STILL hungry!

[flea]

hi everyone,

you've helped me in some similiar posts in the past few months with suggestions as to my constant hunger, but ive been 100% raw for about four months now and its still there! im only little (51kg) and not hugely active so i dont understand.

just to clarify;

- its not false hunger
- its not thirst
- im eating more than enough calories
- im eating more than enough fat (coconuts, 2 avo a day, nuts and seeds heaps)
- i eat superfoods
- i eat more than enough greens (probably 2-3 huge bunches greens a day, green smoothies everyday)
- i eat chia and have been adding it to more things recently

and im STILL always hungry! nothing seems to satiate me and not for long, i.e. ill eat a huge salad and im hungry an hour later!

some people say when they first go raw they eat more, which could have been the case but not if ive been doing it this long. its also not an adjustment to the slightly 'lighter' full of raw foods as ive been doing it for a while.

im currently taking some anti parasitics cos i thought it might be a stomach bug but once that bottle is empty that will eliminate one possibility.

i think its my body telling me im missing something, but i dont know what! i dont think it could be magnesium, calcium or iron cos i eat heaps of greens - it cant be fat cos i have heaps of fat - one naturopath said i needed more protein, but they all do. so ive started having more nuts and seeds and having them everyday, plus taking flaxseed oil.

im going to get a blood test - is there anything you guys would reccommend asking while im at the doctor, or any advice you might have?

i keep waking up and going to bed hungry :(

thanks everyone,

flea

[michigan roman]

4 months is nothing compared to however many years you ate cooked food

it took me over a year before i wasnt constantly thinking of my old cooked vegan meals and was feeling filled up on my new raw diet

quit being a baby :eek::D

non raw green tea and lemon squeezed into ice water help quell my appetite

my first two years raw i constantly drank non raw green tea as what i call a good cheat . you could also make a sun tea of it

and doing some juice fasts helped me because at
end of a fast even this raw food garbage tastes great :eek::D

[carlye]

hey flea.

eat more.

[Myca]

I have to eat all the time with raw foods. I think it is normal for this way of eating. I keep fruit of all sorts around. I am eating something every 1-2 hrs while I am awake. Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night to eat. At least once a day, I either drink a smoothie or eat raw soup until I am stuffed!
If you look at horses or cattle, they eat constantly.
I think our bodies use raw food way more effectively and burn it up. I think it speeds up the gut and metabolism.
So, eat as often as you need and make sure you fill completely up at least once or twice a day.

[RawBabie]

Hey Flea, you're on the right track. Your hunch is correct that your body is missing nutrients. But not because you're not introducing the right foods to your system, but because at this early stage of being raw your 'false body' cannot absorb all those fantastic nutrients and enzymes just yet. Hence the need to eat large quantities and often.

However, as your 'false body' falls away with the toxins you will be releasing as you continue on your raw journey, you will find that you will naturally not want to eat large portions. This will happen naturally due to the fact that you will be absorbing a higher proportion of what the food has to offer. It will be an amazing experience, just hang on, it'll happen!! :)

[Seedy]

Remember that raw food have very high water content (unless they've been dehydrated). Once those foods hit the stomach, they're going to release that water and shrink considerably. You really do need to eat a lot more bulk to stay full then you did when you were eating cooked food. As others have said, when you are hungry - eat. My friends and family are shocked when they see the size of my green smoothies (full 32 oz at once) and salads (BIG salad bowel), but that's what I need to stay full.
Seedy

[annavon]

I know this sounds backwards, but hear me out.

Have you considered doing a couple of days of juice fasting/feasting? I recently did a six day fast as a part of a detox. I found that my appetite was considerably less after the fast. I also had more energy and generally felt better. I used a lot of greens in my juices so as not have the sugar from the veggies like carrots trigger my appetite.

[RawinFL]

When I stick to a complete raw diet I am hungry all the time too. But I just keep on eating. I find that a different variety of foods help. Not sure if my body is missing a certain nutrient and eating something different helps satisfy it or what but it seems to help.

