Firstly I need to explain something – my journey to a raw food lifestyle came by way of the ‘Eat to Live’ book by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. He advocates an essentially vegetarian/vegan diet to lose weight and stay healthy.
Now I took on board much of what he said, managed to transition to a predominantly vegan-vegetarian diet and then decided that cooking was too much effort and to go raw.
The starting point for all of this was the fact that I am obese and do have a lot of weight to lose. In kilo’s I weigh 145kg and need to get down to 75kg. So I have to lose 70kg, or 154lbs.
My idea behind following a raw diet is that I can eat food without going to the hassle of cooking it first, plus by not cooking it I get the maximum in the way of nutrients from the food items as well. When I did my research on raw diets I turned up a whole lot of if’s, and’s or but’s regarding what you can eat, what you should eat, what you should avoid, etc. Now, common sense prevailing, I rather thought that I could eat pretty much any raw fruit, veg or salad green that is not toxic raw and be healthy and lose weight. After all, I am not putting processed rubbish into my body anymore.
I would appreciate some guidance on this – are there food items I should avoid if I am trying to lose weight or will I lose weight anyway simply by virtue of following a raw diet?
Comments
Hi Odessa,
Many thanks for this feedback. I do appreciate the personal perspective. There is so much contradictory information out there that I really do not know what to believe. I think following my body’s cues is probably the best way to go and to keep experimenting.
I have found that since I’ve been raw I’ve actually gained weight. And I don’t really want to! I could stand to lose a good 10lbs and the constant increase has me annoyed. I have cut down on the fats and am mostly consuming a fruitarian diet but still…the scale goes up :(
I have done a lot of research and experimenting with the raw food “diet”, and yes, it is important to notice how your body reacts to certain foods and their combinations.
I do believe it is important to keep your nuts/fats/avocados in check; especially when one first embarks on this path, there is a tendency to eat too many nuts and seeds and while many people manage to lose weight, many more actually gain weight. We all have different metabolisms and activity levels. I have enjoyed Frederic Patenaude’s site and has some great articles on low fat raw food eating: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/articles/energ…
Variety and moderation is always key; some days you feel to eat heavier, some days lighter. I think a great experiment is to do three days with just fruits and veggies – no oil, no fats, no sweeteners – and see how you feel. Fats have their place for sure in our lives (oh, and I love those fats – so creamy good) and they also need to be respected. I just notice they take longer to digest, which is fine, but when I over do them, I pay a price in less energy and bloating. And of course we all react differently!
Green smoothies are a great way to keep your energy and nutrient levels up and help to stave off cravings, as well as regular physcial exercise, whether it is walking or yoga or whatever turns your fancy.
Good luck on your journey and I think you are amazing! Peace and love, devachal.