natural weight loss anyone?

[thefruit]

has anyone who's gone raw has been able to lose any excess weight naturally, ie. not exercising on purpose or anything like that?
i think ive read some articles where some suggest that when your eating 'naturally', weight loss or any unhealthy weight that you have, would come off gradually by itself (even if it takes longer) because its the body's natural response.

im actually quite skinny, but i do carry more fat (possibly visceral too!) on my abdomen and it worries me - mostly when it comes to my health.

exercise is obviously good, but i do have medical conditions that can cause discomfort while exercising, and i get scared of it and avoid it sometimes to prevent symptoms. however my lifestyle in general ie daily activities, is pretty active and on the go.

the weight it not a huge deal for me anyway, just curious if its possible for it to naturally 'balance out' when eating raw :)

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Totally possible, and common! When I first went Raw, I lost about 20lbs. I came off of raw for a while and gained some back, but when I returned to raw, I went right back to my ideal 115.

If you're upset about your belly, belly dance! Take a few beginner classes. It gives SUCH an appreciation for the belly. I am not sure if that will agitate your medical problem? Any type of exercise involving lifting your legs forward (walking, running, or martial arts) are great for tummies, but again, unsure if this will be a problem for you.

[Moretta]

I don't exercise at all, but lead a very active lifestyle and still manage to loose weight at a nice normal pace. When I do eat something SAD when socializing, it throws everything off and that's when I see the weight gain. So I love to stick to my RAWNESS way of eating.

[EZ rider]

I just read an article called: "Getting thin–on fats: The healthy, sure-fire way with omega oils". Here's the link:

http://www.fatsforhealth.com/library/libitems/getting_thin_on_fat.php

[Moretta]

I just read an article called: "Getting thin–on fats: The healthy, sure-fire way with omega oils". Here's the link:

http://www.fatsforhealth.com/library...hin_on_fat.php

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

[Aleesha Sattva]

how about yoga? it's a great way to get in shape - strengthen your muscles and assist your body to become centred and feeling great. :)

[thefruit]

thanks heaps for all the answers :):) it seems that ppl are able to lose the weight after all. i mean to me, it just comes as - your body would naturally regulate your weight when you stop eating processed and unhealthy foods and stick to natural/raw foods etc. because thats the way it was initially.

im not 100% raw, but i do feel great when eating fresh, natural foods, and i dont have like any cravings for cooked grains whatsoever (compared to before) although some of the nuts i eat are still not raw, but i tend to mix raw and cooked nuts (raw are very expensive here)

i do need more exercise, its def a health booster... will figure a way out :)

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Remember that exercise is natural, as well. In the wilds, we wouldn't be sitting at computer desks all day. Exercise is very important for your well-being on all levels. Even taking a walk around the block is good!

[cara4art]

Humans are meant to move, lots! Researchers of human cultures in the past, especially in the age of hunter-gatherers, often find that people of both sexes of that time were comparable to today's elite athletes in terms of musculature, bone density, and leanness, not to mention strength and endurance from the daily few hours it took to procure food! And even with traditional agriculture where people were somewhat more sedentary than hunter-gathers, there was still a lot of hard physical work involved in sowing and reaping crops, and preparing resulting foods.
Consider the Masai tribe in Africa(although their diet is not what we do here)but they routinely walk 20-25 miles a day, and I'll bet there's no one of them who is complaining of a weight problem - far from it!
Quality of diet IS key, as far as having good raw unprocessed foods, but you have to move, every day if possible, somehow. Although many centuries, millenia even have passed, our bodies have not evolved to be satisfied or healthy with being sedentary or eating the denatured foods common to Westernized cultures. But not all of those days have to be intense - 4-5 out of 7 should do it, with just regular activities on the other 2-3 days. In the more intense 4-5 days, you should get in some type of resistance training 3x a week, and that cardio, 4-5x a week, with at least a couple of those cardio sessions being some type of interval training which will bump up your body's fat-burning capacity. As far as central body fat(aka visceral fat) goes this responds very well to cardiovascular exercise. Being sure to eat the right kind of fats(avocado, olives, coconut oil, and smaller amounts of nuts and seeds for some people), and keeping one's dark greens intake high along with veggies(green smoothies will really help here!)and moderate amounts of fruits. As with anything, your mileage may vary, so don't be afraid to experiment with differing balances of food and note where that gets you. But it HUGELY important to get that physical activity, and in the process, your body will handle any type of sugars better, all good. This is especially important for those of us who do sit at our computers(millions of us)to counteract the effects of being sedentary, a known instigator of several degenerative conditions. Aside from structured physical activity, getting up every 20 minutes or so to do something else, and fidgeting while sitting help burn up more energy as well. Last but not least, drinking PLENTY of water helps too.
Bottom line, if you are eating a well-constructed raw food diet, not totally overeating in general, and busting your butt consistently somehow, the excess weight will go. Over a longer period of time, your new body will be lighter, leaner, and more pliable as you are not clogging up the works with processed junk. As one detoxes along the way, this whole process is aided.
Hope this helps!