I'm 18 and have been vegan for two years. I love it, but I wanted to take an even healthier approach by going completely raw. I've cut out all processed foods (which is where I used to get the majority of my calories), artificial sugars, etc. The problem is I'm losing weight because I'm not getting a proper amount of food or caloric intake. I've been living off of fresh celery, carrots, pineapple and banana. Than sounds like a lot, but I've still been losing weight. I recovered from an eating disorder a year ago, and I don't want to deal with losing too much weight as I'm just barely hitting a healthy BMI now. So, how do you guys get fulfilling meals and stay at a healthy weight?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

This is what I do:

first meal: JUICE
second meal (breakfast): FRUIT
third meal (lunch): FRUIT
fourth meal (dinner): SALAD

I eat ~4500 calories a day.

My biggest sources of calories come from bananas and dates.

If you are recovering from an eating disorder, keep in mind that your body would experience a gain of weight at first. Eating enough calories is more important than being raw. If you cannot find enough raw food, you need to eat from like pasta, potatoes, etc. Your body would also feel lethargic at first (maybe one month) even if you eat a lot as it is being internally repaired. Calories are needed in order for the glands to work properly. For example, the liver uses more calories than the brain. If you don't eat enough, your body makes compromises to keep you alive. Eat plenty.

Greater variety and greater volume, Bri; eat until you are no longer hungry, but not "stuffed." Welcome and good luck!

This definitely takes time to get calories up. Sometimes I eat when I'm not hungry which is new to me.

My video to keep me inspired on my health quest: [www.youtube.com]

Add more nuts and seeds to your salads/smoothies. make sure any smoothies you make are 500Kcals minimum, so use 3-4 bananas per smoothy. Eat salad from a huge salad bowl, not a plate.

Hi Bri,

Great awareness on your part to seek guidance and feedback on your diet. It sounds like you'll want to make sure you are getting a good source of fat in your meals. You could include raw almonds, walnuts, & brazil nuts. Avocado is wonderful too. You could have some raw nut butters. With fruits & vegetables, you can eat a lot! It's so important that you do get enough calories throughout your day. Allow your body/mind system to go through a shift from eating processed food-like products to now whole unprocessed foods that are filled with nutrients. You need to eat more of these to fill up. Take it slow, stay in community, and keep support near by. Peace.

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Sounds life you need to eat more greens! Green juice, [fresherthanlife.com] is one of the easiest ways to do it--not necessarily to add calories but to encourage healthy blood/weight/nutrition.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2013 06:21AM by fresherthanlife.