Why am I gaining weight?

[Gorawnow]

Why am I gaining weight on the raw diet? I only eat when I'm hungry but am amazed at how often I have to eat to fight off hunger. For breakfast I have wheat grass juice (barleymax) and 40-60min later I'll have all frui for breakfast, snacks are usually apples or oranges, lunch is a big salad with 4+ cups of greens, cucumbers and tomatoes, snacks again are fruits, dinner is just like lunch and after dinner I'll eat almonds or other raw nuts. I chew my food until mush and only need to drink about 16-20oz of water a day. What's up? I'm really frushtrated. I feel and look bloated all the time.

[Revvell]

The bloated part often happens when people first go raw... can take months for your body to settle down. How do you know you "only need to drink 16-20 oz. of water?" I'd up my water if I were you. Are you pooping? If so, I'd continue on as you are.

[Gorawnow]

The bloated part often happens when people first go raw... can take months for your body to settle down. How do you know you "only need to drink 16-20 oz. of water?" I'd up my water if I were you. Are you pooping? If so, I'd continue on as you are.

I'm only thirsty enough during the day to drink that much. I only drink when I'm thirsty. I have 1bm after the wheat grass in the morning and normally another before dinner but I still feel bloated... :(

[Revvell]

You say you only eat when you're hungry. Very often the feeling of thirst is mistaken for hunger. I'd suggest drinking a glass (or, a half of one) before eating. Also, might want to add some avos, olives, etc. They'll fill you up and last longer.

Bloating happens. Hang in, it'll go away. Helps to rub your stomach in a circle coming up the right side, across the top, down the left...

Also, can release gas by sticking your fingers into the "wind points" around your navel.

[Gorawnow]

Guess I'll try drinking more water...

[PansyLo]

Just because you're not thirsty doesn't mean you don't need more water.

I'm almost never thirsty I used to go for days without drinking much of anything and not feeling thirsty. I still never feel thirsty unless I eat something salty but I try to drink as much as possible.

When you drink more you find yourself eating less.

[phak-i-tu]

Gorawnow, how long have you been eating raw? Did you get really cleaned out before you started? You may have a lot of waste products still in the body that are going to stir up a fuss for a while and will eventually work themselves out. A lot of fresh raw beet juice should help get it moving for you - just don't get too far from the 'privy' for the next 24 hours. :)

[Gorawnow]

I've been eating raw for the past 4 years. However ive been struggling with anorexia at the same time. I recently began recovery and last week only begun letting my body eat whenever it's hungry. I'm 5ft2 and 105 pounds. My doctor says my weight is fine so please do not tell me I need to gain weight. I guess my body isn't use to such a high volume of food.

[phak-i-tu]

I've been eating raw for the past 4 years. However ive been struggling with anorexia at the same time. I recently began recovery and last week only begun letting my body eat whenever it's hungry. I'm 5ft2 and 105 pounds. My doctor says my weight is fine so please do not tell me I need to gain weight. I guess my body isn't use to such a high volume of food.
I can't imagine telling anyone to lose or gain 'weight' because the entire concept is ridiculous. Muscle weighs much more than fat. If you pump iron, you'll be a least twenty pounds heavier than a lot of people think you 'should' be just by looking at the numbers. There is no one-size-that-fits-all that has ever worked in our history, not in weight, health, laws, politics or anything else but people will persist in trying to create a new one. If you had anorexia problems, there's little doubt your body is having a spot of trouble adjusting, so do what you're comfortable with and don't try so hard to eat a set amount. Eat when you're hungry and stop when you're not - if the anorexia didn't kill you, listening to your body and doing what it wants for a change surely won't.

[PansyLo]

I've been eating raw for the past 4 years. However ive been struggling with anorexia at the same time. I recently began recovery and last week only begun letting my body eat whenever it's hungry. I'm 5ft2 and 105 pounds. My doctor says my weight is fine so please do not tell me I need to gain weight. I guess my body isn't use to such a high volume of food.

Your body needs time to adjust, when I was recovering from anorexia I gained a lot of weight very quickly for months while my body got to grips with what was going on. It evened out and I lost a little again then from that point I was the same weight for years.

Eating disorders seriously mess your body up. It'll take time to heal and even itself out again, that may involve gaining a little more before your body evens back down to your natural weight again. Raw food will at least help do this faster.

Still make sure you're drinking plenty of water/juice/herbal tea. Dehydration can make you bloated and can make you retain water (which also makes a big difference to your weight!).
That would explain all your symtoms.

How's your recovery going? I know first hand that while your body is healing it can take longer to heal what's going on inside your head. Often Doctors can concentrate too much on your physical health to get you out of danger that they neglect what caused the problem in the first place.
If you need to talk or want some helpful stuff to read I can send you stuff. :hug

[Gorawnow]

I eat only when I'm hungry but I'm afraid that I'm just goin to gain more weight by doing so. I'm up now to about 110 from 105 but both weights require 1500 calories to maintain. I could ingore my hunger cues but then I find myself eating more to make up for it later.

[PansyLo]

Have you started drinking a lot more fluids yet?

"The Department of Health recommends that we should drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. This works out to be about six 200ml or eight 150ml glasses, cups or mugs. In hotter climates, the body needs more water than this."

