How many calories do you eat?

[DrPr]

:confused: It's my understanding that as raw foodists, we don't need to worry about calories or fat intake, but I find that hard to believe. Maybe we can eat more fat or consume more calories because of the type of food we eat, I don't know. What have you all noticed? I am especially interested in people who, like me, are trying to lose a large amount of weight. How many calories do you eat a day, on average, and are you successfully lowing weight on that amount? Thanks!!

[rawpriestess]

I have no idea, I've never counted calories, and I never will.

Proud loser of many many pounds on eating anything I want and as much as I want, any time I want as long as it's raw.

I was at 285.
I lost 30 pounds my first month alone, eating this way.

Why on Earth would I mess with success?

Just eat raw, and the weight will drop off.

[Vandy]

I have a food scale and I weigh what I eat weekly. I keep track of it on nutridiary.com and it helps me to see how many carbs, fats, and proteins (and other great stuff!) my body is getting! Also, it lets me know when I didn't intake enough of something that day (like calcium or greens or too much fat). I eat approx 2600 a day and I feel great. Hope this helps!

[raeannasun]

I think that after your body is at it's optimum weight that you should make sure that you are eating enough calories!!! I'm sure we're all getting sufficient amounts but if you start looking too skinny you may not be eating enough calories. On raw, we have are eating less calories than a cooked vegan diet. Some vegan diets that are of a high percentage raw say that just 10-15% cooked will ensure you are getting enough calories and help your brain feel "satisfied" rather than being 100% raw and feeling deprived. Of course, once you do go 100% raw and notice all the wonderful benefits you don't want to eat that 10-15% cooked!!! Also, Victoria Boutenko in her "12 Steps to Raw Food" list all the health benefits of assimilating enzymes on a 100% raw diet. The percentage of what we assimilate on 100% vs. 80% is amazing!!! I highly recommend the book. (In fact, I need to read it again!!!)
If your goal is weight loss, I would say just keep it simple and follow the advice of Alissa and others on this board and let your body get to it's natural weight!!! I've never heard of an overweight person being 100% and not losing weight quickly!!! I lost 30 pounds in 2 months last year!!! I couldn't believe it!! I was a size 16 and now wear a 10/12. (I was down to an 8 in the summer but I let the Holiday's get the best of me!!)

[DrPr]

Thanks, raeannasun, Vandy, and rawpriestess. raeannasun, I would LOVE to be free of calorie counting but it's a learned habit that I can't imagine letting go of, especially at my current weight. I look forward to not having to count anymore, though. Vandy- are you trying to lose weight or are you maintaining at this point? 2600 is more than I eat (but if I keep eating those raw cheeses I could do it in no time-oops!!) Rawpriestess- congratulations on the health you've achieved!! I have 200 lbs to lose.

I get a mixture of responses when I ask about calories, so I should have been more specific. Many of us who have 100 or 200 lbs to lose have a lifetime of calorie-counting behind us. As part of my "raw odyssey" I want to look at the differences between my SAD and raw lifestyles. Calorie counting is one of the things I am wondering about because it's been so important in my past weight loss endeavors. It seems that raw foodists who have eaten raw for awhile have ceased to (or never did) count calories, so I should have aimed my question at those who DO know their current calorie intake.

I currently eat between 1,500 and 2000 calories a day. I don't know if that's too much or too little for long run. I'm sedentary and have lost over 16 lbs since January 1st. I will be more active starting next week when classes begin. As I said, I have about 200 lbs to lose (well, less now! haha!!)

[Rawism]

My mother is very concerned about my calorie intake....she doesn't think I am getting enough. Her main issue, I don't snack. I can't help it if I'm not a snacker. It's hard enough for me to get 3 meals a day. If I eat 3-6 times a day, that's a good day.

But, as stated, if you are raw, it doesn't matter how many calories you are taking in. I have no idea how many calories are in a banana, avocado, collards, etc.

Walk on faith and leave the calorie counting behind. I promise you will be amazed at what you will see and feel within just a week's time.

[English Tracy]

I have attended various slimming groups in my time when I was on pre-raw eating. Generally they advise that if you need to lose 40lb or more, you should eat about 1500 calories a day. When you then only have about 14 lbs to lose, you'd reduce to 1250 calories to shift the last few stubborn lbs.