I also find that fruits will keep me full longer than greens, probably because they have more calories.

If you feel okay and you aren't gaining weight then I would just keeping eating until you are satisfied.
Good Luck!

[flea]

hey everyone,

thanks so much for all your advice. i have started to:

1. generally eat MORE
2. eat more nuts and seeds
3. drink less water (as most of what im eating is water rich)
4. trying to stress less!
5. getting a blood test to see if im missing anything and will fill everyone in when i get the results
6. have also started taking flax oil and having pumpkin seeds everyday as i thought i might be lacking omega 6 and zinc
7. have added LOTS of dates to my diet and smoothie to fill me up/add calories
8. eating more starchy vegetables everyday - ie corn and carrots

the juice fast is defnitely a good idea and i think i might do one soon, jus need to find the money..or i might do banana island. my only concern is if im missing something then this could exacerbate the problem.

i suppose youre all right and 4 months still isnt a long time - but it jus confuses me when i see people who get the eats for their first 2 weeks of being raw then theyre fine, and they eat half of what i eat in a day. im still doing about 2 avos a day and nuts and seeds to fill up and i dunno how good that is for me..

hopefully i dont have an absorbtion issue!

thanks again and will keep everyone posted on my *hopefully* progress,

flea

[LiveLife]

Hi there! It sounds like you are on the right track and thinking things through. I have always been a grazer, even with cooked food so I can't offer too much in the way of suggestions except to mention that have felt full longer and less need to munch if I eat more seeds and nuts. Dehydrated food helps too but then you need to drink more water.

I look forward to hearing what your test results say :)

[revdrcyn]

Dear Flea,

I have only been 100% raw for 2 weeks, and I swear I have consumed more food than ever before in my life.

I REALLY took to heart the part in Alissa's book where she advises readers to eat as much as we need for satiety.

I have been really hungry a lot of the time, so I just keep eating until I'm full. When I get hungry again, I eat again.

The good news is, my weight has stayed exactly the same without cardiovascular exercise (I am taking a short break from running and cycling due to a minor knee injury).

For the first time in my life I feel satisfied by the food I eat. It really is a miracle!

All the best,

Cynthia

[margoss]

eat more until you body adjust to the new stuff & rids itself of the old stuff. the first month, especially 2 weeks, I ate so much I knew this couldn't be good but I was losing wt & felt good. If I didn't eat, I felt bad & I added more water or juicing which seemed to fill me longer. I still have 1 or 2 days a week that I eat alot. I started to eat a frozen banana, honey, walnuts, flax, almond butter daily...this satisfied all of the cravings.

[Katie P]

Remember that raw food have very high water content (unless they've been dehydrated). Once those foods hit the stomach, they're going to release that water and shrink considerably. You really do need to eat a lot more bulk to stay full then you did when you were eating cooked food. As others have said, when you are hungry - eat. My friends and family are shocked when they see the size of my green smoothies (full 32 oz at once) and salads (BIG salad bowel), but that's what I need to stay full.
Seedy

That's awesome! I always wondered why I get fuller faster but then I'll be hungry like 2hours later! It all makes sense :)

[GlimR]

You sound like you are really listening to your body and finding your way...some folks add some coconut oil to their smoothies to help them feel full longer...you might give that a try~
Best wishes to you~

[Etherwind]

I find a handfull or two of raw nuts statisfies those sudden hunger strikes between meals.

[Tishi]

kombucha really helped my hunger problems. I used to eat ALL the time, even when 100% raw. Now I'm never really hungry at all .....

[RawFeelsGood]

I've been having the same problem lately. I've been raw for almost a year (fell off in Winter, it was really cold here this year). I'm back on the wagon, but I find no matter how much I eat (green salads, smoothies, fruits, nuts, seeds and even one or two servings of grains), I'm still hungry.

For the first time this past year, yesterday I heard that we DO need to count calories with raw foods if we've trying to lose weight. So today, I've met my daily quota of calories, yet I'm still really hungry after eating a small kale/banana smoothie, a salad (with seeds, cucumbers, goji berries and 20 almonds), and almond milk, as well as two liters of water. I don't really have cravings for anything other than whole foods, so that's not a problem.