If you're not drinking enough yet your hunger pangs could really be thirst.

I also agree that exercise is great advice! :) Regular fitness classes and yoga made a huge difference to my recovery. I think they helped SO MUCH.

I don't think you're eating too much, everyone is different but that sounds about right for me (actually I probably eat more) and I'm 5ft3 and 107lbs.
In recovery I went up to 114lbs and felt hungry a lot more until that faded and my weight settled at 103lbs and it always around that, somewhere between 98-108.

Go with it. Don't let it scare you it's only weight and it's not permanent.

[walnutty]

I think there is a HUGE misconception that a person should "go raw" to lose weight! Eating nutrient dense, raw and living foods are for health! There is SO much going on in the body once a person starts to introduce nutrient dense food! The scale may fluctuate, you may gain, you may lose but I guarantee you you are increasing your health!

[ambermollers]

Water is really helpful, by drinking water you can also lose weight. And enough sleep.:)


_____________________
Amber Mollers (http://www.alivenotdead.com/bienhoch/The-best-cooking-oil-on-earth-profile-2114867.html)- My Health Blog

[Gorawnow]

Yeah, I started drinking more water today and I noticed I wasn't really hungry at all. I didn't need much food and didn't feel so bloated. Thanks, I continue to drink more. I use to drink tons of water, about 60oz a day but I got tired to going to the bathroom every hour and being so diffrent than everyone else. But then again who am I living to please? I'm already diffrent by eating all raw foods lol. So I'll keep upping the water intake. I don't think it will take long to loose this weight. Thanks for the encouragement. It's really easy to get discouraged and beat myself up. But I'm learning. And being healthy in a world surrounded by unhealthy people isn't the easiest road to follow.
About the exercise... Unfortunately over years of overtraining for long distance running and weight lifting I've sustained multiple muscle injuries and right now exercise is out of the question. I'm on crutches right now for an ankle injury so I do what I can. But would love to one day run again. Even if just a mile a day.

[walnutty]

So let me get this straight...

You are 5'2" and weigh 105-110 pounds and you are concerned with losing weight???

[robh]

It is true that overweight people lose weight while eating raw (I am experiencing this now). I have read, however, that underweight people tend the GAIN weight.

The biggest issue I saw in your post is that you do not drink enough water. I drink 3 liters a day. I am, however, 150 lbs heavier than you.

At your weight, you should be drinking at least a liter of water a day (maybe 1 and a half).

[fastfreedom]

Yup, like nearly everyone else said......more water, I drink twice the amount you do......just when I wake up. "yes I keep a quart of water next to my bed, LOL"

And also as walnutty said, don't be concerned with weight, instead focus on health. But if you have an eating disorder then, IMO you need to address the reason for it, and do everything you can to overcome it. Though I can say that you won't get fat eating loads of raw plant foods, unless of course a large part of your calories are coming from raw fats, then I would venture to say it's possible.

If the reason you are wanting to lose weight is cus you have some extra flab then you should focus on getting enough calories AND exercising. Check out freelee on youtube. She eats TONS of fruit and is quite skinny.

[Gorawnow]

Okay guys thanks for your help. I've been drinking about a gallon o water a day and my stomach is much flatter. Im also not as "hungry" seams I was mistaking thirst for hunger. I'll keep this up.

[Gorawnow]

So let me get this straight...

You are 5'2" and weigh 105-110 pounds and you are concerned with losing weight???

No I'm not concerned with loosin weight. Just gaining it. But since drinking more water I've stopped bloating so I was holding onto alot of water weight. I'm good now.

[misszta]

http://www.mcdogsdesigns.com/fz/images/4.jpg may be you should drink more water!

[Dent de Lion]

I'm sure you've heard this before and I swear I'm not trying to be patronizing.

I STRONGLY suggest ditching your scale, at least for the time being, and CONTINUE to eat whenever you're hungry. (DO drink more water though!) Your weight may go up and down, especially as your body heals from overexercise and disordered eating. These weight fluctuations may not be gains or fat or even muscle. You may be building bone, or have more fluid in your tissues (due to carbohydrate metabolism, or hydration/electrolyte changes.)

If you really cannot let go of concrete trackers for your body size & shape, try just looking at how your clothing fits, or trace your body on a large piece of paper.

I think if you focus on your digestion being good and on eating while hungry, you will find that your appearance and shape will stay steady, or improve (assuming you aren't perfect :) of course!)

[walnutty]

I STRONGLY suggest ditching your scale


As a recovered anorexic I totally agree! I ditched mine and refuse to be a slave to the scale any longer!!!

[PansyLo]

^ I think everyone's a little different.

I think my scales are a good tool as a warning sign.

If I didn't have them I'd have probably ended up convinced I weighed a ton and have resorted back to a pattern of not eating. When I do start losing too much weight and it shows on the scales then I know I'm slipping into bad habits.

For some people scales are triggering but for others they're helpful.

[MysticTree]

^ I think everyone's a little different.

I think my scales are a good tool as a warning sign.

If I didn't have them I'd have probably ended up convinced I weighed a ton and have resorted back to a pattern of not eating. When I do start losing too much weight and it shows on the scales then I know I'm slipping into bad habits.

For some people scales are triggering but for others they're helpful.

and for some they are both depending on our state of mind at any given moment!