Need some advice for transitioning!

[Norie]

Hey guys! I've been slowly going raw for a few months now but I wanted some advice from people who had been doing this longer (and actually know what they're doing!)

So right now I start my day with a BIG cup of fresh juice, usually 3/4 veggies and 1/4 fruit and I try to mix it up a bit so I get lots of vitamins. I feel like this is really good and positive.


BUT...

I'm trying to cut out two of my long time loves, cheese and chocolate. I'm finding it quite easy to cut down but I find myself eating too many nuts to compensate... Like WAY too many. I made cashew cheese and raw chocolate cookies but both have soooo many nuts in them. Do I need to limit the amount of raw cheese and cookies I eat or are they okay? I haven't gained any weight but not really losing any either.

Also I find it difficult to eat out with friends. My room mates invite me to eat out a LOT and always at my favorite Japanese restaurant which does the BEST sushi... Which admittedly isn't the worst thing in the world for the human body, but isn't exactly on my menu either... It's hard to say no to! So what do you guys do to get around the dreaded 'eating out' fiasco?

And if anyone else has any other tips for newbies that would be awesome! :) Thanks!

[climbing]

I don't eat out and haven't for years. I invite people over, or bring salads/other vegan foods to their house if we get invited. All my friends know I follow a specific diet, but luckily I'm a great chef and even SAD eaters tend to like my food. Tell people you're going to make them dinner and usually they will be happy about that, since the reason most people go out in the first place is that they don't want to cook.

Personally, I eat a lot of seed cheeses and ice creams made from creamed cashews, etc. It depends on what your goals are. For me I'm in desperate need of calories, always been thin as a rail, plus I'm a dancer and do workouts probably 1-2 hours most days of the week. So I don't have to discriminate, I need as calorie and fat dense food as possible.

If you feel like you're eating "too much" nuts then cut back a bit, but I don't think there are "too much" nuts, as in a set number for everyone. Just depends on how well you digest them and how many calories per day you're trying to take in.

[Norie]

Thanks for such a quick and detailed reply! :)

That's a great idea inviting people over. My room mates both love fresh juices... I'll see if I can convince them to try some raw stuff.

I've always been extremely overweight until recently so I naturally tend to be cautious about eating too much of the wrong things. I do want to lose a little more weight but not a lot. I don't want to restrict myself though calorie wise and I plan to tone up by exercising more rather than anything.

Maybe I'll cut back on the nuts a little and see how that goes??

Thank you again!!!

[climbing]

You're welcome. In a way I envy raw foodies who want to lose, because it's always easier and cheaper to eat less calories (well, physically anyway) than it is to try and find ways to get calories into you. I wish I could give you some of my metabolism, lol.

I imagine you will lose weight naturally over time anyway, though. If you were eating a lot of cooked grains and carbs before being raw, taking that away alone will do a lot. My whole body and energy and everything changed when I stopped the grains.

[Norie]

You do have a good point there! Isn't it funny because people who eat the SAD foods tend to become overweight when they buy cheaper food since it's so over processed and mass produced.

Do you have any tips for how you maintain your weight? While losing weight would be nice I'd like to not become skeletal :)