Hallelujah, there’s nothing like being born again!
Today is Day 1 of my new life.

• Nearly 200 lbs Released – Check!
• 2 Years @ 100% Raw – Check!
• 100-Day Juice Fast Finished – Check!

Today is the day I realize my life long goal of being a healthy weight.

This journey started for me 2 years ago when I reached my heaviest weight of 400 lbs.  Sometimes just saying that number takes my breath away.  I felt hopeless.  I couldn’t fit in car seats, theatre seats, or even an airplane seat.  My size 58 pants and 5X shirt were all starting to get too tight on me.  I couldn’t go up 1 flight of stairs without having to lie down on the couch and catch by breath.  As a matter of fact I couldn’t even tie my own shoes.

Then something shifted.

From that day 2 years ago until today I have released 195 lbs.  But come to think of it, in actuality started long before then.  Ever since I was 8 years old I realized that my weight had become a problem.  No third grader should ever have to worry about that.  Well, I did, and I did every day since then.  Being the biggest kid in every class, grade, and school you have ever been in is well, depressing to say the least.  I longed for the day when I would be healthy, muscular, or just “normal.”  I wasn’t sure if that day would ever come to pass, but either way I hoped, dreamed, and envisioned what I would look like when I lost the weight.

Now that the day is here, my dream has manifested, and I couldn’t be happier.  Sure I can fine tune and probably lose another 25 lbs, and I will, but the point is…

I am literally half the man I used to be, and twice the man I ever was.

Today is my 2-year anniversary of being 100% raw.

For two years I have consumed nothing but raw food, primarily organic.  No cheating, no sneaking, not even a baked potato.  You could call me a purist, maybe, and extremist, definitely, a lover of fruits and veggies, that’s more like it.  I developed such a passion for raw organic produce that I really don’t crave anything else.  Sure occasionally I reminisce about a bag of warm salty French fries, but that is where it stops.  I never take action, I never actually buy them. 

The funny thing is that I barely liked any vegetables before going raw.  I restricted myself to iceberg lettuce and the steamed broccoli that came with my Chinese food takeout meal.  Now you would be hard pressed to find a fruit or vegetable that I don’t really like.  And the more exotic fruits I discover only deepens my love affair with this wonderful lifestyle.

Today is the first day I will consume solid food after my 100-day juice fast.

Rumor has it that for every day you juice fast you reclaim 120 days of your life.  Guess that makes me -1.  I can’t think of a better place to begin.

There’s nothing like living in pre-womb innocence again.

Being on any kind of extended fast really show you what you’re made of.  It strips away the façade, breaks down all the walls, and leaves you standing in a mirror, naked, staring back at yourself.  And when you’re in that position, let me tell you, it’s all visible. 

But, it’s also one of the most wonderful places to be in because that is usually the first time you see yourself for who you really are.  I am not just talking about revealing food addictions, but trapped emotions, unhappiness with life, lack of self love, and much more.  Once you know where you are, you can figure out whether you want to stay there or not. 

I chose not.

I wanted to soar in the sky like a superhero.  I stood in front of that mirror, took a look, released some emotion, and then decided to grab my cape.  Once I strapped on that cape there was no holding back.  I thought, “why not discover what my potential really is.”  So I tried it all, fasting every way I could, playing with my energy, meditating, and running through the woods like a child without a care in the world. 

It was the one of the biggest and toughest challenges I have ever completed in my life, and at the same time, one of the easiest.  I am eternally grateful.

Today is the day that I pass along the torch to you.

The time for mediocre living has come and gone.  The idea of just getting by, feeling alright, doing ok, kind-of happy, we might make it, my job is the same, nothing new going on here… That is all the old paradigm of thinking, and living. 

Enter: new shift in consciousness.

We are living in a time where our global consciousness is resonating higher than ever before.  We have so much available to us now.  Not only do we have the best food ever, but people are starting to operate more out of a space of love every day.  We’re finally realizing that we have no limits, and that we create our own reality, and the world around us.  We all have the ability to manifest.  We can have the best day ever, everyday for the rest of out lives.

So I am calling all Superheros.  The time to shine is Now.

Use your powers.
Transform your life.
Inspire others.

…and don’t forget your cape!

I love you all,

Philip @ Lovingraw