Need some advice. Isn't this a raw deal?

[Cherise McVicar]

I'm new to the raw world and just passed my first week, but I feel like I've gotten a rather "raw" deal. I've gained nearly four pounds and not been my usual highly-energetic self. I don't think it's sugar withdrawal, because I wasn't eating sugar or grains prior to going raw. However, I was eating a high protein (chicken and fish) diet with lots of cooked veggies, seeds and nuts.

Got any ideas as to why I'm not seeing the fruits of my labor? I sure hope it changes soon, or I will have to go back to high protein and working out like a maniac every week. I was hoping to cure my low thyroid function with the raw plan. Kind of seems like the opposite is happening though.

I welcome your wisdom oh great ones of rawness!!!

Thanks,

Cherise

[anisha]

I wouldn't quote my advise, but maybe your body is adjusting to the raw foods and that is why you have not seen any improvements. I think it is normal that people do not have an immediate result when they start something new.

By the way, could you share what you are eating?

[nothinkingbehind]

Hi Cherise,

I would agree with Anisha, you are probably adjusting. Do you normally drink a lot of water? Has that changed? Or are there other changes from when you were eating cooked food? It sounds like you eat a pretty clean diet, so it's probably not anything you are doing or not doing. Our bodies take time to adjust to everything. I am one of those people who's body takes a little while to get with the program Do you work out the same as you did?

And one other thing, are you currently at a healthy weight for you? If you are on the low side of your healthy weight it could be your body normalizing. Either way, don't give up!

Melissa

[Cherise McVicar]

Thanks for the response. I'm eating fruit in the morning and later in the day veggie juice (carrots, spinach, parsley, beets), avocados, sprouted sunflower seeds, sprouted grain bread, young coconut water, sprouted nuts, raw veggies.

[Cherise McVicar]

My workouts are the same and my water intake is the same. The biggest change is replacing cooked for raw veggies and more fruits (I was fruit-shy a bit before) for cooked meat. My typical breakfast before was smoked salmon and a handful of nuts, for example.

Thanks for all of the great feedback!

[Cherise McVicar]

One other thing. I did notice my pH was balanced this morning with little effort. That's one thing that was up and down for me before. Also, I'm not heavy by any means, but wouldn't mind shedding some unwanted body fat and getting back to where I feel my best.

Thanks!

[greenbunny]

Eating Raw Food is not a diet to lose weight, it is a diet however which will eventually, over time, bring you to the ideal weight your body wants to be if you listen to it, not to what you (or society) thinks that weight ought to be.

When people suddenly change a great deal of what they are eating all at once, it is very hard to evaluate, especially over the internet, why they might not be feeling well, or if it is even from the diet change. Starting a raw food diet can make you detoxify, cutting out lots of dense, concentrated protein all at once can also have effects, eating fruit (especially if not properly combined) can have effects. You also might have gotten a slight cold or something.

What I would suggest is to go back to eating your regular diet and doing your normal activities for a week or however long it takes you to feel exactly like you did before starting raw. Then I would change only one thing at a time and give your body at least a month to adapt to the change. If I were you, I would start first with simply changing out some of your cooked veggies for raw ones. If you start to feel tired, gain weight or feel off from this, it is simply because you are adapting and detoxing and getting some nutrtion that you weren't getting before. Some people gain weight at first because their bodies have been starving for some nutrition and they actually eat more or hang onto more of the food. Switching from cooked to raw vegetables won't be a big change unless of course your digestion is so bad that it can't handle proper fiber in whole raw foods. Another suggestion would be to take out the veggies from the fridge and let them get to room temperature before eating them - especially this time of year.

Starting by adding fruit can have complications. If you are not combining them well with other foods such as meat they might affect you; or if you have any blood sugar issues or candida the natural sugars might affect you so I wouldn't start by adding fruit until you have tried some other changes first.

I've known people that switched over night to 100% raw foods and felt great, but many more that simply couldn't do that without feeling badly at least at first and gave up. When in doubt, the best thing to do is to go so slowly so that you can properly determine the affects of the your small changes and integrate those changes seamlessly.

Greenbunny

[Double Helix]

Check out this awesome thyroid story on raw...

http://www.therawtable.com/goodeats.htm

It sounds like you are doing great and eating well - like the others responded, it's just a matter of time and patience, if you don't see something going on, your body does and is working in order of priority. You may not physically see or feel it but there is something going on! Healing is taking place.

Also if you are very tired, it likely means you need more sleep. People underestimate their body's need for sleep when a lot of healing and reconstruction takes place. A lot of folks feel lethargic on their first couple weeks of raw, which usually simply means they need more sleep. Is there any way you can catch a cat nap during the day, or get to sleep an hour earlier at least at night?

I know it can be frustrating, especially when you read about how some people feel 250% better on their second day of raw. I think some people tend to be more dramatic in general than others!

Anyway, just want to encourage you to keep plugging away at it and you'll soon see some positive changes.