DAY 27...Observations

I have come to love Sundays. Sundays represent another hurdle overcome, another goal reached, another road walked, another step in the right direction - small victories. Yes, I love Sundays because they mean I have survived another whole week on my raw food journey.

So I have decided that Sundays will be my day of observation. A time to take stock. A time to tell you what I have noticed about myself during the week. I have no doubt some of it won't be pretty, but hold your nose, tighten your seat belt and come along for the ride anyway.

I'm still full. Not busting, I overate burgers full, just comfortably, I'm not searching for food, full. Which means I actually have to use a clock to tell me when I should eat again rather than wondering about the protein content of my toenails immediately after a meal.

I am starting to feel more energetic. Okay,so I'm not bouncing off the walls just yet, but I can get more done in a day than I could 1 month ago.

My skin just keeps getting better - softer, smoother, fewer blemishes. Not that I ever had any imperfections, but if I did, they would be disappearing.

I am sleeping like the dead. Seriously, I have suffered from insomnia for years, so a good nights sleep for me is a little like winning the lottery (well, maybe that's a stretch, if I won the lottery I'd pay someone to sleep for me...)

I have been in a pretty stable, good mood for the whole week which in itself is a miracle. Except for last night and the night before when dinner didn't turn out quite like expected and I had a minor melt down, but besides that...

Oh, and I've lost 7.5 pounds in two week. Yup, you heard correctly. I did not make a typo - 7.5.... In the past two years I couldn't lose 1 pound a year, so this is big news.

Here's an exciting one:

I walk every morning. For weeks I have been forcing myself along a beautiful path through the trees and across a meadow and through some more trees, knowing that it's good for me and it's what I need to do, but silently begrudging almost every step.

This week I got to the end of the walk and thought 'That's it? So quick? But I'm having so much fun!!!!'

I know, I used the F word. For FUN in conjunction with walking. So do you know what I did? I did the whole route again and I loved every minute of it. Now that is progress.

I'm finding each day easier. Okay, so I still haven't sat in a coffee shop, or gone out much, or walked past a bakery, but it's early days and I don't see the need to stare into the eyes of the devil if I don't absolutely have to.

And now for some yukky stuff, that I think you should still know. If you are a sensitive flower you might want to skip this part.

You know how they say men sweat, women glow? Well, I've never even been much of a glower. I'm just not a sweaty person, or a person with much body odour at all, I'm more of a dry person. (I realise this is bordering on too much information, but I warned you).

HOWEVER, this week in hot yoga, I have sweated enough to change the water table in several drought ridden countries. Seriously, I could water our whole garden.

And, here's the thing, I stink when I sweat. I mean really stinky, yukky, smelly sweat. So this tells me three things:

1) Sometimes there is a real benefit to having a blocked nose all the time.

2) It sucks being the person next to me in a yoga class.

3) There is some really nasty stuff inside my body desperately making a run for it while I'm giving them the chance.

That is good, good, good. So I will live with the stinky sweat and let you know when it all changes.

And the last uncomfortable observation. My stomach has become super sensitive. Now, I do not have a sensitive stomach. I am the person who visited India and drank water straight out the taps on the street (okay, I was not being magnanimous, I was hoping to get dysentery so I could lose some weight! I know, I have issues) and didn't once get sick. While travellers were dropping like flies around me, I just ploughed through with my iron stomach.

Anyway, I digress. Since I have been raw, I am simply unable to do any yoga postures on my stomach. The whole spine strengthening series, I either want to throw up or pass out and let me tell you, nausea and dizziness are not great companions. Especially when the person on the mat next to you already hates you for your smelly sweat. Quite frankly, throwing up near them would not cement the friendship.

But my stomach is incredibly uncomfortable if I lie on it. I have no idea what it's all about, but I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Well, that's it folks. Observations after week two, and I'm still alive. You see, if I can do it, you can do it too.

(photo - mine)