too many dates?

[bluedog]

hello all,

the moment, nor can i travel with one over the next few months.
i'm a female, 146 pounds, looking to drop 20 lbs and yes, feel healthy to boot. i'm somewhat confused about the advice of being able to eat what you need, and the reality that this calorically is not in my interests.

this is day five of a personal 30 day challenge, and i'm alarmed by the amount of dates i've eaten in the past two days--1kg! i'm afraid that if these cravings continue, i'll continue to gain weight (i can't tell if any it's weight or bloating at this point). greens are very expensive and tasteless where i live (mideast), but dates are not. i've also had persimmons, pomegranates and veggie salads (without lettuce--cucs, tomatoes, zucchini, red pepper, olives). green smoothies don't appeal to me, and in all honesty the texture makes me want to vomit. i'm sure they're lovely with a juicer, but i can't afford one at

words of advice are welcome! will this rate of date consumption thwart my efforts?

cheers, ya'll.

[EscapeArtist]

Hi bluedog
I was eating (a few days ago, only) a LOT of dates too. But I think this is just us trying to get that same feeling from cooked food from raw food, and it does fade eventually. It is definitely a transition thing, but when your body adjusts and the cravings for heavier food lessen that's when it's easier to focus on weight loss. Sometimes we need that extra load of food to get us through it, and that's better than restricting ourselves initially and then finding it too difficult and throwing in the towel. So If I were you, I wouldn't focus on how much you are eating until you find that eating raw has become easy/habitual and the need for heavier foods is gone. You have to get over that hump, and the detox process, to avoid those cravings.. See this as a necessary step of transition :) Your body is simply adjusting...

Oh by the way, I didn't gain any weight when I was eating soo many dates (my days must have totaled at least 3000-4000 calories with NO exercise, not even walking) and still I lost a lot of..something, because the scale says I dropped 5 pounds. But even if you do gain weight from this, (every body is different) you are doing your body a great service, and it is most likely temporary weight gain if you just stick at it

[Stina]

A warm welcome Blue dog. There was something in what you write that I'd encourage you to reconsider, that what you need is not in your best interests......

You can learn to love greens! I'm surprized that you perceive them to be expensive. Maybe do some sprouting to offset the price. Keep experimenting and listen to your intuition. Of the many, many books on the raw lifestyle, I really do think Alissa's book Living on Live Food is the best. I'd highly recommend studying it carefully, and this is a great community to nurture you along the way.

[modernmonkey]

Hi there, I've switched to a raw food diet purely to deal with my cravings. What has helped me is the belief that there is no such thing as 'a craving', only hunger for nutrition. I think you are getting through that many dates because your body is seeking nutrition and it has to eat that many dates to get it. Try eating regular fruit at breakfast and lunch and eat as much as you need to feel satisfied. Hopefully, you will not crave at all until your next fruit meal or dinner. Our bodies will crave cakes, chocolate, crisps, steak to get nutrition but falling to. Knowing you shouldn't have those items, you have just turned to the next best thing that is 'allowed'..... dates. To escape the deja vu and vicious cycle just fill yourself up with fruit and the cravings will no longer be an issue. My advice comes from experiencing what really has worked for me and my destructive cravings, which have damaged every diet I've been on except for RAW 'cos it can deal with them healthily and without willpower. Good luck!

[Dimond]

Consuming too many dates is more an addiction thing than a necessity. I've always had an issue with them and try to never keep them around or they'll be gone very quickly and my health will suffer. Some day I hope this won't be an issue because they're amazing.

[bluedog]

i thought the idea of raw and food "addictions" were incompatible? or did i get the theory wrong?

[bluedog]

many thanks for the replies and encouragement so far!

[Dimond]

An eating disorder or addiction can occur in any diet. Dates are very dense and high in sugar, and like fats, tend to be the most addicting foods. Though as with anything it can depend on the person. Dried fruits in general are suppose to be consumed in small amounts because they're so concentrated. Instead there's a wide variety of other fruits.

Smoothies can be any textures you choose, so if you don't like them thick, make them thinner with more liquid, if you want them creamier add in fats like avocado.