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I want to lose more weight..or is this disordered eating?

nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

Hi! I have been wanting to lose more weight, but am thinking maybe this is wrong headed. I lost 12 lbs from Jan to April (finally) after having had my 2nd child almost 3 years ago. I used Weight Watchers. Then I found raw food sites and got very interested. I was a vegan for 12 years before getting pregnant, and very interested in health and alternative healing.

I started my raw foods journey about 6 weeks ago, and I am still the same weight as when I started, which is 119 lbs. I am 5’4 and when I got married 6 years ago, I was about 117 or so.

I really wanted to get to 115. I don’t know why, but I did. And I think, on some level, in addition to simply making me HEALTHY and energetic, raw foods might be the way to get there.

I am not obsessed about this issue, and I eat quite a lot of yummy raw organic foods, but I am wondering if having such a “goal” in mind is not realistic. I mean, I eat well, I eat perhaps 1/2 an avo a day, and 1/2 cup of nuts, i have my big green smoothie every day, I am quitting coffee (day 4 of no coffee, go me) and my energy is great, my kids are eating SO much more raw, as is DH, and that all thrills me. I am exercising 3 times a week, my skin looks great…..

Yet.

I am still thinking I’d like to lose a few more pounds. Silly, no?

Comments

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Why 115? My experience & belief is that if our bodies get what they heed, they regulate themselves to a state of health & balance, and that includes a healthy weight. I think it’s important to remember that our society is not responsible to decide what is a healthy weight for our bodies – our bodies are! Give yourself what you need, and you’ll be happy.

  • Hi there. I am the same height as you, and I recently did one of those ‘ideal body weight’ calculations and it said between about 119 and 140 were within a healthy range. I have been stuck at about 133 for what seems like forever, just had my first baby 8 months ago and would love to weight 119. I also hoped that eating raw would get me there, and excersise regularly but it seems like no dice. I think that if I did finally reach say 120 or 119, then 115 would start to look pretty good. But that is where I know it is my tendency to not be satisfied. So the fact that you pose that as a question makes me wonder if you have that tendency too, and might warrent further reflection as to why you do want it? Perhaps you could throw away the scale and go by how your clothing fits. I think that is the direction I am heading anyway!

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Are you sure the nuts are raw? Most shelled nuts aren’t. Check this out to find out more: http://purelyraw.com/deadfoodlist.htm

    You’re only 6 weeks in, maybe your body is taking a while to get over the shock of being raw and holding on to all the fats…

    as you detox you will lose fat. It might just take a while for it to kick in. And you’re exercising, muscle weighs more than fat, throw away the scales! Go by how you feel ;) Sounds like you’re doing great and feeling great anyway, so congratulations !!

  • I think each person intuitively knows what weight is best for them. I feel my energetic, amazing best at 112 (I’m about 5’5”), but people around me occasionally comment that I am too thin. When I eat normally, my body settles at 112, so I have to assume what feels best and what my body naturally goes to is my “normal.” I also have a tiny bone structure.

    At 5’4” and 115, your BMI is within the normal range. Go for it if you feel your best at 115! You’re practically there anyway. Just don’t do anything drastic to lose those last couple of pounds. Always make healthy choices, and your choice of raw foods is certainly a healthy one.

    Good luck!

  • It sounds like you are doing great! :-)

    Try to examine WHY you feel you should loose more weight. When you do, pay attention to the feelings that come up. If they feel good and light, then you are probably fine. If you feel tension, or denser, darker energy around the issue, you may need to examine those feelings more closely and possibly with a counselor to help you figure out if you are at risk for an eating disorder.

    Raw is all about abundance, not deprivation. Try to focus on health and happiness and vitality as your raw goals rather than weight loss and see how that feels.

    Blessings,

    Audrey

  • JDJD

    I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to lose a few extra pounds. Not for nothing, a lot of people do the raw food diet to lose weight! The body usually takes 6-8 weeks to adjust to any healthy diet so hang in there, you’re adjusting right now. I agree with Zoe, I think your body is just holding on to fat right now. It’ll come off. I don’t have a problem with avocado at all but nuts are an issue for me now so I’m totally weaning off those.

  • nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

    Hi all thank you for the responses.

    angie: i think 115 is psychological. When I was 132, 119 sounded wonderful, and now that i am 119, I want 115. I see more clearly my flaws and want them gone.

    chicagomama—throw away the scale…hmmm..that would be tough for me!!! i do hear what you’re saying. And it took me almost 3 years to lose all the weight, so keep going!!!

    Zoe-that’s a great question. I know my walnuts are raw, my cashews maybe not. I believe my pine nuts are raw, and I am not sure about the almonds. After this batch is done, I am going to start buying them from a more reputable source. there’s a store here in nyc which is raw, and it’s right near my boy’s school, so i have no excuse.

    michelle-thank you. I “feel” 115 is right, but then again, when I am 115, will I ‘feel’ 110 is right? I mean, I would LOVE to be 110. Love. But DH wouldn’t like it—he thinks I am thin enough by far right now. I am very muscular, so 119 doesn’t look heavy on me,

    chilove: great post. when i think about 115, I think it would make me happy. Whihc isn’t good—nobody should peg their emotions to their weight. But there it is. does it feel dark? no—it feels light and bright.

    thanks pundee-i am thinking of a nut fast—meaning no nuts for a few weeks—to see what happens.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Almonds sold in stores are pasteurized. You can get really raw almonds from places like www.realrawfood.com – they have other nuts, too. The raw cashews sold in stores are also generally not the really raw ones. You can get cashews from the same website I mentioned or from www.sunfood.com – that’s where I got mine, & I’m happy with how I feel eating those versus the store ones I used to get.

  • nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

    thank you angie.

    high vibe, here in nyc, is a raw foods store. I am hoping that what they sell is really raw. they’re quite well known, so do you think i should trust them?

  • have_merseyhave_mersey Raw Newbie

    Unless you just feel really good at 115, and that is the reason you chose that number, then don’t worry about it, numbers are deceitful. I agree that your body may be hanging on to any fat as well. People can shift weight drastically from 2-15(!) pounds in one day. Alot of that is water, food, etc. Which brings me to my point…Are you getting enough water? Your body can also hang on to water if it isn’t getting enough. Some people have lost ten pounds just by making sure they are hydrated properly. Their bodies get rid of the excess fluid they were retaining. ALSO water cleanses and can speed up the detox.

    I have to apologize, I really am a jumbled mess recently with the way I put things. So sorry If that made little or no sense. :)

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    are you sure it is all fat those 4 pounds? I think you should go by your body fat percentage rather than just your weight.

    yikes I wish I had your “problem”. sorry but there are some of us on here trying to really lose weight (like over 20 pounds) and it is kinda feeling like you are making something over nothing.

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    Hey…

    ...I ran into the same type of thing with my weight, after fasting and eating raw for awhile. As in, I kept wanting to lose more weight, just to fit an image of what my body should look like. In my case it was nonacceptance of what is, and wasn’t healthy. Instead of feeling my energy at the weight I was at and loving it, I kept wanting to lose more just to fit my ego’s definition of what would look good on me.

    I eventually stopped using scales, and now I just go by how my clothes fit me. In addition, I have cut out all overt fats and just get all the fat I need from what’s inherent in the fruits and veg I consume. I feel SO MUCH less stress in my life and my energy is much higher. I can tell my clothes are fitting better on me then when I had the scale.

    Just sharing my story. I have discovered a new level of freedom with my “raw fruit body,” as I have been thinking of it lately. :-)

    When it comes to the scale: numbers are just a judgment of the mind by a society obsessed with labels and numbers. I have decided that my body isn’t something that needs any of those numbers and labels. It does fine without them. It definitely doesn’t help my health to know how much I weigh. I know it can be fun noticing the numbers get smaller and smaller on the scale, but I would discard that and focus on how you FEEL instead. That’s what really matters.

    Good luck…

  • nycgrrlnycgrrl Raw Newbie

    Moth-your post was so eloquent. Thank you

    Bitt: I am sorry you feel that way about my post. It wasn’t my intention to make others feel badly. One can have a disordered view of eating whether one weighs 100 lbs or 200 lbs. Regardless of one’s weight, I think we all strive to view food and eating from a healthy perspective, and I didn’t intend by sharing to minimize anyone else’s struggle with the scale.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    About the almonds you must talk to the sales assisstant and ask them if they have been pastreuised. I believe it is illegal for any shop to sell raw almonds, you have to get them direct from the farm. There’s another post on here at the moment with a link for truly raw almonds.

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