Not Losing Weight

[dalimeindacoconut]

I am extremely frustrated today and I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG! I have cut out all the crap, everything bad and evil OUT OF MY DIET. I am only eating healthy: fruits, veges, water, fats. No processed sugar, aboslutely nothing and I have not lost even 1lb. I am pissed and completely frustrated. This does not make any sense to me. I'v been raw since 8/7/07 and five days ago cut out all processed sugar and I keep hearing 'you will lose astounding amounts of weight and quickly'. This is NOT happening for me! I am eating perfectly and I am not losing any weight which is a great part of why I am eating this way.

[beppa66]

Sorry to hear that. Mine started out as pretty slow too. Especially when you hear 1 lb per day! Grrr. Can you write what you eat during a typical day? Perhaps there will be a clue to help offer a suggestion. I noticed you said you didn't cut out sugar until 5 days ago...that may be part of the problem, it's not raw. But that still shouldn't have been a huge thing. (((hugs)))

[dalimeindacoconut]

Let's just erase the first month and a half even though I was eating raw I was still eating processed sugar in between. For the last five days here is what I am eating: green smoothies with whatever fruit I have left over, spinach or mixed lettuce, a teaspoon of coconut oil, flaxseeds. Lunch is one or two avocados with soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Dinner is one or two avocados with soy sauce or sesame seed oil and/or replace of these meals with variations wrapped in seaweed, huge salad, cauliflower, and lots of water or finish off green smoothie at night. Have about 23lbs. to lose to get back to my regular weight. Thank you very much for taking the time with me. I appreciate it. As you can hear I am so frustrated and today again surrounded by processed chocolate where I work. Eating perfectly, not losing weight, feeling frustrated, being surrounded by chocolate is not a good thing, but I am still doing this. It just would be so much easier if I knew I had lost at least 1-5lb.s I need to be rewarded.

[greenday]

Oh I can relate!! Same thing. In fact whenever I change my diet (better or worse) I seem to swell up....think soaked cashew....for weeks and weeks before anything starts to happen. Even if I live on so called "rabbit food" only. I ~understand~ your frustration! BUT....but, but, but, but it defies logic. SO, breathe deep and continue on doing what you know is right. I think it's just different for us all, and some like you and me lose slower than others. :)

[MysticTree]

I can't account for the lack of weight loss per se but you seem to be taking in a lot of salt. Maybe that's holding some water?

Georgina

[Lilly the Naiad]

I'd say you can officially count any weight loss since 5 days ago. You've been eating sugar and I mean cooked things with sugar?

Aside from this, there's salt. Most if not all the quick weight loss people experience on this diet the first few weeks are water. Then you have what you loose that had been 'stored' in your intestines, and then you can count real weight loss. It takes time, and if you've been eating cooked, especially sugary things, you can't really expect the usual raw food results such as rapid weight loss.

Start counting from 5 days ago, and watch your salt intake, imo.

[rawsurfer]

are you excersising? 2 to 4 avocados a day seems to me to be waaay too much unless you are in the cold doing hard physical labor. i live in florida and right now i just eat fruit, green smoothies, and blended soups, with MAYBE half an avocado a day, but definitely not every day. and i train hard daily. plus adding the oil on top of the avocados is going to slow digestion even more. fat in small amounts of healthy, but keep it in moderation. it is very concentrated energy-wise, and eating that much fat wil make it hard to lose weight. and try to make your fat meal, if you have one, in the middle of the day, like the second or third meal. that way you have time in your day to use it.

one more thing, i would recommend, if you can handle it, eating "from growl to growl". it has helped me immensely.

now i understand that being new to this, it may just be too light of a feeling to handle. but if this happens, just understand that it will be very hard for you to lose weight this way. dont fret though, as you are still making your body much healthier. you just have to decide whether your cravings for fat are more important than losing weight.

and i would also suggest not looking at the scale. just look in the mirror. weigh yourself maybe once a week if youd like. just put it out of sight and out of mind.

good luck. its not easy. it took me a while to just understand the cause and effect of the fats i ate and different foods in general. its learning process. but 10 or 20 extra pounds aint gonna kill ya, so dont let it stress you out.