However, you'd probably be able to eat quite a lot for 1500 calories eating raw. There is a way to work out how many calories you need on a daily basis to maintain your weight but I don't know what it is. I think it's based on whether you have an active or sedentary lifestyle. I think someone did mine once and as an office worker who didn't exercise much (whoops!) for my height of 5 ft 5 inches (1.65 m), to maintain a normal weight for my height, I'd have to consume 2200 calories a day.

I also learnt at one of these groups that to lose 1 lb of weight a week you need to reduce your daily calories by 3500 per week, or 500 per day.

I hope this helps. I am not calorie counting (who has time to do that??) but I am watching the fat content so have reduced the amount of nuts I eat. I do generally have one avocado a day though as I really like them.

Tune in on Sunday 15th January for the weekly weight loss total! I'm hoping other people like DrPr will keep a weekly record of successful weight loss posted on the same thread as it really is motivating when you can see the figures in black and white.

Tracy

[rawsistah]

I'm logging my food on www.fitday.com for a few reasons.
-One is to see how many calories i eat. I need to lose a minimum of 100lbs (if not more) so i figured i can look back and see what, in my diet, may have changed.
-Second reason is to keep track of nutrition. So i don't miss out on something important. I'm not to keen on leafy greens but if i see i *need* some i'll dive in.
-And the third reason is directly related to #2. I can direct concerned family to mmy fitday journal and they can see for themselves that i'm getting more than enough nutritionally.

It's hard, being heavy and having such a fat mind set. After years of dieting DrPr, i know just how you feel! I am concerned with eating to much fat so tracking it helps. Yesterday i think i ate 2000 calories (half of those from FAT! lol) so today i'm keeping an eye on that.

Good luck to you. Have you joined the raw boot camp? I am thinking about it but i'm such a child in my head sometimes that if i'm "told what to do" i fear i will go against it! Maybe not though ---- we'll see :)

peace
rawsista

[DrPr]

All of this information is very helpful! I've been tracking all of my nutrients on sparkpeople.com, and I can see that (especially on avocado days) half of my caloric intake is fat, too. I have no problem reaching 1500 calories a day, mainly because of the avocados. As long as I continue to lose weight at a healthy rate, I'm not going to worry too much about my fat intake (except to eat fewer raw cheeses).

I wish I could believe PlatinumDST that no matter what I eat, as long as I stay raw I will lose this extra weight with no problem. You may well be right, but a lifetime of dieting has totally brainwashed me.
:D
I'm not on a diet any longer as I enjoy the general health benefits of eating raw, but I still only know the tools of calorie/fat counting for weight loss. I'm sure it will feel like breaking out of prison when I no longer count calories! But for now, especially since I'm a raw newbie, I guess it's handy information to be aware of.

[heatherjoy]

while i don't think it's nesessary to count calories, i do think it's possible to be unhealthy on any food plan. i do not hold with the belief that as long as it's raw, it's fine. i have learned from personal experience that if i am eating large amounts of dates and nuts, to the exclusion of other raw foods, i will be sick. i can also be fat eating only raw. some say it's impossible, but it's possible for this girl. i am also spiritually/emotionally unhealthy when i eat this way because i do not feel good about myself. i feel like i'm abusing the beautiful body that god gave me.
i currently choose my food based on the "sunfood pyriamid" that raw-foodist david wolfe talks about. he explains the importance of balancing leafy greens, sweet fruits, and fatty fruits and using those three foods as the basis for daily eating. i am new and learning (day 6 eating this way) so i don't claim to know it all, but my spirit is leading me toward this plan.

[raeannasun]

DrPr;
I read your blog and with your goal being weight loss I'm wondering if all the bread you're eating is helping you. I would limit the bread intake to just 2 slices a day. Especially since it's not 100% raw. Can you make flax crackers or make lettuce wraps instead of the sandwiches on bread? It will take a while for your stomach to shrink but if you will be really consistent I think you'll find that you will crave and want more fruits instead of the nuts and breads.

Just my two cents! I love your blog!

[Rawmommie]

I've never heard of an overweight person being 100% and not losing weight quickly!!!

Now you have! :D I think all our bodies are different, you have to learn to listen to yours. I am 100% and weigh 200 pounds and it won't budge. I've been raw for over a year, but 100% for the last 3 months with no slips and I don't lose. I believe it's b/c I eat a lot. I eat lots of avacado's, dates, and raw nut butter. Now, this is my choice, I'm not complaining at this point in time, but there are people who have to tweak things a little to lose.

