how can I be losing muscle?!?! aaarrggghhh! [Archive]

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 04:22 PM

I LOVE RAW. I love how I feel, I love how my skin looks...I love how I sleep, I love how my brain is not fuzzy.....but.....I seem to be losing my hard earned "girl muscles!"....I had a "six pack" and now I have 4...and sometimes 3!!!.lol...I had ripped , thin arms and a little tight butt...now, they are thin, but more "skinny fat"....I work out HARD. I put in an hour and a half MINIMUM a day of weights and cardio....always did. I am a personal trainer, and I know "what to do"....that is why raw is the ultimate challenge sometimes...I am used to the lowfat, high protein, no refined carbs, no sugar and lots of lean protein girl.....those rules all changed when I went raw. I had to have faith that the fats, and the fruits and the lack of chicken and fish and lowfat dairy would be ok. anyone out there a "maniac" in the gym like me, and have found that wonderful ratio of RAWNESS, and muscle maintenance??? What am I doing wrong?? I can't read or educate myself more. I eat sprouts,nuts, seeds, high quality amino acid foods......aaaggghhh! I find myself thinking I need to add some steamed salmon a few times a week....PLEASE...help me , enlighted me into some new healthy choices that will encourage these abs and lean tightness to come back and hang on me Thanks!

Juicyfruit

11-03-2006, 04:46 PM

Hi gyllisa!

Are you eating fruit? Sugars are the main fuel for the muscles. Your body will eat muscle if your blood sugar gets too low. I eat fruit and nuts mainly. Every once in a while I will have a salad, maybe two times a week. I haven't had a problem keeping my muscle tone at all. Also, what about calories? Are you consuming less? Decreased calories can also cause muscle loss. Do you do a lot of areobics? The less physical you are the easier it is to maintain muscle mass. It all comes down to blood engery levels. When you maintain them, less chance to loose muscle. If you are very active, you have to replinish your blood energy level often to not loose muscle. Hope this makes sense!

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 05:44 PM

do you do the 80/10/10 thing??

Fruitarianone

11-03-2006, 05:47 PM

The important question is how long have you been raw?

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 05:55 PM

5 months at a "strict" 100%....about 3 months before that...probably 80%, except for steamed fish and turkey...sorry little fish and turkeys.....:(...I still don't consider myself 100% as I do have raw agave, which I heard is not really raw....but, I really try to keep it simple. just got my juicer, I do green smoothies, lots of fruit (mostly fruit actually) and greens, sprouts, seeds, and a few , very few nuts...love the young coconut...that is my main fat source. go through a LOT of that young water and meat a week.....bad??

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 05:57 PM

forgot to say...I am about 5'11 and weigh 130 pounds....photos on profile show my muscle tone..that was about 7 months ago..... most current one was last week....

rawfigure

11-03-2006, 06:21 PM

Thats a tough one. You look awesome before and after to me but it is hard to see as you do have a sweater on.

I was a Competitive Figure Competitor for 6 years. I began to have serious digestive and fatique problems eating 55% Protein diet. I began to add have MET problems too from my diet.

So I went Raw. At first I was weak and lost muscle. I wanted to lose some muscle so I was OK with that. It took awhile to get my strength back. It was not till I seriously reduced (8-1-1) my seeds and nuts and increased fruit that I regained my strength. I get my protein from sprouted buckwheat, greens and on occassion I will have Thors Raw Power and Amino's in Capsule form. At 13 months Raw I feel same as I did in strength and stamina. It takes awhile. If you feel you need some protein /transition / cooked foods in your diet, then do it till you feel comfortable to go all raw.

What prompted you to go raw ?

Goldenrod

11-03-2006, 06:23 PM

I'm within a few days of 5 months raw myself. I generally work out 6 times a week for 1-1 1/2 hours with both weights and cardio. I didn't notice a decrease in strength, I did lose weight and inches. A few weeks ago, my weight started going back up and at the same time, I found that I was really able to start upping my weights and intensity. I can now workout longer, harder and with more weights than I ever have and even when a workout is pushing me to the limit, I rarely have more than slight soreness the day after where as before I would have major DOMS the next day. I was vegan for 18 years before going raw, so my body may not have needed as much time to reach this point. Have faith that your body will get there and that's it's just readjusting itself right now.