Any tips on this? Sorry, I don't mean to take over the thread, but I don't want to start a new one when the topic is so similar. Sorry I don't have much to contribute - we're in the same boat I guess!

[Raediance]

I find that eating more fat and protein helps me feel sated

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

hi everyone,

you've helped me in some similiar posts in the past few months with suggestions as to my constant hunger, but ive been 100% raw for about four months now and its still there! im only little (51kg) and not hugely active so i dont understand.

just to clarify;

- its not false hunger
- its not thirst
- im eating more than enough calories
- im eating more than enough fat (coconuts, 2 avo a day, nuts and seeds heaps)
- i eat superfoods
- i eat more than enough greens (probably 2-3 huge bunches greens a day, green smoothies everyday)
- i eat chia and have been adding it to more things recently

and im STILL always hungry! nothing seems to satiate me and not for long, i.e. ill eat a huge salad and im hungry an hour later!

some people say when they first go raw they eat more, which could have been the case but not if ive been doing it this long. its also not an adjustment to the slightly 'lighter' full of raw foods as ive been doing it for a while.

im currently taking some anti parasitics cos i thought it might be a stomach bug but once that bottle is empty that will eliminate one possibility.

i think its my body telling me im missing something, but i dont know what! i dont think it could be magnesium, calcium or iron cos i eat heaps of greens - it cant be fat cos i have heaps of fat - one naturopath said i needed more protein, but they all do. so ive started having more nuts and seeds and having them everyday, plus taking flaxseed oil.

im going to get a blood test - is there anything you guys would reccommend asking while im at the doctor, or any advice you might have?

i keep waking up and going to bed hungry :(

thanks everyone,

flea

You are small so you probably can't rely on losing much fat while eating raw, so obviously you need to fuel your body much more to keep your weight up (l could be dead wrong, but that's how l see it).

When l used to be raw l would go to bed extremely hungry every night for over 1.5 years. But l had discipline and did it, but that is the wrong way to go about it. Eating raw food shouldn't be about discipline, it should be about enjoying the pleasures of raw food with no thought of any cooked food ever entering the mind.

Maybe try eating lots of bean sprouts and blending them with chia seeds, that WILL fill you. lt fills me. A raw vegie salad won't cut it for me and doesn't sound like it is helping you either. Try seeds or nuts at night, and finish off with fruit before bed.

To me, high water content foods are good, but sometimes we need abit more, that's when sprouted legumes comes into it....abit more substance to eat and lots of predigested starch that will give your body much needed carbs in the form of mainly simply sugars.

[Temptastic]

Eat more fruits. Lots and lots of fruit! Im a pretty active person, and strength train like every 2-4 days. Your body and brain runs on glucose. And if your not supplying your body enough, your going to be constantly hungry. When i first started incorporating raw I too was eating alot and thought i was eating enough calories. I was always hungry and constantly find myself eating alot here and there. It wasn't until i made the majority of my diet more fruit than vegetables, fats, nuts and seeds. Eat small meals every 2-3 hours instead of splitting your day into breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Experiment with food, what works for me may not work with you.

Either that, or theirs a possibility you might have a parasites or tapeworms in your body that is preventing you from absorbing and utilizing all the nutrients from your food efficiently. Parasites and tapeworms are no joke.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

This idea about eating lots of fruit is a very controversial idea. lf you do the research you will find many arguments as to why it shouldn't be done in the long term. l would love to significantly increase my fruit consumption (it would make the diet so easy) but l can't ignore the potential problems with excess fruit consumption. lf you do the research the problems are quite serious.

Flea, l suggest you do research the potential problems with excess fruit consumptions before you make your decision.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Can you list what you tend to eat in one day?

