Is it safe?

[Ireland]

Okay, here's a question that I haven't seen posted here yet and if it has been, perhaps someone can point me in the right direction...?

We have all been told most likely by doctors, friends, dieticians, etc...that it isn't safe to lose weight faster than 2 pounds a week or so. However, with the raw diet, people tend to lose weight a lot faster than that, especially in the beginning or when they have a lot to lose.

What makes it safe to do it this way? (raw) Is it because it's such a high nutrient diet that our bodies are getting everything they need as compared to a "traditional" diet where you're lacking something...is that what makes it safe or unsafe?

Or do they say it's unsafe because the body has to make adjustments too quickly re: blood sugar/blood pressure/cholesterol, etc...

Just some thoughts I have. I'd love a little enlightment on the subject so I have an answer for myself as well as for anybody who asks me.

[Sharon in Colorado]

For me personally it's not so much poundage lost as much as it is less stomach distention (more like intestinal distention since mine tends to be lower) from not having cooked grains trapped in my body.

The more dehydrated foods one consumes, the more water is retained in the body as a way to protect it.

Water retention = weight.

Almost all other non-raw diets contain a lot of dehydrated cooked food (like cooked & processed fibers, meats), plus salts and other irritants that causes water retention to dilute the irritants in order to protect the body, so the weight loss is going to be automatically slower.

If you are eating a lot of water rich foods, and less combinations, it is only natural that your body is going to flush them through a lot quicker, as it takes less time and energy to assimilate that food, thus more output, less work and more weight is lost in the process.

In the beginning, the weight loss is more rapid as the body quickly flushes out extra water & colon retention. Then the weight loss is slowed down as the body works on flushing/healing other parts of the body. Again, the less work put on the body by dehydrated and irritating foods, the more energy is freed up for the body to repair itself. No other diet can it this well, in my opinion.

It's not only safer, but healthier, in my opinion.

[DavidZaneMason]

MY experience:

-While transitioning, my weight loss was usually very regular - at 1 or 2 pounds per week....for about 2 years.

-David Mason