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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookHi All! I am new to this site but have been transitioning for about 3 months. I am at least 80% (on bad days) but closer to 90% on most. Here is my question…has anyone not lost weight? I have about 20 pounds to lose and haven’t budged at all. My rationale for going raw isn’t based on losing weight, but it sure would be nice. I drink lots of water, am fairly active, have a quart or more of green smoothies and am not overdoing the fruit of nuts. Any thoughts??? Thanks so much!!! I look forward to being a part of this wonderful community !!!
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How’s your metabolism? Are you speeding it up with “hotter” foods, coconut oil (yes, I said coconut oil) and are you eating anything that not’s raw that is very fattening (breads and baked goods can make weight loss stubborn, butters, margarines, hydrogenated oils or that have them in products, ect).
Try waking up first thing in the morning and guzzle down a tall tall glass of water (preferably with fresh-squeezed lemon), this starts your system and purifies it first.
Do your excersises after that BEFORE breakfast because this causes the energy that your body needs during excersises to be taken from your stored energy, your fat. This way, it uses up older “fat” rather than using the energy from the lunch or breakfast you just ate.
Replace any processed, toxic, refined foods you do eat with more whole foods, at this stage, you’re not eating TOTALLY raw, so eat what cooked you do eat…WHOLE. This is your brown rice, your millet, whole-grain, soaked bread.
Every day add something new to your lifestyle that helps you…replace slowly, excersise that much more, drink more (if you don’t drink enough your body is trying to retain fluids, not good), ect.
Hope this helps!
FYI… It is important to realize that Beyonce was being monitored by a health professional when she did the Master Cleanse and dramatically dropped the weight.
I’ve gained
Also, Beyonce re-ganined her weight when she went off the cleanse, and then some! (But that’s to be expected when you’re SAD…)
I hope I don’t lose any more weight! I’m 5’7” & 106 lbs.
Dain5000~ I agree with you. Since Beyonce was mentioned as an example of someone who has done the Master Cleanse and lost a lot of weight, I believe she is an “extreme” example and wanted to provide a bit more about her story. My understanding is that Beyonce lost the weight for a film and had no intention of keeping it off. As ItGirl mentioned, Beyonce prefers to be the weight she is now which is heavier than what she was for “Dream Girls.” I think that folks on this site who have “reasonably” and healthfully lost weight is a “real world” example to be emulated. I think Beyonce’s example is a cautionary and extreme experience. Sorry for my brief post being incomplete and intention misinterpreted.
Definitely extreme, Bluedolfin. Yo-yo dieting is so bad for the body, as well as the mind.
Hi Hippie Chick
As you have read in this website, each body is different and comes to excellent health in its own way. I did lose weight going raw—and continue to. Starting May 1, ‘07, I followed Natalia Rose’s Raw Detox Diet ideas (basically raw fruit until noon, leafy green salad for lunch, reasonable cooked dinner). The first month I lost 15 pounds. Over the next 8 months I have lost 56 pounds by staying predominantly raw. At first I ate a lot of avocados, almonds, raw hummus and seed cheese—and lost weight. Now by listening to my body, I am finding I crave kale, green smoothies based mostly on veggies, less fruit, rarely nuts or avocados. I go through phases.
I also did the Master Cleanse fast several times a few years back. I lost weight, but because I returned to my vegetarian diet, I gained it back. My reason for doing it at the time was not so much to lose weight, but to clear out toxins. Based on my experience, you have to be so very careful when coming off the cleanse. I had big time constipation when my bowels restarted. For me, it didn’t feel very healthy. I am very satisfied with being nearly 100% raw and letting my body release toxins at its own pace, rather than concentrating the process into a 10 day period.
So, there are my experiences, for what they are worth. Again, each person is different—physically, emotionally and spiritually—and all these enter into the ability of the body to come to a more healthy place.
I wish you well.
Thanks so much, everyone!
SKY PRINCESS - Lots of great information in there! My metabolism in super slow. I have tried lots of things (Q10, etc.) to speed it up with no avail. I haven’t tried cocunut oil yet..definately will start. I don’t do fattening stuff like bread, etc so go figure! I love your exercise timing idea. Many thanks!!
Dain, I appreciate your response too. I hope your cold is better.
Sorry/glad to hear you gained ALL4Raw (did/not need to lose?) LOL
I appreciate everyones response. At this time, a master cleanse doesn’t feel right for me. Diabetically it would be an interesting stretch. I love Natalie Rose too. I pretty much follow that closer than any other program, but I also take from everything that I read (already have like a million books!!!). I love Victoria B’s smoothies and Ani’s recipes. I pick and chose what feels right for me and consider new options all the time!
But guess what? You guys have the best recipes by far.
