new to raw weightlifting

[Arianna]

I have been weightlifting for a while but am new to 100% raw. I feel much weaker. What should I do to gain strength? I am overweight right now so I'm also working on that. I really want to build muscle, not just tone.
thanks so much!
Arianna

[angelandarose]

You feel much weaker because you are eating raw?

Gaining strength is more about your weight training that your eating. So keep up the great job of working out! Eating lots of greens, or drinking green smoothies is a good place to start for building muscle because of the pure amino's in these foods. If you want to build muscle EAT EAT EAT! Oh and EAT EAT EAT some more! Even a BB who eats a SAD diet still has to eat massive amounts of food to pack on muscle. You cannot pack on muscle unless you feed yourself a LOT of what they call in the BB world 'clean foods'... BUT you are doing this raw so you are leaving out the lean meat etc... I am in your shoes too, I am a BB and I'm learning to find a balance in my eating and packing on muscle. I already have alot of muscle so I am mainly focused on taking off some fat so I can see what I have for muscle. ;)

GOOD LUCK!

Angie

[Arianna]

Hi!
thank you for the reply!!

I don't know that it is the raw that makes me feel weak or rather just the massive change in diet in general. I'm sure my body is going thru an adjustment period.

I have muscle too but it doesn't show yet because of the layer of fat. I build muscle pretty easily for a woman but I want more, not a She Hulk look but a good definition look. I know I need more cardio to help burn the fat and calories. I've been walking in the hills lately so that should help there.

Do you eat much fruit? I've been craving a lot of fruit lately. a couple weeks ago I craved salads.

Arianna

[angelandarose]

I eat LOTS of banana's, mainly because they are easy to carry with me to work. But yes I do eat lots of fruit of all kinds. I also drink green smoothies now and then, not daily but when I lift I do try to drink one afterwards. I eat 1-2 avocado's a day.

What helped me burn fat quickly at one time was interval training. I'd run for a minute, walk for a minute or two, then run for a minute... over and over for 20-30 mins. I really need to get back to doing that... and I WILL. THAT really burned the fat. I did it early in the morning before I ate any big meals.

The weakness is probably detox, especially if you have not been doing this long. Have patience it will pass and you will have more energy than you will know what to do with.

Love,
Angie

[Arianna]

I just noticed you're in Kansas, That's where I'm from!! Small world!
thank you for your information. I am going to try the interval training. I haven't run for a long time so I think ...*maybe*..I can handle a minute of running then a minute or two of walking thru 1/2 hour period. I'll set my alarm for early tomorrow and get started. I'm ssoooo ready to be healthy and fit again.
Arianna

[angelandarose]

I weigh 235 lbs right now, so running for me is hard also, BUT the interval training is what I did a couple years ago when I started BFL(body for life) and my husband noticed how quickly I was loosing fat, although I was building lots of muscle at that time of my life so the scale wasn't moving much but the PANTS-O-METER was going down down down. :-D

Kansan huh? ;-) What part of Kansas?

Angie

[Arianna]

I grew up around Winfield. Then I moved to Wichita when I got married.

I'm 168 right now but I'm barely 5'4 on a tall day. I had gotten up to 180 but have been losing. My problem now (well, one of them :)) is that I'm on steroids for rheumatoid arthritis. My wrists were so bad today that I could barely lift weights and then had to use very light weights. I'm sure the ra is contributing to the weakness too.

Do you ever have fruit and fruit juice days to kind of clean out? I'm thinking of doing that today. I'm sitting here with a bowl of watermelon in front of me now.

Arianna