One week "raw" - Raw Food Chat

Pattywack · 01-17-2008

Well I just did one week of raw eating. I just don't know quite what to think yet. I feel more tired than usual, and did not lose any weight at all, in fact I think I gained! Do I need to drink more water? Can a person eat to much "raw" food, thus causing the weight gain?
I am so very glad that I found this site. It is just what I need to answer questions and help me figure this all out.
One of the main books that I have been using is Alissa Cohen's book Living on Live Food.
ANY help will be appreciated, I don't want to give up on this way of eating.

healthyme · 01-17-2008

I started this month too. I also have not really lost any weight but I do notice that my skin is clearer and smoother all over (including the cellulite on my hips and thighs) I am not sure about eating too much although if your body is unable to process higher calories, even good foods, you may gain weight. I find that when I really try to lose weight my body gets stubborn and tries to hang on to what it's got. Keep going and I think you will turn the tide and start seeing some loss. Keep track of your intake for a few days and then do an assessment to see just how much you are taking in. Also our naturopathic md encouraged us to drink a lot more water to flush the system.
Let me know how it goes and welcome to this site. It is very supportive, I am impressed at how positive everyone is here.

Pattywack · 01-17-2008

As a life time Weight Watcher member I did decide to write down my intake yesterday, it adds up pretty fast with nuts in the diet. So, I will focus on the water too. I'm thinkin that the toxin are just setting there because I have not been drinking my water as I should.
I love all the info and ideas and encouragement here.

Angliru · 01-17-2008

Hi there

Be careful on the amount of nuts.

Eg.
Nuts
Almonds = 578 cals per 100g
Greens
Kale = 24 cals per 100g
Spinach = 23 cals per 100g

Keep it green

RawFoodGrl · 01-17-2008

I think that's a good point about the nuts. It's easy to get a lot of fats in the diet between nuts, seeds, nut milks, nut cheeses, oils, salad dressings, avocados, etc. These are healthy fats and necessary ones, to be sure, but it's easy to rely on them as sources to feel "full" instead of getting the right balance of fruits & veggies.

That said, since it's your first month, I wouldn't worry about gaining weight or seeing no change. Most people do tend to eat a tremendous volume of raw foods once they start eating this way, and over time the amount of food people eat generally diminishes.

If you are concerned, it would certainly be worthwhile to use a free online program like www.fitday.com to track what you're eating and see what's going on.

Double Helix · 01-18-2008

Most people tend to lose weight on raw initially, even when they are eating too much fat.

Eating more fruit to get your calories up instead of fat is very effective - bananas, grapes, melons, etc. If you can try and focus on fruits and greens and eat your fats moderately you'll probably feel a LOT better. Also if your tired it just means you are detoxing and you really need rest. Our bodies repair themselves and rebuild in our sleep.

Also a week isn't much of a chance for raw. A lot of folks take a 30 day challenge, or better yet 3 months. Since you've likely been eating cooked your entire life, you really need to give all raw a chance.

Alissa's book is terrific. However, some of the extra good recipes tend to be pretty high in fat. I lent mine out so can't check right now, but I remember many of them being 50-60-70% fat calorically. It's easy to figure out, just punching the ingredients into fitday.com will give you an idea of how much fat those recipes contain. Many contain several cups of nuts and a lot of the dressings call for olive oil. But still there are a lot of great recipes in there that are not as high in fat.

Sounds like you're doing great though, you got through your first week, yippee!!! You'll be feeling great and losing weight very soon! Hang in there!

Pattywack · 01-18-2008

Thanks for the very helpful info and encouragement. I was feeling a bit doubtful this morning.

healthyme · 01-18-2008

I agree, it will probably take a little while (in this quick response need world) to see a change but just know it's coming. A positive outlook will help greatly. I am still new too but I feel that this has been a great change for me.
I plan on getting some cookbooks this weekend to get a better variety on my menu.

jroo · 01-19-2008

Try a quart of green smoothie every morning. A very good starter smoothie is as follows:

1.5 cups water
2 pears cut into 1-2 inch chunks (or bananas or frozen peaches)
1 medium handful of torn up dense greens (kale, collards, spinach, etc.) or two handfuls light greens (green leaf, romaine, etc.)

Blend for up to 1 minute, until greens are very small pieces.

Some fruit to avoid: Blueberries tend exaggerate the flavor of the greens. Blended citrus tends to add a lot of chewy pulp.

I also think that we are subconsciously programmed that it's wrong to eat several pieces of the same fruit in one sitting. On the cooked diet, fruit is a dessert or a snack, not an entree. So, a nut pate seems more appropriate, because it looks more like an entree. Just one of the things we have to unlearn.

Pattywack · 01-19-2008

I need to be patient and "unlearn" the way of eating that I have known for all my life. I did get very hungry today and craved a hamburger tonight. Yes, I did go out and eat one.... NOT GOOD I feel sick and like a lump is in my stomach.
Thanks for the green smoothie recipe, that will help me to get started in the morning.
I still am not clear on the protein business. I've always been told that my body type needs protein, protein, protein. So how does one get that when eating mostly fruits and vegetables???