Should I monitor my fat intake?

[LynieD]

I'm ordering Alissa's book but have not yet received it, so I apologize if this topic is covered therein.

I'm just wondering whether and how much I should limit/watch my fat intake. I love having mashed avacado and olive oil as salad dressing, eating nuts or pumpkin seeds as snacks, using raw almond butter on sliced apples...but I'm worried. Ever since I was 15 I've counted every calorie that went into my mouth (minus my moments of binge and emotional eating, of course) and all of these things I'm eating are "bad foods" to me. I don't think I had ever eaten an avacado until I went raw for 2 weeks last year. (now I'm in love:D) And I wouldn't have been caught dead putting oil on my salad.

While I've enjoyed the fatty foods over the past few days, I'm scared that my desired weight loss will not occur and I may, in fact, gain weight. Yes, yes, I know that weight loss should be a bonus and not the focus --and it is, but it is still an issue I'm weighing. (pun intended.) I'm eating as many vegies, sprouts and fruits as I can, but the fat is worrying me.

Any insight on this?

[FloridaPatty]

anymore. Fat is not an enemy. Enjoy the food. Health is the goal, not calories or fat grams. The more you have a list of things you shouldn't eat the more you'll want them

[Andre]

I don't limit anything. I just let my body guide me and things seem to balance out. Calorie counting and following tedious rules takes the fun out of the short life we live.

And like you I used to obsessively count calories, so I can in at least a small way relate to what it's like letting trust take over.

[shashibala]

I have lost weight simply eating raw without counting anything. I eat whatever I feel that I need as long as it is raw. After a while, you will naturally balance your intake of nutrients and fats by paying attention to how your body feels. I am eating less fats and oils now than I did at first, but I don't worry about it. Your body will let you know if you give it pure fuel. This is a journey of discovery, so as Andre said, just eat and let the trust take over.:)

[Blazin'Jane]

What Shashiba said! Alissa says many times in her book that especially when you're new to raw, eat whatever as long as it's raw. Later on, as others have suggested here, you'll balance things out esily by how you feel. Don't make it any harder than it has to be. Just eat and have a good time with the food! :p

[tiggerbounce]

Yes, everyone finds their own balance. And you will find yours, too. If you try to limit yourself too much and make things complex, it increases the chance of you becoming frustrated. Spend this exciting learning time trying new things and experimenting. Find what you love to eat/munch and then when you get the feel for things you will begin to understand what your body is feeling. You will eventually prefer the lighter feeling you get from simple raw and such as time passes. And yet once in awhile you may still find yourself binging on a bag of almonds. Have fun, get to know the foods and your body, and then focus on life instead of on food.

The wonderful thing about raw is the energy it gives you. Decide how you are going to use up all that energy. Don 't worry about the food. Whatever is your own balance is what is right for you. Eating is sort of like your faith, it is yours to discover. The discovery part of raw (the beginning) is the most wonderful. It is like traveling to a new world and exploring. Enjoy it and do not make your new travels to complicated. Enjoy each new adventure on each new day.

Enjoy!
Take care.:)

[Nurse in the Raw]

If you are already a skinny minny then I would say eat what you want but if you are like some of us here that are "storing energy" (and believe me, we learned the hard way), then I would say watch the fats.