don't understand. It sounds to me like what you are following is super healthy, considering you are making sure that you are getting your Protein. My future sister-in-law always looks for the negative in everything and it is sooo annoying, and since she is family, I kind of have to be nice. As of recently I am really sticking up for myself and decided that if you are not rooting for me, you are rooting against me and re-evaluating some of my relationships. I say GO YOU! Its a wonderful feeling when you can put your foot down and stick up for yourself!

[Angelica 1]

The sushi was actually awesome to me, because I have had issues with rice in the past, since this one was riceless, there was no getting stuck, but I still got my sushi effect.

When I started I didnt think I would be able to follow the plan either, it was just sort of a shot in the dark, but the more you follow it, the better you seem to feel.

I think my friends just want me to feel like I'm dying lugging around extra weight, and hurting my body, so they dont have to face the fact that they are hurting themselves as well. Its all projection.

[bama_belle 0]

I just found out that I've been approved for the surgery, but haven't even been scheduled yet. The nosy coworker across from me was eavesdropping and heard me in a phone conversation, and after I got off asked me about the surgery, so I talked to her about it.

Her first comment was "I'm going to call and see if our insurance covers it. We can't have you being skinny and me still being fat." I didn't say anything. I just blinked. So, she calls the insurance company right then and discovers that she has to be 100 pounds overweight, at least one health issue (diabetes, for example - the "arthritis" in her knee didn't cut it) and would have to be on a 6 month supervised diet before being approved. (I didn't have to go through that, thankfully) So she hangs up the phone and says "fuck that, if I wanted to be on a supervised diet for 6 months I'd just go to the dr. get some pills and lose it myself".

I almost belted her. If she thinks she can lose the weight without surgery then why the #$@*&%#$$#(@#%&*#)$ is she calling about surgery - which for me is a last resort??? BAHHHHHHHHHHH. :thumbup::thumbup:

I say, get some new friends. I know its easier said than done sometimes to lose the folks you usually hang around with, but you don't need that kind of crap, and a true friend would be supportive.

I think it is great that the raw foods thing is working for you. I hope it does everything you want it to.

[mango24 1]

Angelica - Your friends sound jealous, you did say fat friends. A group of friends are like family, everyone has a place and your place is changing. You not the fat one anymore.

I just wouldn't talk about anything to do with my eating habits when I was with them.

I like your thread title because when someone gives you an unwanted opinion you could reply, "Opinions are like assholes, dear, everyone's got one." :thumbup:

About your new eating, just make sure your getting enough protien. Did you check out those protien shots that look like test tubes. You can add some to your drinks.

[mango24 1]

Bama Belle - Your nosy neighbor will lose weight with diet pills. Then she'll gain it all back plus more like every other person who ever uses diet pills. Then you'll have the last laugh.

[willbefine 2]

I have been reading recently about the benefits of Raw Foods, and thinking about what it could or couldn’t do for me. I decided I would go ahead, and give it a go, it seems fairly simple, and if I didn’t like it, I could just eat something cooked, right?

My first day into raw foods I started with some green juice, which, by the way, I have been drinking for several years on and off in the mornings, because it gives me a serious burst of energy, (green juice is made in a juicer out of an apple, lemon, kale, spinach or lettuce – not iceberg)

For a snack, I had an orange, and a kiwi, lunch was my own raw version of sushi, nori with cucumbers, alfalpha sprouts, carrots, diakon radish, and avocado, wrapped up like a sushi roll.

Next snack was a handful of raw nuts, dinner was just a huge bowl of vegetables with vinegar, parsley, and cold pressed olive oil dressing.

It was A LOT of food. My band isn’t super tight, it’s been a while since I had a fill, but slow and steady chewing helped me, and I didn’t get stuck once.

I have been on raw foods for 7 days now, I don’t know if I have lost any weight, I probably have, but I don’t weigh myself unless I am at my doctors office. My primary concern when thinking about changing what I ate to a raw food diet was the Protein, which I have been able to supplement with sprouts (did you know that one cup of sprouted lentils can have as much as 49 grams of protein!?!)

I feel awesome, honestly, the first few days were super hard, but I have yet to experience any withdrawal symptoms, I wake up earlier in the morning, there’s a new bounce in my step, and several people have commented on my weight/skin and how it seems to be changing. I’m excited about it.

