In the beginning...

[Dararaw36]

On another forum I was told that I wasn't eating enough calories. I realize that these first two days that I've eaten 100% raw, I haven't eaten very many calories. However, I have a fever and have been sleeping a lot and just been drinking a lot of water, eating some fruit and just trying to listen to my body. I really haven't been craving lots of food.

So here's my question, should I listen to my body or force-feed myself?

Personally, I think I should listen to my body. I read through Alissa's book and it mentioned that this might be something I'd go through, fever, headache, not feeling well. And that these things were normal. But I was told that I should be keeping track of my caloric intake and should be careful. Now if I was fasting on water, I wouldn't be worrying about these things. Should I be concerned?

[Aleesha Sattva]

I always listen to my body. I have never ever tracked calories... not once.

(((hugs))) to you. I hope your fever breaks very soon.

[Dararaw36]

Thanks Aleesha! I hope it breaks soon too.

Okay, I feel more comfortable listening to my body. I don't feel like I'm harming myself. I feel like I'm in tune with my body and that it's getting what it needs. I feel full and satisfied. I certainly have plenty of excess fat to live off of. Cheers and thanks for your insight. :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

happy to share it with ya. just remember everyone's journey is different. so what works for someone may not work for you. you need to find YOUR path. and it sounds like you are doing a great job of it!

[Dararaw36]

Thank goodness my fever has gone. I'm getting a bit more of an appetite. :D

[Aleesha Sattva]

ah that is good news!

[Dararaw36]

Now I'm just waiting for the headache and the weakness in my arms and legs to go away. I hope that doesn't last long. I'd like to start exercising, but I feel like I would just hurt myself.

When you all were in your detox stage, did you do cardio? Or did you just wait until your detox symptoms went away? And if you did do some cardio, did it help make the weakness go away faster?

[rawpreston]

Undereating is ok if your body is in healing mode, often-times we won't be as hungry when this is the case. But it is also common for new raw fooders to undereat on calories because they've switched to a water-rich fiber-rich diet which is inherently less calorie-dense than cooked and fatty SAD, and our stomach size was accostomed to these smaller denser meals so now we feel "full" easier on fruit+veg, but in actuality may not be meeting our caloric needs. If you're not interested in losing weight (I wasn't), the answer to that is just more frequent meals until the stomach gets used to it.

Just know that if you are indeed undereating calories, it may make you susceptible to craving and eating cooked food again. (and when trying to be 100% that can be a slippery slope.) The body will say "I need calories" and then crave that which was meeting its caloric needs fine prior. So just be aware if that happens. If you're getting enough calories from raw foods, you don't crave cooked.

Good luck

[Aleesha Sattva]

our stomach size was accostomed to these smaller denser meals so now we feel "full" easier on fruit+veg, but in actuality may not be meeting our caloric needs.

If you're getting enough calories from raw foods, you don't crave cooked.


really cause i craved cooked foods a LOT during my first year raw and i was definitely getting enough calories. i was a big eater, still am. so i'm not too sure about that one. :P

my stomach was used to the usual HUGE portions many SAD eaters eat - so filling it up with raw foods wasn't an issue for me.

[smasty]

When I'm raw, I naturally have much less of an appetite. But, my weight loss really slows if I drop under 1000 cals a day (I'm 6.0" female). So, I've learned that I need to keep cals up. Also as the day progresses my appetite lessens, so I've learned to get most of my cals in by 2:00 pm since I'm never hungry at night. I'll have a small salad or fruit for dinner, but I'm just not hungry at night at all.

[Dararaw36]

Well, I know that I'm not hungry. I know that I'm eating until I'm satisfied. I know that I'm not craving SAD. I know that I can tell when I am hungry and eat only then. I feel like I am doing what my body is wanting. Mentally, I've never felt better. My neck is still stiff, but my headache seems to be subsiding. I think I was under-eating due to the fever because I had a much bigger appetite yesterday.

I really thought I'd be craving SAD, but I just haven't been. I don't know why not, but I still see and smell my family cooking SAD food, but it doesn't seem to phase me any. I just don't seem to want it. I also see SAD commercials and they don't do anything for me either. I really look forward to my lunches that I bring to work and to my planned dinners. So, I guess I'm not going to worry until I start having a problem craving these things. And I hope that never happens.

[rawpreston]

really cause i craved cooked foods a LOT during my first year raw and i was definitely getting enough calories. i was a big eater, still am. so i'm not too sure about that one. :P

Are you saying after you ate a big raw meal you still would crave cooked? What did you crave exactly, did it happen to have MSG or other chemicals in it? You lost that many pounds in the first year, so you were obviously eating under your caloric needs? Unless I'm missing something.

I should clarify too, I was a little vague. What I meant to say is if you're eating enough raw carbs (fruits), you don't crave cooked.

[rawpreston]

Dararaw36,
Yeah don't sweat it, the # of calories I mean, just keep listening to your body. Sounds like you're doing fine, keep it up!