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 06:37 PM

rawfigure..yes, the sweater doesn't help show ....I went raw because of my daughter...she had some digestive/colon issues...dr. we went to see is one of the top in the country...and he happens to be high RAW with steamed fish that he has "flown in" from sources he trusts....I did it to change our home and to make her healthy....I ended up winning by her issues...she eats high raw (11 years old!!)...I started learning all I could and never looked back....

Goldenrod...yes, it is weirdest thing...I workout HARD, drenched, weights, cardio, intervals...and I used to be "broken" the next couple of days...now, I am almost never sore...strange! I think the hydration and minerals from the fresh fruits/veggies does a great job, where the higher protein held onto the lactic acid and didn't hydrate me enough for the sweat I lost and the tiny muscle tears...just not happy about seeming to have lost some of my tight tone...work soooo hard....do you both eat more fruits/veggies/sprouts????

thanks for your help and insight!!

rawfigure

11-03-2006, 07:05 PM

Stick with it. Just 2 months ago I was gripping to my dh that I was skinny fat , no one would notice but me...and maybe DH..today he told me I was looking *killer* and better than I did all the years I was competing when I was the proverbial *hardbody*. So keep at it ! Try changing the diet up a bit. Add a few foods you have not been eating and maybe drop some foods you have.

I had to drop raw treats (like choc/nuts/dts mixed ) from my diet. I now eat the buckwheat sprouts lots of them mixed with apples and cinnamon, and oh I take green powders in the form of pills. I could not stand the green drinks in the containers so I out them into capsules so it is easy to pop 12-15 and get some amino's in. (oh I did eat Tofu about 2-3 times a month but I noticed it makes my breast sore so I dropped that a few weeks ago) I would be tempted to eat fish but I ate so much of it when competing I cannot even smell it w/o feeling ill, then I got scrombriod poisoning from Tuna and I swore off seafoods/fish forever !!!!

I have a list of the highet protein fruit and veggie taped to my inside cabinet and I try to more of these. I think I got it from rawrunner.com...hmm...I will check.

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 08:00 PM

thank you soooo much! I will try the sprouted buckwheat....that sounds yummy. I ususally just do the oats grouts, but the buckwheat is from the rhubarb family so probably a better choice huh? It sounds like you know EXACTLY what I am talking about...blue green algae??? is that what green powder pills you are talking about?? hmmm. maybe spirulina??? thanks again, very insighful and nice to know someone else questioned their "journey" too :)

rawfigure

11-03-2006, 08:06 PM

forgot to say...I am about 5'11 and weigh 130 pounds....photos on profile show my muscle tone..that was about 7 months ago..... most current one was last week....''

Have you lost scale weight since going raw ? btw the muscle tone in your chest/pec is still showing.

I am 5'6.5" and was at 129-132 off season, 114-118 on season. Today I am 128..so I still want to shave some more muscle, and alittle fat :rolleyes: to get to 121..and stay there.

I am trying to learn to appreciate where I am at and consider it a journey !

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 08:13 PM

scale is about 4 pounds less , but on my tall frame, that is like a pound on someone shorter....as you said...it is more what I see, and the abs seem much less cut and a little "poochier"...(scientific term..lol)....My weight seems low for my height, but I am pretty small boned for being a tall girl....what are you doing to get to 121? What is your exercise like now?? Different from your old competition days? Good luck ! You will get there, you don't have far to go!

rawfigure

11-03-2006, 08:30 PM

My work outs have changed dramatically. For 20 ish years I have been weight training, but bring small boned it took me that many years to go from a skinny frail 104 in college to a more muscular frame now. My twin has never lifted weights consistently, she is a runner and she is still only 118, her shoulder are 2 inches smaller than mine and her lats do not exist. So I am trying to find that happy medium.

I used to weight train faithfully 5-6 days a week for hour plus. I did cardio 4-5 days a week, and when I had a show I would do death circuits, and double cardio 4-5 days and one session the other days, for 8-12 weeks, eating 900-1000 cals a day ! eekkkkk :eek: No wonder my Met is so screwed up !

So now I run/walk/hike 30-60 min a day and do 15-20 min of ball,some rebounder, functional type fitness with Cathe Freidrich and Gilad on fittv. I simply got bored lifting and once the competition yars were over I just changed attitude.

My weights are so light ,baby weights! I faithfully do my triceps as I am 45 :rolleyes: and I do not want that to catch up on me !! SO what a change for me.

