Weight Gain and Bloating- Newby Questions Help!

[Catch]

(Thank you for taking the time to read this, it has been a LONG learning process for me, and I've had nobody to talk to that can relate.)

Hello, I'm transitioning into the raw diet, and having some questions. First off my history is I was vegetarian/vegan for 25 years. The past 3 years I was progressively getting more and more fatigued, brain fog, mental fatigue, and gained about 30 pounds. I worked out 1.5 hours a day, with 4-5 hour hikes on the weekends, yet couldn't lose a pound- just kept gaining "fat". Something in my body wasn't working anymore, even though I was eating very clean, and I was becoming almost completely debilitated. I cut out gluten, soy, corn, most all allergins with no luck. I went through many many different cleanses and detoxes, with no luck. I was completely desperate, and started eating meat last year. My energy level went up, and I've lost 30 pounds this year. My diet has been much like a female bodybuilder- lean proteins, greens, 2 fruit a day, and 1 or 2 protein shakes a day (6 meals a day, every 3 hours), only grains were 1/4 a cup of oats with breakfast, or occasional quinoa.

I decided to do another liver cleanse, then went back to being vegetarian a few months back, and completely crashed again. Complete fatigue, big time scary memory/mental lapses, and gained 8 pounds in a month. The past few months has been back at meat eating, and very strictly watching my diet. I was doing really good, flat stomach, good energy, lost about 12 pounds. For the past month I've been eating mostly all raw foods, the non-raw being 4 oz boiled chicken breast once a day with greens or green soup for lunch, and a Casein scoop in my protein shake, post workout. Daily drinks- 64-80 of water, two 12 oz of fresh juice a day (one green, one carrot/beet/apple/greens and spread out throughout the day), wheatgrass, Rejuvalac, and 8 oz of Almond or Coconut milk in my morning smoothie. Meals/snacks include things like kale/mixed green salads with tahini based dressing, sprounted hummus with veggies/sprouts, asparagus soup, flax crackers made with juice pulp, juice pulp energy bars with fresh nut butter, apple with raw nuts.

I also still work out 1.5- 2 hours a day, but this past month the flat stomach has gone away. I've gained about 5 pounds, and belly looks soft, pregnant, and bloated. My face has bloated up too. I feel like I constantly have to go to the bathroom, constipated and having gas problems. I heard it was better to slowly transition, which is why I'm allowing the little amounts of non-raw foods. However, I'm scared now about this weight gain and bloating. I was really cutting down and feeling good, but this has halted my progress. I'm curious if all the fruit and nuts on the raw diet make you gain weight? Does anyone have any advise?

[MysticTree]

you don't have to consume a lot of nuts when you are following a raw food lifestyle.

Have you had blood tests done for various conditions where extreme tiredness is a symptom? You are going to get various suggestions from b12 deficiency to parasites to candida to heavy metal poisoning to account for the tiredness.

For the bloatedness I would suggest that you go really "simple raw". Eat fruits and veggies and greens but go easy on the nuts. Make sure you eat enough though. Those nuts are giving you a lot of calories and you'll need to allow for that if you cut down on the nuts.

I would try to get some bloodwork done to see if there is an underlying issue - or issues.

[Catch]

Hi MysticTree! Believe me, I've done all sorts of detoxes, and cleanses for every organ in the body pretty much! And parasites, candida, heavy metals too, a couple times over. I do about 2 big annual liver cleanses, and I often do a colon cleansing just to make sure things are moving. The only intolerance I've noticed was eggs, which I've cut out. I was taking a lot of suppliments due to being vegetarian, like taking a B complex, CLA, L-Carnitine, and extra blue-green algae for protein. All blood tests have come back fine as well (actually showing very healthy), and I've been checked many times over the past 4 years trying to figure things out. Even my western primary doctor has said I should go see a naturopathic doctor. But the cleanses or elimination diets from that haven't helped me figure anything out. A couple times it's been suggested that I need to really up my protein, and I started eating meat, which helped. Is it beneficial to eat mostly raw, but include meat? I'll try to cut back on the nuts, and see if that helps. It seems like a ton of recipes all have nuts of some sort in them.

[Catch]

I woke up again today with gaining another pound. That's 6 this month so far! I'm totally confused, and about to give up on this.

[MysticTree]

Hi MysticTree! Believe me, I've done all sorts of detoxes, and cleanses for every organ in the body pretty much! And parasites, candida, heavy metals too, a couple times over. I do about 2 big annual liver cleanses, and I often do a colon cleansing just to make sure things are moving. The only intolerance I've noticed was eggs, which I've cut out. I was taking a lot of suppliments due to being vegetarian, like taking a B complex, CLA, L-Carnitine, and extra blue-green algae for protein. All blood tests have come back fine as well (actually showing very healthy), and I've been checked many times over the past 4 years trying to figure things out. Even my western primary doctor has said I should go see a naturopathic doctor. But the cleanses or elimination diets from that haven't helped me figure anything out. A couple times it's been suggested that I need to really up my protein, and I started eating meat, which helped. Is it beneficial to eat mostly raw, but include meat? I'll try to cut back on the nuts, and see if that helps. It seems like a ton of recipes all have nuts of some sort in them.

