Feeling miserable on the Raw Food Diet - what am I doing wrong???

[Aneria]

I've been trying to go raw but within the first day of doing so, I feel like crap. I'm starving 20 minutes after eating, my insides just don't feel right, and I feel like my energy is through the floor... These symptoms clear up with the first cooked meal that contains meat. Am I experiencing symptoms of detox or am I somehow not getting enough calories. I've read accounts of people who eat 6 bananas in one sitting when on the raw diet...is this really neccessary? How much food do I need to eat to simply replace the very little bread and meat I usually eat?

I am an otherwise healthy 20-something male who has been following the Zone Diet and trying to go Raw with the desire to be Raw vegan.

Thanks.

[Eva]

Sounds like you are addicted to some of the chemicals that are in meat. There are a lot of industry-added hormones and even naturally occurring substances that your body becomes addicted to. It's like a smoker feeling horrible when he quits, then feeling better the moment he has that first drag again. It's not that the person need the cigarette, just the chemical dependency!

I'm sure you're going through a detox, but part of it includes not getting your fix!

Good for you that you're giving it a shot and asking questions. It gets better. I promise.

[Zella Juice]

two words...Green Smoothies!!

Yay ...I beat you Lucy!! :p

[Thick]

I agree with Eva, as always=)

Are you eating enough fats? If you are coming for another diet (which I admittedly don't know much about) I hope you aren't limiting healthy fats. I've read, and experienced , that often when someone feels they are craving meat--they are really craving fat or salt.

It's definately not neccessary to eat 6 bananas in one sitting. But it is important to eat until you are full and satisfied. I do however eat whole watermelons, canteloupes and salads bigger than my head=) Just eat until you are as full as you want to be and don't deprive yourself. For some that means luxurious amounts of bananas--find out what you like that much=)

[MPD]

We're kinda in the same boat here. I'm a 23 year old healthy male, and I just went 100% raw about three days ago. For me, I feel satisfied as long as my daily intake has a balance of greens, sugary fruits, and fatty foods such as nuts, seeds, or a few avocados.

For lunch today, I had a nice sized mixed salad with arugula, green lettuce, celery, sprouts, and carrots dressed with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice. I also had a handful of raw almonds and an orange on the side. When I eat a meal like this, I feel very satisfied. I don't feel hungry until my next meal, and my energy level is at an all-time high. It's all about balance, and once that is set in place, I promise that you will start to feel much better.

I'm sure some of the raw veterans on here can give you some solid advice. Browsing the threads and reading people's blogs has helped me out a lot so far. Good luck!

[smoothiegirl]

I kind of went through the same thing. I eat an avocado everyday and that gives my body fats to help satisfy me. I do eat some nuts(soaked and dried) Too many fruits make me buzzy and light headed. The SAD is loaded w/bad fats and preservatives and naturally when you change your eating habits it shocks the body. It feels like your starving but your body is just cleaning out and detoxing. Those preservatives in food are addicting.

[Dimond]

You will need to eat much more raw food at first until your body becomes use to eating this way. Eating heavier raw meals will help. Add avocado, oils, nuts or seeds or just eat larger quantities.

Even if you eat enough, you may experience some detox.

[Rawkinlocs]

Everyone one here has given you some excellent advice.

Tell me, have you ever gone for a while without eating and felt kinda weak and 'crappy' and then as soon as you get something in your stomach, you feel better?

Does that necessarily mean that something was wrong during the time you were not eating? Nope!

See, many people don't like to hear this, but cooked food (and animal protein is a huge one here) is like a drug. Yes it is because just like when a drug addict goes without the next fix/hit and feels sick, etc. - that is only the body trying to detox from the substance. But just as soon as s/he gets that next fix/hit, they feel what...better!

But guess what, the cycle is going to keep continuing until they break through that detox and allow the body to go through what it needs to go through and come out on the other end. I know not quite as 1-2-3 as that, but you get my drift.

So it is with eliminating cooked food...our body goes through withdrawal symptoms and it varies for everyone but it can range from headaches to body aches and chills (flu-like symptoms) to stomach discomfort (what we mistakenly call hunger pangs) and more. Not everyone has the same symptoms, not everyone experiences them to the same degree...but regardless it IS a common thing to happen. You're going by only one day of attempting to eat raw.

As it has been suggested, you definitely need to eat MORE...think about it...you are used to having the heavy feeling associated with cooked food and meat in your body. So now you're giving your body ONLY raw foods, which are much lighter in density than those cooked foods and therefore, it's gonna take more to feel satiated.

