APOLOGIES THAT I MAY HAVE PLACED THIS POST IN THE WRONG SPOT ORIGINALLY.

I had been about 60% raw for a couple of months and more recently became 99% raw, which I have maintained for 16 days (I have only deviated with piece of cooked cauliflower, three bites of fish, and 6 roasted nuts). My diet was pretty clean before I started going raw (no sugar, grains or dairy). I am hypothyroid and have difficulty losing weight in general. However I didn't become raw with a main focus of weight (but I sure didn't expect to gain weight!) I became raw in the interest of achieving optimal health and with the notion that perhaps I might be able to some day cure my thyroid. (I'm trying desperately to get off of thyroid medication (I take natural, Armour Thyroid, by the way).

My issue is that I've gained about 10 pounds since I became partially raw..... and that's ten more I need to lose. Here are the facts. Perhaps those of you who are more experienced in the raw lifestyle can shed some light on my situation. Thanks in advance!


1. I'm drinking lime water during the day, along with wheatgrass and/or chlorophyll, in an effort to balance my often acidic pH.

2. My eliminations are great (and were before going raw). I have about five per day.

3. I work out six days per week for an hour, rotating cardio and weight training.

4. Here are several examples of my daily food intake during the last couple of weeks:

Example Day One:

- Green drink (all fresh; all organic - spinach, kale, parsley, one green apple, wheat grass basil, mint, lime)
- 1 large young coconut
- 2 bananas
- Romaine with an avocado
- macadamia nuts, cherries and blackberries


Example Day Two:

- Green drink (all fresh; all organic - spinach, kale, parsley, one green apple, wheat grass basil, mint, lime)
- Blueberries, watermelon, a banana
- Raw harvest sandwich from leaf cuisine with sprouts, avocado, lettuce
- One small pear
- Raw veggies (carrots, peppers, olives, jicama)
- Green drink (all fresh; all organic - spinach, chard, parsley, one green apple, wheat grass basil, mint, lime)
- Berries, peaches, cherries and macadamia nuts with flax oil


Example Day Number Three:

- Green drink (all fresh; all organic - spinach, chard, parsley, one green apple, wheat grass basil, mint, lime)
- Young coconut
- Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
- Fresh squeezed orange juice
- Avocado and 2 raw taquitos
- Macadamia nuts, cherries, blueberries and flax seed oil
- Mango

Example Day Number Four:

- Small organic apple
- Green drink (spinach, kale, parsley, lime, apple, mint, basil)
- Lara bar
- Green Drink
- Two fully raw taquitos
- Glass of water with wheatgrass tea
- 1C. berries (organic wild blueberries and organic cherries) plus 1/8 C. raw organic macadamia nuts, Flax oil
- 1 small organic avocado with sprouted raw soy sprouts, onion sprouts, salsa, cilantro



I welcome your raw advice! The only thing I can think of is that my thyroid has been a bit too low lately.

Thanks so much!

Too many calories, too much fat.

Try cutting out the fat for a few weeks: no coconut, no avocado, no oils, no flax, no nuts, no seeds, no olives. You should lose 1-2 lbs per week if you are fully compliant.

I recommend this yahoo group to you:
NaturalThyroidHormones@yahoogroups.com

I deal with thyroid issues also. No fun!

Sometiimes adrenal issues come up when you take Armour. These guys, as well as the website: stopthethyroidmadness.com can help


Good luck and keep us posted!!

I'd be interested to know the quantity of fatty foods, because (especially with 6 hours of exercise a week) it doesn't sound like a lot of food to me. Not so much extra that s/he should be gaining 10lbs in 2.5 months. I couldn't do that even if I ate an extra bag of potato chips every single day.

Do you blog? Add your blog to the thread on blogging: [www.rawfoodsupport.com]!!

i agree aurora, it doesn't seem to make sense.... here are my thoughts.