[dalimeindacoconut]

Yes, I run 2 miles to the gym, work-out fitforlife way, run home two miles and do this at least one to two days per week. Live on the fourth floor and run up and down the stairs several times a day. I am going to cut down on the fats and cut back on the avocados. Everyone has been so helpful. I really appreciate it. Working through this mood. All I know is that the other benefits are worth it ie: improved health, improved beauty, and reversing the aging process. Eventually I know the weight will fall off. I thought tweaking so much would do the trick, but looks like I've got to put more effort into it. I'm committed. My little angels have been surrounding me all day. Friend at work who is fasting, my very dear friend who is super healthy and raw who called at just the right moment, and you guys. Thankx.

BTW, at work had left over bean sprouts and seaweed. Makes for a good salad with soy sauce and sesame seed oil.

[marybd]

Can you tell us how old are you?
What is your height and weight?
Are you sure everything your eating is 100% raw?
So it’s only been 5 days since you’ve been all raw, correct? i mean, you say you’ve been raw with sugar in between. That doesn’t make sense to me, can you explain what the sugar was?

~Mary

[dalimeindacoconut]

I'm 45
5'10
173lbs

I've been 90-95% raw for two months, but was also dealing with my processed sugar addiction that I've had for 40 years at least. Since cutting that out I've been 100% raw for five days and one would think that after giving up the processed sugar I would lose at least 1lb. I'm calming down about this because I've received so much help today. I will have to cut back on the avocados and the fat. If after one month I lose no weight I will shoot myself.

[dalimeindacoconut]

I especially love that 'growl to growl' business!

[marybd]

Ok that’s helpful. Please don’t be discouraged. It’s only been 5 days. Your body is probably adjusting to this new way. Sometimes the healing takes place first and then the weight will melt off.
Pleased do not cut down on the fats. Just make sure everything your eating is 100% raw. Keep up updated as to how your doing.
We are here for you,
~Mary

[CaliRaw]

Perhaps your body has some healing to do before it releases the weight. Maybe you can concentrate on how you're feeling, rather than the scale. Are you feeling differently? Are you losing inches?

[River Mom]

I've been raw since August. I did have 2 servings of bread and a bowl of chili that was it in my transition time. ((( THATS IT ))) In 3 months I have only lost 4 pounds:(
I don't get it either. But everything I read say's stay with it, don't give up. I agree with the others you might not loose weight living off avocados but if that's what your hungry for they may have the oils you need to kick the sugar habit, dunno:confused: Do know ya can't change much in 5 days.


River Mom
ps I started the coconut oil 4 Tbs. a day about 10-15 days ago.

[MysticTree]

I ate three avocados yesterday! Only small ones but certainly three! Be careful what you cut out especially if it means your raw diet is less appealing to you. You sound quite active so maybe you need to eat more not less?

Georgina

[TheAvocadess]

I'm 45
5'10
173lbs

I've been 90-95% raw for two months, but was also dealing with my processed sugar addiction that I've had for 40 years at least. Since cutting that out I've been 100% raw for five days and one would think that after giving up the processed sugar I would lose at least 1lb. I'm calming down about this because I've received so much help today. I will have to cut back on the avocados and the fat. If after one month I lose no weight I will shoot myself.

This has been said so many times, but I'll repeat it... Some people (like myself) MUST be 100% raw to lose weight. Alissa mentions this, Boutenko's and others. I don't know why this is, but it's true. I could not lose weight eating ANY amount of cooked food. Once I went 100%, after about a week and a half, the weight began melting off. Radically too.

If you aren't 100% raw and you aren't feeling well or losing weight, that's your answer... you aren't 100%.

The other issue is the sugar. It takes some people's metabolism 2 or more weeks to kick in after ingesting such things to begin losing, BUT if you cut your fats and aren't 100% raw, and STILL aren't losing, it's because you aren't 100% raw.

For some of us, 1% cooked can make a difference. A BIG difference. It can also be the trigger to keep you falling off the wagon. Boutenko's 12 Steps to Raw is an excellent source of info. about this.

[G-Force]

I can relate in a big way. I've been 100% raw for 17 days (off and on 100% raw for the mont before, mostly on). I have lost one pound. Granted, I'm not exercising much, but I'm still rather surprised that the scale isn't doing much of anything. I'm really hoping that once I get back to daily exercise (instead of 2x a week) that that will be the catalyst for change.