If you eat when you are hungry, i agree that you may be missing something for your body or this is emotional hunger. Sometime when we are hungry, we are thirsty in truth. Try to drink more water. Just a rule of thumb and of course you need to follow what feels right for you but just to test, try to drink 1/2 the weight of your body(lb) into oz. Example weight = 100 lb, drink 50 oz of water.

If you eat as much different color of produce, plenty of different kind of green, something with omega 3/6. You should be quite good. I find when i make vegetable juice, i am not hungry at all and eat less.

Good source of fat, young coconut, chia seed, hemp seeds, avocado, sunflower seeds (sprouted), etc....

Keep experimenting, you will figure out what work for you.

[BlackKat]

This idea about eating lots of fruit is a very controversial idea. lf you do the research you will find many arguments as to why it shouldn't be done in the long term. l would love to significantly increase my fruit consumption (it would make the diet so easy) but l can't ignore the potential problems with excess fruit consumption. lf you do the research the problems are quite serious.

Flea, l suggest you do research the potential problems with excess fruit consumptions before you make your decision.

Flea is the original poster. The current question was by Raw Angel Mom.

Raw Angel Mom, you will find a lot of conflicting information on this site. A lot of it is good info. Which is why you need to follow what is best for YOUR body, not someone else's. I have heard many people around here eat HIGH fruit diets on a daily basis and don't have these so called "serious problems". Which is why certain things work and will not work for others.

This is a natural diet, so do what comes naturally. If you are still hungry, what are you craving (raw food wise) and eat that. A lot of times people are really just searching for that "full feeling" which is completely different when you are on SAD diet, and then you switch to Raw. You will not feel that "full stuffed feeling".

Don't worry so much. Think back to when people lived before the discovery of fire... what did they eat? and how did they get by without counting calories and worrying about sufficient vitamin intakes, etc... they just ate what they body was telling them to eat. You said you fell off the wagon.. your're body is still addicted to SAD food. Give it time and be patient as well.

[cocomamba]

I completely agree with BlackKat! I've been going through the same thing (though I'm not even a week into being fully raw) but people here have been so helpful by advising me to just eat whatever I feel like (as long as its raw) and however much I feel like and my body will find its natural balance. You are probably not eating enough if you are still hungry. Our body was not designed to eat KFC and McDonalds. The first 2 or 3 days I consumed so many green smoothies WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF FRUIT and copious amounts of pecans and pumpkin seeds. And I really mean it, I probably ate 2-3 cups in one day. I'd feel hella full at the end of the day and the next day I'd eat a bit less because I didnt like that feeling. Already I'm feeling less need to eat huge amounts of nuts and seeds but am still eating alot because I want to be nutrified. I'm spending lots of money but I feel so damn good I know its worth it. I say dont worry a thing about how much you eat or what types of foods you eat (as long as they are raw) and just enjoy! If you let yourself have even just a few days of eating as much as you need you will see that youll naturally want less. i think the problem becomes when we "secretly" restrict. If you have limitations for yourself thats all stuff of the mind, not the body. When you let go of that your body will tell you what it wants. Dont worry about calories, i actually get angry when people talk about calories because the concept of keeping track of calories is just absurd plus it kept me from being raw and hence feeling the way I feel right now for so many years. Enjoy the raw goodness! :throwhearts:

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Raw Angel Mom, you will find a lot of conflicting information on this site. A lot of it is good info. Which is why you need to follow what is best for YOUR body, not someone else's. I have heard many people around here eat HIGH fruit diets on a daily basis and don't have these so called "serious problems". Which is why certain things work and will not work for others.


l don't want to come across as a know-it-all (l am only trying to work it all out like the rest of us) and be considered to argue for the sake of having an argument, but....it is the long term that counts in diet, not the short term effects. How long have these people here been eating high fruit diets for, and, do they show signs of malnutrition or ill health?

Some excess fruit eaters (i've read) have done well for as long as 10 years, but then the problems of excess fruit consumption start showing themselves. lt's an inconvenient truth, but the information is out there if you bother to look. A bunch of highly respected people warn against excess fruit consumption for good solid reasons, it's not something they choose to make up.

[CathyA.]

