The "calorie requirements"

[Amii]

I was just wondering if the insistence that we need 1800-2500 calories a day applies to raw foodists because surely this was conceeded by people eating cooked foods and they came up with that number to make up for the lack of nutrients in cooked food so they say you have to eat an abundance of it to satisfy nutrients and to be healthy?

I only ask because it seems impossible to eat 2000 calories worth of fruit a day. Also, I can't afford that :P

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

Actually, from my experience, those estimated caloric requirements doesn't apply to anyone really. Especially not those who eat clean and simple food like most raw foodist do.

The digestive system consumes a lot of energy. Digesting a cooked complex meal requires the same amount of energy as several hours of hard physical work does. So eating mainly fruits and veggies will be very easy on the system so you get more energy to do other things.

Also, all calories aren't equal. One calorie from cheese is not the same as one calorie from an apple.
I think it's a very dated way of thinking, especially when it comes to weight control.

I've seen suggestions that I should be eating between 2500-4000 kcal a day based on my weight, age and physical activity. But I find that I get by just fine on 1000-2000 kcal.

[tireofthis]

I have wondered about the "calorie" question too. I am new to this way of eating and don't know how to answer people who think I'm not getting enough calories on raw. So far, I haven't been hungry on raw and I was hungry on the SAD diet all the time.

[rawintexas]

I would assume if you are eating and you are sated and not hungry, then you are fine. One of the beautiful things about raw is 'no counting calories'.

[margoss]

I do not count, I'm losing wt. I do not eat many nuts or seeds. will have some almond milk. I do eat often. I bought a pair of jeans over Thanksgiving & they fit well...now, they are loose & sit on my hips. NO complaining but the sagging back doesn't look good;).

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

most peeps who don't believe in the calorie system are eating cooked food

Huh? Sound silly enough to be something durianrider would say. :p But I'm glad it's working for you!

I guess all the other animals must be counting their calories then. :rolleyes:

[freelee]

Huh? Sound silly enough to be something durianrider would say. :p But I'm glad it's working for you!

I guess all the other animals must be counting their calories then. :rolleyes:


Animals don't have a past of eating cooked food, drugs and other bodily abuse like we do, they also live in a very different environment than we do. Possibly if our past eating habits & current environment was similar to theirs then maybe we would eat instinctively like the animals (& like i do now) but until we get there, the calorie model can help keep us raw until we "know" our bodies needs better.

SKOCookies how long have you been eating a 100% raw diet? What do you recommend people do to stay on a 100% rawfood diet?

thanks

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

The calorie model can help keep us raw until we "know" our bodies needs better.


Like I said, if it's working for you that's fine. But I don't get why you say that those who don't believe in counting calories are eating cooked food. What has that got to do with anything?

I understand that a lot of athletes like to count calories, and I won't argue with that if it's working for them. I'm just saying that it's a highly inaccurate system. There's simply too many factors not taken into consideration.
I think that such things only stand in the way of us getting to know our bodies.
The less we rely on scientific data, the more we will start to rely on our intuition instead.

[snoops]

And like Alissa says, eat food, raw food, don't need to count calories:D

[Aleesha Sattva]

Any posts discussing calorie restriction will be deleted. Alissa's philosophy does not include calorie restriction. Therefore, this is not the forum to discuss this.

thanks,
Aleesha
Moderator

[RawKnitster]

I only ask because it seems impossible to eat 2000 calories worth of fruit a day.

Simple answer. Don't count calories and don't eat only fruit. A raw food diet should be a balanced diet of fruit, greens, vegetables, and fats. Is it okay to quote a line from Alissa's book here....? "If you do not eat from all three sources your body will eventually become nutritionally out of balance. It's that simple."

There are lots of variations on a raw food diet, including different types of cleanses and fasts. I think the key word in that quote is the word "eventually".

Mods, if I'm out of line using a quote from Alissa's book, please delete this post and I will know better next time. However, it seemed important to me to get that information about a balanced diet out there. Thanks.

[RawKnitster]

so does alisa's book have a calorie chart in it?

No. Her book is about freedom from calorie counting. The only charts I remember seeing are about food combining and sprouting.

Is there a library near you that might have a copy of her book? That is where I first discovered it. That is where I found all the raw books I own. First I checked them out from the library and then, if I liked them, I would buy my own copy.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Mods, if I'm out of line using a quote from Alissa's book, please delete this post and I will know better next time. However, it seemed important to me to get that information about a balanced diet out there. Thanks.