Have a blessed day :) HC
BLUEDOLPHIN - I think you’re right. I believe I read that she lost the weight to play the younger version of the character in the movie with no intention of keeping it off. I recently watched the movie and I think she looks better at her normal weight. Aside from her preference, no doubt it is much harder or impossible to keep off weight if you diet to below a healthy weight or return to your bad eating habits.
HIPPIE CHICK - I think a Master Cleanse would be much more problematic for a diabetic, although they do have a modification for it. Having a slow metabolism really stinks. I have had one for years. One of the girls I work with is a personal trainer and health nut. She told me I didn’t eat enough. There certainly is some work out there that promotes the position that eating more, or at least eating several smaller meals daily, can raise your metabolism. The goal is to get your body to have hunger pangs every few hours and satisfy them immediately with a small meal. This offsets the starvation response in your body. Years ago, people would travel through areas where food would be in short supply or unavailable. To keep from starving to death, the body lowers it’s thermostat and your metabolism slows. If you eat fewer heavy meals, the starvation response kicks in. By eating smaller meals often, you trick the body into thinking food is regularly available and your metabolism resets and burns more energy. I think there is some truth to this as I started eating lighter meals when I went raw as I initially didn’t even know about nuts, seeds, or preparing dishes. As a result, I just ate raw fruits an veggies, which don’t hold you over very long. I did start having hunger pangs every few hours and would just eat a piece of fruit. Now that I think about it, the weight loss I did have on raw all occurred before I started preparing meals with nuts and seeds.
SKY PRINCESS - I had not heard that coconut oil would help with weight loss. That is intersting. I would have thought the opposite.
One last thing about Beyonce… From what I have seen, I applaud her for not buying into the “airbrushed” created paradigm of waffle thin is the
Maybe your body doesn’t need / want to lose weight … Or, if you feel that’s really not the case, maybe your body just doesn’t want to right at the moment … It could still be healing, and will perhaps drop excess weight when it has finished healing. I’m a great advocate of just listening to / following your body not your mind, if you get what I mean.
Check that what you are eating is actually raw.
This may help:
http://www.purelyraw.com/deadfoodlist.htm
Toxins are held in fat cells, if your body is still engrossed in dealing with cooked food items then the detox won’t be as thorough and no weight may be lost.
There is so much good advice here! In my first 2 months, I gained 5-ish pounds (starting at roughly 140 pounds, 5’7’) In the last month or so, ive dropped to 115, but it’s only because i’ve been experimenting with juice feasting. Juice feasting has caused to me to enjoy more simple and healty foods now – so that was probably a turning point as before i was eating kilograms of bananas and 4-5 avocados a day, as well as alot of salt.
My first month I lost 12lbs I ate simple. Then I got a dehydrator and started making cheesecake and cinnamon buns and brownies and oooh babies!! Can u scream NUTS. I love any kind of nut! So good!! But I gained 10lbs back!
Even flax seeds and avocado’s are high in calories but try not to count calories. Limit some food items and eat simple, 60% fresh veggies and 40% fruit and see how that adjusts your weight. I used to be 210lbs and now I am closer to 120.
wow ^^ i have to say congrats!
DAIN you made some great points. I will give your ideas a try. Thanks :)
My diabetic dr. and nutritionist are totally not where I am with regard to food and wellness. I am in the process of making some changes regarding that.Essentially they told me that I have been diabetic 20+ yrs and that I should just deal with my slow metabolism. Not!!!
BELISARIUS - having you been talkin’ to my Mom??? She says I am perfect LOL!
Seriously, I totally get where you are coming from. I never thought of it that way. Very soothing….Thanks a bunch!
I hear you ANGELSFEET. I boxed recreationally for a while (2 years). What a great feeling. I just stopped at one point because of an injury and never started back up. Yeah…the weight loss would be nice!!! Thanks for your thoughtful response :) HC
You know, Hippie Chick, it’s SO HARD when the body is hanging on to the weight. I gained about 5# back over the holidays and since returning to 100% raw (6 days), i have dropped nothing and may have even gained (scared to look). Usually when i get back on track any weight gained is lost in 2-3 days. I think I may have to cut out those fabulous flax seed crackers. I work out 6-8 hrs/week already. Try to stay focused on the positive mood, the glowing skin, the clarity.
Thanks, IZ…very motivating :))
I’ve been raw on and off for a long time. The first time I went raw was back in 1971 (that’s not a typo!) Way back then, we didn’t have dehydrated anything, or nut pates, or fancy schmancy raw foods. I went to a naturopath who put me on a diet of fruit during the day – one kind at a time – and a large raw vegetable salad at night. I could have half an avocado on the salad, and some lemon juice. And at night I could have a baked potato or light vegetable protein (i.e. lentils or beans of some sort) plus occasional lightly steamed veggies if I wanted. No salt! No spices, no oils, no olives, no ‘superfoods’ no dried fruits, nothing out of a jar, can, package or bottle. Herbs were ok.
