Meat On Your Bones

[Shels]

Has anyone dealt with family/friends worrying over their weight on raw foods? My fiance has always worried about me, but my parents came to visit me this weekend and have been pretty vocal about their concern over my weight. They did say they admired my discipline and weren't going to try to get me to change my lifestyle, but they think I definitely need to gain some mass. :p I am really skinny, but I feel amazing, and I eat all the time. Whenever I'm hungry, whatever I want, until I'm full. (Also I never ever fast). According to science I'm underweight (BMI of 15), but according to my body I'm fantastic. How do you convince people to stop worrying?

[christinajade]

Shels, my mother -n- thinks that I lost too much weight and I'm skinny!:rolleyes: I am right in line with my bmi and I could also lose like 5 pounds and still be ok. She is used to seeing overweight people in her family so I see the people she is comparing me to. Unfortunately, I really don't think there is any way you can convince them. If only...:rolleyes:

[deanna62681]

I know how you are feeling. I looking forward to seeing family in IL in less then two weeks ,but at the same time I am dreading it. I know they will criticize what I eat and say I look to skinny. It really gets on my nerves! I just feel like telling people to be quiet and go look into the mirror. I am at a normal size and weight. They are just HUGE and have distorted vision!

Oh and sorry I have no advise for you. I have no idea how to handle people myself.

[SmilingRawDancer]

I understand you, but I feel for your family too. My mom has been underweight and it is a sort of constant source of anxiety for me, because if something bad happens and she's hospitalized, she doesn't have weight to lose.

With a BMI of 15, you are underweight (but goverment standards.) They do have those standards for a reason. I mean, there are exceptions to everything, and I'd care less (and probably not reply!) if you were underweight (below 18.5) but more around a 17...but 15 is really low.

I think it's good to feel good, but you could feel just as good while also making the effort to get more calories in and have more energy stores :)


just another perspective :)

[Shels]

That's a good point rawdancer, I wasn't thinking of it that way. I know they worry because my older sister and I both had some issues with anorexia when we were younger.

I'm thinking I need to exercise more so that I can fit more food into my tummy throughout the day. On the bright side, they got me a big gift certificate to the local health food store, so I've stocked up on some of the more expensive, long-term raw ingredients that I was holding off on. :p

[Tryin.Raw]

Even though you're eating a lot, the standard is there for a reason. You would be considered anorexic by most people. (no offense meant.) I would consider adding more mass. Your parents have reason to be concerned, but yes, it is your life and you can live it how you want to.

Even if you feel great, what would happen if you happened to get sick or something? You would come out of that situation horribly. I've gotten extremely sick where I've lost over 35 lbs, I had body fat to fall back on though, so I could have ended up a lot worse.

You're probably just a hard gainer if you eat a lot and you're still underweight. Consider upping your calories and eating foods with tons of calories in it.

Take care of yourself and your health... the reason you're eating raw food is to be healthy and live longer. Being healthy includes having a decent amount of body fat, exercising and getting the proper nutrients/calories.

[k8sl8]

Has anyone dealt with family/friends worrying over their weight on raw foods? My fiance has always worried about me, but my parents came to visit me this weekend and have been pretty vocal about their concern over my weight. They did say they admired my discipline and weren't going to try to get me to change my lifestyle, but they think I definitely need to gain some mass. :p I am really skinny, but I feel amazing, and I eat all the time. Whenever I'm hungry, whatever I want, until I'm full. (Also I never ever fast). According to science I'm underweight (BMI of 15), but according to my body I'm fantastic. How do you convince people to stop worrying?
Shels,

While rereading this thread, a few points hit me. 1 - you have been anorexic 2 - because of the history (even PAST history) with anorexia, you 'may' have a skewed perception of your body, meaning that even though you "feel great and are really skinny" to you, it is possible that you are in fact smaller than you realize. 3 - you say you eat until you are "full", but this is another thing that is so subjective that perhaps you don't really realize how much you need to eat to maintain body and health.