But you will have to allow your body to adjust to that lighter feeling at some point and this is one of the reasons why people such as our dear Alissa have recipes that we can eat that can at times "mimic" cooked foods to help us over that hump. So, dig into the recipe section and start trying out some stuff if you feel so inclined to do so. But even if not, just load up honey...eat and if you feel hunger, eat again. But you set your own goals and your own pace. If you are shooting for 100% raw, then push past the withdrawals (and a little side tip from me...I always recommend enemas to help with the crappy feeling of detox/withdrawal symptoms but not everyone here fancies that idea) but if you want to go more gradually, that is your prerogative as well...do all raw for the bulk of the day and then a HEALTHIER cooked meal at dinner or something. It's totally up to you.

[roseyonnex]

As a woman, I adjusted to raw food right away. My husband, however, was starving all the time, pretty like what you were talking about. Men are definitely different, and they need more fats. I would really incorporate enough oils, avo, nuts, etc., until you are satisfied.

A lot of people say they start eating higher fat, and when their body gets used to it, they start cutting back on fats. I find myself heading in that direction after three weeks.

Good luck!

[ManyLittles]

I had a lot of those symptoms. Sounds like detox to me. Like someone said, green smoothies should help a lot. It's probably a combination of detox, cooked food withdrawal, and possibly you need some more calories.

I have gone on and off raw a lot, so I'm very familiar with the "starving" feeling of the first few days. It's different or everyone. My husband gets REALLY hungry when we go raw. I think it's worse for guys. It gets better. Over time you will need less and less food, because your body will adjust and you will be getting a lot more nutrition from a lot less food.

What you need to do is just stuff yourself the first few days. Anytime you feel like you can eat, then eat. Don't worry about overeating, wasting money, etc. Don't worry that it's too many calories, just don't give yourself the opportunity to get hungry. If you do, you'll give in and have crappy cooked food. Cooked food is a lot like a drug. You'll get "withdrawal" symptoms, which will stop instantly once you give in and get your cooked food "fix". But that's a short-term fix.

Instead, drink lots of water. Eat eat filling foods like nuts and avocados. Drink green smoothies. (But I find smoothies don't always stay with me long, so have food ready to eat soon after.) Eat superfoods that are very nutrient-dense, like cacao. Start out slowly with it, as some people can't tolerate much of it. Cacao is supposed to help keep you more satisfied. Goji berries keep you happier and is also nutrient-dense. Add coconut oil to your smoothies.

Cutting up as much produce as you can in advance can make those many trips to the fridge a little less daunting. That way you can throw a salad together with a lot less work. I've been making a smoothie and sticking it in the fridge at night, for the next morning. The smoothie will be a little less nutritious due to oxidizing, but to me that's better than giving in and grabbing some cooked food because I'm starving in the morning.

If you just can't keep yourself from eating cooked, try whole foods to stem off the desire for junk. A little bit of brown rice, some organic beans, or some organic eggs. The first time I went raw, in the beginning once a day I used to have organic egg salad in a whole wheat pita, stuffed with tons of red bell pepper, onions, lettuce, and other veggies. Or a boiled egg. That helped. But it's better in the long run if you can stick to raw.

I've tried transitioning slowly, going high-raw overnight, and going 100% raw overnight. In the long run, in my own experience, I think going 100% raw overnight is the best. Not the easiest, for the first few days, but easiest in the long run. I found that a bite or two of cooked food, and I would go crazy, shoveling it in like it was my last meal. The junkier the food, the faster I would shovel. I really felt like an addict. One bite of cooked and I find it too easy to slide back into eating all cooked. But it depends on the person.

Just do your best to stick with it. You may need to eat a lot of food for a while, but I think the worst of the symptoms should lessen after 3-7 days if you stay raw, and you won't need to stuff yourself quite as much. Good luck!

[Seabie]

I had the same problem and some times I still do. The more recipes I learn the more healthy meals I can add to my diet. In the begining I ate the same thing over and over. So of course I was starving! There is some really great advice here. Stick with it, there is always a transition period. However, if you are following all of the advice and still have problems seek more advice. Each person has individual needs. If you continue to have problems then your body is trying to tell you that something is not right - for you. It's a learning journey and you will find your way!

[Vaclare79]

I'm having the same problem right now. I'm eating same thing over and over. Starving even after I've eaten even though seems like I've eaten enough.

[joyfulmama]

Today is day 5 for me. I haven't cut out coffee but everything else is gone. I do have an avocado or 2 worth of guacamole with my huge salad for lunch with about 6 or 7 of my flax seed crackers. This to me is like comfort food. I have 32 ounces of green smoothie for breakfast and dinner. Sometimes I am hungry right before bed so I just have some water- but I am not hungry between meals- completely satisfied.

