Eating Too Much

[christiahall]

I am having a problem with gaining weight and am certain that its just from getting too man calories in general. I feel so hungry all the time. Its been 2 weeks. I feel great right after I eat, but then am hungry after a couple hours and need to eat a small meal again. How do you satisfy your hunger and stay satisfied so that you don't need to eat as much? I am not using a food dehydrator.

[leeleelocs]

adding grains, seeds, avocado, keeps me from getting hungry. You should not over eat these because they are also high in fat, and the grains are starchy.

[spicyfull]

Since you are new to RAW......If you are hungry.........EAT....You WILL Adjust. Your Body needs what it is asking for........MORE RAW FOOD..

[PeachyMama]

If you're not eating dehydrated, and are limiting your intake of fat to say 1 avo or 1/4 cup of nuts a day ..... EAT!!!! If you're hungry .... EAT!!! It's awfully hard to go on caloric overload from fruit or veggies, and since they pass quickly through the digestive system, you WILL be hungry sooner.

I used to be a night time grazer, so I was eating very often, because I felt hungry. I started making myself HUGE green smoothies (like 3 bananas, a handful or two or three! of some other fruit, and 2 handfuls of greens) late in the afternoon, and those suckers take so long to drink that I ended up not wanting anything else later on.

Maybe try a large green smoothie that takes you over 2 hours to consume. That will fill you up for a LONG time with relatively few calories.

[Ariannah]

Good for you for choosing raw! It's an amazing way to live.

On raw, your body's satisfaction signals differ greatly than when on cooked. I hear you on the overeating. When I ate a cooked diet (either healthy or junky or in between) On bad days I'd binge, and on good days I'd overeat. :D

But once your body settles in, you'll find that what we think is a "hunger signal" is actually a form of the body cleansing and detoxing. We're used to feeling a bit full and heavy after eating (cooked) but our sense of having enough is a different feeling on raw.

[Nectarine]

Bananas are a life-saver for me. I now eat 14 of them everyday :D I mean, bananas have got it all:

1. They smell and taste good
2. They carry quite a bit of calories (as fruits go)
3. They're packed with vitamins and minerals
4. They're low-fat
5. Easy to peel, and non-sticky/messy to eat.
6. They're cheap

I eat 4 with my breakfast, then another 4 or 5 for mid-morning snack. Then I have another 3 with lunch, and another 2 with my dinner. The only thing I can think of, that's not in their favour, is that they don't last long when you eat them. I can eat one banana in seconds.

[Svadhyaya]

I agree about the bananas and avocados, they are the most filling foods I've found. Nuts upset my stomach, so I can only eat them in tiny amounts.

I, too, have trouble staying "full" on raw.
I'm trying to change my mindset to understand that "full" isn't really the optimum state of being, that there's a thing called "satisfied" that I've forgotten about due to years and years of overeating.

[cassidy]

I have the same problem. I actaully try not to eat until around 2pm. I'll have a little fuit but mostly I'll drink tea, my kombucha, green juice... etc. I just drink constantly all morning. Then around 2 I'll have something. Then snack until Dinner. Then after dinner I'll have raw ice cream or "hot cocoa". That way at least I'm only eating constantly from 2pm on.

[cassidy]

You eat 14 bananas a day Nectarine! Whoa... I think I would gain from that! What else do you normally eat in a day along with the bananas?

[trinity082482]

Banana's
Flax seed breads
Olives
Hummus
Salads with something other than lettuce.. like maybe a fresh corn salad..
Raw desserts

Those are some of the things that keep me full. I was never a sweets person but carbs.. :eek: look out! I loved my carbs like no one you've ever seen. :D

[Eveleaf]

Bananas do the trick for me, too! I eat three (or on a really hungry day, four) large bananas a day, and they fill me up in a lovely way that lasts for hours, quite unlike the more watery fruits and veggies like melons, bell peppers, etc. I'll have one with my lunch, one with my afternoon snack, and another just before or after dinner. It's funny because I never even *liked* bananas before going raw, and now I can't live without them!

[Sunshine9]

I hear you on the overeating. For a long time on raw I would snack all day, eat a huge meal for dinner, and then go back to the fridge three or four times. I'd eat so much I'd be bloated and over-stuff but still not "full" or satisfied. The three main causes I identified for myself were 1) not getting enough minerals, 2) emotions, and 3) eating too much sweet. The reason I listed sweets is because I noticed that if I wasn't hungry at all, and I ate an apple, all of a sudden I'd be famished. Always wondered why that was... What I've read though is that when we eat sweets (i.e. dried fruit, fruit in general) our blood sugar is spiked and it signals our brain that we need to eat more in order to achieve balance. So I still eat fruit, but I am conscious about it. I like to eat a few grapefruit in the morning, and maybe an apple or two during the day. I don't really need more than that.

Hunger is also our body asking for nutrients. I know some people feel they get everything they need from conventional produce, but I personally don't. So if I'm not growing my own, I make sure to drink green juice a few times a week and include some green powders and seaweed. That has made the biggest difference for me.

And finally, I notice that often what I feel is "hunger" is really my body feeling sad, or lonely, or hurt and it's asking for a lot of food to cover it up. I do my best to just notice it, sometimes I eat, sometimes I don't, but over time it is getting clearer and clearer that I don't NEED food.

It also generally takes time to get used to raw. Especially the first two to three months. Bear with it, and make a habit of doing what you know works for you.

[Nectarine]

You eat 14 bananas a day Nectarine! Whoa... I think I would gain from that! What else do you normally eat in a day along with the bananas?

In the morning, I'll eat some other fruits along with the 'nanas, like apples, pears, and some kiwi fruit and/or watermelon. For lunch and dinner, I'll have large salads, rotating some of the salad ingredients on a weekly basis, with my favourite vegetables being included all the time (carrots, lettuce, celery, capsicum, cucumbers, and apples). If I feel in need of something that I can sink my teeth into and get a 'good chew' out of, I'll add nuts like brazils or almonds. I recently noticed that when I eat dried fruits, I become agitated (same with honey), so I've cut back on the sultanas, and when I do eat them, it's earlier in the day. They're a good source of energy if you're heading off to the gym later on, plus they taste so good, and I'm a natural sweet-tooth, so I can't bring myself to give them up entirely. But yeah, 14 bananas hehehe :cool: It's the only thing I eat that gives me that full feeling I used to get with rice and pasta, and it gets me through a work-out with copious amounts of energy to spare.

Blessings... :)

[DavidZaneMason]

Stay full on the raw food (and healthy transitional foods) that YOU know are giving you your required nutrition and fullness. Stay well-hydrated in between meals. If you are still hungry/empty after THAT....then you know it is not a food issue...but an emotional one.....which cannot be fixed by supplements or foods....but only be moving towards your feelings....accepting.l...and forgiving others. Don't you think?

-David Z. Mason