I am thinking soon I will get back to weights 3-4 days but while the weather is nice I enjoy the outdoor running.

You are a trainer full time ?

gyllisa

11-03-2006, 09:18 PM

luckitri

11-03-2006, 10:04 PM

http://www.townsendletter.com/Dec2004/buckwheat1204.htm

rawfigure

11-04-2006, 06:33 AM

LUCKITRI..yes the greens / plants have a toxin in them, from research I have done I found that the sprouts from the buckwheat grout are not. :D They are very versitle and are a great cereal replacement.

rawfigure

11-04-2006, 06:55 AM

yes, full time and love love love my job. addicted to it thankfully so it is fun, and I have the hardest working clients on the planet....all women about my age with the same issues we all have being over the age of 21 and had children!! I am 37 and used to run the hills of colorado where I am from...now, in south florida...the curbs are our "hills" :).....LOVE that fit tv...don't have it here!!! I don't run anymore distance stuff either...where do you do your hikes?? Do you do the 80/10/10 ? you said you eat a lot of fruit....

GYLLISA...I forgot to mention that I think it is so great for you to adopt the raw lifestyle for the benefit of your daughter. What a blessing to find Raw at 11 ! You are obviously a very giving caring person, loving to help other women as your career choice !

I skipped you question on getting to 121...I will do similar to what I did for a show, and take the 3 month time period to do it. I switch to more circuit type work out, doing circuits with jumprope in between, more time running too. I live in the FingerLakes of NY so we have loads of hills to run, I can run along the river where I live now, like a cross county trail. When I move in Dec I will be living on an awesome hill, and also I can run along the road at the Bluff of the Lake. In winter ....Treadmill !!

My twin lives south of Ft Myers, so I know what you means about curb running ! I miss the hills when I run with her !

As far as diet, simply drop my calories and drop fats from the diet, keeping Raw of course, doing the 8-1-1 now. It is always a challenge to keep the MET up when losing weight (for me anyway) so I have to be sure to not go below 1100 cals a day and add in a High Cal day one-two times a week. (yes my cals seems low but it is normal for me and my sisters, we are all light eaters, always have been)

I struggled alot with food choices when I first went Raw. I stressed over not getting those mega protein grams in. I would not eat fruit other than GFruit, Strawberries. This was left from my bodybuilding days and "fruit will make you soft" attitude. I slowly added the fruit and now (13 months Raw) my diet is about 60% fruit, and I now even will eat the formally "bad" banana.

At a year RAW I had not lost the weight I had put on during my off season, thinking I would be competing in the Spring of 2006, I was gearing up..but then my attitude changed when I went Raw and I retired from it. So when I went Raw I thought the extra weight would drop off but it did not as I added nuts to my diet (never ate them before Raw) So I was not losing weight (not gaining though) so I decided that I needed to drop my fats and as soon as I did that I started to lean down. So now I am running about 8-1-1...and on a day I add a fat source I hit more like 70-15-15. As soon as I get the hang of it I will stop tracking on fitday. It is an old habit I dropped but when I decided to do the Nov Exercise Challenge (and drop 5 pds) I decided to track for the month.

Speaking of exercise...I think I will do some Step Cardio...bye !!

gyllisa

11-04-2006, 08:58 AM

wow. all of us "fitness girls" must have the same wiring in our brains..."fruit will make you soft" is what I find myself thinking as I look at those bananas...Not a huge fan of the taste of them, but I use them in smoothies...Ft. Meyers is an hour away from here! As your sister has told you, it is beautiful here now! November is the best month...THe contstant re-educating myself is the hardest...keep looking for that protein/aminos....I read about sprouts, ate a box a day in my salads..then read the controversy on them...soooo confusing. Don't want to obsess as RAW is supposed to be a freedom from the processed and conflicting thoughts on what we should eat. It is just hard as I am not doing it to lose massive weight. So many on the panel eat all the nuts and fats and just lose weight and are so happy. THat makes me sooo happy for them. It is harder when you actually started from a position of "looking the way you wanted" ...and then maintaining it. Never thought that would be the case. I never competed and never could. Me doing a cartwheel would send the judges into a laughing frenzy. ....I just want to feel like i do now, but not lose what I have worked soooo hard to get. Happy running. Off to hit the beautiful beach for a little run of my own!
My email is gyll121@aol.com if you want to contact me. Happy day! :)

meinleben

11-04-2006, 10:47 AM

gylissa / rawfigure

hi there...i am one of you guys...work out 6 days a week....slim, cut & raw...but usually never satisfied...

