Motivation/Weight loss/Fat vs Sugar

[bluedog]

I'm not a frequent poster, but I appreciate the wonderful success stories on this site. That said, I'm having a lot of difficulty staying on the diet. I've been doing it for over a month, but I keep breaking it every 7-10 days for mainly social reasons. I mentioned in a previous post about going to Shabbat dinners on Friday night, and here, it's more difficult to avoid breaking it than in other social situations in which there are raw alternatives (e.g. blessing over bread on Shabbat) and/or ones where I've created my own alternatives. Have other people here had this many problems with consistency?

Having said that, I do think this is the right diet for me. Part of me is impatient to drop the 20 pounds I'd like to see go, and I get frustrated (unjustifiably) when the scale doesn't budge.

Are there any women here who went from 145-125, and if so, how long did it take? Those of you who dropped 50-100lb are formidable, but it's harder to relate to at the same time (since weight loss comes off more quickly the further you are from your ideal weight).

Also, between fat (avocados) and sugar (dates), which is the preferable? Some people seem lipophobic, but dates have more calories per 100g than avocados.

Anyhow, any words of wisdom and encouragement are welcome! Hope the tone doesn't drag anyone down.

People out there like Aleesha are admirable for their determination, success, and contribution in others' journeys!

[modernmonkey]

Hello


Four weeks ago I started Raw at 146lb. I'm now 132lb. That's a stone lighter in less than a month. I've never lost that much weight in 13 years of diets without being extremely hungry or fighting cravings at every turn. My success is due consuming predominantly fruit and bringing it everywhere with me. Apart from fresh fruit I have leafy greens and vegetables for dinner with either an avocado or some nuts. I may have just one or two dates a day and certainly no more than 1 avocado. I think my success has been due to starting simple rather than diving into all these wonderful raw recipes. Because without good foundations one can end up consuming too much fat in the form of avos, olives, nuts etc.... with these recipes. Fruit will always come first for me. The rest is just a tiny addition to ensure I get the right nutrients.

You can do it too!

[JennaHoneyBear]

It takes a little while. I was 145 for a long time. Then one day I was 125! It just takes determination and patience. don't use the scale every day its too depressing. Go by how your clothes fit

[RawLibrarian]

Are you exercising? I think that is really key in helping to jumpstart your metabolism.

[bluedog]

Are you exercising? I think that is really key in helping to jumpstart your metabolism.

yes, i do interval training at least 3x/week, and i walk anywhere from 30min-1.5h everyday.

[bluedog]

Hello


Four weeks ago I started Raw at 146lb. I'm now 132lb. That's a stone lighter in less than a month. I've never lost that much weight in 13 years of diets without being extremely hungry or fighting cravings at every turn. My success is due consuming predominantly fruit and bringing it everywhere with me. Apart from fresh fruit I have leafy greens and vegetables for dinner with either an avocado or some nuts. I may have just one or two dates a day and certainly no more than 1 avocado. I think my success has been due to starting simple rather than diving into all these wonderful raw recipes. Because without good foundations one can end up consuming too much fat in the form of avos, olives, nuts etc.... with these recipes. Fruit will always come first for me. The rest is just a tiny addition to ensure I get the right nutrients.

You can do it too!

--this is indeed encouraging! dates alone, i thought, were simple food, but i'm wondering if they're causing me to stall. i don't eat nuts, and i have anywhere from 1/4 to 1.25 avocados a day. when you say fresh fruit, are you excluding bananas? and are you exercising? and do you not consume more dates because of the taste, or because they affect you? thanks!

[modernmonkey]

Hi

Yes, fresh fruit includes bananas. When hunger (or cravings) strike I always hit fresh fruit. I never turn to dried fruit out of hunger because I believe it is too concentrated, fattening and that it has a 'gorging' sensation, which has been my weakness always and makes me prone to bingeing. I simply have one or two a day, not when I am hungry but only when I want a sweet taste in my mouth in between meals. I can manage one because I'm not hungry when I take it. On previous diets I would easily binge on dates as a replacement for 'naughty stuff' but end up feeling equally guilty. Now fresh fruit satiates all my needs. I only eat the avo/nuts and leafy greens/veg because I know it provides more than fruit alone can. I get fat and protein from the fruit also so I know all I need a day is a couple of ounces of good fat in the form of avos, nuts or seeds and I always have that with my dinner.

It's only been 4 weeks but as my confidence grows and my transition succeeds I do hope to be making these wonderful recipes but I will always bear in mind that I want to keep fruit as at least 80% of my intake and keep good fats at a low 10%.

I cycle to work and back every day and I have an active standing up job. I guess I get the recommended amount but no more.

Where do you derive your fat from, other than avos?

[Shels]

Each person works differently - for me, the more sugars I eat (like dates, honey, agave, not regular fruit) the more weight I put on, which is a bummer because I have a horrible sweet tooth. I do know that it takes fats to release fats though, so don't feel like you should be cutting out fat from your diet.
Remember that everything is best in moderation, and just take the time to figure out what is right for your body. Once you go (and stay) 90-100% raw, the numbers will start dropping.