Any raw diet testimonials of losing weight?

[warriormom]

I am considering a 28 day challenge to go mostly raw. I have poly cystic ovaries and hypothyroid. Me meds are regulated, but I have a hard time making the scale budge.

 

Anyone have a testimonial of losing weight with a raw diet? Any tips or suggestions? How long did it take for you to lose?

[duckens]

I am not raw foodist, or even a vegetarian, but I feel as if I am moving that direction because of how my eating habits have changed since the beginning of the year. In fact, a week ago, I started reading/researching raw foodism online because of my food changes.

 

I have been tracking my food via CalorieCount.com, and I have been participating in their "Calorie Camp" program since around Christmas. This is all free.

 

Since beginning this program, I have lost 17.5 pounds. :party:

Don't get too excited. I have more than 80 pounds to go. But for me, I have had trouble before getting the scale to move, too. In 3 more pounds, I will be thinner than Loverboy has ever seen me for the 6.5 years he has known me.

 

On a daily basis, I try to consume 400g of fruit and 400g vegetables. The vegetables are mostly raw, but some are cooked. I aim for 25+ grams of fiber, and a nutritional grade of A- or higher for my food that day. (This is averaged out). I do still eat meat (cooked, of course!), but I try to eat only local meat; and I feed my family vegetarian as often as I can.

 

I still don't exercise much, so all of my weight loss has been from food modification.

 

Although I feel like I am moving in the direction of being a raw foodist, I doubt I will ever be that way fully. I still eat a traditional dinner with my family. We had tostadas for supper tonight. Last night we had homemade vegetable soup with fruit, salad, crackers, and cheese on the side. And it was good!

 

If you feel that a 28 day challenge to eat more raw foods will help you, then you should do it. Any increase in fruits and vegetables can only be good.:)

 

You know your family situation better than anyone else, but I would consider these things:

 

1) How will you plan all meals when you eat food different than your family members? It is a challenge to make separate food for yourself for every single meal of the day. This is one reason that I eat with my family for supper, but often eat bowls of fruit or vegies for breakfast or lunch.

 

Don't think that I am a purist for breakfast and lunch. I will also have cereal, PB toast, hummus and pretzels, or crackers and cheese for these meals sometimes.

 

2) How will you get enough calories to function throughout the day? If I do not get enough calories throughout the day, I am cranky, tired, snitching food one fingerful at a time, or all of the above. Have a plan to get carbs when you need them.

 

3) Look around for an online calorie count plan. There are several that are free. You don't have to use CalorieCount.com. I just use it because it lists most of the foods I eat, and they have an easy interface for me to enter and save my personal recipes.

 

A study done a couple years ago tracked people who used an online (non-specified) calorie counter vs. those who did not. Those who used online help were more successful at losing weight than those who did not.

 

You don't need to reply to answer any of these questions. Just have a plan so you can be as successful as we want you to be!!!

[Isabella]

I guess you could say that I've gone raw, but instead of EATING only raw fruit and veges, I've been juicing them (ala Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead movie!)

 

I've been on it 12 days now, and have lost 17.6lb. :party: I can't say I've ever been hungry in the last 12 days...I'm getting a ton more vege & fruit than I could actually eat (and with it way more nutrients than I would usually take in)....it's so easy- no food prep to make it appetizing, just hurl it in the juicer, and in 1 minute you're good to go!

 

I'm planning to stay on it for 60 days. I have about 100lb to lose, all up.

Dh is on it too, which makes it easier, and my girls are late teens and cook for themselves. We feel great - dh says he has more energy than he's had in years. It's kind of supercharging you via all those great vege & fruit nutrients, while also forcing your body to access & burn the fat.

 

There's a thread somewhere recently about juicing, and a new WTM juicing social group, too!

Edited March 4, 2012 by Isabella

[Pamela H in Texas]

I can't address the weight loss side because I didn't maintain that aspect of it. However, I can say that doing raw made my sugar that was hovering around 110 drop to normal. It also knocked my cholesterol down to normal. It did it immediately. You'll see it well within the 28 days you're interested in. And it didn't climb right back up when I started eating crud again either. Of course, I doubt that result would last forever. It probably helps that I eat a LOT of healthy things on a normal basis now (now not being this week, btw...lol).

 

Anyway, so maybe this will help a little,

[warriormom]

Thank you so much for your replies! I would love to hear more testimonies! I am thinking about trying the following for this week:

 

Breakfast: Green Drink

Lunch: Gazpacho or Salsa soup

Dinner: Butternut squash pasta and salad or raw chili or mushroom burger

Snacks: apples, raw hummus with carrots and celery, more green drink

 

Any other suggestions or warnings?

[butterflymommy]

I'm not a "rawist" but I try to consume as much raw produce as possible. I eat at least 6 cups of raw leafy greens a day. This may sound like a lot, but put through a food processor, 6 cups of leaves purees down to a little more than 1 cup, and I eat it as a "soup." Not only is it edible but it's quite tasty, with a light, slightly sweet flavor. I make "soup" primarily out of red leaf lettuce and romaine. In addition to the 6 cups of leafy greens I eat at least 2 cups of cooked broccoli. Plus 4 servings of fresh fruit. The rest of what I eat is usually whole grains, nuts, and beans.

[warriormom]

any other testimonials?