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Eating advice - to lose weight

Hey all! I'm not new to raw foods, I was 90 - 100% for 2 1/2 years, and then started eating some vegan cooked/whole again, such as beans, steamed veggies etc.

I'm back with raw now, because now that I have the comparison b/w cooked vegan and raw vegan, I'm COMPLETELY sure that I feel better MOSTLY raw. Maybe some beans rarely.

Anyways, I'm still 15-20 lbs of fat over my prefered weight. I've counted calories, and some days I'll eat 1200, others I'll eat 1700. I'm only 5'2, 20 and female, and I don't lead the most active life imaginable. I exercise (normally) every weekend, but when I got my wisdom teeth pulled a month ago I was told not to exercise for awhile, and I gained back all the progress I had made. I find that I gain VERY easily, but I don't want to be a no-fat raw foodie - I LOVE young coconuts and avocados. When I first went raw I read that you don't have to count anything and you'll lose weight - maybe even have a hard time keeping it on! But for me it was the opposite. Being such a short gal who is in school, my BMR must be very low. Probably around 900 calories per day, which is unfortunate.

I would like to know if anyone has any advice as to what I can do, because I love to eat, I love nuts and coconut and avocado (I'm not an oil person though, praise the lord!) and I don't like munching on cauliflower or celery all day!

Comments

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    Check out energy soup... that is powerful stuff! I am also skeptical that you only burn 900 calories a day. Do you walk to class?

    Also having sex is supposedly good exercise... whoo!

    I am also a student. I recently invested in a healthyjuicer which I plan on helping me lose weight. I always feel better lighter. Vegetable juices are supposed to be great appetite suppressants. I am not looking forward to the however many weeks of detoxing. I used to lead a very toxic lifestyle so now my gums are really sore, feels like their bleeding, my muscles are aching and I have canker sores. Worth it though, I guess.

    Also, fruit is now produced to have 30x more sugar than it did back in the day. Wreaks havoc on our insulin levels making us want even more! All the more reason to up the greens.

    Good luck and I'm sure you'll do great! Good luck on your finals!!!

  • beanbean Raw Newbie

    Hey Kyko! We must have been separated at birth- I'm 5'1, 19, in school, and have exactly your problem. I love to eat, and I want desperately to be able to eat what I like- fats included, which unforunately I've had to put a heavy limit on. I don't digest anything very well unless it's simple fruit and veg, and I gain VERY easily. I gained a whole bunch of weight when I first went raw, which frustrated me because I too thought I'd be able to "go nuts" with my diet. I'd guess my BMR is probably the same as yours, but I try to get in at least half an hour of whatever I can (exercise wise) per day, and then just eat whenever I feel hungry. I do have a problem with that, though- I frequently feel dizzy and tired when I try to "listen to my body" so maybe I'm not getting enough calories? Strange... when you figure it out, let me know! Cheers!

    Oh, and good luck with your finals- mine are gonna be HELL, methinks... fingers crossed, eh?

  • Hey bean! I know there are others out there with our plight :( And finals are not going well, that's for sure! Too many tests at once + too little time = bad grades lol

  • Bean & Kyko,

    Thankfully, I don't have the same problem you two do...I've already dropped about 7 pounds so I'm feeling pretty good about the new diet. However, as a nursing student I have a little bit of advice that might help...DRINK WATER!!! lots and lots and lots of water!!! it helps your body in so many ways and makes everything more effectively and efficiently. And strangely enough, most of the time when you feel "hungry" you aren't really hungry. It's usually your body telling you it wants more water, not food...you just get confused as to what the feeling means.

  • daniefondaniefon Raw Newbie

    What about having your BMR checked? My gym does it with a little "machine" that you breathe into. I recently got a device called a body bugg. It is fantastic, you wear it on your upper arm and it tracks the calories that you burn, your physical activity and steps. You can input all of your food daily so that you can see if you eat a surplus of calories or run a deficit. I absolutely love it. You can check it out at myapex.com.

    I was overweight my entire life, until about 5 years ago when I dropped a significant amount of weight. No one would say I am overweight, however, I would like to drop about 10 pounds to bring my body fat to an ideal level. I worked with a trainer for a year and a half and went raw almost a year ago. I didn't lose any weight, I felt good and didn't have trouble being raw, I love it, but no weight loss. I got the body bugg 5 weeks ago and now I am losing. For me it is just about being cognizant of what I am taking in and burning. I know that many raw foodists don't believe in this, but for me it's calories in vs. calories out!

  • Exercise. I know it sounds like you don't have a lot of time, but instead of watching your favorite show on tv for an hour, hit the gym or go running for that hour. And usually , most gyms have multiple tvs playing the popular shows, so you most likely can catch it at a gym. To help significantly increase weight loss and to keep that weight off, you need to raise your heart rate through exercise which in turn will increase your metabolism.

  • Raw_OrleansRaw_Orleans Raw Newbie

    There is a Tea that is very good for weight loss... oolong tea...

    Heres the One I use... http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=5879&at=0

    Read about and Join The Referral Program There... For $5.00 Off Your Purchase Use My Referral Code DEW156...

  • RawKidChefRawKidChef Raw Newbie

    I agree with the exercise. I'm constantly outside in this weather for long walks. I love walking in the cold.

  • Raw_OrleansRaw_Orleans Raw Newbie

    Well, Exercise Should Be a Part of Everyone's Regime... Weight Loss or Not! Use Or Lose it! I do it EveryDay... One Day, Lower Body.... Upper Body the Next...

  • rawjazzrawjazz Raw Newbie

    Hello!

    Our bodies are all different so this is a difficult topic! However, I do feel I have struggled with weight gain and have found with works for me. I eat primarily fruit throughout the day (usually start the day with a green juice and then later a big bowl of apple sauce) and then around 5 I have a meal of vegetables and one fat source. So if I'm having an avocado day I'll make a huge bowl of guacamole (with 2 avocados) and then have it with a big plate of chopped veggies. But what seems to work is having one KIND of fat per day. Makes for easier digestion. But makes sure you are eating MOSTLY whole fruits and veggies instead of mostly complex raw recipes and you'll be good to go! Hope that helps! And exercise is of course good too :-)

    Janelle

  • Thanks everyone, I think basically my body is small and slow, so I need to up the exercise and cut the calories (DARN! The old fashioned advice!)

  • wichtenwichten Raw Newbie

    I'm so glad other people struggle with their weight too. I know im not alone. I read about how people can eat whatever all day. doesnt work for me! Fasting helps me out- i think its the detox that helps my body get rid of the gunk thats slowing down my metabolism.

  • beanbean Raw Newbie

    wouldn't it be nice if we could all just snack on whatever food we wanted, fatty, salty, heavy, whatever, and just keep getting healthier and fitter? Ah well... suppose some people just have the metabolisms of 12 year old boys, lol. I'm curious- does anyone find they gain weight when they add more grains?

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    I gain weight if you simply look at me the wrong way. LOL. I'm also small and have a slow metabolism. I'm okay with small amounts of grains, but as they're comfort foods for me, I have a tendency to way overdo it on quantity, so I often avoid grains to avoid temptation. That said, I'll use something like sprouted quinoa in tabbouleh. The recipe doesn't call for tons of quinoa. It's a nice way to get a few grains in while not powering through a whole bowl. I do occasionally cook grains or legumes, but again, I'm careful only to eat a small amount or I'll find myself pigging out and not fitting into my clothes.

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