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 FacebookHi, everyone!
Today is my second 100 percent raw day. I’m not at all worried about falling off the raw wagon, surprisingly. I am ready for this change and it feels right and good.
My big question is: Can you eat too much on a raw diet? I am ravenous today. It’s only 10:30 a.m. and I have already had two smoothies (one green, one banana) and a handful of grapes and a few big dates. And I’m still hungry! I know it will take time for my body to adjust. I don’t have any weight to lose (well, I guess I could stand to loose 5 perhaps, maybe 10 at the most), so I’m not on the raw diet as a weight loss thing, just as a health and ethics thing.
So, can I eat too much? Should I not give in when I feel hungry? I’m just not sure how to approach this change.
Thanks so much for any input. Birdie
Comments
Hello Birdie and welcome to the raw world =) Well, eating “too much” doesnt exist in the raw world hehehe unless you eat 5 avocados, 3 coconuts and a whole package of nuts, and still you wont gain much fat =) It all depends on your eating habits. Before starting with this raw-nism (I like how it sounds xD) you where a vegetarian or a vegan? There is no problem if you eat a lot and you feel good, that is what it matters in my opinion. I can only eat twice a day because Im used to eat like that, but I eat a lot because I know my body needs all nutrients. Hope this helps a bit ^^
Thanks, Allantgy, for the kind words. After I wrote my post, I realized I was starting to feel full, ha ha! I guess my body is adjusting to the new regimen. I was a vegan before I started, so I have made some of the transition years ago. I ate a lot of cooked grains, though, so this is still a huge adjustment.
I will just keep eating when my body says to eat and won’t worry. I’m grateful for your response.
Birdie
You are gonna be fine, the persons that suffers the most are those who made the transition from non-vegetarian regime to raw. Dont worry much about sprouting grains, I dont eat them because I dont like them and Im fine =) Even when I cooked…i ate them just once =P Good Luck!
I also was wondering this. I cannot stand to lose any more weight. The weight has been falling off of me since I went raw a few months ago. I started with a 15 day Master Cleanse after New Year’s and didn’t lose much. Since the cleanse, I have been 99% raw. I am hoping my weight will stabilize now. I eat about three handfuls of nuts a day and one to two avocados because I feel like if I didn’t I would be way too thin. It is nice to be able to eat whatever I want whenever I want though! My 1% non-raw is sushi once a month..I just crave it!
yes, you absolutely can eat too much on a raw diet. i ate too much (of completely raw food) yesterday and feel awful today.
It’s easy to eat too few calories from fruits and veggies in the living foods lifestyle, too many from fat. I find it preferable to eat plenty of fruit, veg, and TONS of greens. I limit nuts (1/2 cup per day) and cold pressed olive oils (2 Tbsp/day), 1/2 avocado per day. I recommend checking your calorie intake at a calorie counting website, and break down your calories into greens,veg,fruit vs. nuts/avo/oil. That way, it will be very clear how much food you need to reach your optimal caloric intake for the day. For example, my goal is 1600-1800 calories per day. I can eat 15 cups of fruit (1,000 calories), 6 heads of lettuce (100cal), 2 Tbsp oil (200calories), 1/2 cup nuts (300 cal), 2 heads broccoli. And there ya have it, i met my daily caloric intake requirement. Think about it… THATS A LOT OF FOOD! If I ate 5 cups of fruit, 2 heads of lettuce, and a head of broccoli, THREE TIMES A DAY, I’ve met my caloric intake for the day.
I’m new to raw, and I figure that I generally follow the above guidelines, but I eat many more greens/veg in place of fruit. That was more of an example. I eat when I’m hungry. I maintain my weight. I’ve always been the correct weight for my height, and active. And eating this amount works for me… i haven’t desired cooked food AT ALL since going 99% raw 5 weeks ago.
If you feel like taking a long nap after eating, then you probably ate too much. Digestion requires quite a bit of energy, so it’s good to give your body a break.
Thanks for all the responses to my desperate question. :)
I am feeling more at peace with my hunger. By the end of the day, I had had two bowls of salad in addition to my two smoothies, so it wasn’t a huge food day, and if I count calories, it probably ended up less than my daily requirement. I will start keeping a count of nutrients – that’s such a great suggestion, Winona. I don’t yet have an intuitive framework for what foods I need.
This morning I’m having a smoothie with avocado, spinach, and grapefruit. It’s yummy! And filling…
Thanks, everyone. :)
Big hugs, Birdie