2 weeks raw- strange energy fluctuations and no weight loss. help!

[rawmamacita]

Hello all!

My name is megan and I have been eating about 90+% raw for the last 2 weeks. Sometimes I feel amazing! And other times I feel like I won't be able to stay awake another minute. I have noticed that my body does not do well with bananas, they make me feel tired, spacey and bloated (bummer!). I am wondering if i may be having the same issue with avocados since I seem to get really tired after lunch which is usually the meal that I eat my 1 avocado a day at. I can hardly function in the afternoons and evenings and I am getting really frustrated. Especially because I keep hearing stories of how people gain so much energy eating raw. Also, I have not lost any weight and I am hoping to lose about 50lbs. The strange thing is that people keep asking me how much weight I have lost and my clothes do feel looser. I am just really perplexed and could use some advice/reassurance. Thank you all in advance!

[rawdanig]

Well the reason your mood is fluctuating could be detox. When your body is dumping toxins in the blood you're not going to feel like a happy camper and once it releases them your mood might elevate again! It depends on how heavy the toxins are that are being released.

As far as weight if your looking at a scale throw it out! They only drive you crazy. Like you said your clothes feel lighter and people are commenting meaning you are probably losing inches hence looser fitting clothes this is good! Sounds like you are right on track.

As for the bananas are you using them in a green smoothies or just eating them straight?

Avocados a are a higher "fat" food so it takes a little more for the body to digest which could be why you're losing energy since your body's energy is focused on the avocado. Maybe one a day is too much right now and you should try to cut back. I noticed this when i was eating lots of nuts and seeds and once i start cutting back i was fine and dandy :)

Good Luck and congrats on your decision to go raw:throwhearts:

[dlaffoon]

It's quite normal to detox for 2 weeks and longer. Especially if you've never never done any detox protocols such as a water/juice fast in your life. People tend to get quite a toxin and waste load in their system.

If you find yourself continuing to have low energy it could also be due to not enough carbohydrates. You have to get your daily Calories from somewhere, on a raw food diet it should be either carbohydrates or fats. Vegetables have almost no Caloric value. You've given up cooked carbohydrates so the only "raw" source of carbohydrates is fresh fruit.

Remember that fats and oils are dense energy foods at 9 calories per gram. Carbohydrates and proteins give you 4 calories per gram.

You shouldn't be getting your daily calorie needs (look up how to calculate your basal metabolic rate and then add on calories for whatever physical exercise you're doing) from any more than around 10-25% fats. Diets any higher in percentage of daily calories from fats than that will cause you to feel tired all of the time (as well as causing longterm health problems -- raw or not).

1 avocado is 300 calories. On a 2000 calorie per day diet that is 15% of the daily calorie needs. 1 cup of cashew nuts would be around 700 calories, 35% of the daily calorie needs on that plan.

Often people will underestimate how much fruit they actually need to eat daily in order to meet their bodies energy baseline. A large banana will give you around 100 calories, so on a banana diet you'd have to eat around 17 bananas a day. An apple would be around 75 calories.
Apricot: 17.
Mango: ~100

Here is the usda calorie databse for foods: use the search bar to find foods easily.
http://www.newcaloriecounter.com/articles/goverment/usda/usda_national_nutrient_database_for_standard_refer ence.html

Also be sure that you're eating plenty of vegetables as well as they're key to a raw food diet. For the minerals as well as the protein content.

[rawmamacita]

thank you both so much! I am feeling much better now and your responses infinitely helped my mentality when I was going through a rough patch. I seem to have had a breakthrough with my detox symptoms, my energy is much better now and my moods are better too. I still haven't lost weight but my BF% is going down every day :-D and I am definitely considering chucking the scale altogether, because really it is not helping me. I still have an occasional off day or off hour, but if I just give myself a break and my body the rest it needs (as opposed to pumping it full of caffeine as I would have done a month ago) I feel MUCH better. so THANK YOU both! :heart

[CathyA.]

Chuck that scale. Scales can be evil. I'm not saying that I don't use mine, but I do know that the number can sometimes have too much power. Sounds like you are doing a great job.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Do as much fresh fruits (if you can tolerate them because they are so healing), fresh leafy greens, fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, etc....) and fresh produce as you can. I like to do my fruits in the morning and a green smoothie. You may consider to do something to unplug your immune system to help with the detox, consider to get a colon hydro therapy (do research, it is typically great for most people but there are always exception, if you choose to do that, it will ease the detox and help your body in so many ways).

Your body will prioritize and if it needs to do repair inside first, but weight lost will be a side effect if you need to lose weight.

Hang in there, you are truly on the right path. Learn about raw gourmet to help you to do this journey but put your focus on as much life food and fresh food as possible.

I bet that you are starting to look vibrant.

All is well

[karenisraw]

Try coconut oil/butter. It is immediatly converted into energy when eaten. It gives me a boost in the morning. I put it on raw crackers or eat it with a spoon.

k