* instead of looking at it from the time you went "60% raw" start the ticker over when you went 99%. 60% raw can easily be 90+% of your calories from cooked foods, so its no indicator of the efficacy of a raw diet for weight loss.
* are your green drinks juices, or smoothies? you might need more fiber, consider on your two-green drinks days to have one as a blended soup or smoothie instead of a juice...
* is your exercise regime new, or is it ongoing?
* are your cardio workouts including any high intensity/interval work at all, or all steady state?
* weigh yourself once a month only. take your measurements instead, and check those weekly or every other week. do bust (right around the nipple line), chest (just under your bust), waist (1/2 inch above belly button), hips (biggest part), thighs (biggest part), calves (largest part), upper arm (largest part above the elbow), and forearm (largest part below the elbow)

I agree with the above great posts. Additionally, my opinion is that 16 days is too short a time period to guage any long-term weight plan. Give it 6 months to see where your plan is taking you. In ANY event, my opinion is that if you are not basically eating UNDER the amount of calories that YOU need on a daily basis to maintain body weight....that the weight will not readily come off. So: calculate how many calories you are taking in and COMPLETELY journal everything you are taking in....so that you KNOW what is going on. Do this for AT LEAST 30 days...until you are in the habit of finding eating/snacking habits that facilitate this lesser caloric intake....and still allow you to feel full and satisfied. Just my experiences/opinions.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I am not pro-10% of calories from fat in the least (as an ongoing thing), but I tend to agree that you MIGHT be eating too much fat. Have you plugged your intakes into fitday to see? Might want to try that. The fat, if too much, will weigh you down and cause your body to work harder to digest the food.

Also, think simple - whole foods, no blending....maybe mono meals for a little while, to see how you feel.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

two thoughts:

1. What time of day are you eating/drinking? Even healthy foods taken shortly before bedtime can result in weight gain.

2. I wonder if you are giving your body too few calories, thus causing it to go into starvation mode where everything is horded rather than used? This is all too common in dieters and some people with eating disorders.

Sharon
www.wildsuccess.us

Can you try a mostly fresh fruit meal for a few days and then go to fruit and vegetable meals. Fruit is extremel cleansing so may be try that first? As many of them suggested avoid all fatty foods like avocadoes etc.

I also agree that it is not enough time, allow atleas a few months and I am sure that you will lose a lot of weight.

I have read good things about raw diet and thyroid problems. On a diet of 99% raw I am sure that you will find improvement..

Take care
A Iyer

I gained alot of weight raw vegan about 10-15 more than usual, as fruitarian I maintain my ideal weight

I will gain weight with more than a few ounces (1-3) of fat a day and I am physically active daily.

if you suffer from hypothyroid condition, you could maybe add seaweed to your diet, it fastins the metabolism, cause it gives the iodine your thyroid needs...

And along with the others, i would cut on fat... I think avocados have something like 250 calories! thats alot for a fruit...

Macadamias are the most high in fat...Perhaps you could replace that with sprouted almonds? They are not as fat, and sprouting them is supposed to lower their calorie content, by half!

and...instead of taking oil (like flax) by itselg, eat flaxseeds instead

Suvine

you're actually thinner when you are fruitarian? Im supprised, because of the amount of sugar in that way of eating!
How many fruits do you eat per day?

Sugar in fruit has the same number of calories per gram as protein (4-ish, slightly less) and far less than fat--plus it's packed with all that water, fiber, and other nutrients when it's in the fruit.

Aurura55, I actually lost a ton of pounds eating more food than you have listed here. I don't think there is a cookie cutter answer and you just have to play around with foods and see which ones cause weight gain for you. Fasting really helped me get in tune with my body on this level. After a long fast, I could easily see which foods helped me maintain, lose or gain.

Ironically when I eat lots of fatty foods, I lose weight.

When I cut back on foods and eliminate my avos, raw cacao treats, almonds or macademia nuts I gain weight!

Drinkings tons of water also flushes your system out really well. This may be impacting your metabolism. I drink 2-3 liters of water every day and probably more than this most days. I really think has a great deal to do with keeping my weight level. I recognize that eating lots of greens and vegetables and fruits with high water content negates us needing a lot of water. But during the transition it's helped me a lot. I've always loved water though and always have my klean kanteen with me.