been raw for about 1.5 years....about 90-95%......loving my new lifestyle.....

have gotten way into 80 10 10...since i saw Doug Graham this past August...love the fact that he considers himself a health specialis....rather than a raw food guru...his focus is on getting excercise, getting rest, having loving relationships and eating raw food...

i was completely freaked out by some of his ideas...like a 10 banana smoothie...holy crap....anyway i have slowly been adapting to his ways...dropping the fat has been a challenge...eating an entire avocado with dinner was my favorite thing to do...but i realized...it is just completely numbing...i don't think i want/need that anymore...but cutting down on fats has trimmed me up some...and a eat a lot of fruit....a lot....i have a long way to go with 80 10 10....but i tell you....the more i do it the more i like it...digestion is wonderful...i don't do nuts....or any gourmet raw..i eat greens with my fruits all the time...like wrap a banana in a romaine lettuce leaf...or much on pears and celery sticks....or apple and cucumber....and making some of those non fat dressings has been fun...my favorite...tomatoe, celery, orange and a date....it works...really

as far as my workouts...i spin cycle...do indoor rowing...lift weights...and do Bikram yoga...i completely mix up my work outs and love it...do to numerous injuries my cardio does not include runnin, kick boxing...that sorta workout at this time...i am 37....i played college basketbal (had 5 knee surgeries)...then had plantar fascia surgery a year ago due to running..

anyway...i really think Bikram yoga has elongated my muscles to give me a longer, leaner look...i have gained a lot of strenth from Bikram....especially legs and back....i am 5'8...122 right now...would like a few more pounds of muscle on my frame....

love the indoor rowing...easy on my body...quick....quick recovery...burning mega calories...this truly has made my shoulders and back quite sculpted....health and fitness is my life...i am a PE teacher....iam a firm believer in fitness and in RAW...

i have learned a lot from Doug Graham and his teachings...getting his new book which comes out in about a month....you guys should check out his site if you have not done so....

my latest thing is that i am on day 5 of a juice fast to help me get off of caffeine...and clear my system and start fresh 80 10 10...this juice fast has been tough....i have not been able to work out because of low enery....which is soooo weird for me...but at the same time ok....i did hot yoga twice which was good....

more later...so glad to connect with you health and fitness people....

Goldenrod

11-04-2006, 01:00 PM

gylissa, I rarely eat sprouts, I try to have one green smoothie a day, I have a breakfast smoothie with nut or seed milk, bananas and berries, then usually salads, and a third smoothie. I eat an avocado a day and usually some kind of brownie or other treat. I've always tended to eat a lot of calories for my size and I've found so far on raw that I need a lot of fat to keep me on track. I feel like that's starting to change now though. I read somewhere recently, I think somewhere on the forum, that once you've been raw for awhile your body recovers much faster from workouts. Even a couple weeks ago, I was getting DOMS that left me groaning every time I had to get up and move.

rawfigure, I don't have fit TV, but I've started collecting Cathe's DVD's love them! If you like functional fitness, check out Tracie Long's workouts. http://www.tracielongtraining.com/

raven

11-04-2006, 02:02 PM

Gyllisa, Storm Talifero says that your muscle will break down at first and then you'll build higher quality raw muscle. He has an awesome physique and gives tips on bodybuilding. Steve Arlin also has a book called "Raw Power" and sells a protein powder based on hemp seed and Brazil nuts.

I think you look stunning but it's hard to determine your muscle tone without a full body shot. You have the most beautiful eyes.

Good luck.

