Hi.. I am on a rawfood diet to cure my lupus. I have had wonderful results.. BUT... I am 5'4" and lean. I have lost 4lbs on this diet, I now weigh 112.. I do not want to loose weight. I need to gain weight..If anyone else has this issue please give me advice. Thank You!!!

Hi witchymichelle-

That's great you're having such good results going raw. I'm really not an expert at all, and there are alot of people here who have much more experience than I do, but I'll tell you what's working for me. I'm pretty lean and don't want to loose any more weight either.

High quality fats in moderation are what help me get enough calories. I just can't eat enough fruits and vegetables to sustain my weight otherwise. Coconut is a great source of calories and good fat- fresh coconut as well as raw, unrefined coconut oil and butter. Seeds and nuts work also, and I eat these daily, but I can't digest too many. Avocados are another food I rely on. I hope that helps.... good luck and best of luck restoring your good health!

Rest assured that there ARE ways to gain weight on a raw food diet. The key is in finding a nutrient balance that is suitable for your body. Generally, by including more healthy fats from fruits, vegetables and nuts (such as avocado, olives, sunflower seeds, cashews, etc) and protein rich vegetables (lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, leafy greens), you can put on healthy weight in the form of muscle mass. You may need to go through a brief detox so that your body can once more learn to assimilate nutrients properly. You can also try including more smoothies for weight gain in your diet.

Below you can find two articles that will help you better understand how you can improve your body weight on a raw food diet and by drinking nutrient dense smoothies. I hope you'll find them helpful!

[rawfoodhealthwatch.com]
[rawfoodhealthwatch.com]

Good luck!

Keeping it raw at [rawfoodhealthwatch.com]

Thank You Michelle..
I did a detox already. I had no choice because my Lupus was so out of control. I so appreciate the advice from both of you girls.
Blessings to All.

112 pounds is actually not a bad weight. Most healthy weight recommendations (like those from Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. McDougall) would place a 5'4" female around there (111 and 108, respectively).

What really matters is your body fat. I sugest getting one of those hand-held fat monitors, if you don't already have one. I suspect you're probably within the 18-21% range (unless you are completely inactive, in which case you're body may be higher), which is perfectly healthy.

If you're still really intent on gaining, start doing some resistance training 2-3x per week.



Swayze
[www.fitonraw.com]

Swayze,
I am very active.. I am a bartender and run around all day long. I had to stop doing the things I love outdoors because of my Lupus. It effected all my joints and muscles. Holding a fork was difficult. I have come along way since the whole food diet. Thank Goddess!
I am glad to hear that I am in range with my height.. That makes me feel better. My next step is to build up the muscle that I have lost due to inactivity.
Thank You for the info.. You can never get enough info..Keep it coming!
Blessings,
Michelle

my advise is look at somebody who looks like you want to weight wise and do that. aka david advocado wolfe. after surgery and atrofy i eat lots of advocates and filled right up also lots of Durrian coconut meat and flax are possibilities . of course i myself enjoy avoiding oils and other sources of fats and keeping these ones from nuts etc lower now

life vs lifelessness

Hi..I am looking for people that have been cured by this whole food diet. I will confess I am only 13 days into this and find it difficult. I hunger for my other diet.. BUT.. I had no choice but to try this. I have noticed drastic change in my pain since i've been on this diet. I find it difficult to cook or not cook my meals. I am Italian soooo i am used to my pastas and breads etc. Now they r a no no. I guess im looking for moral support from folks that are dealing with the same issues. Thanks for listening to me vent.
Light and Love
Michelle

I have different health challenges, but I can share the great success I've had so far. I had major thyroid and adrenal stuff going on, and my symptoms were completely debilitating. It's been about 6 months of raw for me now, and the last 3 months have been 100% raw. I can tell you that losing almost half of my hair and barely being able to swallow because my thyroid gland was so enlarged kept me from going back to the pastas and breads... Forget about feeling sick, vanity is what finally got me on track. Today, I have more energy than when I was in my 20's (I'm 51), my hair is getting thicker and thicker (yay!), and I feel so good that there is just no turning back now.

Aside from really wanting my hair and energy back, another thing that kept me raw and dedicated to a healthy diet, has been learning as much as I can. It has become a passion for me to learn about how our bodies function, and how foods, superfoods and herbs affect and maximize that function. I read constantly about this stuff, literally daily, and I can tell you that this also has helped me so much.

For me, once I figured out what was really inspiring me to eat this way, and once I really started to feel the mental clarity and heightened spiritual awareness that is possible with such a clean diet, it really became easy.

Good luck to you, Michelle. This is a great place, and there are many really supportive people here who have helped me alot. Stick around, and stick with it!

Jennifer

Thank You Jennifer... I guess I have to figure out how to portion raw food so I am getting the nutrients I need. I will keep moving forward.. Praying that the Universe leads to to my Health back.. I too care about my appearance and I feel I am way to skinny.. I dont want to be seen right now.. So going back to work on Tues is scarey for me. Anyway... Thank You again. I will also hold you in my thoughts and prayers.

Light and Love,
Michelle

lots of cashews and peanuts might help

Gaining or losing weight is not the issue, the main issue is proper nutrient assimilation, when you have that working properly the body will return to its natural weight if that means loosing or gaining.
You have to work at getting your digestive system to properly break down and assimilate the nutrients, for most it is not the case and so much effort is spent on super foods. Local food is super.

witchymichelle,

Four pounds ins't a serious weight loss, even if slim--ten in a short amount of time would be worrying, by comparison.

Please remember that, as mammals, we secrete not just micronutrients but toxins in our fat tissues. It isn't unusual for even a not overweight person trying raw vegetarianism to thin out significantly after a period of high raw, only to re-gain a good amount of fat tissues and muscle mass further on, when the body has evacuated a lot of its stored junk and is ready to acheive stasis again.

I would say keep doing what you are doing, making sure to eat enough calories and try to eat "clean" foods as much as possible--organic or well washed produce, espceially high cal fruits(anti-inflammatory). Do increase your fat consumption if you feel a craving for it, but keep in mind that maintaining muscle is important and that movement is more integral to this than calorie count. Good luck!