I recommend fasting, a good colon, liver and kidney cleanse then see which foods work with your unique body to attain your goals. Feels like your system needs a slight tune up and to drink more water? After I cleansed my colon, boom, my system changed completely.

I still eat a lot of food all day long and again I'm losing more weight than I want. I'm 5'2 and 110 and want to stay here, don't want to get super skinny. I think it's an individual body thing. Don't worry too much about it, everything cycles with this process. Your body may also be detoxing and releasing toxins...holding onto some fats in your body in the process. You never know. ;-)

Best wishes!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2008 05:18PM by rawangel.

aurora55

you should add sprouts to your diet too. Sprouted beans (adzuki,lentils,chickpeas,mung...) can be very filling

I think you would receive more benefit from 1 Brazil nut a day (or 2) than the macadamias you're eating.

Dear aurora55,

If you are gaining weight on a healthy, balanced raw diet, it means one of two things.

1) You need to gain weight. Your body may have been in a deficit on some ways and in order to stabilize it is gaining weight, either short term, or for good. To assume that some extra weight is bad, is but an assumption. People gain and lose weight at different times of their lives for many different reasons. For example, when males go through puberty, their metabolism generally increased and they gain muscle weight. When women are ready to have children, they often gain some weight in fat to be able to conceive, carry, and deliver a child. These are genetically hard-wired things that are not even worth fighting - just recognize and honor, if you ask me.

2)You have unresolved physical, emotional, or "spiritual" areas that are blocking your life flow in some way. If something significant (unresolved pain, deadened hopes & dreams, unsaid gratitude of love, etc.) is there blocking you up....all the raw food in the wolrd will help to give you the "fuel" to face it directly, but ultimately, you have to do that when you are ready.

Good luck, my friend.

Love,
Paul

[www.oneillpaul.com-a.googlepages.com]

I think you are definitely not consuming enough calories for the amount of exercise that you do. I am proof of that struggle. I am a recovered anorexic/bulemic and now struggle to keep my weight down. I also have hypothyroidism too. I am about 10 pounds over weight (what is recommended, not what my eating disorder tells me) and have struggled to get it down. It does seem to level out when I eat 90% raw. But when I exercise (which I do, 6 days per week pretty intensely) I have to be sure to eat ALOT. I gain weight extremely fast. I've been known to gain 10-15 in a month! All because I don't get all my calories in. You need to figure out what your resting metabolic rate is and what your activity level is to figure out how many calories you should be taking in to lose. I think you would be surprised at that number. I know I was. For instance, I need to consume 2200-2400 per day. I think that's alot. Also, if you are doing weight resistance YOU HAVE TO DRINK A TON OF WATER! Your muscles use all the water in your body to repair and when you don't drink enough, you will retain. So alot of the weight you may be gaining is not fat, but water retention. JUST PLAIN WATER, nothing in it! Opt for 1-2 gallons. I know it may sound like alot, but you'll get used to it. I know your struggle, good luck.

rost0037 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I will gain weight with more than a few ounces
> (1-3) of fat a day and I am physically active
> daily.


I wouldn't be surprised; 3oz of fat a day is 750 calories.

Do you blog? Add your blog to the thread on blogging: [www.rawfoodsupport.com]!!

Well, I'm overwhelmed with all of the responses and very grateful for your input!!! Just wish your sentiments didn't all contradict one another. I guess that's the beauty of biomedical individualization (a fancy medical term for the fact that everyone's body is different!).

Let me try to respond to a few of the posts above. Thank you all so much!!!

1. I will definitely try cutting the fat and see if that helps. Perhaps just fruits and veggies would be best for now.

2. I will absolutely check out stopthethyroidmadness.com and naturalthyroidhormes@yahoogroups.com

3. My green drinks consist of spinach, kale, chard, parsley, 1/4 of a lime, one green apple and basil. I drink about 80 ounces (lots of water in it, of course) per day. This is likely about a pound or more of greens/day.