I will say that it's not the majority of people though. I have seen most people eat 100%, as long as it's raw, and lose weight rapidly. I wouldn't advise counting calories or worrying about it in the beginning. The most important thing is to be raw and let your body start healing. I also think it's possible that some people have a lot of healing to do and sometimes don't lose weight until their body is ready. Let's hope that's what my body is doing! :rolleyes:

[rawpriestess]

Dr PR,

just take a look at what you wrote.

I've been dieting my entire life, well, that's it then isnt' it?

I have too, and dieting doesnt' work, it messes up our metabolism, when we restrict our foods, and our calories, our bodies, go into famine mode, and then when we eat anything, our bodies, in their infinite wisdom hangs on to it.

When I first started dieting I was in the third grade, my mom put me on calories don't count, which is a much stricter form of Atkins before Atkins was invented, and I started to lose weight, well actually ketosis but still the weight dropped off, then that started a cycle of my entire life losing gaining, losing gaining, and here I am still over 250 pounds or so, and going on and off raw.

Well, it isn't the raw lifestyle that is the problem, it is my conditioned thinking of being ON or OFF the raw DIet, which it isn't it isn't a diet, it isn't restrictive, it is an eating plan, and although I know all of this, at 3 am when I am depressed or nervous, or just plain cranky because something didn't go my way, I'm not thinking about health and eating plans and feeling good, I'm thinking about what I can stuff in my face to numb those feelings, so I can go back to a lethargic controled coma in my mind, and NOT think about anything.

So, we may wish to attempt to change our thinking into NOT diets, or food plans, or even life styles.

But just eating this way for a while as an experiment, just eat raw for the 30 day challenge, do the very best you can, allow the detox to happen, ask tons of questions, and then make the decision, to count calories, or not, etc.

I KNOW you will be glad you did.

I'm gonn'a have to do this again myself.

On, off, on, off, and life goes on, or it doesn't it really is a choice I am making every second of every day of my life experience.

[Lauradee]

I aggree.

eating ra food the body goes into a different mode and the body is getting what itneeds so it is healthier and then the body forms differently as to what it's origianlly supossed to be without all the calorie counting. I agree onehundren percent with raw presietsse because if we dont get enough proper nutrition we will just hld onto the weight. from personal experianc the body does grow differntly for the better and the bad weight just comes off naturally eating all raw. iwsh you the best of luck.

Laura

[calee]

I don't lose weight, even on 100%. I did a 100 day trial last year where I didn't eat anything cooked. I weighted out 2 oz a day of nuts and ate very little other fats. I occasionally ate a bit of olive oil in a salad dressing but used OJ dressing a lot. I ate avocado only occasionally. I ate around 3-5 dates a day, but that was the only dried fruit most of the time. The bulk of my food was fruit and veggies. Simply because I'm lazy, about the only dehydrated food I ate were occasional flax crax. I've had the same pint of raw cashew butter in the fridge all year. In 100 days, I think I lost about 3 pounds. I weigh over 200 pounds so it wasn't because I'm at my "right" weight.

Oh, and I was doing 7+ hours a week of walking and tai chi.

So it's possible to eat all raw, and not lose weight. I finished the year after being raw for more than 3/4 of the year and high raw for the other 1/4 with a weight loss of about 3 pounds. Along with this, my bad choleseral went from 137 to 175 this year. I'd love it if someone could explain this to me!

[FloridaBahai]

About those who aren't losing weight on raw, what about "losing your false body"? I thought everyone lost weight as the body made of "junk" was broken down and then the healthy body was built. Could it be that these people have other, more important conditions that the body is working on before it decides to get to weight?

Craig

[monkeyboy]

Hi Everyone,


When I first went raw I lost 30lbs. in 90 days.

I was 210lbs. dropping to 180lbs.

I then went from 180 to 165.

I'm 6'-3" male.

This is the point where I consulted my local nutritionist.

I was too thin and worried about too much weight loss.

She told me to take in at least 2500 calories a day.

I boosted back up to 180lbs. and all is well.

I don't count calories anymore, but it's a good lesson to at least keep an eye on things if rapid weight loss spins out of your own control.

Peace,

M.B.

