Hello

[bohemiangrl]

Hey everyone!
I'm a newbie to the raw food lifestyle (I just started yesterday), formerly a vegan with pretty crappy thyroid (i'm hypothyroid and as of lately it's been taking quite the toll on my body.... ie. weight gain even though i'm working out like a mad-man, moodiness, very poor sleep, no energy and temperature sensitivity.)

This forum looks like a good for advice on starting my journey. These questions my have already been answered elsewhere but i'll ask just the same.

-What tips do you have for maintaining this lifestyle in college?
-What is the average weight loss when first starting?
-Are there any raw foods that should be avoided when first starting? (Currently, i'm just eating fresh fruit and veggies, ie. blueberries, spinach salads, bananas, apples, mangos....)
-I've read where nuts should be avoided unless you are looking to gain weight, is this true?


Thanks,
Amber

[spicyfull]

Nuts don't have to be avoided, you might want to limit them. There are a couple of College Students here. Just eating RAW Fruit and Vegetables is a Great Start. You could also add Fruit and Green Smoothies to your diet.

Purchasing Alissa's Book, "Living on Live Food" would also be a Great asset.
RAW is a LifeStyle change, during this period you will definately see Health Benifits and sometimes, if needed, Weight Loss might be one of them.

Also Check out "RAW Teen and Young Adult"

Getting Healthy is just that, everything comes in Line and RAW will take you there. I am sure College can be VERY STRESSful and not a Healthy place to find Healthy food. Do they still have enough "STARCH" to put proctor and gamble out of busness?

You have made a Wise Decision wanting to maintain a RAW LifeStyle.......I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW..........Welcome to MY World.

[Redrocket]

Look into some sea veggies (kelp) for the thyroid. It's a good source of Iodine and it may help your thyroid condition.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/easy-ways-to-add-sea-vegetables-to-your-diet-462020/
Also use these kelp sprinkles
http://seaveg.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=14

[Redrocket]

I hear these work great and take up little space
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AEZVRS/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=3169028691&ref=pd_sl_446bn7yx5v_e

[Frugal Raw]

Welcome!! I wish you the best of rawesome health!!

I took a kelp supplement for a while pre-raw and it helped - it's called liqui-kelp. You just add a couple of drops to a glass of water each morning. It's odorless, tasteless, and colorless. Costs about $4 for a bottle.

[bohemiangrl]

Thanks guys for all of the advice and welcomes. :)
The first two days went very well.
Yesterday (being my third day) totally bombed thanks to intense cravings and cramps from mother nature, but today i'm determined to get back on course.

Also, is there a guideline as to how many calories, I should be consuming daily on a raw diet?

[Frugal Raw]

The baseline is to listen to your body. When you first go raw you will probably want heavier foods, but in time you'll prefer lighter fare.

[Moretta]

Welcome and good luck on your RAWNESS journey.


Also, is there a guideline as to how many calories, I should be consuming daily on a raw diet?

I don't count calories any longer, instead I listen to my body on what its telling me to feed it.

[The French One]

Hey everyone!

-What tips do you have for maintaining this lifestyle in college?
-What is the average weight loss when first starting?
-Are there any raw foods that should be avoided when first starting? (Currently, i'm just eating fresh fruit and veggies, ie. blueberries, spinach salads, bananas, apples, mangos....)
-I've read where nuts should be avoided unless you are looking to gain weight, is this true?

Hi, welcome here!

First, listen to your body. Often, it's hard to begin at 100% raw, personally, at the beginning, I was 60% 70% raw and I already began to see the difference. Now, I'm not totally 100% raw but say 90% (hard time finding raw nuts for instance).
Concerning your questions:
- If you can, bring you own food, sometimes, I'm student, I will go with the others and will take salads and fruits (they are often on the menu in my university).
- The average weight loss really depends on the person. Some even gain weight before starting to lose. The best advice I can give you is to listen to your sensation of satiety. Eat when you're hungry, and don't if you're not.
People tend to see the results of eating raw quickly, but some only after 3or 4 months. Personaly, I began eating raw at the end of March (first, only my breakfast was really raw, I ate fruits) and now 2 months later, I've lost 10 pounds and gained muscle mass. I exercise twice or thrice a week.
- nothing should be avoided. Your body needs good fat to get rid of the bad fat and the cholesterol. Always take olive oil or any other plant made oil in your salad dressings. Avocados are also a good source of fat. Nuts also contain good fat. At first, I used to eat lots of almonds, but I reduces it overtime, I simply didn't want so much of it any more. Greens and fruits are really poor in fat.
- Nuts shall not be completely avoided. They contain the good fat you need to use and move the saturated fat in your body.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll begin to see the results quickly! And if you slip, don't give up, just go back to the train again. It's this way that we learn.

[bohemiangrl]

thanks everyone for all of the advice and support. my first week of living raw, went very smoothly and i lost this four lbs. this week i had a few flop-ups
as I went to go visit family in GA, in what could only be described as the 2nd level of non-raw food hell (the first day i survived off a cucumber and two slices of watermelon). the other two days i ate some cooked food (a plain baked potato and a can of green beans.) my body responded to this as if a bomb had been dropped. feeling pretty crappy atm. but will get back on track today.

anywho... i have a question about green powders..which one is the most suitable to a raw food lifestyle?

thanks.:)