It looks like you're new to The Community. If you'd like to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI’ve been raw since April 17 (just a few weeks!). My first week, I was eating more food: salads, dehydrated breads (small pieces), sweets, fruit, crackers, snacks, smoothies, nuts, etc.
The second week, my appetite decreased and I was satisfied on a couple of green smoothies, a fruit smoothie with almond milk, small handful of nuts, 1 avocado, fruit, and just a few tiny snacks and a salad a day.
Now starting yesterday, its back up again. I had green smoothies, multiple pieces of fruit, avocado, 10 pecans, 1 Thai coconut, two large salads (one sprouts).
Today, I had a green smoothie (celery, romaine blueberries), some dehydrated eggplant, a few pecans, 1/2 cantaloupe, fenugreek sprout salad with 3 sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil blended with 1 tbs of EVOO, sand I felt like I had NOTHING. My stomach feels completely empty.
Is this normal? I feel like I should eat, but my mind is telling me no. I have this fear of overeating and gaining weight (though I’ve been losing). Is this hunger telling me I’m missing something from my diet?
Comments
i don’t know why this happens but it happens to me too. Some days I’ll be starving and my stomach will always be growling no matter what I eat and other days I will eat practically nothing and not be hungry at all. My feeling is that is depends on what you ate last those days before you are not hungry – like if it was something heavy and takes longer to digest so you still feel full and not hungry for a while. Just a theory – have no idea if that is it. If anyone knows the reason, please post it.
I believe at 2 weeks ‘Raw’ there is no such thing as normal. My detox period lasted at least 5 months. Everything was a roller coaster during that time. Energy, emotions, appetite. They were all subject to swings. I had understood this to be the case before I started so it was no surprise to me. I felt great [better than before] most of the time and that was good enough for me.
I know what you mean about ‘fear of overeating and gaining weight’. I was 27 stone [363 pounds] a few years ago. I find even now that if I start thinking like I used to [full of fear] I can gain 15 pounds in 48 hours. Even if I am juice fasting at the time. ‘Raw’ works best for me when I use my mind only to decide ‘Raw/Not Raw’ and leave the rest up to my body.
Many people go ‘Raw’ with this ‘everything raw is ok’ & ‘eat all the raw food I want’ type of plan. It works for a lot of folks. Most also find that in time their system gains balance and they find their diet getting more simple. This was my exact experience.
I think it’s unfrotunate that there are so many ‘guidelines’ and ‘good raw/bad raw’ information out there now. To me this only fills people with doubt and worry. I had the luxury of not reading all this stuff during my begining, and I am thankful for it.
I believe in the ‘Placebo’ effect of our mind and I think that believing in ‘Raw’ without doubts is a large part of my success. I have not found 1 set of guidelines that works for everyone, so to me they are useless.
I see plenty of success out their with people just keeping this simple. I believe you can overthink this stuff very easily. Especially at first, simple is best. I feel sorry for those who concentrate on percentages and daily weigh ins.
I say to you barose. You’ve just started, Eat for pleasure at first. Find something else to worry about and examine in detail for a few months. Most of us have wasted a good part of our lives thinking about our diet.
Celebrate ‘Raw’ foods. It’s what nature intended! Believe in ‘Raw’, It does make sense you know.
Lots of Love & Support from me to you!
Chris
Well said Chris. I think I have said something like this in the past on another string, but may not have articulated it as well. I have just weighed myself because I had to buy a new size of pants, and I was curious. I am now down another 10 pounds. I have never worried about food combining, low fat/high fat, etc. My focus has always been just staying raw. That is all I focus on. I find recipes that I enjoy making and enjoy eating. I have notice that within the last 2 weeks, my body has made a big shift to a much simple-er way of eating. I am not making so many recipes, and have just been eating simple fruits and veggies for the most part. This was not a conscious shift, it just happened. Like I keep saying….trust and patience is the key to success in a raw lifestyle.
Well said Chris. Good advice.
Thanks everyone – good advice!
Chris, I so wish I haven’t read so many guidelines myself in the beginning. It’s hard to read about people who eat a few pieces of fruit and a smoothies a day, cut, cut, cut everything else and feel satisfied.
I realize I feel great eating a whole Thai coconut, a smoothie with raw cocoa, or a few goji berries. Sometimes I feel like I’m going against a scared raw covenant because I eat a variety of foods and I’m not simple enough.
I’m really enjoying myself raw now and I want to stay that way. I have to print up your responses (Chris and Spritedmama) because I do have to remember, that its only been two weeks, I’m OK as long as I stay raw, my body will continue to adjust for months, if not years and that I am pretty disciplined as it is: I make sure I don’t eat a lot of nuts or avocados, but I wonder if I actually need more fat—at least for now.