I Am So Discouraged

[birdgherl]

I have been 100% RAW for 8 days and I have actually GAINED 1 LB. I am devastated! I know that there is a lot of detoxing to do but can you really GAIN weight? I have been limiting dehydrated foods and nuts to 1x per day. I eat fruit or juices in the AM and always a salad at lunch. I snack on veggies or fruit during the day, and drink about 50 oz of water each day. I have a lot of pain in my joints so I exercise less than the ideal but I still do some kind of cardio 3x per week.
Can anyone help me???? What has your experience been? Any ideas to encourage a more rapid detox and weight loss?
Thanks!

[asil]

I'm surprised we don't hear more about this online since it's what happened to me, to Mr Asil, to my sister, and to my good friends. We all gained a LOT of weight within the first week. My sister and friend panicked, and went back to cooked. Mr Asil kept on with his high raw and the weight just slowly dropped off. I kept on with my (mostly) 100% and my weight dropped off overnight, on about the tenth day.

Good luck!

[ShelShel]

I'm so sorry to hear this. :( How discouraging it must be. I hope that some of the others have some good advice or encouraging words for you. (((HUGS))) Please keep at it and post if anything changes. Perhaps as another wrote...it will fall off in a few more days. And you will be an inspiration to those around you who went right back to cooked.

[Rawkinlocs]

You've gotta get rid of that scale!

As your body adjusts, there may be some fluctuation of weight as things get balanced out, etc.

Right now, (and I realize weight loss may be a VERY important part of this whole equation for you), you want to focus on allowing your body to heal, to adjust to this new way of eating and absorption of nutrients, etc. The weight will come off, but please be fair to your body...everyone is different and while for some the weight just seems to fall off dramatically with little to no effort, for others it might take a little bit longer to see the results you desire.

Also remember that exercise plays a factor as well as water retention, etc.

So, please put that scale away so that you DON'T end up getting so discouraged to the point of feeling, "what's the use?" and giving up without allowing your body the chance to unleash it's full potential to heal AND shed the weight!

Hang in there and cheer up!

[bootzey]

Might it be water weight? I'm not sure if your female, but where are you in your cycle? I've been know to pack on up to 15 pounds during "my time" that miraculously disappears when everything clears out.

[dreamrawalwz]

Also with the water weight. Perhaps you're not drinking enough? 50 oz doesn't seem like a lot of water, at least to me. I drink 100oz+ If I drink less than 100 I gain and get dehydrated.

[Avate]

Today is my 9th day and I lost 2 lbs in the first couple days and then nothing else as of yesterday and then today I weigh a pound more. It is discouraging because I need to lose weight too but I believe what Rawkinlocs said that our bodies need time to adjust. Think about it, this is such a drastic change from the diets most of us came from.

[Avate]

I wanted to say also that even though the scale doesn't show any weight loss, my body is changing. I can see a difference already, I look smaller and my jeans aren't as tight?? I must be losing inches which is fine with me LOL

[cornvalley]

I have been 100% RAW for 8 days and I have actually GAINED 1 LB. I am devastated! I know that there is a lot of detoxing to do but can you really GAIN weight? I have been limiting dehydrated foods and nuts to 1x per day. I eat fruit or juices in the AM and always a salad at lunch. I snack on veggies or fruit during the day, and drink about 50 oz of water each day. I have a lot of pain in my joints so I exercise less than the ideal but I still do some kind of cardio 3x per week.
Can anyone help me???? What has your experience been? Any ideas to encourage a more rapid detox and weight loss?
Thanks!


Without details of actually what you are eating it is impossible to assess why the weight gain. Could be water, could be fat, I doubt it's muscle mass unless you were doing lots of weight training.
If your goal is to lose weight you need a strategy that will help facilitate it in a manner where you know results are going to be there eventually.
Eat more vegetables and juicy type fruits, no sweet fruits at all....take an hour walk once a day. Keep carbs below 250 grams per day spread out through the day. You need to start learning how to count those grams but not get crazy about it.

[Spectatrix]

You're devastated over gaining ONE pound? It's amazing to me how much some people obsess over the scale. A person's weight can flucuate *several* pounds over the coarse of a single day. Your emotional connection to your weight is going to cause you more stress and problems than a SAD diet would. Chill out, take your time, miracles don't happen overnight.

If you insist on weighing yourself, at least get a scale that measures your precent of body fat. If you're overweight and gaining weight, but losing body fat, that's still a GOOD thing. Muscle is more dense than fat, so gaining muscle in lieu of fat will still make you look thinner.

[birdgherl]

Thanks everybody for your comments. Yes, "devastated" is a bit over the top. I was just so diligent (and excited!) and expected to at least lose a little. I am trying very hard to embrace the prospect of long term good health over a number on the scale. I really appreciate all of the information I am getting from this forum and look forward to being with you all!