My Raw Vegan Fruitarian Journey: Better Not to Begin, But Once Started, It Is Better To Finish
I wanted to do a small update about my fruitarianism.
Well, around last April or May, I hired a life coach for a week to help me try to transition to a fruitarian diet. Ever since I saw one of Freelee’s rant videos online about Why You’re Still Fat and the answer was you’re not eating enough fruit–and I was like Wha???, I had been researching this high carb low fat version of raw veganism otherwise known as fruitarianism.
We decided I should just try to do raw till dinner to transition. So for a week, for breakfast and lunch I just ate fruit and then for dinner I would have my normal vegan food. I was already eating a lot more fruit, but I was really strict about it that week.
That month my severe cramps basically disappeared, which was thrilling and amazing to me.
I didn’t see much other difference though, and I even wondered if I had gained weight that week.
I kept going with it though.
All through the summer I watched fruitarian youtube videos from freelee, durianrider, fullyrawkristina, thefruitarian et al. Finally I was inspired so much I had to try a fully raw trial. It was kind of easy at that point since I was already eating so much fruit and the cooked vegan meals at night didn’t even taste that good. So I thought I’d go all in for a week. Just a week. To see if I liked it.
“they call him durianriiiiderrrr”
At the end of that week, I thought, I’ll go two weeks. That will definitely be enough time to see how I feel.
At the end of those two weeks, I was like… I’ll just continue. I felt good–but I wasn’t sure I saw any drastic changes.
On day 16 or so, I started feeling amazing.
pic of me from my fruitarianism this summer. I can see my skin has the fruity glow.
There was a day when I was running to the subway. I’ll always remember the feeling. I felt filled with energy to the point where I felt weightless. I ran to the subway like I was an angel, a super being. I remember thinking as I walked down into the subway, Oh my god, maybe I have found that magic pill, that miraculous cure that fixes all your problems.
My skin was glowing. The term “weight is falling off”….made sense. My pants got really loose. I felt like a different person strength-wise in my dance class. All the tricks I thought I’d never do were suddenly within reach.
Then I had to go on vacation. I was excited about the vacation with my fam, but worried cause I knew it would be hard to stay fully raw with my family, who love to eat out.
It was quite difficult. It was difficult to deal with sitting at restaurants where everyone else was eating normally, and I was trying to refrain. It was also difficult to deal with the pressure from family members who were annoyed that I had chosen this restrictive path.
What they didn’t understand was all my dreams were kind of coming true. I had always wanted to lose weight deep down, but found it impossible. I had made up my mind that I would never lose weight and was happy with my body the way it was. But I kind of always wished it were possible for me. Suddenly I had found the solution, but everyone was angry at me for doing it and not being normal.
Also I had always longed to be an amazing athlete and dancer–yet I found I was just not strong enough. Or possibly my extra weight and height made things doubly difficult for me. I always felt like “I guess I am just not as strong as other people”. Suddenly I was becoming supercharged with energy and strength. I found myself easily able to do pushups. Running was effortless. My skin was now perfect when I had always had bad skin growing up, whereas my sisters’ skin seemed to be porcelain smooth.
All my problems were dissolving. Yet people hated the fact that I was doing it. Except my mom.
I guess it is just hard for people to accept. They think you are just trying to lose weight and starving yourself when really if you restrict your calories you will fail on the lifestyle in a heartbeat and always eat till you are full. They think you hate yourself. Or you are just trying to be difficult and weird. They tell you you are isolating yourself and that food is one of the reasons life is worth living and you’ll never find a boyfriend eating like that.
The works.
It is hard to be fruitarian alone because you’re getting all your information from random people in their bedrooms on youtube. It is really confusing. They disagree and fight a lot. I so often wished I had some fruitarian friends to consult with.
Anyway, after my vacation I kind of gradually fell into a raw till 4 program. I would eat mostly fruit but eat salads, rice, beans, vegan soups, corn pasta, or potatoes for dinner. I still tried to keep it as low fat and high carb as I could. And of course vegan. My food was kind of boring, and I was not seeing any of the drastic athletic benefits that I saw when I was fully raw, but I felt good and my cramps were still mostly gone and I had lost weight.
The only problem was I actually did not feel that great when I would eat my cooked food dinners. You start feeling the difference between raw and cooked food. When you eat raw food it is like you feel a rush of energy or nothing at all. When you eat cooked food dinners after that you feel all of a sudden drained and taxed, like you need to lie down. Sometimes I did have to lie down. I think I could have fixed this by drinking A LOT more water with my dinners, because after being so hydrated all day with raw foods, the cooked food suddenly really dehydrates you sometimes to the point where I’d have to sleep it off. The problem is rice and pasta tastes really good and gives you a great satisfied feeling right before you feel bad.
