Hi all.

I am new to this board and was wondering if anyone could advise on the overweight person (ME) who would like to try incorporating raw foods into a weight loss plan. I have tried going raw before, and cannot stick to it for very long. I crave not only cooked foods, but those that are really unhealthy, like refined sugar and carbs.

I am so miserable from all the weight that I have gained. I am up to about 220 lbs on a 5 foot 7 in. frame. I am a large boned woman, but by no means should I weigh this much, and it has become difficult to get around because of the weight. I have NO motivation to go to the gym, even though I pay for a gym membership every month. I WANT to go, but I just don't for some reason. I obsess about food...it is a very consuming issue with me. I subscribe to cooking mags, I shop for cookbooks, or UNcook books ( I have a bunch of Raw recipe books), and wake up thinking about what I am going to eat or NOT going to eat. I obsess just as much over the RAW diet as a SAD one.

I was wondering if there is anyone here who has been in this same boat, and what they did to to lose weight, besides exercise, (which I KNOW I need to do). What do you DO to curb the food craving/issue/obsessions? I have about 50+ pounds to lose and I just keep eating. It is like I am addicted to a drug at times...I eat when I am not hungry, and am not really sure WHY. Any advice?

Hi and welcome otis:

I totally understand what you are saying. It can become such a vicious cycle, and the more you have to lose or the more improvements you need to make, the more discouraged you can get - been there!! It's so overwhelming!

All I can say is to try to start with smaller goals - maybe you don't have to be one-hundred percent raw, two hours a day at the gym, totally committed to every aspect of self improvement right off the bat. That's where I usually go wrong - when I start setting myself up to do more than I can really handle.

So what if you start by going a little raw at a time - could you do one raw meal a day? Could you substitute fresh fruit for a snack next time you get a craving? Instead of expecting too much from the gym, could you just go a couple of times a week for now, and walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes? (This probably won't change your fitness level instantly, but it will certainly start you off on the habit of actually going)

Every time you set a small goal, and actually accomplish it, you will discover it is very easy to build a little bit on it. But please, try not to rush yourself, or you could just be setting yourself up for a fall.

You could start a diary on this forum, and keep track of your small accomplishments as they come - you are sure to get lots of encouragement, and before you know it, you might find you have reached some pretty large accomplishments!

Good luck, and please let us know what you decide.

Sapphire

perhaps just have a little chat with yourself - do you really want to lose weight? what benefits are you receiving from being overweight?

just go through your mind and tell yourself not to be frightened, weight loss isn't scary and you can do anything - but it will all be okay.

It's scary to do things that are new, and know that we can accomplish them. Just tell yourself that everyday you can make new choices and you will always be there to hold your hand - you won't change WHO you are but you will learn a lot.

have faith in yourself and don't be scared : )

What I did in the beginning was to write down EVERYTHNING I eat and drink! I would even put notes on how I felt after eating that food. I hated to exercise too. So I bought a book called "Dumbbells for Woman" and I do 10 minutes every other day. I found this easy and quick and it brought results I wanted.

As for eating, I would try to eat raw food all day once a week, and the other days I would eat raw food when I was in the mood. I found the more I added raw food into my diet, I wanted more. I especially loved making smoothies in the morning for breakfast, which helped me lose weight quickly. Smoothies filled me up.

There are so many stories I read that people have succeeded on raw foods, it is wonderful. Good luck and enjoy life.

Have you tried fasting? I found the Master Cleanse an easy way to transition. Totally kills cravings and all that and by the time you get off, you don't want junk and tend to want healthier food. You'll also lose at least 10lbs EASY from bloat/water/colon junk. Fasting also shrinks your stomach (on the inside) so a small meal will actually fill you up. Read up on www.themastercleanse.com and see if it interests you..or browse their message board.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2008 03:46PM by LikeItOrNot.

Alissa Cohen's board is really geared for raw weight loss support. Everyone even has their weightloss stats in their signature!

[www.rawfoodtalk.com]

You are so fortunate to be 5.7 and only 220, I am 5.5 and started out 360. I did not realize just how overweight I was either. I went compleatly raw over night and have lost 90 pound in six monthes but I still have a long ways to go to get thinner. The holidays have taken its toll on my diet and I am struggleing to get back to raw. The more I push to eat completely raw the more I resist. Its crazy. Yesterday I made a large green smoothie consisting of nothing but green kale,spinach and dandilion greens. That filled me up and then I ate several mandern oranges. The rest was cooked foods. I am thinking the more I just keep trying and adding raw foods in my diet the closer I will get to becoming raw again. It does have its benifits besids losing weight. I read a lot of information about the diet but I think one thing is to consider other factors in our lives besides food. Think about the air you breath and your spirituality. Meditate create a balance for yourself. I also joined a weight loss group inwhich we weigh in once a week that keeps an accountibility for my weight. The group is called t.o.p.s. there may be one in your location. You chose the diet in tops. In my opinion we cannot force a change. I am still learning and still have weight to lose I will keep persevering to become raw You will to. I am a firm believer it is the right way to eat I just have to get around the habits I have lived with for so many years.
You can do it.

Have you seen Angela Stoke's website [www.rawreform.com] ? She lost a lot of weight on raw foods. If you read her extended story at [www.rawreform.com] you will see that she did it somewhat gradually and it still worked.

Just try to eliminate the two worst foods - refined starches and sugars - and replace them with something better. Like sprouted bread with almond butter - for now. Then eat a lot of raw fruit & veggies too. Good luck!

Karen DeVeaux
[www.healingtype1diabetes.typepad.com]