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My guess would be that it is something that needs to break down. I didn’t drop any weight for the first month that I was raw, not a single pound and I was rather overweight for me. Exactly 4 weeks after I started raw I dropped 10 pounds in one weekend. It was literally in 3 days and it was the strangest feeling. I think our bodies need to time to get used to the different fuel that they are getting and it needs to be convinced that this is for real. That sounds rather lame but it seems to be the case for me.
I’m guessing that you are exercising, right? Because diet change won’t get rid of everything. = )
Is it subcutaneous fat?
You mentioned that you are eating tofu. Soy products act in the body similar to dairy products, in that they form mucous. Perhaps they also act like dairy products in the formation of subcutaneous fat?
could you please explain what the sub… thingy word is ? lol
Subcutaneous is right under the skin (I grew up on a farm giving shots and stuff to our animals) so I am guessing joy means it is right under the skin rather then in the muscle. But I could be wrong;)
I do notice that when I am eating too many nuts I gain weight. Could that be it?
Yes, it’s right under the skin and gives an overall “soft” appearance.
Bodybuilders like to show all of the muscle definition when competing and so it is common practice for them to omit dairy products for a certain number of days beforehand. I just remember hearing them talk back when I used to lounge around the pool… long, long ago. ;)
Joy
EDIT: The mucous is definitely related to soy though. I had to omit soy (and dairy) products from my daughter’s diet because an under-developed lobe of one lung caused her to be prone to pneumonia. (Nothing against the allopathic medical profession, but if THEY know about it, then I’m guessing it is common knowledge. I’m just speculating on the subcutaneous fat-thing though. You should be able to tell within a few days to a week of omitting soy if it was causing the “upper body fat” you spoke of.)
darn soy! Thats why I got so darn bloated looking when I use to take whey or soy protein powder. Now that I know I wiil omit all forms of soy. Thank you so much for the info. Your description of “soft” appearance is exactly what I have.
I am having the same problem. I’ve been moving towards raw for the last few months and I exercise at least 4 days a week and I am having a hard time loosing the extra fat. In fact, I’ve gained a few pounds since starting raw. I don’t eat any soy and almost no dairy. I do eat nuts almost every day. I don’t know what to do.
If I may make a few suggestions… I’m personally extremely thin and here a few of my habits:
-try to drink 5-6 litres of water per day. Yes, it is a lot, but it really flushes stuff out. I made a routine out of it: a set number of glasses when I get up, a set number throughout the day, a set number in the evening. It’s all about determination (and not minding getting up 2-4 times during the night!!)
-as spices, focus on ginger, coriander, parsley and cayenne pepper. They help blood circulation and digestion.
-reduce salt intake to a minimum.
-focus on vegetables and fruits, then add complements such as seeds, seaweeds, nuts and grains.
-if you can, switch your nut eating to seed eating: flax, sunflower, pumkin and sesame. Seeds are the origin of life.
Good luck!
Josee, thanks for those great suggestions! I drink a lot of tea, but not nearly as much water as I should. I never knew ginger was good for blood circulation – I should be drinking more of my ginger tea.
Hey Ray,
Water and tea are great, but focus more on water (especially since caffeine in tea will accentuate calcium losses).
One of my favorite personal tea mixes: green leaf tea, lemongrass, ginger chunk and coriander seeds. Mmmmm!!!
You can try (for some oumph) to thrown in a raw ginger piece in a soup. It will really wake you up! :) Ginger promotes circulation, digestion and immunity.
herbal teas (tisanes) generally have no caffeine. you still need lots of water, but ginger tea is harmless. (speaking of calcium losses… any food that causes the body to become acidic will promote calcium loss. women who eat a lot of meat and cheese are at risk for osteo, but raw fruits and veg are mostly alkalinizing, so don’t worry too much.)
as for the weight loss… when i went raw i lost around 35lbs. it was amazing, and painless. i had been vegan for years, and rode my bike nearly 5 miles every day but i was still overweight and unhappy with my appearance. it took months to lose it all, but losing it slowly helps to be sure that it won’t come screaming back if you fall off the raw wagon a little. i’m sure once you cut out the offending foods, and take some of josee’s suggestions, the pounds will start to come off on their own.
Thanks Josee and Meredith. I do have far more herbal teas than green teas, but probably not enough plain old water. With regards to the acidity, I suspect that’s why our nutritionist suggested we avoid San Pelligrino water.
Speaking of exercise I found some yoga strength training bands and the results are awesome lots of available exercises as many as u can make up. “They are the flat bands not the tubes with handles. Lots of fun