SUzy

gyllisa

11-04-2006, 03:42 PM

hi there...i am one of you guys...work out 6 days a week....slim, cut & raw...but usually never satisfied...

again...it is the hard-wiring...lol...I ordered the 80/10/10 book last week, wish it were here already!! Some of those concepts seem sooo backwards from my "traditional" nutrition background...but, I have been blessed with a fairly open mind, so , I will be open to the changes....I think the most frustrating part is that I can't go back to those first few months when the "freedom" was there....eat anything, as long as it is RAW , and life is good....that is still the case, but when you start talking long term, you must educate yourself (at least my personality type does) and "do it right"....I don't want to bury my head and miss out on a critical mineral I should be having, or lose what I worked for YEARS to get, and just give up my drive to be the best I can be...in workouts, tone, cardiovascular endurance (have to chase my adorable daughter for years to come once the boys come.... :) ) and appearance. I am sooo glad for the way I feel, and my skin is great....and I "feel healthy"....but, for me, vain and embarrassing to say...I had a killer set of abs and tone that I was so proud of...it is still there, but not nearly as defined ...I am not about the "manly look" or the "pumped up thing"...I am all girl, I love to dress and act like a girl :) ....I don't want to spend all this time and then be one who complains about those fat hips, or sagging arms.....I work TOO hard to have that as a complaint...thanks for all of your support and insight...I love to hear from others in the same boat...It is comforting and educational as well!! That dressing sounds yummy too...will try it tonight on my salad...THANKS :p

gyllisa

11-04-2006, 03:46 PM

have gotten way into 80 10 10...since i saw Doug Graham this past August...love the fact that he considers himself a health specialis....rather than a raw food guru...his focus is on getting excercise, getting rest, having ...undefined

where did you see him? was it worth the high price tag his retreats cost? I would love to do SOME retreat...I figure if this is how I want to be for life, an investment/education I could receive from something like this could be life changing......it is between him, david wolfe, gabriel cousens.....alissa rocks and I love love love her attitude,wish she did major retreats in addition to her cooking classes...thankfully, I can "uncook" with the best of them...I am talking about a lifelong lesson I am hoping for....any thoughts?????

Sharon in Colorado

11-04-2006, 03:52 PM

gyllisa I have to say you are GORGEOUS! I'm 5'12" :D and weigh around 145 and people say I'm thin! My pic is in my profile.

I have to say I can get very lazy and not work out like I should - I do Tae Kwon Do 3x a week, and try to jump on the rebounder but I've gotten out of the habit of rebounding.

I do notice, though, when I'm eating too high a percentage of fat, my energy drops. I think most athletes and higher active folks find that the lower fat diets work better for their lifestyles.

gyllisa

11-05-2006, 06:31 AM

must be the water in colorado that grows us sooo tall! I lived in Ft. collins for the first 31 years of my life...you are 5' 12" and I am 5' 11''......enjoy the winter coming up...don't miss those so much. Have you been raw during a winter yet???

rawfigure

11-05-2006, 07:53 AM

gyllisa....Yes, changing the belief system about food is the hardest. My two competition friends were shocked when they saw on fitday I was eating fruit, minimal protein, vegan diet..Raw ! They told me it cannot be done, fruit carrots banana's will make me soft ! So I stopped talking about Raw 8-1-1, and disabled my fitday which was public. At some point I will see them (probaly a show as a spectator or Judge) they will see how great I look, and it will be my secret. They will poo my diet no matter what as we in the BB were all diet brainwashed at some point !

I looked at my greens in capsule form, I have Spirulina & Cholerella, and my fav is GREEN BOOST from the 7 Day Miracle Cleanse Product Line, it has Spirulina, Spinach, Alfalfa, Wheat Grass and Sea Kelp, Barley, orange Peel and Gotu Kola in it. I take them through out the day. I have Perfect Greens from the Garden of life that has similar in it and Algae too. But I cannot hack it in drinks so I put into capsules with my capsule filler thinky :p what a pain to do but worth not having to drink that stuff ...blech.

meinlebin.....it is great to see others who are into the super fit lifestyle. I too have been embrassing the Doug 8-1-1 concepts. Some of it I struggle with, 10 banana's are not for me...one is good :D . I plan to get the new book when it comes out.

Goldenrod..thanks for the link. I will check it out. I record fittv and have most of the Cathe tapes. Soon I need to start re doing all in DVD, get with the times lol...

showjumper

11-05-2006, 02:45 PM

I am very similar to you, there were days I would run for 2 1/2 hours the next day was hours of weight lifting and I struggled. I weighed 98 lbs. when I went raw I'm only 4 ft. 10 in. tall so that was a GREAT weight for me. I stayed the same weight and looked great for the first year and a half of being raw and then I started GAINING WEIGHT!!! I started getting flabby even with a rigourous exercise regimen. I got up to 108 before I decided to change some things.