If it was just your family... I'd think, sure Moms always worry, but you state your fiance is also concerned (and with a BMI of 15, you are pretty much near the too skinny catagory). They both have your best interest at heart; meet them halfway and try to figure a way to get some more calories into your diet and get to a weight that is a bit more mainstream. Until you gain a bit, eat more on a schedule to be sure you are getting enough calories or at the very least schedule a couple higher calorie snacks into your day. Doing a week or two on fitday.com or one of the other similar sites would help you see how many calories you actually consume.

[Katie P]

Hear this: I enjoy being thin. I enjoy being healthy & raw & working out. I feel great feeling light & having energy. My family gets all of these things but wouldn't want me to lose anymore weight. For the last week & a half I've increased my nutrient dense foods (nuts, seeds etc...) & let me just say....i have a TON of energy! My body temp has gone up, I feel good & I know I'm giving my body nutrients to support my daily activities.

Point is this: Sometimes we can be healthy, but what if by adding more food you could feel AMAZING!!!! Even if it meant gaining weight. Then you could dodge getting sick & other things b/c your body is able to. Really focus on your health & not so much weight & see what happens if you add more nutrients to your diet. [/B][/B]

[Shels]

You all bring up some excellent points. To be honest, yes, my perception of myself is still very skewed, I only know I've lost weight because of clothes sizes - the mirror still looks the same. One of the reasons I love raw foodism so much is that it keeps me from obsessing over what/when/how much I eat, and I know my body is getting what it really needs.

Anyhow Katie, that's an interesting idea. Usually when I eat more than I want to or up my fat intake I feel groggy and have less energy. What types of things have you been eating?

I think I'm going to stay away from things like fitday, for the moment. If I start counting I'll start limiting, and I don't want to get sucked in again. I know I eat a LOT more calories on a daily basis than my old demons would allow.

[k8sl8]

sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck with the demons; we all have them lurking, some closer than others...

[christinajade]

Shels, you are totally not alone. Obsessing is oh so easy. :rolleyes:

[Shels]

Thanks for the support guys. =]
You're lovely.

[chetpot]

Shels,
One thing to consider about "government standards" is that they do not factor in all the variables when calculating BMI. First off we live in the fattest country in the world our BMI chart says that below 17.5 is considered Anorexic while in Europe 17.5 is considered just below normal. Also take a scenario with two different Raw Foodists both the same height. One is a weight lifter and the other dose very little to no exercise. There is a good chance that the weight lifter may be considered overweight or even obese depending on muscle density, and at the same time the person that rarely exercises may be considered Anorexic. When in reality they both are many times healthier and less prone to disease then the "average" processed food eating American. If you want to put your family's and your own mind at ease it may be a good idea to go to your doctor and have a full blood work test done to get the status of your health. When your family sees that you are in fact healthier than all of them it may help to ease the concerns that they have and may actually shift the table having the concern be focused on their own health. When it comes to sickness and disease... By having a completely raw diet with a wide range of foods including fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, sprouted legumes, fresh herbs, and cold pressed oils the likelihood of illness is quit minimal. People who loose 35lbs when they get sick do so because their current weight/toxicity level render the body incapable of fighting off disease or infection without loosing the weight/toxins. If you do get ill your healing process will be much more rapid than that of the "average" American who's immune system hast to contend with all the toxicity, and the need for your body to loose unnecessary weight/toxins is nil. Just make sure to keep your body nourished with a broad spectrum of raw foods. If you still have issues with those that are concerned about your weight after you validate your optimal health; you can incorporate some mild weight lifting to increase your muscle density which will bring up your BMI. If you don't want to look too muscular you can focus more on your leg muscles as they are the largest in the body and will add the most weight, at the same time having the least amount impact when it comes to looking too muscular.

Hope this is helpful
~C

[Shels]

Thanks Chet! :D
I do know those standards usually don't allow for body frames, and other factors. Aside from my job my life is pretty sedentary, and I've been itching to join a gym or something (especially since going 100% raw). I do want to be more in shape, so I know that when I gain that muscle it will add weight. Your leg tip is a good idea. I'm mostly focusing on core muscles right now to improve my posture and take strain off of my arms/shoulders.