I sometimes wondered if I had ruined my body by eating so much raw food that I could no longer eat cooked food without feeling bad. And yet the raw food made me feel really good.
I often thought of the zen saying my karate teacher used to say in college” “Better not to begin. But once started, it is better to finish”.
I still had dreams of going fully raw but found it so hard to give everything up a second time.
Anyway, I decided to try banana island yesterday. Which is what fruitarians call it when you eat only bananas. Which is supposed to be an amazing cleanse.
I had been increasing my banana intake recently and had gotten such good results in dance class on ten a day, I decided to take it all the way to an attempted 30 bananas a day.
I ate 20 yesterday. By 10 pm I could see it in my face. My skin was glowing like my skin had gotten younger.
(i posted this pic of me on fb cause I couldn’t believe my skin got so good so fast)
It was amazing! I still can’t believe eating bananas works so fast. Like, “Take 20 bananas and call me in the morning”.
When I woke up today I felt the difference in my energy. I felt charged up. I felt myself vibrating in a way. I know that sounds weird. But I felt myself vibrating with energy. I felt light. I feel really good right now.
I looked at my body in the mirror and I felt like a victoria secret model. Not eating salt allows any water weight on you to disappear. So you magically look thinner without having lost any fat.
I stared at the bananas in my vitamix today kind of in awe. Who would have ever thought bananas….were…so powerful.
Raw food is really amazing, but it can be a difficult journey. Sort of like with veganism, but even more extreme. You are going against everything everyone knows and loves. It is not easy for people to accept. It is not easy to do. But the benefits are so good that they make it worth it.
Or do they…
I am curious, have you or would you ever try or tried being a raw vegan/fruitarian? Do you think the benefits of energy, athleticism, feeling good, and improved looks seem worth the cost of giving up the extreme pleasures of the foods you know and love?
Great report! I haven’t deliberately tried raw vegan but my mom is about 85% raw and 100% vegan and has a youthful glow about her. She has the energy to teach dance classes every day too. Recently, just before a vacation, I had to empty my fridge of perishables so I ate all the fruits and veggies I had. I nibbled on peppers and carrots, apples, bananas and grapes all day and felt so energized! So I get it. I think it’s good to eat this way but I can see how it would be tough at social gatherings. Your post has inspired me to eat more raw foods!
Wow thanks Jean, that is awesome!!! I’m so happy I inspired you to eat more raw, and how cool is that that your mom is 85% raw–that is basically as raw as it gets. Even most fruitarians aren’t 100% raw. How cool.
It’s very cool to have a vegan mom–and one who loves raw fruits and veggies! I’ll let you know how I do incorporating more raw into my life!
Please do. I’d be very interested to hear!
Hey!
I just stumbled upon this post in a google search. I loved every bit of this article, and can truly relate to it. Thank you so much for letting me feel less alone :-) I am slowly being more aware of the power of food and especially fruits and veggies, and I really want to transition into an 801010 diet, to begin with I just want to try being raw till 4. I know exactly what you mean by feeling the pressure and awkwardness from people around you, and I used be in a rock band and tour a lot, so try and imagine the change of direction and how people expect me to be different. Alone the fact that I never drink any alcohol anymore and am a low-fat vegan seems to scare people and have them worrying on my behalf. But as you express it, once you started walking down this path there is no turning back – only going on. I live in Copenhagen and this is really a country of meat and dairy (we have the largest export of pork..) and we are so unaware of the consequences of the food we eat, we still have miles and miles to go , but luckily we are heading in the right direction, it seems. People think I am being fanatic or sick or something, and I really want to explain to them that this is not about calories or restriction, but about feeling the best in my body everyday. But it is hard. You might know, it takes a while to explain it all, starting from why we shouldn’t eat meat… there’s a long way.. Are you on your own with this diet? I mean, did you have a friend or someone who supported you and inspired you to keep it up? There must me quite a few people in NY eating this way and some meet-ups..?