I was eating a green smoothie before workouts (water, mango, banana, spinach) Then banana, raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and coconut in almond milk for breakfast, a HUGE salad for lunch and a salad and a raw meal for dinner. I couldn't figure out why I was gaining weight and losing muscle.

I finally added some sprouted grain ezekiel bread to my diet. Men have an easier time not eating the fats because they do not have menstrual cycles and do not need much fat in their diet so when you see a 'ripped' raw male the same thing he is eating will not apply to a woman. We have to have more fat in our diet but nuts and seeds give too much. There are several examples of women who struggle being 100% raw, Victoria Boutenko is overweight, Sarma from pure food and wine has gained 20 pounds, a friend of mine has had the same weight gain and I believe Alissa might be struggling with the same issues. There is TOO MUCH fat in nuts and seeds!! I hate to say it but it is a myth that this won't make you gain weight, IT WILL!!! Nuts and seeds are not protein foods they are FAT foods. Grains, legumes are the protein foods.

I hate to say it but I have added ezekiel sprouted grain bread and tempeh. Don't resort to flesh foods with all the mercury, PCB's in fish, cholestrol and junk you don't want. If you want to add some protein try Tempeh. It has 19g of protein in 4oz. it is very low fat, no cholesterol and has high calcium, iron and other nutrients. I have eaten small amounts of tempeh with my salads to help prevent excess weight gain and lack of muscle tone. It works!

I wanted to stay 100% raw with all my heart but couldn't stand to workout 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours a day while gaining weight and not fitting in my pants anymore. There may be a way to be 100% raw and thin but I haven't found a way to do it, I gain too much weight and lose too much muscle tone. Many raw women who are thin eat fruit and greens all day and look emaciated. I decided to stick with 80% raw and eating sprouted grain breads, grain tempeh and a few other low fat protein foods and I've begun losing weight and gaining muscle. You don't have to eat flesh for protein but you will have to find it in grains and legumes. Good Luck!

rawfigure

11-05-2006, 03:18 PM

I hate to say it but I have added ezekiel sprouted grain bread and tempeh. Don't resort to flesh foods with all the mercury, PCB's in fish, cholestrol and junk you don't want. If you want to add some protein try Tempeh. It has 19g of protein in 4oz. it is very low fat, no cholesterol and has high calcium, iron and other nutrients. I have eaten small amounts of tempeh with my salads to help prevent excess weight gain and lack of muscle tone. It works!

I wanted to stay 100% raw with all my heart but couldn't stand to workout 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours a day while gaining weight and not fitting in my pants anymore. There may be a way to be 100% raw and thin but I haven't found a way to do it, I gain too much weight and lose too much muscle tone. Many raw women who are thin eat fruit and greens all day and look emaciated. I decided to stick with 80% raw and eating sprouted grain breads, grain tempeh and a few other low fat protein foods and I've begun losing weight and gaining muscle. You don't have to eat flesh for protein but you will have to find it in grains and legumes. Good Luck!

showjumper, your post rings true espcially about the nuts and seeds, it is too much for someone who is at or close to a goal weight. I think if you are coming from a high fat SAD diet to Raw it works for most, then longer Raw the more you have to adhere to the calories in calories out and lowfat.

I see that Sarma gained weight but she admitted to the lack of attention to her diet and eat Raw leftover buffets late at night and Not working out.

Also I found for myself that in working out more is not always better, the body learns and becomes very efficient at storing energy when you are doing long work outs. So it is possible that if you reduce the work outs for a period of time your body can recover and that can result in weight loss.

I tried adding the Ezekial Bread, but alas I don't like it (makes my mouth sore), or Tempah (gives me Indigestion) so I have to resort to green drinks & Thor's Raw Powder and sprouts and some sprouted Grain Manna Bread for protein.

