Tarah's before and after!

[Joplasia]

I went vegan January 5th, 2008. Although i felt much better than i had previously eating meat, i was still consuming lots of bread and vegan treats. My initial weight dropped from 147lbs to 134lbs, but i was still unhappy with my body.
My aunt introduced me to raw foods in march of 2008. I stayed 100% raw for a few months before i started to crave my old vegan treats, and i fell off the wagon.
Now, i have successfully been 95% raw for 6 months and i feel fantastic!
My only indulgence is soy milk, which i thoroughly enjoy.
The before pictures are when i weighed 134lbs
The after picture is me at 125lbs, my goal!

Ps: I'm 5'8, in case anyone was wondering!

[Joplasia]

Another After!

[AndyRhae]

Congrats!!!! I'm still way far away from my goal.. Kind of self-sabotaging what with stress and all. YOU LOOK GREAT!! Def an inspiration :]

[Joplasia]

Thanks Andy and Sarah :)
You can do it Andy! It's always difficult when you're in college. I've had some up's and downs, especially when it seems you're the only one who is interested in being healthy.
If we head to the Raw Spirit festival this year we're bound to learn more and get lots of inspiration!

[Rawbin]

lol, I'd be happy with your "before" picture!!!
Have you ever made an almond coconut milk? It's so much richer and tastier than soy and better for you.

[Joplasia]

I think everyone has hang ups when it comes to their body, regardless of their size.
I`m an athlete, and my hard work wasn`t showing, that`s why i wasn`t happy!
Almond coconut milk sounds delicious!
Do you have a recipe for it?

[rebeccaj]

Thanks for posting these! It's awesome to see someone who is, like Rawbin said, already at what many people would consider "after" going for it and really finding their true body. I love it. Very inspiring.

[Wave]

you look great before and even better after

[Joplasia]

Thanks!
Rebecca, I noticed that your pictures are similar, what most people would consider to be an "after".
It just goes to show that being slim doesn't necessarily equate to being healthy.

[Nikki]

Joplasia

Can you tell me more about your diet?? High in fruits, greens, gourmet raw?? Would love to know more insight. I myself was raw jumped off the wagon and am now around 144. I would like to get to 125. Did you juice fast, watch what you ate--calories and stuff? I feel like I get to caught up in still dieting with raw. I love high fruit, but tend to really stuff myself. What would you do for dressing? Sorry so many questions...you just look so fabulous and are very inspiring for me.
Hope to hear from you soon:)

[Joplasia]

Nikki,
Most would consider my diet pretty plain, but when i first opted for raw i tried all of the gourmet food and I prefer more simple options now. I'm also saving up for a vitamix, so i don't have much equipment to make any kind of gourmet raw food.
I am constantly eating, around every hour or so. Some raw foodists eat very little, but i've found that i require lots of food to get me through the day. My average day looks like this:
1 glass of soy milk, 1 grapefruit
handful of almonds
3 mandarin oranges, 1 banana
1 very large salad (romain lettuce, nuts, dried fruit, pepper, raw dressing)
1 lara bar, dried goji berries
1 apple, 2 nectarines
handful of almonds or cashews
1 pepper and fruit for dessert
On average i eat around 10 pieces of fruit daily, and it doesn't always follow that pattern. I like to mix it up with different fruits and veggies, whatever i'm craving. I don't eat many vegetables, simply because i enjoy fruit more, but i always make sure i include a large salad every day. Also, i stay away from all grains. They never fail at making my body feel heavy and give me cramps.
I do watch what i eat because i'm a little obsessive about my weight. I tend to eat first and think later, which is a habit that i'm trying to break, and i'll often eat out of boredom. The key is to grab healthy foods (fruits, veggies).
I did do a juice fast a few months ago, just to challenge myself, but i find it a little difficult because i'm very active.
So i to guess my "secret" would be to watch what you eat, and make sure that everything going in your mouth makes your body feel good. Also, exercise, exercise, exercise! It clarifys your mind and makes you feel fantastic. I work out on average four days a week, mixing it up with running, biking, kick boxing, weight lifting, and hiking the trails on my off days.
I hope i was able to help some :)

[RawSoldier120]

So wonderful!!! Congratulations!

[Nikki]

Joplasia!

Thank you so much girl! Yo uare an inspiration to me! I hope to join you on this before and after page. I eat a lot to so I am glad to hear that we are in the same boat. I could never figure out how people could wait till 12:00 to wat and only have two meals. That is not me. Look forward to chatting with you! You are beautiful:)