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Hey, Same here, I did raw back in 06' for a month, I loved it cuz I felt really good, and happy and I lost 12lbs that month, but I totally experienced the same ( having a pretty big background in body building)- I was always use to a high protein diet and I lost mostly muscle and could not lift the same as before...Im trying this again, my goal is 3 months this time around, If It becomes a problem I will quit for awhile but my goal is to lean out some so Im not too worried, while I think being raw is healthy, Ive been told by some long term raw foodies that some people at some point do need to incorporate other foods( yes even meat or if your veg, raw dairy or at least some legumes or grains)- the point is to maintain a high level of raw, or you could just try and add more calories in the form of protein or fats...just my 2 cents
One way you could do that and remain raw is to add either a raw hemp, kamut, whey, soy, etc, powder to your smoothies. Simple, quick, and on point.
Honestly, I think it's just not eating enough and not working out enough - though I don't know your exact situation, I could be dead wrong. Most people seem to eat very little. I work at a very physical job right now and at first it was very hard- and I couldn't stop eating. I put on some weight (didn't check how much for my sanity's sake) and got a lot stronger, and I have a lot of new visible muscle. And this is after a year and a half of not being able to put on a pound!
My husband and I both work out regularly, and my husband has a very physical job and muscular build. We do incorporate occasional meat in with our food, ( about once every 1--2 weeks) I'll pan sear (1-- 2 minutes on each side) an 8oz tuna steak and we'll split it-- it's actually very tasty. We also eat some cheeses-- I opt for raw, but don't always wind up with it. Quinoa is somewhat high in protein (6g. per 1/4 C.) We like it sprouted... I use that as a rice substitute for sushi, or a bedding to top with marinated veggies (very yummy). Other than the initial energy slump-- we have maintained our workouts and muscle mass just fine, actually my husband has been forming a six pack because the muscles have stayed and the fat has diminished!
I personally don't see anything wrong with eating meat and dairy in moderation, it's just my opinion of course... but I think the small amounts of animal fat and protein (if uncooked) is beneficial to us. I am raw and not vegan, and it's a lot less restrictive.
Greens! Lots of greens. And work out! Try to incorporate strength training of some sort, whether it be yoga, weight lifting or whatever, the more strenuous, the better, within your fitness level.
Hi all, I wanted to revive this thread because im wondering if any of you are experiencing muscle loss on raw. i've been raw for a little over a year and have definitely lost muscle and gained cellulite. I'm guessing that's from the muscle loss... but who knows. Does anyone out there think it might be from this lifestyle? To be fair I haven't worked out in a long time and i used too when i wasn't raw. However i've gone through periods of not working out before and haven't had repercussions like this. I've been adding raw protein powder to my green smoothies for about a month now but it's too early to tell. Any thoughts?
The only reason you would experience muscle loss is because your not eating enough calories. Your body doesn't need all that much protein to sustain its muscles however you do need. Your muscles burn more calories than fat lb per lb so when you don't get enough calories and you are not overweight than your body will naturally burn muscle.
You need to eat enough food, like fruits and vegetables. And weight bearing and resistance exercise.
Absolutely have not lost muscle and don't eat nuts.
No, I haven't. For my first year and a half raw, I worked with a trainer and I had success in putting on muscle and gaining strength. I quit working with the trainer and still have maintained the muscle I gained. I eat very limited amounts of nuts also. I do add some brazil nut protein powder to things but that is because I like the taste and texture with some things. I am also 45 years old, which some would tell you makes gaining muscle harder. What I've really noticed is how much leaner I am, so the muscle is more apparent and looks longer rather than bulky. I am in my 3rd year of 100%.
hm, i've never tracked my calories so i have no idea how many i eat, but im full i know that much! i just need to get back on my pilates, i've just been lazy i guess. i already eat 2 huge green smoothies a day.. i should incorporate more fruit based ones to add calories maybe
I use Omega Nutrition Pumpkin Seed Protein. It has 10 grams of protein per serving and I usually have 2 or 3 per day. I am getting larger muscles as a result. Something to consider.
try and supplement with a raw protein powder it will make things easier especially if your lifting heavy. The Vega cellular foods protein products are good, hemp protein is also good. I seen another member on here recommend pumpkin seed protein powder although ive never tried the latter.
try other protein sources other than nuts also, sprouts, goji berries have complete protein, seaweed have high protein per weight and so on.
excess calories is the key to gaining muscle, with 1g per pound of bodyweight recommended.
http://www.amlaberry.co.uk
I tried RAW POWER which is a brazil nut raw powder but when you read the ingredients it's really just powdered nuts, hemp seeds, maca and things like that. I thought it was kind of silly to pay that much when i could just eat those things on their own? Am i missing the point? The upsetting thing is that I've gained weight and its definitely not muscle. i was 100% raw then slipped a little bit (seriously a little and not for very long!) then am back to 100% and haven't lost any weight in months and am flabby from my muscle loss. i'm not quite sure what to do about it, its a little discouraging. I've been eating more fruit than i did when i first went raw and i didn't really work out in the beginning or now so i know im going to get a lot of 80-10-10-ers on this but is this fruit too many calories for me if i'm don't work out very much and causing me to have this extra weight?
Why not figure out how many calories you eat per day??
Then figure out what you are eating.
Then figure out how much is fat.
Then reduce the fat if it is high, but either way reduce your calories.
If you consume 2500 cals / day, reduce it down to 2300 for a few weeks and see what happens.
are you sure you're losing muscle? I've read it just LOOKS like you're losing muscle, but in fact you're just losing fat...and so the muscles you thought were big because of the fat was really only just that: fat. Now you can see your real muscles and they look just a bit smaller than you thought they were.
"One way" to determine if muscle is being lost, would involve strength training.
If you become weaker, you know you are losing muscle, but at the same time it could be caused by overworking the muscles.