Meet Carol!

Dear Folks,

Meet Carol from North Carolina.

Carol is a real inspiration and a great example of stick-to-it-iveness! She has only 60 lbs to lose yet to meet her goal, but previously lost a huge amount of weight on Medifast. Before losing over 150 lbs on Medifast, Carol dieted during the day with chicken and fish, but gave into all kinds of snacks during long drives when no one was looking. She lived for her treats. Medifast seemed like a savior at the time, but offered her little in the way of real food.

Now, after discovering raw food, Carol is feeling great and able to eat well and is losing. She's lost 30 lbs eating raw and has only 60 more to go. She’s newly discovered banana whips and is just loving them! Carol recently broke 200...and is in ONEDERLAND!

Congrats, Carol! Let’s support Carol in her raw journey!

Here is her story:

"THE WAY IT USED TO BE WEIGHING NEARLY 300lbs...LOTS OF SNACKING"
In May of 2004, I discovered that I weighed in at 297 lbs. I truly was a morbidly obese old lady at 60 years old, and only 5 ft 3 in. tall. I remember clearly, poking down the street one early morning around 6 a.m. behind my 2 little dogs, barely able to walk and thinking to myself that the savings that I did for retirement was futile, because I could barely walk and every joint that I had hurt as I walked, and I might not live to spend the money.

At that time, I worked 8 hour days and commuted for 2 hours, and I rewarded myself on Friday night with more than the salad with chicken and lowfat dressing that I ate for dinner every night. For lunch at that time, I ate 6 ounces of poached farm raised salmon and cut up veggies like cukes and peppers or cherry tomatoes.

On Saturday, I ate the only ‘fast food’ that I ate which was an “Arby's” Deli Sandwich and curly fries. On Fridays, it could be a reward of an 8 ounce container of “Whispride” Cheddar Cheese spread, “Pepperidge Farm Snack Sticks” to scoop it out with for the drive home and traffic on interstate 85 in NC for a NASCAR race or a football game in Charlotte could make the 1 hour trip up to 3 hours, so I always had my provisions. I would frequently devour a bag of Moravian Cookies - all 8 ounces before I hit my driveway, or Bachman's Pretzel Cheese Sandwiches, or Cape Cod Potato Chips - all car snacks.

After work, I would go the grocery store across the street for the snacks, then I would go to the Fresh Market in the same shopping center and get really good prepared cooked food - Rotisserie Chicken – (I gave the dark meat to my 2 precious dogs, they loved it), Green Bean Dilly salad w/ water chestnuts, Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread, some good cheese.

A sweet treat could be a small pie of a large one, some cookies, maybe a loaf of chewy rye bread. If it was a really stressful week, I would also go to Panera Bread for at least 6 Cheese Bagels to take home - the problem was 3 were usually in me by Saturday morning.

During the week I went to bed at 9:30 pm, so I could get up every day and continue the madness the next day - but Friday I stayed up late and slept through the program that I always wanted to watch at 10 pm - 20/20. I would see it come on and the next thing would be one of the dogs would be in my lap licking my face - I was snoring and drooling - that was the signal - I guess - when she snores - we jump in her lap and clean up any crumbs she missed.

Once I took my little nap - I was awake so I stayed up another 2 hours or so - watching QVC - spending $$$ -or old Hallmark or LMN movies and entertaining my "Mid-Nite Lovers" - "Ben & Jerry", "Mr. Hagen Daz" or " Ms. Godiva" all ice creams -- Of course with this schedule - Saturdays were very busy and Saturday was a night to eat take out -- except for the town where I live limited me to pizza, calzone, and pretty bad fried fish or shrimp.

Once I moved here from CT - Chinese was definitely not on the menu - because the steamed dumplings are always half ray and the supposedly chicken - is not for sure - I do know what chicken is. You truly have the picture and can relate with your own demons.

"ENTER MEDIFAST"
So, I start looking for a miracle - and low and behold - I find an ad for Medifast on the back of Parade magazine in the Sunday paper. Monday moring - I go online at the office and try to order, I can't get it to take my info. I find a gal in my office that is always walking around with a shaker jar and saying she is fasting - sure I think - she gives me a packet and I knew I could drink the stuff - finally I get the stuff ordered - it comes within 3 days - and I begin shaking as they said. For the first 6 weeks or so, I went to McDonald's and got their new salad with grilled chicken and low-fat Paul Newman dressing for my only real food meal of each day.

About the time I could trust myself with lettuce, cukes & cherry tomatoes, I took in another dog. She barked all the way home in the car, and I about came close to giving me a reward of ice cream or some junk food just to be able to zone out.

By March 17 of 2005 I had lost 156 lbs. I never ate any real food, except for my salads and 3 bites of each food that I prepared for Thanksgiving.

I felt great, looked pretty good - and maintained it quite well, until last fall.