I will have to get a few pics one of these days cuz I am thin, eat fruit and greens all day, sprouted grains and I do not look emaciated and have a good amount of muscle. In fact I would like to get rid of some calf muscle.... :p but it will not go............

gyllisa

11-05-2006, 03:58 PM

I think that is is sooo important that we discuss the cons in addition to the pros....the pros of raw ARE obvious..the cons are harder....it is like in any relationship....the cons are always the hardest to address and openily talk about.....thank you all for your honesty and insight...I think the analogy of the "biggest loser" show is how I view RAW...I go CRAZY when I watch that show!! Is it motivating for overweight, frustrated people that think they can't do it? ABSOLUTELY! But, really, who loses 18 pounds in a week if you don't weigh 400 pounds?......SO....if you come from fries,hamburgers with extra mayo and bacon....raw is LOW CALORIE and a LOT lower fat...you are gonna lose weight.....I come from lowfat,no sugar,high protein, lower whole grain carb...not to mention BUST MY BACK END everyday...... :p ...I would be an idiot to think that full fat , nuts, oils and nut butters are going to HELP my muscle and fat percentages...will it be better than "fake" food to my insides and my skin tone? ABSOLUTELY! Will I feel better on "REAL FOOD"??? ABSOLUTELY!!! .....for me, it is finding that balance ...I ate High RAW before, but with higher protein....I just can't believe my muscles can't be maintained on REAL LIVE FOOD...the frustrating thing is that it isn't as simple as "just eat raw...it will all be good"....I love love love raw for every single area of my life....from ethical, health , simplicity, and pure joy of "doing the right thing"....but, That little vain thing inside of me (and, I think all of the female gender in general) refuses to lose in 6 months what I have taken 13 years to attain.....thank you for your insights...keep them coming. THE RAW answer is out there.....I beleve that....but how to fit it into my day and be okay at the end of it....that is my question on this fitness/RAW journey :p

meinleben

11-06-2006, 02:41 PM

i really do not believe there are many cons in terms of raw....IF one is implementing raw correctly and appropriately to their needs...not this "i can eat it, if its raw tantra....that is B.S.)...

at first when i was raw i did get a little smaller in terms of muscle size...not much but some...then after about 6 months...after i truly sheded my false body...i have taken on a lean and more cut look....my body is a little smaller but my muscles are much more cut....its not about the size for me...i like a lean, toned look and i think i have it.....without extra protein or extra anything....of course a very serious work out routine....but my focus is not weights...i do yoga...spin cycling....indoor rowing....and weights twice a week max...

meinleben

11-06-2006, 02:48 PM

gylissa
in response to one of your earlier posts...
i saw Dr. Graham at a lecture here in CA...i have seen most of the major players in this field over the past year at different lectures in southern CA...you can check out their sites and they have schedules of when and where they will be hosting talks...

i have seen brain clement, doug graham, victoria b, gabriel c, paul n. matt m, david jubb, went on a retreat with david wolfe...

i have gathered information...and learned alot...really listened and read....and i don't place everything on just one of these people...i have a few that i resonate with most...i am open to learning and trying different approaches to see what will work best for me...which changes at times....

mschele

11-08-2006, 09:32 PM

Showjumper, can you give me an idea of your daily diet and exactly how and where the sprouted bread & tempeh fit in. Ironically, I just bought tempeh and Eizekel bread as well b/c I was having to much trouble staying raw and thought these items may help with my bingeing.

Thanks.

Vinit

11-10-2006, 10:39 AM

http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/vinit-raw.html http://www.welikeitraw.com/photos/uncategorized/vinitcookedvinitraw1.jpg

rawfigure

11-10-2006, 11:55 AM

http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/vinit-raw.html http://www.welikeitraw.com/photos/uncategorized/vinitcookedvinitraw1.jpg

good gains. :D what time period ?

startootsie

12-12-2006, 05:22 PM

Hello Gyllisa,

I read most of your thread, and I read you had a six pack before raw? What did you do to get one? Just curuious!

Thank you!

Create a joy filled day!

Christianna

gyllisa

12-12-2006, 07:11 PM

hi christiana~
lol...what DIDN'T I do??? I am a personal trainer...I MOVE...every direction, every form of flexion you can imagine. I box for "the twisting" , I love the physioball (big inflated balls you see) for roll ups, one leg moves, balance , core and oblique twists...I jump rope for the sustained calorie burn *(have to lose that fat on the abs to see the muscles you build under it)....I use the medicine ball for drills related to speed and coordination and explosive moves that twist and contract my abs.....but, diet and cardio are EQUALLY important.....I used to eat a lot of lean protein...not raw. I didn't eat other "junk" but , now I know that a lot of the protein sources I ate were junk to my body. Still trying to find that balance . Eating is a HUGE thing. I don't expect to have the answers to all of my raw questions after only 8 months....I ate "the other way" for 37 years!!! :)