how many hear have lost weight eating anything as long as its raw?

[samariah]

im just curious on how many people actually lose a significant amount of weight eating anything, as long as its raw? i know some people can but i also know a lot of people have to watch either excess fruits or excess fats.

[Ilse W.]

Let's face it, it's still calories in minus calories out. If you put more in than you use, you won't lose weight and can even gain some. All you have to do is check the posts here, there are several people who are trying to GAIN weight with raw, and are slowly succeeding. I used to joke that I'm the only person I know who can be obese on a vegan diet. Seriously, I can eat 3 avocados in one sitting, no problem. I love pouring olive oil all over my salads. I eat coconut oil mixed with honey and cacao as a dessert. If I do too much of that, I "plateau" until I cut out some of the fat. Generally, I eat loads (really) of fruits and vegetables and the weight is coming off.

[Sugar Snap Pea]

30 lbs in 2 months!

[northernstars]

I don't agree with the calories in and calories out ideas! Reason being that I used to count every bite I ate and know I was averaging 300-500 fewer calories every day than what I needed but still gained over 100 pounds. Now I eat much more but not eating meat or dairy and I have lost 50 pounds! I think what you eat is far more important than the calories!

[amihm]

I lost 10 pounds in 21 days. I lost 7 pounds in the first week or so ... and then, ever so slowly, 3 pounds in the last two weeks. And, just to mention -- I have really been taking advantage of eating whatever I want -- whenever I want, as long as it's raw. I've been trying recipes left and right. mmmm... blueberry pie.

I've decided to just trust the process. I've read the longer I stay raw -- the more I will gravitate towards veggies/fruits. (I've already experienced a craving for kale?!?!) Anyway, since I'm in the adjustment phase -- I am going to enjoy it while I'm here! Now, if I could just find some raw carob!

[samariah]

well raw foods in themselves i think will be more conducive to weight loss because of all the fiber which the body cant use as energy. also, being raw probably boosts your metabolism, controls your blood sugar (which can reduce how much fat you store), make you more energetic (so you naturally move/exercise more) and certain things like coconut actually do boost your metabolism because the fat is immediately used for energy and isnt stored in the body like other fats.

in fact, i was just realizing that whenever i eat coconut as my main fat along with lots of greens/veggies and fruits and just smaller amounts of olive oil/nuts/seeds i lose pretty fast, especially if i cut out nuts. at least thats what i did last year. i think its because coconut is just so darn satiating and energizing. after eating just one piece of coconut oil fudge im so satisfied i dont even really THINK of wanting more (the complete opposite with other fatty things like nuts/regular chocolate). i could eat coconut milk ice cream and cococnut oil fudge every day and i would lose weight as long as i watched the other fats. at least thats what worked for me last year when i attempted raw until i went back into a SAD binging period and regained all the weight i lost and 10 more pounds ugh.

[Revvell]

I have and I agree with NorthernStars. When I first started eating raw food, my movement didn't change... just my food program. I was making LOTS of burgers, loafs, nut pates and eliminated weight like there was no tomorrow. As a matter-of-fact, there were 6 of us starting at the same time and we all eliminated excess weight.

Revvell (http://Revvell.com)

[ShelShel]

I don't agree with the calorie idea either. I have been dieting since the age of 12. I've counted calories, eaten only carbs...special doctor prescribed chemistry diets...nothing worked.
Eating raw works like magic on my body. To me...it's like a miracle. I can eat anything raw...whatever I want...(Although I do stick to what I crave and I try to vary to get all the nutrients I need and after being raw for over 2 and a half years now...I don't really ever eat gourmet.) I've lost 63 pounds.

Although, I've heard of others who do not have this happen for them. They must eliminate fats...nuts...fruits.:( It's such a shame.

That's why I feel not every way of eating works for everyone in the same way. We are individuals. ;) What works for one, doesn't necessarily work for another. We must all find what works for us...on our own journeys.

I'm just so very thankful that it works for me. I've struggled for so long. It's such a blessing. God is so good! :)

[samariah]

i dont think im too worried about shedding the excess pounds now :). i mean im lucky that i only have 20-25 lbs i want to lose of water weight/fat and im not going to be obsessive about it either. im lucky to not be really overweight or anything and ive learned to love and appreciate my body. i just feel better/more energetic when im lighter. i dont feel "fat" now just a little sluggish and heavy if that makes any sense compared to what im used to/was before my SAD binge eating disorder started. i just dont want to be labeled as a person who is "thin" but unreasonably happy w/ her body. im GLAD for what i have but i just want to tweak and improve for optimum good vibes throughout and i feel i have the right to tweak my body how i want. i mean i am doing this the healthy way :).

[qnjnean]

I think the more important issue is not eating too much food. I am newly raw as of august 1st and I have lost 23 pounds. It seems to matter more whether I eat when I'm hungry and then not too much than what I eat.

good luck.

[samariah]

yeah, the good thing about raw. its sooo much easier to eat just listening to my hunger signals. with cooked foods, most of them are so freaking addicting and when you have blood sugar issues like me it was hard not to keep eating WELL past your stomachs satiation point.

[Aleesha Sattva]

eat eat eat eat eat. that's what i did... released 145 pounds in a year. i found that when i cut out fats... i stopped releasing. added them back in... released.

honestly i totally agree with Alissa - eat eat eat eat eat... your body will tell you what to eat and when to eat eventually, until then... simply feed it raw foods... ;)

and i totally ignore calories. don't agree with counting them or focusing on them at all.

just eat raw live food and let your body do the rest.