I sat down and had a discussion with a few of my friends, told them about how I was eating, and was told that the band gave me an eating disorder (forced bulimia, they like to call it) and that raw foodism was just the next step. The foods I was eating weren’t going to be sufficient for my body to run, and that eventually, I was just going to keel over and die.

One, I don’t believe the band is forced bulimia, I think that’s a stupid notion, and whenever my friends say something about it, I want to chuck my shoe into their face, two, can shoving your diet full of vegetables, super foods, and fruits really be that fucking bad? I literally sat through a 3 hour lecture from 2 obese women, and one overweight woman about how I was eating myself to death; it was so offensive to me.

One of their main points was the lack of meat in my diet, which I countered by saying, just because I turned into raw foods doesn’t mean I gave up meat entirely, one of the principals of raw foods is that a food should not be heated about 116 degrees, but it can be dehydrated, I made Jerky out of lean steak, sliced thin and marinated for 24 hours, and dehydrated it, and it was rather delicious.

I am so sick and tired of having to justify everything I do to my fat friends, it was never that way until I had my band, and let me make this point clear, I am still a fat girl, okay, I haven’t met my goal weight. Before the band, we would all sit around and talk about various diets that we went on, and how they worked, and now, its like, you actually DO something about your weight besides a bunch of failed diets, and bitching and you’re not part of the group?

I’m tired of these catty bitches, and I’m tired of being judged because of my effort to evolve, and make MYSELF better. It hurts my feelings that these women KNOW what it feels like to be picked on and singled out because of their weight, and now, they are turning around and doing the same thing to me because I had a WLS and want to eat some vegetables, fruits, and nuts?

I’m done ranting, I’m going to take these hurt feelings, and anger, and put it into my workout, which I am sure, according to my friends, is going to kill me too.

:thumbup:

I love the way you express yourself. I'm sitting here at my desk, fighting a sugar craving(which makes me pissed off) and you made me smile. Re: these sol-called friends They are really going you hate you when you reach goal. I hate to say it, but is true. You may lose some friends but oh well, look at what you've gained. I don't know what kind of music you are into, but I'm going to paste the lyrics to a song by JILL SCOTT, as well as a link to the video. The name of the song is "Hate on Me" . It basically speaks to people who are jealous of you for just trying to be the best you that you can be.

HATE ON ME LYRICS

If I could give you the world

On a silver platter

Would it even matter?

You'd still be mad at me

If I could find in all this

A dozen roses

Which I would give to you

You'd still be miserable

In reality, I'm gon' be who I be

And I don't feel no faults

For all the lies that you bought

You can try as you may

Break me down but I say

That it ain't up to you

Gone and do what you do

(Chorus)

Hate on me, hater

Now or later

'Cuz I'm gonna do me

You'll be mad, baby

(Go 'head and hate)

Go 'head and hate on me, hate on

'Cuz I'm not afraid of it

What I got I paid for

You can hate on me

Ooh, if I gave you peaches

Out of my own garden

And I made you a peach pie

[ Hate On Me lyrics found on Complete Album Lyrics ]

Would you slap me high

What if I gave you diamonds

Out of my own womb

Would you feel the love in that,

Or ask "why not the moon"?

If I gave you sanity

For the whole of humanity,

Had all the solutions

For the pain and pollution

No matter where I live,

Despite the things I give,

You'll always be this way

So go 'head and....

(Chorus)

Hate on me, hater

Now or later

'Cuz I'm gonna do me

You'll be mad, baby

(Go 'head and hate)

Go 'head and hate on me, hate on

'Cuz I'm not afraid of it

What I got I paid for

You can hate on me

You cannot hate on me

'Cuz my mind is free

Feel my destiny

So shall it be

See the video at:

[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qw3Z8Oa7E3Y]YouTube - Jill Scott "Hate On Me"[/ame]

[MaidMarion 1]

A lot of people can't stand it when their friends make changes be it getting married, losing weight, starting work whatever. It is just weird I guess and they will get used to it. I think it is awesome you are able to do the raw food thing. I have always heard it was super healthy and NO I had NO CLUE sprouted lentils were so high in Protein. Do you sprout your own? or buy them at a health food or whole foods store? I don't think I have ever seen them but then I am in the Midwest so new things freak us out...LOL j/k

[agreatknead 1]

Hi There,

I loved the title of your thread. You know they say opinions are just like assholes, everyone has one. You know you are on a healthy path, just follow it and make as little mention as possible about what you are eating and no one will pay any attention. I have been amazed at how little attention anyone pays to what I eat since the surgery. I really didn't tell anyone and though they would be asking why I wasn't eating as much but no one really cares. If you don't give your friends anything to push against they won't know what to do and will let it go. You will win in the end, we are all so proud of you. Usually people that criticize are the ones that don't have the balls to do what we did!