I lost about 2-3 pounds per week on that diet. I was hungry all the time.
Since then I’ve been raw for several months at a time with all the fancy foods, and salt, etc. and I don’t lose weight on it, or if I do, it’s very very minimal. Maybe 1-2 lbs per MONTH. Calories count. Fat counts. IMHO salt is a poison and deranges the system and appetite.
I’m struggling to stay raw now and not succeeding very well. I too have quite a bit of weight to lose. I’m going to experiment with a modification of the diet I used in the 70s. I will eat fruit and green smoothies during the day, but not mono fruit. I do better with large fruit salads.
The naturopath who gave me the mono diet [and others who recommend mono eating] explained that sticking to one type of fruit at a time would prevent overeating from appetite instead of hunger. In other words, if you are hungry you will keep eating that one type of fruit until the hunger is satisfied. They believe that if you are presented with a variety of fruits, you will eat them not because your body is truly hungry but for enjoyment of the taste. A derangement of appetite unconnected to true bodily needs.
Well, I’m not sure that’s correct. I can eat a small apple, or even half an apple and not be able to eat another bite of apple but still be quite hungry. That was a big part of the problem back in the ‘70s. I generally would eat 1-2 small apples or other fruit during the day and that was it. Because I couldn’t eat more of that one kind of fruit. So I ran around hungry.
I believe my body is hungry for something besides apples at that time, and it's due to requiring different nutrients, not due to a deranged appetitie.In any case, the most satisfying meals I have consist of a bowl of fruit salad consisting of 2-5 pieces of fruit, with 3-4 dates. A meal like that leaves me completely satisfied, energized, light, and without any craving or desire to eat for several hours.
So, the next time I go raw, I’m going to eat those fruit salads, vegetable salads, and green smoothies and only very occasionally eat something else, like nuts and seeds. And I’ll see if that feels good and balanced, and also promotes weight loss.
By the way, since the 70s I’ve been raw for months at a time, with and without salt; and I’ve noticed I feel MUCH better without salt, and getting rid of the salt reduces my appetite and cravings. YMMV.
Sorry for this long and rambling post. I hope it provides some good information.
Definately does…I would love to have you there when people say to me “or your on that new Raw Diet Thing.” Yeah, raw…new..pls consult your local cavepeople!
Greenie you may have stepped smack dab into my problem. I just moved back to NYC after a very long, very stressfull 2007 and I have been eating salt (added by my own hand)... but I always tell myself I will drink enough water or that its not THAT much salt. Either way, I totally know better. Even when I’ve tried to lose weight on a diet that included flesh, the salt was always the deal breaker. My pressure and other vitals have always been normal (or even on the low side) so I’ve ignored it. So no more added salt from now on.
angelsfeet,
Congratulations for making that decision. I think you will feel a difference. Please let us know.
I just started eating raw and this topic is great. I am a former boxer/fencer and I have been on plenty of diets. I am a bit scared that my body doesn’t know what to do when I change up so it just holds on for dear life…and dear fat.
I haven’t trained for more than 2 years. I am acutally at a loss as to what to do about the excess weight I’ve gained since then. So now I’ve been about 90% Raw for about a week. I’m willing to give it time because heathy balanced living is what I crave.
Hippie Chick, I understand where you’re coming from. I am in it for the wellness and just so I am not constantanly lamenting over what I feed my body. Still, in all honesty…I’d like some serious weight loss as a side effect.
My story if you will: I was on the SAD diet all my life, January 1st 2008 I started a 30 days “100% Raw Challenge.” The first week was somewhat overwhelming, so I mainly ate fruit and vegetables (smoothie in morning, fruit for lunch, salad for dinner). Lost 4 lb. Since then started some gourmet raw food, and stopped losing all together. I think it is the high fat content of the nuts and seeds. My husband and I LOVED the raw sushi rolls, but that mean we finish a cup of cashews between the 2 of us (that what, 500 calories each in one seating, not including the avocado in the sushi). I think I will go back to being more careful with the amount of high fat-high calories food I eat (even if it is “good” fat).
Techelet I’ve got a lot of weight to lose (check out the pic) I’m 5’10 and I’ve let about 70lbs creep on to my already big frame. My body will go where it wants to. I think the raw eating is a good thing regardless. Plus I am not a big nut eater. I think apart of being raw is enjoying your food and knowing you’re doing the right thing for your health without counting calories… More importantly I have been listening to my body. When I’m tired I sleep. When I’m hungry I eat…and most importantly when I’m full, I stop. All this enlightenment in just one week…lol.
Things will work out for you and your Hubby!