Not a problem at all!!!

[RawKnitster]

Good! I have been rereading Alissa's book today. There is so much good information in it. Each time I read it I absorb something new.

[Aleesha Sattva]

I know what you mean. I love reading and rereading it. I have it here beside me on the couch all the time... ;)

[sport]

Any posts discussing calorie restriction will be deleted. Alissa's philosophy does not include calorie restriction. Therefore, this is not the forum to discuss this.

thanks,
Aleesha
Moderator

That's OK. I understand and will comply. I promise to be a good girl (well maybe not very good but a little good).

[Aleesha Sattva]

well a little is good enough for me LOL

[Stina]

Number one thing I love about eating Raw: I get to eat so much and yet it's healthy for me. I've already packed away three bananas and one pear this morning. I've gotten really resourceful finding out how to eat cheap and raw. It was worth getting through the hard times. Disclaimer: I'm not perfect and occasionally go off raw, feel like crap, and get back on the bandwagon after painful learning lessons.

There are numerous, numerous threads on eating raw on a budget. Keep communicating with us; we're here to help:)

[solarliving]

As someone who is on the thin side, dare I say getting too thin, I have decided to start calculating my caloric intake. Just to make sure I get enough. I know at some point I won't have to do this as I get more acquainted with how much I need to eat in a day. I have been on and off the raw food diet now for almost 5 years so I am still finding what works for me. When I stop eating cooked foods, usually breads, grains, starches, I lose too much weight and then I find myself eating those things just to gain a few pounds. Although it doesn't feel good to hear my family make comments about my weightloss, it really comes down to how I think I look in the mirror which is too thin in my opinion. I am aiming for more of a Solid figure so I've decided to up the calories and start doing some weight lifting.

We are all starting from different places and the truth is fruits and veggies are lower in calories than the SAD.

[sport]

As someone who is on the thin side, dare I say getting too thin, I have decided to start calculating my caloric intake. Just to make sure I get enough. I know at some point I won't have to do this as I get more acquainted with how much I need to eat in a day. I have been on and off the raw food diet now for almost 5 years so I am still finding what works for me. When I stop eating cooked foods, usually breads, grains, starches, I lose too much weight and then I find myself eating those things just to gain a few pounds. Although it doesn't feel good to hear my family make comments about my weightloss, it really comes down to how I think I look in the mirror which is too thin in my opinion. I am aiming for more of a Solid figure so I've decided to up the calories and start doing some weight lifting.

We are all starting from different places and the truth is fruits and veggies are lower in calories than the SAD.
I think that it is a mistake to panic on the weight loss. I lost too much weigh in the beginning but without changing my diet I gained it back.
My friends now tell me that they were worried at the time that I had a serious illness.
Now I am the picture of health and only weigh 2 to 4 lbs lighter than when I started on raw.
You should stick with it and let your body sort it out.

[solarliving]

I think that it is a mistake to panic on the weight loss. I lost too much weigh in the beginning but without changing my diet I gained it back.
My friends now tell me that they were worried at the time that I had a serious illness.
Now I am the picture of health and only weigh 2 to 4 lbs lighter than when I started on raw.
You should stick with it and let your body sort it out.

I hear what you are saying, but like I said, I have been living the raw life for 5 years now. There is a point when one is simply not getting enough calories. With this way of eating, I have to revamp my approach because I had a tendency to not eat enough. I have always been on the thin side except for when I was really eating bad in my early 20's. It is not my preference as I would like to be built more solid. It is my goal to put on some weight and I believe it is possible if I make sure that I am getting enough calories as well as doing some weight training.

[Aleesha Sattva]

There is a point when one is simply not getting enough calories. With this way of eating, I have to revamp my approach because I had a tendency to not eat enough.

There was a point when you realized you were not eating enough... so counting your calories became something to assist you.

That's the beauty of life... what works for one doesn't nec. work for another. Ahhhh I love how we can each be unique with many things that are still similar among us.

[solarliving]

There was a point when you realized you were not eating enough... so counting your calories became something to assist you.

That's the beauty of life... what works for one doesn't nec. work for another. Ahhhh I love how we can each be unique with many things that are still similar among us.

Exactly : ) Honestly I haven't counted calories but maybe one day thus far but After doing it once I saw how much I was not eating, so it was an eyeopener. :D