Gaining Weight on Raw

[ChiChi]

I have gained 3 pounds since my 100% raw diet. I did a 21 day master cleanse which ended last THursday. SInce I have eaten only raw foods. Mostly freshly squeezed juice and green smoothies and salads. The only fats I have had are avacado's and olive oil in my salad. Is this just the weight gain from going back to solids are should I cut out the fats like the avocados and olive oil?

[trinity082482]

It could be. Let your body adjust to the new life style. I haven't lost any of the ten pounds I gained on raw but my body is sculpting! It's so odd lol. So now I'm keeping measurements with a dress makers tape. :D
You can try and cut back on the foods you think may be contributing. Anything in moderation should be alright. I did the cutting back nuts and seeds and oils and now I'm making nut crusts for my key lime pie and my lemon chewies I am making have 2 cups of cashews lol. My restriction didn't last long lol. We'll see how much I gain. Hopefully nothing. :o

[madmel]

ChiChi,

how much have you lost on the MC?

It's natural that after a fast or a cleanse you will gain weight when going back to solid foods. Remember that your intestines have been empty and are now filling up with, well, food and waste.

I know people who have fasted for 21 or 28 days, have lost a lot and usually "gained" back maybe 2 to 5 pounds when going back to a solid diet. Some also gained part of the lost weight back, some didn't. Remember that a fast or the MC is not giving the body any nutrition and when done over a long period of tme, some bodies tend to go into starvation mode. It really is a very individual thing.

Cheers,
madmel

[ChiChi]

I am 5'4'' and I staring weight was 143 lbs. At the end of the fast I was down to 126. I am now at 130.5 :( . My goal weight was 125. i was almost there. I am going to cut out all fats, oils, and nuts for now and eat only fuits and veggies and juice. Ihope that will help me loose again.

[Rawkinlocs]

Most people I know who do the MC end up gaining some of the weight back after the cleanse. It's only been what...5 days since you ended it? Sometimes your body has to balance itself out to IT'S ideal weight and sometimes one's body's ideal weight is not always what we have in mind.

Also, there "could" be some internal things going on that your body is trying focus and expend it's energy healing/repairing that may require taking some of the focus off of weight. You need to have "some" fat in your diet, believe it or not...don't cut it all out...just cut back. But I honestly think you need to just give your body a chance and most of all, time and patience to do what it needs to do.

[aubrey]

You know, I think weight is really overrated. I am 5'3" and weigh 126 pounds. But I am a size 2-4. Its not how much you weigh, its how you feel. I have found that eating raw reduces fat weight, but increases lean muscle weight. As the old adage goes, muscle weighs more than fat. I don't look my weight because I am lean and have good muscle mass, and amazingly for my age, have no cellulite. So don't get hung up on your weight. Your body knows what is best for it. Sometimes you just have to get out of your own way and listen to it, and that is so much easier said than done...I know! ;)

[KatK]

I've always gained weight after I fasted, usually much more than 3 lbs! :)

[PammieTaj]

I've done master cleanser before and always gained half as much of the weight lost back. The gained weight is usually water and waste. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Try tracking your food to see what your fat:calorie ratio is. It seems the best info is to keep that below 10%. Although others say they don't worry about it.

blessings and peace, pam

[Ariannah]

I have gained 3 pounds since my 100% raw diet. I did a 21 day master cleanse which ended last THursday. SInce I have eaten only raw foods. Mostly freshly squeezed juice and green smoothies and salads. The only fats I have had are avacado's and olive oil in my salad. Is this just the weight gain from going back to solids are should I cut out the fats like the avocados and olive oil?

After a cleanse or a fast, a bit of weight gets regained as your body finds its own balance.

I think you're doing fine, and don't be afraid of a bit of natural fat.

Take care.

[trinity082482]

I am 5'4'' and I staring weight was 143 lbs. At the end of the fast I was down to 126. I am now at 130.5 :( . My goal weight was 125. i was almost there. I am going to cut out all fats, oils, and nuts for now and eat only fuits and veggies and juice. Ihope that will help me loose again.


