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Calling all LFRV!!

Hello everyone! I'm (semi) new to this site. I've been using it as a guest for recipes/questions for a few months now, but didn't feel the need to sign up or post until yesterday. I'm not new to raw foods, but I AM new to SWEET FRUIT!!!! I've been following this site long enough to know that there are quite a few fruit lovers here, and I'm calling on you guys for some help. :) I want to share my background and my plan to make sure I'm at least on the right track with this, since I don't currently have a book to reference.

I'm going to break this up into 3 sections: 1. why I'm switching 2. my plan, and 3. my questions.

1. WHY I'M SWITCHING:

I've been experimenting with raw foods for about 9 months now. However, it hasn't been working well for me! Whenever I try to stick to a raw diet, even when not at 100%, I always end up going on severe binges within a few days. After several failed attempts, I decided to sign up for *someone's* diet plan to get an idea of what a successful raw foodist might eat. I love greens as the base of my diet, so I thought this particular plan would fit my philosophy well. However, it failed miserably within a week. The meals all focus completely on greens and fat, and other then lemon and an occasional green apple there is no fruit. The plan uses about 40% of calories from fat, and I'm finding that this is TOO MUCH. I don't even like avocados but feel obligated to eat a lot of them to get calories, and nut-based gourmet food makes me feel heavy and sick!!! Because this diet plan is so rich in nutrients, I decided that maybe a low amount of calories would be o.k., and so I went ahead and did a 90 minute cardio workout in the gym. BAD IDEA. I almost passed out, and could barely make it home because the world seemed to be spinning. It reminded me of how I felt when I had an eating disorder.

I posted something on the Q&A forum at the Raw Food World, and Durian Rider posted a response. I recognized his name from this website, and it got me thinking about whether I should attempt to up my fruit intake. I don't have any books on the subject, but I want to start this week. As a matter of fact, I already bought my food. Which brings me to the next section....

2. MY PLAN:

I want to eat lots of fruit and greens, but I don't plan on obsessing over my fat intake if it ends up being slightly higher then 10%. I also don't take issue with including some cooked vegan foods on occasion, if the opportunity arises.

I bought what I THINK might be 4 days worth of food. It seems like wayyyyy too much, but here goes:

*About 7 pounds of leafy greens, veggies, and un-sweet fruit. I have: spinach, escarole, boston lettuce, parsley, cucumber, a few tomatoes, two peppers, and some carrots.

*30+ pounds of sweet fruit. HOLY S&*$!!!! Is that too much? I'm a female who is 5'8 and I'm getting about two hours of exercise 5 or 6 times weekly, with lighter exercise in between through walking to class, biking, etc. The fruit I bought is: bananas, strawberries, blackberries, a couple green apples, a medium sized watermelon, grapes, tangerines, and clementines. I've got some dates already on hand as well.

*fat-didn't need to buy anything as I've got leftover avocado and nuts, which I'll use sparingly.

I plan on eating 3 large fruit-based meals a day. I loveeeeeee green smoothies so I'll probably do at least one of those a day. My digestion is really cruddy right now, so I have trouble digesting regular salads, and I'd like to start off by blending a majority of my greens and then as my digestion gets better, slowly adding larger quantities of salad back in. If I haven't gotten enough greens in for the day, then I'll make some sort of savory second course after my third meal, and if I want any fat I'll probably include it at that point.

I plan on continuing my current exercise routine, with the hope of eventually ending my cycle of binge eating so I can focus on getting into shape and eventually running a marathon, which has been a dream of mine since the age of 14.

oh! I should probably also mention that I won't be using any of my superfoods during this trial, at least not initially.

3. MY QUESTIONS:

-I've got a decent amount of weight to lose (50 ish pounds) and I'm afraid that I'll gain weight from all of this food. I don't want to give up too quickly...but to be honest I'll be anxiously waiting for the scale to go down, and if it doesn't then I might be too afraid to continue eating so much fruit. Approximately how long should I wait before deciding if a lfrv plan will aid in my weight loss? How long does it generally take for people to start seeing results?

