Hi Everyone

A little help please??!!

I've been into raw foods for a couple of years now but have to'd and thro'd between this and cooked food (always vegetarian). I've been upto about 80%-90% raw quite comfortably.

However, I've not had any weight loss and have slowly put weight on. I'm not totally overweight, but at 5'4" I weigh about 147-150 pounds. I'd like to be down to at least 140, and then ideally from there lose some more, down to just 130 would be cool with me.

I do exercise - badminton a couple of times a week, off-road cycling and have just started doing the Tibetan Rejuvination Rites again daily and a bit on my rebounder.

I sleep well, am happy and healthy and am generally in pretty good nick (I'm 40 in a couple of weeks and am feeling in quite a good place) but increasingly frustrated with my weight. I'd like to really kickstart myself and am wondering if a juice fast my see quick fix results? I just think if I manage to do some real work in a couple of weeks and see some results I can then keep myself motivated, which has been my problem and led to some yo-yo eating patterns.

Sounds like such a boring post in comparison to lots of the groovy ones that I see on this board, but I really really would appreciate some of your input.

So, yes, please do give me some of your thoughts.....

GilliVanilli xx

The thing about a fast to lose weight, while the weight does come off, it isn't likely to stay off unless your eating habits are permanently changed.

When you are eating cooked foods, keep your fat intake under 10% and you will have a better chance of staying at a healthy weight.

When you are eating raw, also keep your fat intake under 10% to keep the fat off.

One trick that I use to lose weight is eat "what I want" (nuts, avacados, olive oil incorporated with other things) for 10-14 days. Then I drop the fat content of my diet really low for 3-5 days. Sometimes I do this with a juice or smoothie fast, sometimes by just eating fruits only with maybe one servivig of nuts OR a small amount of olive oil per day. The weight falls off and then the continuyed loss is usually sustained for a several days.
It is pretty painless since the low fat days are only a few per month and I can schedule them according to my life. That is, I try to have them hit on the weekends when I can be close to my juice/blender and/or in less stressful times.

I have not really had the weight come back other than the 2-3 lb variation that I normally experience. My overalltrend has been way down.

This method also reminds me periodically of the beauty of simple eating..ie just grabbing fruit or making a simple salad with balsamic vinegar. It tends to refocus my committment to weight loss without being a "drag".

Best of luck to you

Hello!
If you are already eating healthy and mostly raw I would concentrate on more exercise. I have had excellent luck with weight control that way. In many ways its harder to do than eat well, becase its often physically uncomfortable and quite time consuming. But, now i feel like I can eat as much as I want and not gain. If there is a YMCA or a YWCA near you I would join, and make use of their physical trainers. Get some strength training to get your muscles burning more fuel, and hard, sweaty cardio. 5 or 6 times a week for an hour and a half each time works for me! Good luck!!!
Katie

Thanks for your replies and I think each has certainly hit on something - and it's certainly helfpul to gain ideas from others' insights.

Bryan - yes, I think fat is definitely an issue and then permanently changing my eating habits.


Rawblue - many thanks to you! And definitely something I'm thinking about at the moment.

Katie - yes, yes, yes, I think increased exercise is defintely a way forward.

Really helpful seeing things written down before my eyes! Thanx xx

Are you eating soy? Soy is a goitregen, and slows down the thyroid. A possibility.

have you thought about doing the master cleanse? i completed my third master cleanse about six weeks a go and i lost alot of weight and i have managed to keep it off. i'm 45, 5'2", a mother of five and now weigh 110 pounds. doing the master cleanse not only helped me feel FANTASTIC in all ways, physically, mentally and spiritually (beyond words really), but also helped me to drop those last hard to lose 15-20 pounds i've been carrying around. since ending the fast i've been mostly eating very simply, fruits for the first half of the day and a large green salad with a little flax oil and lemon juice and a sprinkle of pumpkin or sunflower seeds and raisans. the most complicated thing i've eaten is some dehydrated flax crackers i made and some raw cacao macaroons. for desert sometimes i have a bowl of frozen berries with a little agave. the fat i have is a bit of flax oil, some avo here and there, a very small amount of seeds in my salads and the coconut oil in the cookies!. i haven't gotten tired of eating simply yet and haven't gained any weight back.

i also excercise at least 3 times a week throughout the year doing cardio and weights, although i've been a bit slack this summer and haven't gone to the gym very much. too much going on! once school starts for my kids and my life goes back into more of a regular pattern i'll back at the gym. but i know for me that excercise is soo important for my health and wellbeing.

as for the master cleanse, i plan to do it at least a few times a year for the rest of my life! it's truly amazing!!

Hi Rawrrr and yes I do eat soy - so thanks for pointing that out. I intend to be has high raw as I can be over the next few weeks at least so no more soy for a while.

And Purenkind - thanks to you too. The Master Cleanse is something I had considered, but more at the back of my mind - it's good to hear your recommendations.

There's some really good advice/thoughts here and I really do appreciate the feedack and ideas I'm getting. Have a fabulous day! xx

just drink juices
greenz if possible
burn the stuff u don't need
and purify cells simultaneously

the exercise advice is good
but make it interesting
something u can't WAIT to get up in the morning to do

if it ain't that way
find something that is that way

everyone's different
in terms of what kinda workout they like

and if u do it in nature
its much more fun

like at the beach
or in the forest
or on top of your roof

"Chances are the reason you are overweight is because you aren't eating enough fat."

THE FAT THAT CAN MAKE YOU THIN

[www.coconutresearchcenter.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2006 07:18AM by innervegetable.

LaV - love the top tips! I've started off road cycling this summer and love it...it's been great exercise and a fab way to be out of the city. I'm really hearing you about the green juices. I've been juicing it this week in fact, and together with walking more, playing badminton (and will be off cycling this weekend), I'm already feeling lots better!

Cheers again....enjoy your day! x

Exercise is good for burning fat, but you must eat good ORGANIC raw food, mostly greens with sprouts, sunflower seeds and low fat dressing. Fruit is good for you too and won't make you fat. I think you can eat as much as you want as long as it's not too much saturated fat. I don't believe in fasting because it slows down the metabolism too much and you will lose water weight at first and then gain weight aferwards instead.

Hello there,

I agree with Brian, If you really want to lose weight the best way is to lower your fat intake, up your fruit intake and up your exercise. You will get there!

All the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com