Best,
Cecilie
Wow thank you for totally inspiring me to write more on this. I am the same way. I want to transition to 80/10/10 again but I am trying to master raw till 4 first. I also recently cut out alcohol too. You know what, I’m about a year from when I started…people will slowly accept your diet is weird and forget about it. It gets so much easier. LOL so true that to explain everything takes so much time. I wish I could just carry around 100 copies of 80/10/10 and force it into people’s hands. But you know what, you are really being an activist and educating so many people every time you take the time to explain something to them. I feel I have planted the seeds in a lot of peoples heads about the power of veganism and fruit. Like my bff used to go on and on about how fruit makes you fat but he has seen me getting slowly thinner and thinner and can’t deny what I am doing is working anymore. Eventually people will come around when they see how different you look and how much you enjoy the lifestyle. I feel this lifestyle gets so much easier in time. I have relaxed about a lot of stuff–raw till 4 is great and sooo easy to do compared to 80/10/10. I still crave the feeling of all the HUGE benefits i was getting when I was fully raw and still scheme and dream in my mind about how to start again, but I’m really loving raw till 4. I love eating so much and eating so healthfully. Hang in there, you will love it! Do you have a blog or youtube channel or anything? you should!! I’d love to hear your updates. How cool you used to be in a rock band. Anyway, thank you so much for your comment. I am so inspired to write more and connect more with other people, like you suggested. Keep in touch! Let me know how it is going for you and any other questions you have that I may be able to offer some tips on. xoxox victoria
Hey. I am so grateful in finding this website considering I have just happily completed mlsay one on this lifestyle. I have been a vegetarian for 23 years and have been a fat veggie for the past five years. I have been doing extensive research about this lifestyle and am gettin motivation from many inspiring raw vegan folks on YouTube. I am looking for like minded people who are in the beginning stages of this lifestyle. After reading 80 1010 going raw till 4 is.the most realistic for me. Anyone else need a fruit partner in crime?
That’s awesome. I hope someone sees this and responds. If they don’t, try checking out Cookie Taylor’s Facebook group Reach4Raw. The people on there are very supportive even though they are not all on the same eating path…The raw till 4 group on fb can be kind of harsh and annoying and very strict but you could try looking for a partner there too. Also I would suggest starting a youtube channel of your own. Even if you think you are horrible on camera as I think I am lol. People will find you!! And when you do tell me your channel, and I’ll subscribe. xoxo
Saved by Sugar fb group is very good. It is supportive of all HCLF vegans.
Thank you for the comment. I agree. I am in it. It’s very good.
Thank you so much for this post! I am just starting RawTill4 in order to transition from meat eating lifestyle and there are not that many detailed relevant testimonials sharing their experience from the very first day of trying it.
I think i could never do fully raw as a lifestyle, because my stomach needs to jave at least one warm meal a day :(
Thank you!
you might surprise yourself hehe!! So glad you liked it! Keep me updated please on how it goes or if I can answer any questions you might have…xoxo
Hi can u pls talk about the initial hair fall on a vegan raw till 4 lifestyle.I’m a 18 year old girl and have been on this lifestyle for over 3 months now.But my hair dont seem to settle.PLS HELP!
That is interesting that your hair is falling out. I never had that problem so unfortunately I don’t know why that would be the case. I would try taking a multivitamin every day just to make sure you are getting adequate nutrients….roger haeske recommends taking a multivitamin, along with taking vitamin d if you are tested and are deficient as many of us are…and a b12 supplement to be on the safe side. What do you suspect the cause is, if you had to take a wild guess? Like do you feel you need to eat more greens or do you guess it is detox? Have you heard about it happening to other people? If you need serious help, you might want to contact someone like Don Bennett who Megan Elizabeth said really helped her… he does coaching and seems to have a lot of answers and good solid advice…http://fruit-powered.com/don-bennett-answers/
Megan Elizabeth said that whenever someone needs help she refers them to him and doesn’t do coaching herself because his coaching is so good.
He has been a raw foodest for like 25 years.
I love this! I have to say I also became obsessed with doing the fruititarian thing. It is amazing I completely agree and believe in it. I totally did a Raw and Raw til 4 for about a month. Then I went to Germany on vacation and all that went out the window. So I come home and cant get back on track. Something they don’t talk about is having been used to smashing in large amounts of food is habit forming… so instead of eating normal portions I’m now finding I eat way too much. Ugh! I’m really really off the wagon. So far off the wagon I can’t really see it anymore. Im trying little by little like I dunno stopped drinking wine in excess because that only makes me eat chips and cry. Anyway keep on fighting the food fight. I’m just trying to start mine again.
Thank you Evie J! I have heard a lot of peeps who switched to the starch solution say it took some time for them find their fullness point, cause they were eating so many cals, like you said! It is interesting. Did you know it took doug graham author of 80/10/10 5 years to transition to raw food (I’ve heard). So no worries if u didn’t get it on your first attempt and still desire to try it.
it is very encouraging to read all this information. I am on my third day of complete fruit and I am dedicated and excited. it gives me hope to know in a relatively short. Of time I’m going to feel better. the separate from so much chronic health problems. so I know the cleansing out process can be really dramatic sometimes I’m dedicated to stick to it. thank you for the encouragement
You are very welcome. If you are not already a member, join the group on Facebook “Vegan fruitarians” because they can give you great support and advice. You definitely will begin to feel better as long as you keep eating your bananas (at least that was my experience). I am very excited for you and wish you all the best of luck! It takes a special person to take this journey.