I think cutting back on the fat is a GREAT idea. I've been reading about really keeping that in check (would we really that much fat out in the wild? hardly). I'm recently started using almond milk in my raw cereal in the morning, I put a few sliced raw almonds on my salad at nice, and I use an almond milk base for my banana shake at night. Since I started doing that I have stopped losing weight. BEFORE, when I was not doing the banana shake at night I had lost 2 pounds in 12 days, so I think that is what is making the differnce -- too much fat. So in the last 5 days I've gained back a pound.

When I eat melon for breakfast, then a green smoothie, then a salad for lunch, then fruit the rest of the afternoon, then a salad for dinner, and a fruit smoothie after -- I was starting to lose weight (and I really enjoyed the diet just as much as now). So between exercising more and those little changes, I suspect the scale would begin to budge again.

I can really relate to you so I'm really glad you wrote. The not losing weight thing was starting to bum me out -- so in the meanwhile, I'm focusing more on the other great things raw does for me (although I'm still waiting for a lot of the benefits to kick in...). Give it time, get my butt moving more, watch the fat intake for now, and really enjoy all of the fabulous greens and fruits out there. : )

I hope cutting back on the fat does the trick and that you start seeing some of the results you want! Wishing us both luck... : )

Cheers,
Ginette

[SuBu]

I began this journey to lose a lot of weight quickly and I have been stressing so much over not losing as fast as I though I should. I've "only" released 10 lbs in 3 months. Well, putting everything into perspective, that's 1/2 to 1 lb per week. Very healthy. Even though I've got about 60 lbs to shed, I feel so much better about it all now. Perception/Reality. This is part of what I wrote in a thread about Dental Plaque. I realized things might be going on inside that I wasn't initially seeing on the outside. I'm hoping the weight continues to come off, but I'm going to try not to fixate on that and just "go with the flow". Besides, I really like all of you guys and I want to stay and play!

[beppa66]

Hi Sorry, I'm just getting back to you.
Looks like you've rec'd a bunch of good advice.

I tend to agree with raw surfer when I first read what you were eating it sounded like a lot of avacado. Plus with the added oil, etc.

I would say to just mix it up a little. Try out a bunch of recipes from this site (fudge, granola bars, tacos, pizza, smoothies, hummus) Part of this diet depends on getting as many nutrients from as many different types of foods as we can eat. Part of getting your metabolism in line is to keep it guessing...plus it keeps our tastebuds from getting bored. I agree, it came off a little slower for me that the 1 lb a day folks. But that's ok. What works for me doesn't work for them and visa-versa. You have to find what works for you.

[beppa66]

I would say up your water intake. Take a tsp of coconut oil in the am & pm to curb cravings. Try cutting back on the soy (it's not raw either and has loads of sodium which makes me puff up like a puffer fish!) And concentrate on what IS going right, rather than on the weight. (for now) It WILL happen. In the meantime, try to make it as pleasurable as possible. There is a really great recipe for rasberry cheesecake floating around, email me if you can't find it. You are doing something really healthy and good for your body and your life here. You are doing great!!! Many other people would have (and have) given up when they hit a roadblock, but not you!
WOOT!!! Congrats on that, seriously...you are doing great! Don't give up.
(((HUGS)))

[jenjen]

i didn't lose much the first month. but then i did a month long herbal colon cleanse and ever since i have consistently shrunk no matter how much fat, cals i consume everyday. i've heard david wolfe talking about blockage in the colon majorly slows down the detox/weightloss that raw provides. years of processed gluey muck blocking up and sticking to the walls of your intestines stops the release of toxins (and inhibits nutrient absorbtion).

if you've had stronge sugar cravings you could probably bet your bottom dollar that you've got candida parasites....

get some herbal detox done. start with a colon cleanse, then move on to a candida/parasite cleanse all while eating raw.

that got my body operating like a 22yr old again.

good luck!
j

[luckitri]

Patience and time!

The weight loss will fluctate drastically for most. There are peaks and plateaus. There are weeks when you lose no pounds but you firm up and your clothes get loose. Other weeks you will lose pounds but your clothes are still tight.

