I'm feeling like I'm getting flabby

[excited to go raw]

It seems like my body is not as firm as it was when I was eating alot more protein. I'm sure I am not getting enough protein as I seem to be hungry more than normal since I have been doing raw. Any suggestions on more filling meals and any truth to the firmer with protein? Thanks, I need encouragement. Jill

[michigan roman]

im 3 1/2 years raw , and though for the first over a year i lost weight i didnt feel softer but rather harder . then by month 18 i was heavier than my pre raw weight beacuse i started eating alot of nuts and seeds (grind seeds up like sesame , flax , sunnys in blender than add to like fruit smoothies) plus avacado and banana .

and to me your gonn a feel hungrier and also emptier changing to raw . part of it is your bodies used to the heat in guts from hot cooked food , its kinda like our bodies have to adjust to make up for that lack of heat in my uneducated opinion . and our guts miss the dense cooked foods that really packed in them filling them , it just takes time till you realize a whole bunch of that stuff was unburnable weak fuel type that became weakly cells and fat .

for filling i make mixed greens / vegi rich salads with evoo and garlic dressing (i swear alpto garlic helps feel full ) with alot of avacado then either ground sesame or flax seeds sprinkled on , and also sometimes a bunch o walnuts bits

if you stick to it itll happen , but for first year or so youll be adjusting and a bit less happy with your meals . but the long term health benefits are undeniable so keep your focus thetre . and remember millions of people get used to craving things that are slowly killing them and making them unhealthful like cigs / booze / cake / cookies / etc . just like weve all over centuries got used to eating unoptimal foods and now crave them , so youve got to use your minds power of logic by remaining cognesant of that fact in order to over ride your illhealthful cravings and get to a state of optimum diet .

oh and green tea , and lemon juice squeezed into ice water help quell my appetite . first 2 years i lived on green tea to curb appetite . now my hearty salads and bananas / nuts are like my old cooked vegan foods that fill me up .

[excited to go raw]

Thanks for the info. If I understand you correctly you feel you are more firm and heavier because you are firmer.....more muscle. I worry about eating alot of nuts and gaining weight but it sounds like you eat alot of them for protein and it hasn't caused weight issues. If you have more muscle you will burn more fat and I just need to firm up. I do some free weights. I welcome any and all pointers on this issue. Thanks

[michigan roman]

i feel firmer raw because ive burnt off my flab which was soft

my body firming exercises :

- wind sprints : they get the body more vigorously shaking and thusly get the body firmer than long distance running imo

- favorite stomach exercise obviously needed

- squats without weights . a great anytime / anywhere exercise to me , firms thighs

- push ups for shoulders / chest

- jump rope obviously gets the body shaking / firming

- i like dumbells because can do many different upper body exercises with conveiniently even when watching tv

* if your previously not real athletic ide suggest youtubing things like sprinting / jump roping in order to mimic the techniques of those proficient in the disciplines

[gs4life]

it's normal to "feel hungry" a lot more when you go raw. i'm not sure what you're eating, but a lot of people start eating tons of veggies and since they provide hardly any calories, they are always hungry.

another thing is that raw food won't give you that full feeling you're used to...unless maybe you're eating lots of dehydrated food. the feeling of your stomach being empty is not hunger. and it's something that you will get used to as you continue on your raw journey. this is a great article about true hunger: http://fresh-network.typepad.com/fresh_network_blog/2009/01/monkey-training-.html

also, read up more info on protein...it's not the be all end all the meat and dairy industry has made it out to be. we don't need the large amount of protein that they recommend. but if you are concerned, leafy greens have lots of protein! we need amino acids...which are present in every fruit and vegetable.

to firm up start exercising more. you'll have a lot more energy eating raw anyway! keep us updated and good luck on your raw journey :)

[spicyfull]

If you feel Hungry.....EAT. It's that Simple, Eat as often as you feel Hungry. Your Body will adjust the more you are RAW. If you eat your Greens, you are getting All the Protien you need. Enjoy your Journey.

If you feel Flabby, up your exercise. Did you lose any weight, how much. If you lost lots of weight, of course you will have saggy skin.

[gs4life]

yes, i second spicyfull...i didn't mean to sound like you shouldn't eat. if you are hungry, of course, eat. i just wanted to point out that sometimes we just want that "full feeling". yes, your body will adjust the longer you eat raw!

[Pitaya]

deep massages really help - you can do them on your flabby areas yourself : )

[Revvell]

You seem to be stuck on the "protein myth". Eating meat/dairy, whatever was not giving you protein, it was filling you up.

The things MR is mentioning ~ seeds, nuts, avos, bananas are giving him calories. Seeds and nuts are up to 75% fat so, not necessarily a good source of protein. Greens are.

What it sounds as though you're not getting is enough food. Hunger means not enough food, not enough fat (potentially), not enough nutrients altogether.

If you're feeling flabby, then what's your work out schedule? Going raw, one tends to lose fat between muscle whereby people will think they're losing muscle yet it's the fat between them and around them.

Revvell (http://LetsTalkRaw.com)


It seems like my body is not as firm as it was when I was eating alot more protein. I'm sure I am not getting enough protein as I seem to be hungry more than normal since I have been doing raw. Any suggestions on more filling meals and any truth to the firmer with protein? Thanks, I need encouragement. Jill

[nellie]

Are you losing weight?
Are you exercising?

You need to exercise, its an important thing for your body.

If you are losing weight, in my experience, your fat gets 'soft' before it disappears. So it kind of breaks away from the body but it is still under the skin so you feel flabbier, for at least a short period of time.

[Zanjabil]

Are you losing weight?
Are you exercising?

You need to exercise, its an important thing for your body.

If you are losing weight, in my experience, your fat gets 'soft' before it disappears. So it kind of breaks away from the body but it is still under the skin so you feel flabbier, for at least a short period of time.

This has definitely been my experience,too. The more weight I lose the flabbier I get. But I do noticed that under neath the softening fat is muscle that is getting firmer to. I practice yoga, walk weekly, and rebound. I'm also going to start incorporating weights into my regimen. I think based on genetics,and how much fat you are losing it's part of the process. Hopefully it will change as the fat melts off.:)

[Jessican]

Interesting thoughts, I've only been raw for about 2 1/2 weeks, and I swear the last few days it's felt like my belly fat has become mush, and every night it feels like I've done about 50 sit ups. Just a little "tight" I guess? The only exercise I've been doing so far was walking about half an hour a day, certainly nothing to make my abs achy.

I know someone who did a master cleanse too, and she had the same comments about her belly fat becoming soft. She described is as sort of like a post pardum belly, when the baby is gone, but you're still mushy, lol.

ETA: I've lost 17 lbs in 16 days, but I'm SO overweight, that 17lbs really isn't much on my body overall.