Have people experienced a change in weight when starting raw? I have actually gained weight, and don't need to. Or, want to for that matter! But, I have only been about 70% raw and feel like I am eating a lot more. I thought that people usually just dropped weight pretty easily though when eating raw? No? I eat 1/2 avacado a day, no nuts really, maybe 2 dates....and nothing with big fat content. Any personal stories?

hey vf... i went raw (some would argue 90-something%, i still use occasional agave, nama shoyu, miso, and some spices that i am pretty sure are not raw...) and dropped 50 lbs in 3.5 months, no lie! although i have been raw for almost 8 months now, my weight has plateaued, but i am also doing lots of strength training, so i am still reducing inches/dropping clothing sizes. i'm 5'10" 155lbs, 37 years old.

in those first 3.5 months, i was eating so many avocados and nuts, it was insane. and i still lost weight at a rapid pace. i'm not saying you have to stop eating cooked food, but you can't go 70% and then say "hey, i thought i was supposed to lose weight on this here raw food diet!" i promise, its not the raw foods that are causing you to gain weight. give your system a break from processing cooked foods, and you will shed the pounds.

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i went raw (some would argue 90-something%, i still use occasional agave, nama shoyu, miso, and some spices that i am pretty sure are not raw...) and dropped 50 lbs in 3.5 months,

Now that's the very definition of "You go, girl!" (Sorry, I've been living in the city too long... LOL)

Aha! I have a weight adventure, and I'm @ 10 weeks/100% raw.

I guess it's also worth mentioning, I don't use any sweeteners, no nama shoyu, spices and garlic VERY rarely, no onion, no vinegar, and the occasional cacao. I lost my taste for greens about 2-3 weeks into raw, sprout, eat seaweed, and mad amounts of fruit.

First month: I ate 3-4000 calories a day, in tons of nuts, avocados, seeds, 1/4 a jar of coconut butter in a sitting, got WAAAAY too much fat. I was 120-125 lbs. when I started (I'm 5'7''): my low was 103 by the end of the first month. I dropped all that weight on a crazy high-fat raw diet. O.O

Second month: I toned down the fats a little bit, phased out nuts, though I still ate a lot of seeds/sprouts/coconut/durian, and all of a sudden, my weight stayed parked.

Third month: In the past 2-3 weeks, I have been much better with my fats--still can't quit the durian, I'll put a bit of flax in smoothies, I noticed I'm eating less and assimilating more--I gained 15 pounds!! I'm at 115, now. The weight that's coming in is beautiful... I went from blobs of cellulite to very sexy curves. XD I think my body is finally starting to USE the calories I give it now, and it's done being frantic in the absence of fried foods. =) I also started doing yoga daily for about 40 minutes, so that might have impacted the weight gain/body shape positively. (Yeah!!)

So, the body does whatever it wants according to a scale of priorities somewhat beyond our understanding, I'd say. Even when my weight isn't visibly "doing" anything, changes are constantly happening within my body. Right now, my skin is starting to GLOW. More than weight, I'd love to see the circles under my eyes gone... but, again, the body has this "secret" schedule that is infinitely more wise than we are. As long as your diet is varied, making sure you get plenty of everything wholesome, your body will dump the old tissues and build new ones and then find a happy medium.

Great fluffy muffins, phantom! That's quite a story! The first one like it that I've heard. It just goes to show how differently this lifestyle treats different bodies. Congratulations on the new, improved you!

that's fabulous, phantom! i completely agree, the body is on its own schedule. relax, kick back, and let it do its thing. as long as you are giving it the proper fuel, the proper rest, and the proper exercise, your weight cannot help but normalize.

> More than weight, I'd love to
> see the circles under my eyes gone...

this stuff is noticeably working for me: [simplydivinebotanicals.com]

i tried it on the recommendation of another rawfoodist on another board. love it!

I haven't had a change in weight that I know of. Well, okay, I don't weigh myself but I know approximately how much I weigh and it's been the same for years (I'm sure during cycle time it might fluctuate, but otherwise, no). I have, HOWEVER, increased my caloric intake dramatically for someone my size and this has not caused weight gain - it's like my metabolism raised. I am at least 75% or more raw for 1 month plus 50% or more raw a month before that. So I don't know if my calorie needs will reduce eventually.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

Also, some days I have dark circles, too, but it's because I am rarely tired when I eat so much raw. It's like I have constant energy (I had a lot before but would get tired around 10 p). I imagine that will balance out eventually, too, and I will be able to sleep more or an adequate amount to not get circles. In the interim, I get more work done. And probably burn more being awake.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

I have been probably between about 90% raw for two weeks now (I know, not long ) and I am noticing that my clothes are fitting better. I am about 118 and 5'4, nut I don't weigh myself because I get obsessive! Not sure whether it's "weight" that is going, or just bloatedness from poor food and poor digestion and and poor elimination. My tummy is SO flat in the mornings now compared to before and I'm much less puffy when I wake up.

So it's GOOD!

I started eating raw last June. From June to November I lost a wopping 90 pounds. I was 100 percent raw and ate avacado and salad dressing on the salad. Unfortunately I have not been raw since thanksgiving day and I have been struggleing with weight gain. I also have been struggling with getting back to eating raw.

WOW! Some pretty inspirational stories about weight loss and recovery. I love it! It truly does help me stay on track to read about other positive experiences. Thank you!!

nothing much changes with my weight but i am slim to begin with.

if i don't eat enough now while i'm nursing the baby i start looking pretty boney. gotta have a lot of calories right now.

I've been raw for a little over 2 months and I've lost weight (even though I'm getting tons of calories). When I started, I was 5'3" and weighed 112. That had been my weight for over 10 years. I was an avid runner (2.5 miles about 3 times a week)...which probably helped keep my weight so stable.

Last week, I was shocked to see that I weighted 104 lbs. Also, I stopped running about 1.5 months ago. My friends started making "Nicole Richie" jokes so I added some cooked food to slow this loss. I started going to the sauna when I started going raw (to aid my body in getting rid of toxins...so that may have contributed to my weight loss).

This week I weigh a bit more...106. This is probably due to the cooked food I have been eating. I hope to cut it out again and see what happens.

Good luck with your journey!

Leesah,

As long as you're getting enough food (not some nonsense like 500 calories/day), and varying what you eat, if your body needs to gain, I'm sure it will give all the weight it needs right back to you, when it's ready to do so.

All of my pants were falling down around the holidays, I lost so much weight. But now I'm eating less quantity, less fats/calories, and I really did fill back out, and nicely. There were literally a few weeks when my boyfriend was begging me to buy new pants that fit properly, but I refused because I had no idea how my weight was going to stabilize, or if I'd grow back into them--I have very poor muscle mass, and would like to use raw to address that issue. Plus, I have read in lots of places that after you drop the bad tissues, the body builds new ones--that's how people GAIN weight toward the end of 40 day water fasts, if they need to.

I can see how it would be uncomfortable if your body is busy with something other than building visibly, and if it's attracting negative attention, so I would suggest three things: have patience, eat the amount of raw that is comfortable for you, and try a durian, if you really want! They are a monstrous source of calories from heaven (or, Thailand, but I have been to neither of these places ^.^). A durian a day keeps... the weight loss at bay... or something.