[ReneeH]

REVVELL... I JUST LOVE YOUR PHOTO!!!

I've lost 20 pounds this month on the AUGUST Challenge!!! :D

[shashibala]

I eat whatever I want and lose weight! Almost 60 pounds gone. The calories don't work the same for me when I'm raw. I eat more calories and more often now, but still lose weight. I think my immune system reacts to the cooked foods and stores it as fat. Especially wheat, dairy, and corn. Very interesting! It works for me!!

[Revvell]

REVVELL... I JUST LOVE YOUR PHOTO!!!

I've lost 20 pounds this month on the AUGUST Challenge!!! :D

Thank you and congrats on the weight elimination!

[brownies]

I'm down almost 30 lbs but I'm not 100% raw. The majority of the weight came off strictly from changing my diet. I haven't done much exercises besides walking to and from work (a little under a mile each way) about 3-4 days a week.

[shine72]

OOH! OOH! ME! ME!:D I lost 80 pounds that way. Eating what I love, love, love!:)

[samariah]

I eat whatever I want and lose weight! Almost 60 pounds gone. The calories don't work the same for me when I'm raw. I eat more calories and more often now, but still lose weight. I think my immune system reacts to the cooked foods and stores it as fat. Especially wheat, dairy, and corn. Very interesting! It works for me!!

i second the the whole wheat, dairy, corn thing screwing with your body. all of those heard to digest things must surely keep you gaining more weight even if you eat the same amount of calories. even with SAD i know that giving up stuff i had intolerances too almost immediately resulted in me dropping a few pounds. i think your body just holds onto water weight when its constantly flooded with hard to digest crap.

[Jenifae]

I don't have a bunch of weight to lose but, I am wanting to be about 10 - 15lbs lighter. However, I do have a sugar and ED issue that I deal with. What I have noticed personally is that when I am 100% raw I can actually enjoy eating more foods then I ever did SAD. I restricted myself so much on SAD and still weighed more then I do now. One little bite more and I'd go up on the scale. I learned along time ago that calorie counting doesn't work for me.......it makes my head crazy.....the number thing.......although I do check the scale ;). So, back to what I was saying...........I have lost about 5lbs eating more of 100%.......go figure. I do notice that I too need to watch the types of Fat intake. Medium to Long chain fats are better for us/me I am learning because, they slowly break down allowing the body to utilize them for energy. So, when I eat Coconut oil/butter and Avocados I do better and don't crave more. But, when I eat those nuts I not only binge but, I tend to gain.

[srsarri]

I eat WAYYYY more calories now then EVER. and I don't gain an ounce! So, I stopped counting! :D

lovin it.

[auxocromo]

lost about 7 pounds in 2 weeks on about 90% raw (six pounds in the first week). ate a lot of avocado, bananas, and nuts in the first week and fruit only early in the day.

[RawHeaven]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for starting this thread! I had a disagreement with my raw boyfriend this weekend who has been at this for a few years regarding this very subject. He's into the calorie counting and worries about eating too much fat. I, on the otherhand, do not worry about this and could care less about counting calories! Anyway, we resolved it, but it was so nice to receive validation after reading everyone's experiences that there are so many ways to do this raw thing. I love this board. :)

Oh and same thing with me, I released at least 30 lbs just eating raw foods and by fasting. I enjoy the freedom and I refuse to worry about measurements anymore.

Thank you again.

[Eva]

Let's face it, it's still calories in minus calories out. If you put more in than you use, you won't lose weight and can even gain some.

EmmaT, I have to comment on what you wrote. I see the first two sentences here as going hand in hand. The first sentence alone, just "calories in minus calories out" clearly does not apply to raw food if taken a certain way. But "if you put in more than you use, you won't lose weight and can even gain some." ... well... I don't think that's really an arguable point!

The reason is that our metabolism changes with raw, our bodies change, we go out of starvation mode, our bodies are thriving and getting lots of everything they need to love the day... so... What "you use" is how all of the details of your life, metabolism, food, etc. add up.

So, it's simply not a hard and fast rule of x number of calories eaten - y number of calories burned = +- z pounds

The good thing about when we first go raw (first can even be years if your body is still making drastic changes for quite some time)... is that suddenly... BAM!... We're getting nutrients and food that moves quickly through the digestive system and is healing the body. And guess what? Healing? Uses lots of calories! Giving us energy to clean the whole darn house? Lots of calories! Everything we do uses calories... And our bodies can suddenly USE all of the calories we take in (for healing, house cleaning, exercise, whatever) if we are eating a purely plant-based diet.

Love it!

But... by the same token... many people who have been raw for a long time, need less food and CAN gain if they are eating much more than they can use. Their bodies are like workhorses, so efficient! The good thing is that if you've been raw for a long time, you KNOW/FEEL what your body needs and generally have moved beyond (most of the) emotional eating. Things change.

So, to answer the original poster's question with my experience... I am naturally not super thin but am pretty small framed. My body tells me with a stomach ache or an ulcer that I MUST stop eating, but not so much with lots of weight gain. Before I started running as a teen, I was bordering on overweight. Then ran regularly and competitively from 13 on and have never been overweight. I did not have much weight to lose when I went raw, but I had stomach pains that kept me in bed some days.

I did not count anything. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, as long as it was raw. Sometimes I even ate WAY too much just because the stuff tasted so good and I was suddenly tasting flavors like never before (and did NOT get the usual tummy ache from eating too much). My GRACIOUS! My body changed only a little... except my stomach... which became flat in no time. And suddenly I just felt SO light and energetic.

:)