"AN EARLY RETIREMENT MOUTH PARTY"...
In November I was at 170 but still feeling good. Then I got retired earlier than I had planned - and I had a bit of an “English Muffin, Panera Bread Cheese Bagel, Pizza, Chicago Hot Dog, Key Lime Ice Cream Pity Party” until May.

I tried the Medifast again and just was not into it. I wanted real food.

"LAST SUMMER I FOUND RAW FOOD!"
In my efforts to maintain - last summer I found RAW Food and had ordered Nomi Shannon's Books. In early May I found some prepared foods at the health food store 18 miles from me and tried the zucchini pasta and lasagna and liked it. In late May of this year, I ordered my Blendtec - Nomi recommends that now. I have also ordered several books from Victoria Boutenko, and others, and went to Hallelujah Acres for their 2 day program.

About June 15, I believe, the Blendtec arrived. I looked at it for a few days, but really got going on 6/21.

I found your blog, “Pure Raw Joy,” from Matt & Angela's wedding. I have really made it and losing weight on raw a study and discovered that many of those that have been really successful ate some things that I do not want to eat - Angela ate Rice Cakes and Popcorn Cakes well into her weight loss - that would set me up to want to eat ‘real’ bread or popcorn - so I know I could not do that - and she now eats lots of the powders that Matt sells.

I WANT TO GET TO MY GOAL EATING REAL FOOD AND BE ABLE TO EAT GOURMET RAW 3 - 4 TIMES A WEEK AFTER I AM AT MY GOAL.

Last night I finished up my Corn salad from Nomi's book and probably will not make it again as corn probably will be out of season soon. I tend to really pig out on it.

I have 4 quarts of Gazpacho that I made from tomatoes, cukes and basil that I grew - I am going to try to stick to melons, Green Smoothies, Green salads and Gazpacho for as long as I can.

I have maintained being in ONDERLAND for the past 5 days. I have 60 lbs. to go. I know I can do it, I just want it done yesterday.

Yesterday, I ordered a dehydrator - I guess the juicer is really necessary and I should do that next, but I already have a Cuisinart.

Thank you for the Bannana whip info! I have frozen Bananas in pieces - I get them when they sell them 1/2 price because they are spotted ripe and freeze them. I don't have Cacao, but do have a really good Natural Process Cocoa from Penzey's spices which they import from Belgium that I might try. I also have some marvelous Macadamia nuts that I got from Olive Nation on line. I have my refrigerator all in order and all my nuts in canning jars and my produce in ‘Debbie Meyer’ preservation bags. Nomi Shannon would be happy to see my fridge!
I really wanted to go to Wash., D.C. this weekend for the “Raw Spirit Fest,” however it is more important for me to be home. Two of my dogs are near the end. “Scamp,” the Pekingese, has oral cancer and “Munchie,” the Terrier mix Heinz 57, is in renal failure. “Polly,” the Shih Tsu and I will miss them so much when they make the trip over the Rainbow Bridge. Try to enjoy your time in DC and find some time to relax while there.

"I feel 100% better eating RAW"
Because I had gained back about 1/2 or about 75 lbs. of what I had lost on Medifast, the achy's and stiffness were back. My shoulder hurt some too and I could not sleep on it, I had to have Cortisone shots for the problem that occured when I fell.

Two years ago, while I was still thinner and wearing size 10 or 8 jeans, I fell in my driveway and broke my ankle. This happened about 7 pm on a Sunday night and I was not about to go to the ER then, I thought it might be just a strain or sprain at the most, I could still walk the dogs very slowly, although it hurt. Next day when I went to my Dr. and saw the X-ray of the break, I was pretty surprised. I never told him about the shoulder then. Quite some time later, when I could not open the car door with my left arm, I went to Dr. again and he tied it back to the fall when I broke my ankle.

I was RAW - for about 2 weeks and no aching and swelling when I arose in the morning, about 2 weeks later I happened to try sleeping on my left arm with my arm raised like I had done for many years before the fall, and I could. I am ecstatic with this.

I am losing just not what I would call consistently or predictably. In 2 months I have lost 30 lbs. I have been under 200 for a week now. Now, I am trying to focus on exercise, when I eat and drink more water. I am trying to eat according to Paul Nison's Daylight principles. I am anxious to get his new book the "DayLight Diet".

I know Medifast works - in the end I was not satisfied though - I was always dreaming about my "after Medifast food" - (Chewy Bread, Cheese Bagels, Pizza).

Now I have real food right now - that is what is so good about RAW. Today I ate 1/2 a Cantaloupe, 3 Brazil nuts, 6 Macadamia nuts, Banana Whip w/macadamia nuts & chocolate and Gazpacho at dinner and I am fully satisfied for today and not planning on more food before I go to bed or planning what I might eat tomorrow morning. I will eat what appeals to me tomorrow morning when it gets here.

Carol

You can leave messages for Carol here, or email her at: carolc.mcc@gmail.com