Amazing reading this! Bookmarking it
I Really needed to read this today! Thanks for restoring my faith in my ultimate goal…I would totally be a fruitarian. I’m actually pretty jealous of you, in a nice way lol…I am currently a 98% transitioning veggie to normal vegan…Its the mother****ing CHEESE that’s holding me back. The cheese and all its addictive casein/opiate effects. And Yes, also the social pressure from friends and family. Not so much when eating out, but when I go to spend weekends with them and feel like I’m inconveniencing them, or being rude by refusing all the meals they’ve loving prepared for me! But I’m getting there. This has really spurred me on! Thank You! #F***cheese2017
I was in the exact same place as you a while ago. I really wanted to go vegan but was struggling to give up cheese. One thing that would have helped me is to start eating vegan cheese. It has actually gotten really good and really similar tasting. Not daiya–it is ok. But there are way better brands. Check out tree line nut cheese, kite hill, miyoko’s vegan creamery, there’s this other fake goat cheese thing i love i think it’s called no cheese, they sell it at whole foods…. they are all amazing. test out all the vegan cheeses. Also DON’T feel like you’re inconveniencing them or being rude. Inform them all of your decision and then stick to your guns. Tell them you’re very sorry but this is non negotiable. They will adjust. I would never ever worry now about inconveniencing someone by refusing their food because i know on a deep level that veganism is WAY MORE important to my health and for the animals to worry about being rude. I know a lot of people feel this way in the beginning but my theory is there may be some tiny way they are still not 1000% convinced veganism is right in all ways. In that case, i feel you need to educate yourself even more to make SURE you know all there is to know about excuses to not be vegan, watch slaughterhouse video and read the studies on health…and once you do–the more you know–the more you will find it easier and easier to become vegan. That’s how it happened for me. With every thing i learned it is like the resistance i once felt SOOOO strongly fell away. I truly believe the truth will set you free. <3 <3 you can do this and will do it!!
YESSS! Hi, Thank you so, so much for such an in depth and thoughtful reply! I wanted to tell you that I’ve been fully vegan for 3 weeks now…hitting usually 10 portions of fruit and veg a day, (the least I got was 7, one day I got 12!) and…NO cow cheese. I’ve now found two vegan cheeses that I love – Violife is the brand (UK) but I’m sure they have it in the US too, they do a really creamy, mozzarella type one (That melts too!) and a parmesan one. I just use those now – It helped to remind myself whenever I had a crazy craving what baby and mother cows go through every time I want a ‘fix’ lol…And So that’s that! :) I’m now craving the vegan cheese which has made me so happy!!! feel like I’m freeing my arteries (which, I am) Also, I rollerblade regularly and pretty intensively but I hadn’t done a good run for a few months… last weekend I did a straight 10k and my God the difference I felt! there was none of that kind of choking feeling, when you get tired have to really push yourself on…it really does feel like your running on air or something. I felt ‘light’ all the way round… I only had to stop because my knee joints were screaming at me lol, as it was largely roads I ran on, I probably should have warmed up/trained a little more first – and I do plan to from now on of course! So yea, there is no going back now. Its worth it just for the animals and planet anyway but How could anyone go back after feeling like that? I’m not even as far into it all as you so it must be incredible to be at that point…I can’t wait. Thank you for sharing your story and for your support and encouragement. It makes SUCH a big difference to me and others like me who are kind of ‘on their own’ in their beliefs so to speak. I still get asked silly, interrogating stuff – but you start to not really care if they think your weird. I like to think the difference they are going to start to see in me health wise, will shut them up. Not in an arrogant way but 3 weeks in and I’m already being told I look ‘fresher’, younger…someone asked me the other day what fancy skin lotions do I use?, (Ha! none. apart from moisturizer :)) And I’m now taking vegan ‘survival kit’ ingredients with me whenever I go to visit relatives! Thank You! XxxX
I am going through my transition to a raw vegan diet at the moment. I’m only three days in. I was inspired by a YouTube channel called Sweet Natural Living. Something he said just resonated so much with me, I knew instantly that I had to try raw mostly fruitarianism. I found the whole idea of living as natural as possible very appealing. I’m living in a colder climate, which makes it difficult. But with the help of Cronometer and some online support over Facebook and such, I am learning so much about human nutrition. I must say, after just three days now, I am already feeling the effects. Maybe that is some psychological placebo like effect, but what does it matter? I feel fantastic, and I am learning and growing, and following my excitement. People who say it’s a starvation diet have obviously never tried it. It is so incredibly filling and energizing. I think there’s something about just living more natural, that gets your Chi or Prana flowing real good. :)
that is wonderful to hear. Check out lissa’s raw food romance for some great recipes and tips, along with fully raw kristina. Victoria Boutenko’s books are amazing as well. Just some of my faves. And have you read 80/10/10 yet? Let me know how it goes. and yea you should most definitely feel the effects by day 3. It’s so amazing how it works so quickly.