[exurb]

I have been raw for quite a while now, and I've gotta say there have been times when I've gained weight on 100% raw. And I'm talking 100%, no nama shoyu, no questionable raw stuff, no cashews, no "raw" cacao, no questionable dried tomatos and questionable dried fruit, etc. Those times were when I was eating too many (and I mean WAY too many) nuts, dates, and dried figs.

However that said I have had times where I was surprised to lose weight when I felt I ate too much of something, like a whole cup of walnuts, etc...

I think raw makes it SO MUCH easier to drop weight. From what I've seen from monitoring my intake, a calorie is not just a calorie, I have lost weight at times when I think the same caloric intake would have not lost me as much weight if the food was cooked. It's such a great way of eating, there's room to eat the stuff that's really good for you like raw nuts, and still drop the weight. If you eat a lot of raw veggies, it's amazing how many goodies there's room for, and still be within a type of eating that will drop the weight off. I can even have a whole cup of nuts on a day if I want to at 600-800 cals, because the stuffing my face all day with raw veggies maybe added up to 300-400 cals at the most.

I will also add that IMO for people with a lot of weight to lose, many have lost touch with their body's natural satiety and hunger mechanisms. The crappy foods we eat like flour based foods, sugar, etc., drive us to feel hungry if we do not eat more. I think raw eating is a truly wonderful way to bring us back in touch with when we are really hungry, etc., and not feel hungry all the time as we might when we try to limit caloric intake on a cooked food diet.

Just some thoughts for you - I hope you try it, I think as long as you don't stuff your face with really high cal stuff all day, you'll find yourself feeling better and dropping weight. And not feeling hungry or deprived once you get into the swing of it, which can really help fuel weight loss success.

I also think if you have tons of weight to lose, you don't have to start with really low calories, you can evolve toward that for when you're in the homestretch for the final pounds.

I say don't fear the higher cal stuff like nuts and avocadoes, IMO you need them, just keep your eating within the ballpark of the reasonable
(I'm not talking restricted, just not way out of control overeating), and you'll be fine.

You can do it!! :)

[tglasco4]

This post peaked my curiousity so I plugged what I ate in a typical day into Fitday.com to check. I eat between 2500-3000 calories per day. The smoothie is about 1500 calories alone. I weigh 195lbs and feel great. Its important to eat enough on raw. I try not to overdo fats at this stage of my experience (in the beginning it really doesnt matter, the object then is to remain raw), so I don't eat nuts whole (but I use them in smoothies and dressings) and I don't use olive oil except externally (don't take that as a raw principle, this is personal).

Peace.

Todd

[tglasco4]

I don't lose weight, even on 100%. I did a 100 day trial last year where I didn't eat anything cooked. I weighted out 2 oz a day of nuts and ate very little other fats. I occasionally ate a bit of olive oil in a salad dressing but used OJ dressing a lot. I ate avocado only occasionally. I ate around 3-5 dates a day, but that was the only dried fruit most of the time. The bulk of my food was fruit and veggies. Simply because I'm lazy, about the only dehydrated food I ate were occasional flax crax. I've had the same pint of raw cashew butter in the fridge all year. In 100 days, I think I lost about 3 pounds. I weigh over 200 pounds so it wasn't because I'm at my "right" weight.

Oh, and I was doing 7+ hours a week of walking and tai chi.

So it's possible to eat all raw, and not lose weight. I finished the year after being raw for more than 3/4 of the year and high raw for the other 1/4 with a weight loss of about 3 pounds. Along with this, my bad choleseral went from 137 to 175 this year. I'd love it if someone could explain this to me!


My recommendation (and I stress its just me) would be a Master Cleanse of at least 10-15 days duration (30 would be better).

Peace.

Todd

[DrPr]

I do indeed have a "ton" of weight to lose, and you are right when you say that we can lose touch with our body's needs after becoming so overweight. I certainly don't trust my body's signals! But this is the beginning of week three on raw, and I'm getting a bit more trusting of my body, now that I am seeing a change here or there that indicate better health.

For the past couple of days I have found myself eating less than my "recommended" daily calories. In the past, my immediate response would be to just eat more in order not to "starve" my body and "trick it" into slowing its metabolism to stave off starvation- those are methods you learn about when you have a lot of weight to lose. Perhaps now I should just not eat any more if my body is satisfied. Could it be I'm past that beginning stage I've read about where you desire more dense foods (avocados for me) because they mimics the fullness we're used to on SAD? Kind of exciting!!

[calee]

Todd,

Thanks for that suggestion of the MC.

calee