How long were you fasting for? To go from 143-126 is very good. :)

[Eleanor]

Three pounds could very easily be the weight of the food itself. I wouldn't sweat it til it becomes 6 -7 pounds. Also I have to remind myself never to neglect the weight of water. I gain and loose the same darn 8 pounds every cycle.
Eleanor

[rande]

You know, I think weight is really overrated. I am 5'3" and weigh 126 pounds. But I am a size 2-4. Its not how much you weigh, its how you feel.


thats so interesting, it must depend on how you're built too cause i'm 5'5, i weigh 123 and i'm a size 6...

[Nimmanu]

You've also been "starving" your body, remember. For a little bit, it's going to hold onto some weight JUST to be SURE that you're not going back to starving it. Once you convince it that, "It's okay, the fast is over," it will speed you back up. :)

[ChiChi]

Thanks for the advice. I do I track and calculate my fat intake so that it is at 10%?

[christiahall]

I weighed 144 (and am 5'4") at the start of my raw food diet, 2 weeks ago. I wasn't a vegetarian or a vegan. I was however on Weight Watchers.

Anyways, in the last 2 weeks, I gained 6 pounds, which is very discouraging, but I realized that my diet was somehow 50% fat. I only was eating a half an avocado, a handful of nuts and a tsp of oil a day. But apparently, there is a lot of fat in other things as well. Or maybe it was all the carbs. Either way, I think its weird that I gained and I hope I can loose again.

I wanted to let the OP know that its really important to get about 20 to 30% fat in your diet, and that after not eating solids, it would make sense that you would gain some weight back.

[aubrey]

thats so interesting, it must depend on how you're built too cause i'm 5'5, i weigh 123 and i'm a size 6...

LOL! I have no hips! I have a bubble butt, though...I think that is genetic! Whatever your weight, height, or size you gotta find the beauty in yourself. Stand in your own truth and find beauty in yourself. :)

[ChiChi]

I weighed 144 (and am 5'4") at the start of my raw food diet, 2 weeks ago. I wasn't a vegetarian or a vegan. I was however on Weight Watchers.

Anyways, in the last 2 weeks, I gained 6 pounds, which is very discouraging, but I realized that my diet was somehow 50% fat. I only was eating a half an avocado, a handful of nuts and a tsp of oil a day. But apparently, there is a lot of fat in other things as well. Or maybe it was all the carbs. Either way, I think its weird that I gained and I hope I can loose again.

I wanted to let the OP know that its really important to get about 20 to 30% fat in your diet, and that after not eating solids, it would make sense that you would gain some weight back.

I did Weight Watcher before and it worked great. Are you still doing weight watchers with the raw diet. It is probably easy to still calculate the points esp because all veggies are 0 points and fruits are 1 point per serving.

[Nimmanu]

Are you exercising?

Also, I'd like to point out something. Be wary of counting points, calories, or macros (ratios). One problem that we see in people with eating disorders very often is that they will trade one disorder for another.

For example, the calorie counter will turn to points instead. The point counter will turn to macros. The macro watcher will turn to compulsive eating. The compulsive eater will turn to binging and purging.... on and on it goes.

The point of raw is to SET YOU FREE from the addiction to micro managing your food.

Several places in her book, Alissa warns people to simply focus in the beginning on staying 100% raw. That it's only after your body has cleaned itself out that it will begin to be easier for you to "read" what your body is trying to tell you about food.

She also warns against impatience, and I think that's important to point out here.

FIRST, get yourself on raw, eating as you get hungry, not eating when you're not hungry. Get past the hard first stages before you focus fearfully on WEIGHT or other issues.

It's hard enough to get yourself onto this diet and sincerely 100% at it, without adding things like counting macros, counting points, adding up calories, measuring your fruits to be sure it's "Medium" sized, instead of "Large" or "Small" so that you know whether to count it as 1, or 2...

Not that you're doing that, I'm just saying, the point here is to become FREE from this focus. Not to increase it by diligent adherence to the concept that the scale MUST move!

[christiahall]

I stopped weight watchers once i started the raw foods, because I wanted to just focus on staying 100% raw, and when I calculated my first meal, it went throught the roof in WW points. I figured it wouldn't work for me since it was such a different type of diet, but... since I gained weight, I decided to go back on it. I am due to appear in some short films in the spring, and need to make sure I loose 28 pounds. Thanks everyone!

[KombuchaCHIC]

Please also keep in mind the time of month. It is completely normal and natural to gain a few extra pounds of water weight before, and during menstruation. That being said, it sounds like your body is adjusting and you're doing just fine. :)