There are many things that can hinder weight loss. Undiagnosed medical conditions. Rx types can make weight loss difficult. Personally I am doing the salt water as in www.watercure2.org and I am not losing a pound but I am slowly feeling better so at this point I don't care. In my case I have some severe malnutrition issues despite good eating and I also suspect that my body is retaining weight until the malnutrition is satisfactorily addressed. . . . which in my case appears to be diagnosing and treating some kind of stomach absorbption issue.

I think I want to try jenjens colon cleanse.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i've lost over 40 lbs in the last 8 weeks. i make sure i go for a power walk with the dog around 6 or 7pm and i've been doing juice fasting and eating raw (but adding some quinoa as well) so not 100% raw.

i have a vege juice every day even when i'm not fasting. i do want to do a colon cleanse as well, to get anything which needs removing out of there.

i believe, very strongly that our bodies release excess weight when it's ready, and not a moment before. i've wanted to loose weight for 8 years (since my last baby was born) and it's finally decided to melt away.

something i found really assisted me was listening to mary robinson reynolds 'light lean healthy being' before bed and again the morning every day. it seemed to assist my mind, body and spirit to come into balance.

here's a link to her video:

http://www.timelessspirit.com/JULY07/review1.shtml

hope this assists you. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x87/recyclinggoddess/hippie.gif

[Aleesha Sattva]

i didn't lose much the first month. but then i did a month long herbal colon cleanse and ever since i have consistently shrunk no matter how much fat, cals i consume everyday.
j

what colon cleanse did you do?

[justinesmith]

I have been frustrated with my lack of weight loss as well. That being said, I would much rather lose weight slowly (EXTREMELY slowly in my case) and be cancer free than skinny with a tumor. Trust your body to do what is right for you. Chances are you didn't gain the weight you need to lose in one month so you aren't going to lose it in a month. Give yourself (and your bod) a break and let it do what it needs to do. Stress is a killer too, be careful! Good luck. :D

[EZ rider]

As has been said before everyones different and what works for one person may not work for another. What works for me is fresh raw. By that I mean eating as close to the garden as possible. I eat all my foods fresh. The only processing I do is to cut. I juice, blend, and use a knife to cut fresh fruit and veggies. Since Aug 1st when I went 100% raw the weight has just melted off at an amazing rate. I got on the all raw wagon for the good health benefits and wasn't seeking the weight loss at all. Did I get a surprise ! ! ! Along with the good health benefits I've lost an enormous amount of flab. I'm raw for life.

I have gotten such amazing results with the all raw lifestyle that I am just going to keep on doing what I have been doing until I feel like the progress has stalled and then I am going to do a colon cleanse. And then when progress stalls again I think I will do a liver cleanse. And then when progress stalls again I think I will do some fasting / feeding to further cleanse the body.

[sbaker]

ez? do you do nuts as well? how about oils? I'm with you for the most part, dehydrated stuff makes me feel not as good as fresh raw. I make some stuff here and there but then sorta get turned off by it. i buy some granola or rfrw cereal and eat it with almond milk every now and then for a hearty treat, but similar effects, i dont feel AS good. i do like maca and cocao in a shake though!

[EZ rider]

ez? do you do nuts as well?When I first went all raw I was doing what I thought was raw nuts and then I found out that the nuts might actually not be raw so I put them in the trash and sent them down the street on the truck (if its not raw I don't want it). I havn't had any nuts since but I do have RAW sunflower seeds (unsprouted) everyday and other seeds (usually sprouted) in my smoothies.
how about oils?I don't use any oils but I do have a couple of fresh raw young coconuts blended everyday. I like to blend them with the juice and the pulp together until smooth in the vitamix. I also have a couple of avocadoes everyday.

[Bananna]

wow. Ok, I am wondering why you don't sprout your sunflower seeds, but do other seeds....and also how you eat your avocados. I had them mashed into my salads so many times in a row that I can't seem to stand it anymore and I don't know what to do!
You are an inspiration though.
So I guess I am ALSO wondering what your mind chatter sounds like if/when you feel weak, and otherwise. ....I actually even have more questions but I'll stop now.
Anna