I've been doing a raw vegan diet for the past 5 days, but I'm taking it easy. It's more of a high raw diet rather than all raw, since I also think that all raw is too drastic. I actually didn't plan on doing it for this long - I just wanted a day to clean out my system from a junk food binge I had last weekend. But I'm finding I like it so far. The surprising thing to me is that I'm not feeling hungry or having a lot of cravings. Raw foodists say that once you give your body the nutrients it needs from real foods then you stop craving junk food. I don't think I believed it but now I'm starting to think there might be something to it .

But as I said, I'm taking it easy, not seeing it as a "diet" but as a healthy way of eating. If I feel like some grains or beans, then I'll have them. I'm not obsessing about whether the tehina I'm eating is raw or not (the label doesn't say but I'm pretty sure it isn't) or whether having a cup of green tea is going to "ruin" things for me.

Tam

I use McDougall's Maximum Weight Loss plan, and I LOVE it! I have always liked large portions and when I've tried counting calories and points and measuring stuff it only made me obsessed about food. With McDougall you aren't limited in portion size. I've found myself eating less as the weeks pass; I think I'm accustomed to being satisfied with the simple whole foods.

I started cal counting but it was getting really hard when I went out for dinner with friends (which is a lot) so I was starting to guess all of the time. Changed to Vegatarian South Beach. Much better

Julie, do you find yourself getting hungry on McDougall MWLP? I was considering that plan, but I've heard that a lot of people do find they are hungry because it's so high in carbs (even though they're good ones and no flour, not even whole wheat flour) and low/no added fat.

Tam

I'm reading about McDougall now... I've always eaten a lot of carbs and am currently ovo-lacto but know I would really be much happier vegan... I just dont know if I can give up cheese! O_O

It's as simple as not eating it! If you're veg primarily for ethical reasons then it's pretty much a no-brainer to make the leap to vegan. Dairy cows are cruely mistreated, they must stay pregnant to produce milk and are artifiically inseminated, the calves are made into veal and/or more milk machines and once their "useful" lives are up the milk cows end up meat also.
I do understand, I was a big cheese fan myself but honestly after a few weeks you don't really miss it and there are plenty of cheezy sauces to make do if you get a craving.

ditto! The only thing I regret about giving up cheese is not doing it sooner. Now when I see people pulling stringy cheesy food away from their mouths I actually get a little grossed out. And I used to freakin' love cheese.

OMG must add that if cheese is an issue try Sheese! It's a sweedish company but I found it here in my "health food" store just tonight. I bought the smoked cheddar style - heaven in my mouth. I ate it just plain on some pita crackers. It could be dangerous as it is by far the BEST cheese sub in solid form I've found.

ETA - animal cheese also grosses me out now after reading about the pus that can end up in and watching Earthlings. icky poo. (mostly at myself for how much I used to eat w/o thinking about it!)