4. My workouts include rotation of cardio interval training and weight training every other day. Trust me, these workouts are intense. Last night I did 90 minutes of calisthenics (squat thrusts, jumping rope, lunges, squats and more). I honestly don't know anyone who works out as hard or as consistently as I do (sad, I know). I also change my workouts every six weeks to keep it fresh and keep my body challenged. Sometimes I train with a trainer and sometimes on my own.

5. I try not to eat after 7pm. (That's the earliest I can do, since I typically work late.)

6. I drink very large amounts of water (and no other drinks except for my greens).

7. My pH is still acidic!

8. I doubt that I need to gain weight, but I think your reasons seem compelling as to why that might be a consideration. I should be a good 20 pounds or more lighter than I am right now.

9. As for unresolved physical, emotional or spiritual areas blocking my life flow? Hmmmm. I'll have to think about that. I feel pretty happy and satisfied in life overall. Have an amazing marriage, great career and wonderful family. I suppose it's possible that there is something deep-seeded, but it's not readily apparent to me. The only thing I can think of is that I've wanted to get off of thyroid for 11 years, and want to have a normal metabolism once again.

10. I will try adding seaweed. Can you explain where to get it and how to prepare it?

The bummer is that I'm now at about three weeks raw and feeling pretty poorly. It's sad, but I've felt so well prior to this, and I hope raw has been the right decision for me. My doctor has insisted that the Paleo diet is the best choice for Hypothyroids, but I've long held on to the notion that there is a cure out there for my thyroid, especially since I go through seasons when I need more and seasons when I need less thyroid. I'm actually guessing that maybe my thyroid is off a bit right now. At first I lowered my dose, and then I felt horrible and had to increase it. Has anyone else out there been on thyroid? Can you share if/how you got off of it and how long it took? I SO want to get off, but just can't seem to lower my dose and feel okay. I HATE being on medication...even if it's natural. I don't take any kind of drugs (pharmaceutical or otherwise), with this one glaring exception....

Thank you all again!

I checked out the stopthethyroidmadness.com site, and it's great. Thanks so much! It's quite similar to my story, which is posted at www.howigotwell.com (on the home page). I actually got my life back due to switching to natural Armour thyroid supplement, however I so desperately want to be free of taking thyroid, natural or not...anyone out there that can help????

Thanks so much!

hey aurora, i went looking for others diagnosed with thyroid issues for you...
[www.rawfoodtalk.com]
[www.rawfoodtalk.com]
[www.rawfoodtalk.com]
[www.rawfoodtalk.com]
[www.rawfoodtalk.com]
[www.rawfoodtalk.com]

good luck to you!

maui_butterfly -

Thank you SO very much!!!!

oh gosh, you're welcome...

hi aurora

i have no pat answers for you

except to say that i hope you continue to persevere and not think that 16 days is the be end of the end all

u got the rest of your life to experiment with and see what will happen

keep trying different things and even if you get discouraged , know that there are always answers... they just aren't easy to find

but are probably worth whatever effort u put in

think long term

Seabucktho Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rost0037 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I will gain weight with more than a few ounces
> > (1-3) of fat a day and I am physically active
> > daily.
>
>
> I wouldn't be surprised; 3oz of fat a day is 750
> calories.

Yeah, I was kind of wondering how so many people can LOSE on gourmet raw. But I think many people start out very overweight (like if I were 160# and gaining, and eating tiny SAD portions that still added up to 3000 calories a day). Maybe they fill up quick if they aren't used to the fiber. Then the gourmet raw will allow them to lose until they get closer to their optimal weight. And then it's simplify or keep the weight.

i have to agree with rost 0037 concerning the raw GOURMET thing

because most of it consists of nuts

Aurora55

I'm tellin' ya, make sure your calories are up with that amount of intense exercise! I'm speaking from 15 years of experience with this, including hypothyroid. Your body will hang on to every single calorie and ounce of water if it doesn't have enough fuel. It will think you are starving it. You will gain weight whether it's all veggies or all fat. It doesn't matter, not enough calories and your body goes into starvation mode and the last thing to leave will be fat. Muscle goes first and fat is the body's protector. Just be careful!!

I don't think that's a lot of exercise; it seems great to me.