Good job!

Sally

[Fanny Adams 7]

It sounds to me like your friends are worried that you will actually achieve success and leave them behind, trapped into their obese bodies and repeating patterns of dieting and failure.

I think that there is no denying that the raw foods diet is a far healthier way to eat, in comparison to a diet of highly processed foods. However, I think the concept behind the raw foods diet, that man has not evolved to eat a diet that included cooked foods, is incorrect. The history of fire in human evolution goes back about 1 to 1.5 million years and even the most conservative estimites agree that cooking food was a widespread human behaviour at least 125,000 years ago. This is more than enough time for our bodies to adapt to cooked food in our diets. Here's some interesting reading on the subject: When was fire first controlled by human beings? and Timeline of dietary shifts in the human line of evolution.

If the raw foods diet is working for you and is making you feel healthier and satisfied with your food choices, the more power to you - go for it! Personally, I think it is simply enough to cut out the overprocessed foods (such as refined flours and canned/prepared meals) and include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in with our cooked (from fresh!) meals.

[StartinOver 0]

Angelica it sounds like you are a threat to your friends. You are a strong person! Look how far you've come already. You have a couple of choices here:

-Stay with this rat pack and accept the insults.

-Help them see that they can lose weight and be healthy also

or -Leave this group of "friends" and surround yourself with others that will support you.

Don't let them hold you back and don't stop moving forward!

[Angelica 1]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate it.

Eating soley Raw Foods isnt easy, and initally, when I started, I wasnt even THINKING about weight loss, I was thinking about the fact that I had lupus, and that after visiting a doctor who used a more holisitic approach, and hearing all the great things a diet like this can do for people with certian types of disorders, and cancers.

Fanny - I totally agree with you about cooking foods, Raw isnt going to be forever for me, I have promised my doctor 3 months to determine how this diet will affect my blood work. Hes promised me that I can expect a complete turn around, and that hes had patients who have been affected by lupus for years, after 3 months, their affliction just 'disapears'. I feel like it could be a long shot, but you know, I'm going to try it.

I'm sitting here drinking my red juice (beets, carrots, cucumber and raddish) happy as a lark. I could care less what those girls say, even after the email I recieved last night saying they all got together, talked about my 'eating disorder', and cannot continue to support my actions, so they are cutting off our friendship until my diet returns to normal.

Whats normal? Greasy french fries, burgers the size of your head, ordering 4 pizzas for a group of 4 women? Is that normal? No, I think its them who have the eating disorders. I'm happy that I finally have gotten my issues under control, and can control what I am putting into my mouth, and dont have to gorge myself until my hands tingle and I have to take a midday nap.

pfft, normal.

[Pix 4]

I am sorry your friends are doing this to you. I can’t say beyond a doubt they are threatened by your changes but I would wager a healthy dose of pocket change this is the problem. I was brainstorming about how to respond to the email sent and here is what I came up with.

Dear Friends,

I am sorry you feel the changes I have been making are akin to an eating disorder, but I feel you have it backwards. I am making healthy choices with the approval of my doctor and a nutritionist. They understand the changes I am making and are working with me as those changes come up. They do not feel I have an eating disorder anymore. They feel my new diet and lifestyle are perfectly healthy and the diet and choices I was making prior to the band were short listing me to a visit with the mortician not the missus section at Macy's.

I guess what I am saying is this; I feel that you were only my friends because I ate just like you, but I am sorry I can’t make those choices anymore. Greasy French fries, a whole pizza, fried chicken are things I can’t allow passed my lips anymore. If you as my friends won’t accept me for me, diet and all, I guess you are right to sever our friendship as I feel it would never work as long as you were pressuring me to eat in old habitual ways.

Yours truly,