I'm getting too skinny!

[vgloveforlife]

I know noone wants to hear this but I just have to get it out. I hope someone can help!

I've been raw for 3 months now and I'm just getting skinnier and skinnier very rapidly. I am now so bony and I hate it. I'm 5'1 and about 108 and wear a size 2-4 (I may weigh less now as I weighed myself weeks ago). I want to gain about 5-10 lbs. What can I do? I've tried eating a lot of fat but it doesn't seem to do much. I eat a lot so I am not depriving myself. Some would probably say I am a fine weight but I just don't like to be skinny. I've been skinny (but not this skinny) my whole life and I just like my body better when I have a little more fat-I look healthier.
When I wasn't raw I was still a vegan and I looked healthy. Now I feel unhealthy and I'm getting wrinkles on my face from my face shrinking.
Please help! How can I gain? Any personal stories?

[Lunar*Fey]

are you really active? Try tracking the food you eat on fitday.com for a couple days, just to get a idea of how much you really are taking in...you may just need more. Or maybe your body is just getting rid of old junk and will gain it back naturally. Unless you start getting deadly skinny, I wouldn't worry about it too much for a while. Now if this lasts a really long time, then I would definately take action. But I think more carbs (sweet fruit) is what helped me gain initially...basically just more calories in general. Maybe do some strength training?

[karenbeel]

I agree with Lunar Fey, more sweet fruits I am 5'7" and went down to 100lbs when I started raw, I keep my diet simple just fruits and veggies no nuts ect as my body just can't handle that. Anyway I went higher fruit and I literally gained 30lbs, I have always been between 115 - 125lbs. So considering your height and weight I wouldn't worry to much, stress will just cause more weightloss, I didn't feel at 100lbs I was way to skinny and I am 6" taller than you I know our ideals of ourselves are all different but try not to worry ok. try more sweet fruits and see how you go. Good luck and let us know how you're doing.
Blessings Karen

[vgloveforlife]

Thanks for the replies. They are very helpful!
Lunarfey-I am not very active, I'm actually scared to be cause I don't want to lose even more. Fitday.com is great! I will go there ocassionally to track my foods although I hate to get obsessive about what I'm eating...
I am definitly not deadly skinny yet. I probably shouldn't worry about my weight but the reason I do is for my health obviously but also to prove that this raw diet is a healthy one to family and friends. Looking like a skeleton will not prove anything.

Karen-I will start eating more fruits. I actually did notice that when I didn't have fruit for awhile and I was eating mostly nuts and greens that I did lose some weight and didn't really feel as good.

[JustMe]

If you weight train, you will get more toned, not bulky as women cannot get to that point unless doing steroids, and in turn will weigh more. Muscle weighs more than fat if I remember correctly.

[Coriander74]

I agree with JustMe... the weight-training will let you gain muscle, which does weigh more than fat.

And if not, then I have an extra 25 pounds you can have ;)

[dreamrawalwz]

weight training works. What you have to realize is that as your body detoxes it will lose weight. You'll get rid of dead cells, food impacted in the colon, toxins stored as fat, water weight, ect. Eventually if your body thinks you've gotten too thin then it'll put on weight to your natural weight. Sometimes your natural weight is low, but you don't realize it since you weren't raw. Another thing to consider is...maybe you're "too skinny" compared to everyone else around you and for cooked standards? As the "average" american grows larger those that are at a natural weight seem "too thin" which is unfortunately because we feel picked on and pressured to put on unwanted and not needed weight to "fit in." 108 at 5'3" is not too thin at all. You're supposed to feel your bone structure a bit. How much are you eating? Are you eating mostly veggies or do you have a lot of sweet fruit and or nuts and seeds in the mix as well?

[asil]

I'm with you. My personal sense of beauty prefers a not-too-skinny look. My ideal would be what most yoga instructors I know look like -- slender, lithe, proportional, with a thin layer of fat. I think it lends a more youthful look to the face too. And Ayurveda says that a thin layer of fat is protective to the health too.

So, I don't know precisely the look/feel/weight/body shape you're going for but if it's anything like the one I'm talking about, I don't think weight training is the best way to get there. IMO, yoga will help maintain that lean but not skinny look. Also, aren't we always hearing that muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat? If so, might not building muscle mean you have to struggle to eat enough to maintain weight? I don't know but it seems like a hard way to accomplish what you're wanting. ???

As to gaining weight, I wish I could help you. Unfortunately, I have no experience in that matter. ;)

[Angelic]

vglovefor life, I eat alot of avacados like Guacamole with flax chips and I looove bananas, I think the natural fats in these types of foods will help you keep the weight on and maybe even gain some back. I have found for myself that eating citrus fruits and things like spinach and canteloupe makes me lose weight so you might want to stay away from those. Also, I find the nuts, like Almonds keeps me at a level weight...so maybe if you incorporate these things in your diet it would help. :)

[mbf]

This happened to me too but then I put weight on, about 7lbs!! I believe Alissa mentions this in her book, you lose a lot of weight but then your body adjusts and your body will find its ideal weight. I am currently unhappy with the 7lbs I regained and all trying very hard to lose it but my body wants to hang on to it!!

Good luck...and I always think of that saying " you can never be too skinny or too rich" :eek:

Mara

[vgloveforlife]

Thanks for the replies!!
I think I will start to lift weights more or do pilates. It feels so good to work out but I go through months were I just don't have enough time to do it.

It's weird but everyday I feel so differently about my body. Some days I think my body is perfect, other days I'm too skinny and then other days I'm too flabby and out of shape. Argh! I should just throw out my mirror!

I'm going to try to stop obsessing about my body and just LIVE and eat a varied raw diet.

Thanks again for the comments!

[greeninlosangeles]

well, I think your weight is very normal - i went to one website and counted your BMI - it is 20, which is very normal even for SAD eaters. My BMI is 19 and that one is still good. You might look bony(I do too), because our bones usedto support more weight, but it will take 7 years for the bones fully change, but it will get better slowly. As for muscle - just exersize makes them grow, not food!

[Lay-Lay]

yeah, I have to agree. I am 5' 3 1/2" and at my lowest weight I was 114 pounds. 108 to me doesn't seem low at all. But you gotta fell comfortable in your own skin. From my understanding more fruit would do the trick.

[monkeyboy]

Yo, Yo, Yo

Gain weight...take in more calories.....simple.



I lost 30lbs. in 90 days while first raw.

I shed my old self.

I then gained 15lbs. and found my ideal weight.

This all while raw.

Life still good.

Raw since Jan. 2004.


Peace,

M.B.