I think that you have to follow what your body is telling you. Sometimes all I want is fruit. So...I eat mainly fruit. Sometimes all I can think about is greens. So...I eat a ton of greens. Your body will let you know what you need if you just listen. Try not to get too worried about doing it "right" because, we all get our dietary needs filled differently. Try not to let your brain go into overload.

[BlackKat]

l don't want to come across as a know-it-all (l am only trying to work it all out like the rest of us) and be considered to argue for the sake of having an argument, but....it is the long term that counts in diet, not the short term effects. How long have these people here been eating high fruit diets for, and, do they show signs of malnutrition or ill health?

Some excess fruit eaters (i've read) have done well for as long as 10 years, but then the problems of excess fruit consumption start showing themselves. lt's an inconvenient truth, but the information is out there if you bother to look. A bunch of highly respected people warn against excess fruit consumption for good solid reasons, it's not something they choose to make up.

Apologies for making you feel like your post was unwelcome. Everyone's opinions are considered here and accepted. I was just trying show the other side of things. I see alot of people get confused and frustrated on this site because being raw "seems so hard and complicated, how do you know what to eat and what not to eat, what is enough and not enough". I have read many posts (on this site a lone) of people who have been eating a high fruit diet for 20, 30+ years. Likewise, I advise you as well to make sure to do some research on the counter side. A lot of raw food books state a raw diet high in fruit and greens is ideal.

Also, high fruit intake doesn't mean JUST fruit intake. A diet of fruit, paired with a variety of greens, some fats... nuts and seeds, avocados, olives, etc. if people choose (some don't) to balance the way sugars/fats effect our bodies.

[cocomamba]

Apologies for making you feel like your post was unwelcome. Everyone's opinions are considered here and accepted. I was just trying show the other side of things. I see alot of people get confused and frustrated on this site because being raw "seems so hard and complicated, how do you know what to eat and what not to eat, what is enough and not enough". I have read many posts (on this site a lone) of people who have been eating a high fruit diet for 20, 30+ years. Likewise, I advise you as well to make sure to do some research on the counter side. A lot of raw food books state a raw diet high in fruit and greens is ideal.

Also, high fruit intake doesn't mean JUST fruit intake. A diet of fruit, paired with a variety of greens, some fats... nuts and seeds, avocados, olives, etc. if people choose (some don't) to balance the way sugars/fats effect our bodies.

Might I add to this BlackKat? The way I interpreted what you said is that if in the beginning stages you forget about what is ideal and "right" and best on a raw food diet and just eat everything and anything as long as its raw then eventually your body should naturally tell you that its had enough of certain foods. I've noticed that since I started raw about a week ago my body doesnt really want that much sugar anymore. This is astounding to me because I've always been the biggest sugar addict ever and could consume massive amounts of sugar at a time. I would agree with Mr.Raw in the sense that its probably not healthy for our bodies to consume too much fruit BUT in the beginning stages I dont think people should try to follow some standard because that would only drive us to obsess. I think you said earlier in one of your replies that there was a time when humans just ate whatever was available without counting calories or thinking about whats good and whats not. Our bodies are very intelligent and they will tell us. :heart

[BlackKat]

Might I add to this BlackKat? The way I interpreted what you said is that if in the beginning stages you forget about what is ideal and "right" and best on a raw food diet and just eat everything and anything as long as its raw then eventually your body should naturally tell you that its had enough of certain foods. I've noticed that since I started raw about a week ago my body doesnt really want that much sugar anymore. This is astounding to me because I've always been the biggest sugar addict ever and could consume massive amounts of sugar at a time. I would agree with Mr.Raw in the sense that its probably not healthy for our bodies to consume too much fruit BUT in the beginning stages I dont think people should try to follow some standard because that would only drive us to obsess. I think you said earlier in one of your replies that there was a time when humans just ate whatever was available without counting calories or thinking about whats good and whats not. Our bodies are very intelligent and they will tell us. :heart

Exactly. Excessive amounts of anything is a whole other ballpark. And I couldn't agree more.