-What sorts of detox symptoms do people see when starting this sort of diet, and how long do they usually last? Should I expect to be feeling 'down and out' for a few weeks, or should I be able to continue my exercise routine and classwork throughout this trial? When following a high fat approach, I was nauseous, had headaches, and ended up staying in bed all day because of 'detox symptoms'.

-Because the bulk is so large, what if I feel full before I eat enough to get the calorie requirements I need? Should I try to keep eating a bit longer to learn to stretch my stomach and to fit enough in? Or should I stop eating, even if that leaves me calorie deficient?

-Besides Doug Graham's book, what other resources would you recommend? (btw Swayze if you see this I found your site!) :)

-Do you see any major, obvious flaws in my plan?

-Any thoughts on calorie requirements? I used an online calculator which was recommended somewhere else in this forum, and according to it I should be eating almost 2200 calories to reach my ideal weight. That seems like too many calories to eat NOW, while at my larger size,....let alone 50 pounds from now. I'm afraid to eat that much. I've only been eating half that much! (well, except for when I binge of course).

I apologize for such a long long long post, and also for all of the disordered food thinking. I'm hoping ya'll will be able to help me dispel some of my fears!

Comments

  • Oh I forgot...I also have some celery as well!

  • 30bananasaday.com

  • Why don't you buy Dr. Graham's book? Does it cost too much for you? There is the solution! Plenty of fruit and no cravings!

  • I'm a college student who just lost their job, so I barely have enough money for food right now. I'm going to get Dr. Graham's book within the next few weeks though hopefully. I just need some starter tips in the meantime. This was an unexpected switch! I've been on a totally different track for the past year.

  • currently searching amazon. :) I'm really fed up and ready for change! The only reason why I'm not getting the book right away is that I've got $100 dollars to my name and I want to make sure I've got enough food for the next two weeks. I'll be getting more money a week from this Friday.

  • heh...I just realized that the program has a "365 day money back guarantee"..... :) well, I think I just found my money.

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    If you want to read about someone else's experiences with going LFRV, try this:

    http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/12/30-days-raw/

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Your Questions:

    #1: Typically people see results almost immediately. I didn't have much weight to lose, but I lost about 6 pounds (water weight) within the first week or so. That said, there are some who do gain weight at first. Read Freelea's post for a bit more info on that:

    http://sweetjuicyfreelee.com/2009/11/22/part-2-of-weightloss-blog-my-physical-benefits-eating-low-fat-raw/

    And even if you do gain weight at first, the other benefits you will undoubtedly see (improved digestion, mental clarity, hydrated body, etc.) will more than make up for it. Just make sure to eat lots and lots of fruits! :)

    #2: Here's an article I wrote on that:

    http://www.fitonraw.com/2009/11/beware-the-dreaded-diet-detox/

    #3: At first, you will likely need to keep eating even after you feel full. A good plan is to eat until you are full and then eat just one for piece of fruit. Do that at every meal and keep adding on until you are at where you need to be calorie-wise.

    #4: Nice! :D

    #5: Plan looks good, but you might need more than 30lbs of fruit for 4 days. I'm only 5'4, but I eat over 10lbs of food everyday. Of course, this number will fluctuate depending upon what foods you buy (e.g. a pound of bananas has more calories than a pound of strawberries so you would require less to fill you up).

    BTW, you seem really dedicated AND prepared, two necessary components for any lifestyle change. You'll do great! :)

    #6: I would say start with 2500-3000 calories and see how you feel. I know, sounds like a lot. What other diet allows you to eat as much as you want? :)

    Good luck!

    Swayze

     

  • wow, that was super helpful Swayze, thank you so much! That'll definitely help me get started while I'm waiting for my book to get here.

    and....WOWWWW 2500-3000 calories? that sounds like heaven to me. :)

  • swayzeswayze Raw Newbie

    Haha, it IS heaven! :)

    Swayze

     

  • i understand budget, if it isn't there, it just isn't. in the future, try interlibrary loan. they will borrow the library book from a larger library on request... and deliver it to yours, then you send it back and your library returns it to the other library. pretty cool system! good luck!

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