[Eva]

Aneria -- You've gotten a lot of responses. Have any of them been helpful at all?! I hope you're having more luck, would love to hear if you do.

[GoingtoRAW]

This does sound like detox and SAD withdrawal. I had the same problem when I first went raw as well. I took the advice of a friend who had been raw for a long time - always have food with you where ever you go - NEVER EVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT CARRYING SOMETHING TO EAT ALONG. With raw you just never know when you will get hungry and you must eat. It's not like SAD where we think "three meals a day". With raw you may get hungry and want to eat 5 times or more a day - or after your body adjusts you may eat 2 times a day. You will eat when you are hungry. Since you are just starting out you may need to add more "dense" raw foods because it can be difficult to go from SAD to eating mainly salads. I know that for me the longer I get towards 100% raw (admittedly on and off), the simpler I eat and the less severe the detox symptoms. Eat when you're hungry, get a lot of fresh air, and just hang in there! You will feel so much better if you do!:)

[Aneria]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. You've all given some great suggestions and things for me to think about. It's pretty scary to think that I could be feeling withdrawl from the chemicals in meat...yikes! I wasn't expecting to feel much detox since I generally eat mostly organic, no dairy, hardly any processed food and more fruits/veggies than most people on the SAD. I do consume 8-12 ounces of meat in a standard day, so that's a sizable chunk of my diet I am replacing by going raw. As I mentioned, I've been following the Zone Diet (40/30/30 - carb/protein/fat) for the last 6 years to maintain a healthy weight, so I'm replacing 30% of what I used to eat with non-meat foods.

So, I guess I'll give it another go, drink more water, eat more food when I'm hungry and try to stick it out past the crappy feelings. This is something I really want to do, it just felt like I was harming my body or depriving me of something I need. But I guess that's what detox feels like...

Thanks again and I'll keep you informed about my progress.

--davy

[carolv]

All of the advice in this post has really helped me out as well. I have really started to feel like just giving up because this has been much harder than I anticipated. I've always been considered somewhat of a health nut and I switched to a diet of no meats (occasional exceptions of chicken or fish, particularly salmon), no dairy, no soy, no sugar just a few months ago. That diet helped me feel so much better and it was noticeable after just a few days. So I came in with high expectations on this diet but I'm not seeing any significant results as I did in the previous diet. At this point, I think I need to do more to help with the detox process. I think my first step will be to include more psyllium in my diet. Then I think I'll consider some other type of detox like juice fasting, lemon drink, or herbal.

[cherries]

Good for you for giving it another try! I felt the same way when I first started raw and the feeling does go away. I would always try to go 100% right away and I would be so discouraged when I couldn't do it. I kept trying every few months to go raw.

Then I got the advise to "change your diet 1-2% a week" and that worked. Except what I did was, every few months I would cut out more foods and indroduce new ones and then plateau at that level for awhile. It was usually a natural change since I had done some reading and learning and cleansing and felt ready to change my diet and feel better.

Now after two years of this high raw diet I feel and look great, and I'm pretty much habitually raw except for social occasions, I left this as my "last frontier". You don't have to do 100% right away, I've read lots of raw food authors that recommend a slow transiton at first and who say that they took years to transition themselves.

[petaltothemetal]

I've been trying to go raw but within the first day of doing so, I feel like crap. I'm starving 20 minutes after eating, my insides just don't feel right, and I feel like my energy is through the floor... These symptoms clear up with the first cooked meal that contains meat. Am I experiencing symptoms of detox or am I somehow not getting enough calories. I've read accounts of people who eat 6 bananas in one sitting when on the raw diet...is this really neccessary? How much food do I need to eat to simply replace the very little bread and meat I usually eat?

I am an otherwise healthy 20-something male who has been following the Zone Diet and trying to go Raw with the desire to be Raw vegan.

Thanks.

I used to crash big time, get dizzy and exhausted and have trouble thinking. You said you ate 40% carbs before - what kind of carbs? Bread? What else besides meat are you giving up? And what are you eating now?

I still crash sometimes (went from 50% raw to 95-100% raw the first week of July) and found that it helps TREMENDOUSLY if I bring a big smoothie (with pureed nuts or coconut oil in it) or some carrot juice (with a little water in it) to work. Since there's no dairy, I don't have to worry about it spoiling and I can sip it during my traditional weak times (about 10:00 and 2:00, between meals, when it's easy to mistake my blood sugar for hunger).

Some other thoughts: "your insides don't feel right" could be gas from all the extra fiber you're eating. It takes a couple weeks to adjust to that.