I don't think it is about cleanses.

Eat simple raw foods. For me it is that simple. I don't do recipes per se. Sometimes I might but on the whole I find eating foods in their simplest state gives the best results.

You talk about "doing heavy metal cleanses a couple of times over". My understanding of this process is that to do it successfully takes a considerable time. However if tests have not shown heavy metal poisoning then that is all good.

[Catch]

Ok, I'll try to find any areas in my diet I can simplify. Though I eat relatively basic as well (apple and 10-12 raw nuts for example for a snack). Has anybody had this issue? Weight gain was an ongoing issue for a long time when I was vegetarian, and I was eating pretty much all vegan- mostly all greens, cruciferous veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, and beans. An occasional small amount of brown rice and quinoa, and sometimes low fat kefir or yogurt. Just don't want to fall into that mystery problem again.

[Catch]

Ok, woke up today and did my weekly measurements. I've gained another 2 pounds. That is about 8-9 for the month of February. 5 pounds gained and 2 inches larger in my waist this week alone. What is happening to my body?! It's not that I'm not going to the bathroom either, went 5x the other day, did a 1 hour walk and abs workout, 30 min sauna, and woke up the next day a pound heavier. This is exactly what happened when I tried to go back vegan about 4 months ago. Which included only juices, veggies and fruit (since I was also trying to cleanse out dairy). I gained a steady 2 pounds a week for 6 weeks, and got so fatigued I was falling asleep sitting up all day in and out, and had severe memory lapses that I had to schedule an emergeny doctors appt and almost cancelled a trip, as I couldn't remember chunks of how to do my daily job, and couldn't remember things like who was the president, ect. I meat loaded after my doctors appt and instantly felt better back in December. Does anyone have an answer to this? Have I become so resistant that I can't process carbs like fruits? I've even followed some suggestions and went back to vegan these past 4 days. Something is NOT working with my body.

[SunshineMN]

Are you on any prescription drugs? Have you had your B12 levels checked? Are you still staying away from anything with gluten in it? What about sleep apnea? Do you snore loudly? If you have an SO have them watch you sleep for a bit and see if maybe you stop breathing from time to time. Sleep apnea can really screw up your health and a lot of people aren't diagnosed.

Just throwing some things out there.

[Catch]

Hi Sunshine, no- none of the above. All my vitamins/blood tests have come back fine, I just got tested again last month for deficiencies, as December scared the hell outta me! I honestly felt 100% better after eating the meat again, but my lifestyle/spirituality doesn't match >:( . I cut out gluten over a year ago, I use flax meal, chia meal, or once I've used corn lately to make dehydrated crackers. But wasn't impressed with the way the corn turned out anyhow, so didn't eat it (haven't had corn either in a couple years). Sleep has actually been solid this past year, though my annual goal is to ensure 8 hours of sleep, I usually get 7.5.

[LexieW]

Catch, I applaud you for trying to embrace a cleaner, greener lifestyle and struggling through the ups and downs. It sounds like you've done all the tests, tried all the options to see if there are some underlying issues... I think at this point, you need to listen to your body. What is it telling you - to eat meat? Then you may just have to eat some meat.

Yes, raw foods and the raw vegan lifestyle has done amazing things for many, many people. But it clearly is NOT doing those things for you. It doesn't sound like you're going through a normal detox - it sounds much more serious. Those memory lapses are, as you said, seriously scary.

Listen to your body. If it's not happy on a high-raw diet, it may not be the right thing for you at this point in time.

[MysticTree]

Hi Sunshine, no- none of the above. All my vitamins/blood tests have come back fine, I just got tested again last month for deficiencies, as December scared the hell outta me! I honestly felt 100% better after eating the meat again, but my lifestyle/spirituality doesn't match >:( . I cut out gluten over a year ago, I use flax meal, chia meal, or once I've used corn lately to make dehydrated crackers. But wasn't impressed with the way the corn turned out anyhow, so didn't eat it (haven't had corn either in a couple years). Sleep has actually been solid this past year, though my annual goal is to ensure 8 hours of sleep, I usually get 7.5.

There is no point in ensuring 8 hours sleep when you may not need eight hours sleep.
One of the most obvious symptoms of sleeping too much is that a person feels tired!
Sleep as much as you need but allow that you may thrive best on 6 hours sleep not 8.