[Katie P]

Anyhow Katie, that's an interesting idea. Usually when I eat more than I want to or up my fat intake I feel groggy and have less energy. What types of things have you been eating?



I've added sunflower seeds to my salads, ground flax seeds to my smoothies & a portion or 2 of nuts. Nuts are heavier for me so I try to do more seeds, or 1 portion of nuts. But what I've added my body has really loved. I do some pretty intense workouts so I think my body was craving that extra energy

[chetpot]

Your Welcome Shels
You may already know... but just incase... Yoga, Pilates, and Alaxender Technique are awesome for posture, balance and overall body alignment. I'm actually looking to get back into yoga again for the same reason, as my posture has gotten pretty poor lately. I reciently signed up for a website called dailyburn which seems to be pretty good for fitness tracking. A friend of mine invited me to join and we use the site too keep each other on track exersize wise. Perhaps it might prove to be usefull to you as well.
Best wishes on your fitness journy.
~C

[HollieDollie]

hey guys! this is my first post on the forum , i just joined today woohoo! i have kind of the same problem but different (does that even make sense? probably not.)
i am not a raw foodist as of yet, im 21 and aspiring to be, i have tried to base my diet on living foods many times, but it gets to the point where i become 2 skinny (i mean i am naturally tall and skinny, have been all my life) and i struggle to maintain a healthy weight, i just eat what i can whenever i can to keep it on, i dont know why im like this, (perhaps a high metabolism? my stomach does get full very easy) got so bad that my palette is just completely buggered (destroyed ,scuse the britishness haha) and it only seems to be interested in highly salted foods, i dont want to be this way, at all, but i dont want to clog my arteries! i have literally no immune system (thanks to glandular fever at 16 and quite a severe carbon monoxide poisoning last year). i just want to feel good! i want to be closer to the earth... can anyone help me on this one? i wanna no how to live on a raw food diet without loosing too much weight? i can only eat so much before i go boom haha
thanks and lots of love
xxHolliexx

[RawHealthyBeauty]

Hi Shels!! :)

Mirror work from Louise L. Hay's books is a great start to love you and have a loving attitude toward yourself whenever you see yourself in the mirror!!! I think it would help hugely, because it will show, when your parents voice their concern. The more confident you are about raw food and your body, the more people will come to terms of accepting/respecting the fact of you eating raw food!!! :)
And like some that have already quoted is to be sure to eat a variety of raw food, I really like to go by one of the known quotes by one of the well known raw gurus. "Eat a rainbow of raw food", meaning eat varieties of colors!!
Alissa have mention something like this in her book, shedding of the false body and healthy true body emerges on raw food.
Get a book about how veggies and fruits are packed with vitamins and minerals to add on to having a very high level of confidence about raw food..
It works for me!!! It helps them to realize that I'm getting way way way far more nutrition on RAW over SAD!! So for me, it's not up for debate nor is it debatable!!! :D
Live, Laugh, and Love on Raw kind of an attitude goes a long way!!!!

Hope this was helpful!!! :)

[Sage Kasai]

Shels, I know exactly where you're coming from
and while exercise is important, almost everyone on a raw food diet ends up weighing slightly less than their standard american counterparts
and that's not a bad thing at all, as "normal" people carry around alot of unneeded weight.
keep in mind that the average person has 15 pounds of fermenting fecal matter sitting in their colon at all times. (yuk!)
To make matters worse, they aren't digesting their food properly, which results in bloating and constipation.
on top of all that.... 80% of American adults are overweight!
80 percent!!!!! Of course you'll look thin compared to average people, they're all heavy!
What's really important here is that you feel AMAZING,
your body is talking to you, and you would know if you weren't taking good care of it
if you want to be a little bit healthier by exercising then more power to you =D
but don't think that anything is wrong right now because your family has health advice.
these people are wonderful and we love them, but they're the same ones that told us we needed to eat meat, dairy, fish, eggs, white flour, etc. to remain healthy
keep it up girl =D
you're doing wonderfully