What does one eat??

[Nicole]

So..... I'm having issues on what exactly to eat while on a raw diet while trying to lose those extra pounds. What does one eat? Right now I am eating breakfast which is dried bananas and figs, lunch is usually salad with avocado and a mixture of veggies, dinner? That's when I get a little lost. My eating habits seem to go in waves of craving ton of veggies and salads to craving the opposite of fruit and nuts.

Basically, what I want to know is what do you eat on a day to day basis that works for your weight loss? How do you deal with sweet cravings? How do you feel about eating nuts and nut butters? I've kind of created this assumption that you are able to eat as much as you want as long as it's raw... is that assumption wrong??

[Crazyapple]

Hi Nicole,

For myself, I find that too many nut butters or avocados slow down my weight loss. I try to limit myself to avocados maybe twice a week and nuts in very small amounts and not everyday.

It is a very personal thing and the same exact thing won't work for everybody. Ideally, track what you eat each on www.fitday.com and you will get a feel for what is successful for you and where you need to tweak your foods.

I try to start each day with a green smoothie which sates my hunger for most of the day. I limit my bananas to the two that I add to my smoothie. I have a really big veggie salad at lunch time, which is usually late in the day and then for dinner I may have a green juice, a couple of pieces of fruit with some nuts or I might even have a cooked food - like a steamed sweet potato. Sometimes for a snack I might have an apple with almond butter smeared on it or just a few spanish olives.

There are no hard and fast rules. While its true that on a raw lifestyle you are not really counting calories or amounts, you do want to pay attention to what your body (and weight) are telling you. When you're eating greens and veggies, I believe you can eat all that you can stand. Fruits and fats however deserve some attention.

For instance, if you're eating alot of fruits you must remember that they do have sugar. It may be natural but it is still sugar so pay attention to what its doing to your energy and sleep and teeth. Brushing really well is important for raw foodists. In the case of fats, again you want to pay attention to how you're eliminating, how your body is responding and if its effecting a desired weight loss or causing you to hold onto water or salt or whatever.

Congratulations on starting your journey. Don't make yourself crazy - its easier than it seems, there are just alot of opinions and ideas out there. Try some things, then try others and see what fits your body best.

Much love
Cyndi/Crazyapple

[Christine]

bitt's got it. Green smoothies. Filling, take away cravings, palatable, extremely healthy, almost the perfect food. Have at least one everyday. They've helped me so much. I've got an insane amount of energy. And that is very unusual for me. So give it a go.

[Justice]

When I have cravings I just make a raw cobbler. Its fresh and its a nice dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth without being too filling.

[Erika Florence]

I focus on greens. Everything I eat has to have at least 50% greens. This ups mineral density but it also adds a lot of bulk to food without at a lot of calories.

I start the day with a green smoothie (I like using things like mangos, persimmons and frozen berries for the fruit). For lunch I alternate between green soups and big hearty salads with a little nut pate or avocado. For dinner some nights I just want something light like a creamy smoothie or I might go for a bowl of wilted kale with avocado. Tonight I'm have a salad sandwich. Home made green crackers with veggies and greens and pesto, yum. In the afternoon I try to have a green juice though lately I'll let myself cave a bit and have some raw chocolate or some fruit.

If I'm craving something I try to dissect the craving. Am I craving it for nutrition or comfort? Then I try to work it out from there.

[hannah banana]

I, too am curious about what one eats. It seems like there are so many different reasons people go raw, and enough varieties of fruits, vegetables, and nuts that one can go days without repeating meals. However, I'm one of those people who does best when someone says "Eat this, and then this, and later, eat that". Does anyone know of a website where you can find pre-made menus specifically for raw weight loss?

[Anastazia]

I think the other key (lotsa good advice here already) is remembering that as your body begins to change (even if just on a cellular level, even if weight loss isn't happening at first) your nutritional needs will change....the biggest thing that helps me STAY on track, as well as get the scale moving is learning to listen to my body! It really well TELL you what it NEEDS, especially the more you listen to it!

I've heard various things about fats along the way on my raw food journey...at rawfoodtalk, Alyssa says she ate all the fat she wanted, lost the weight, & her desire for fats gradually lessened with time....
...that's actually exactly what was happening to me, {when I'm consistantly raw, that it! Lol!}
~Anastazia~

[RawSoldier120]

Whoa!!! What an awesome discussion! I am learning so much from this!

[MichelleRAWMOO]

Im loving raw green juice, my fave is Cabbage, Lettuce, wheatgrass, apple and celery, By the time I wizz it all up and drink it all cravings are gone! Also love the effects it has on my body and mind. I also eat lots of prunes, great for skin and sugar cravings....pretty new to this but weight is definatly coming off !

[WendySmiling]

Example: Yesterday

BR: Fresh juice (apple/carrot/strawberry)
LN: Nut pate' on green lettuce leaves (tastes a little like tuna salad)
DN: A huge apple and and orange sprinkled lightly with walnuts
SN: Bananas
Water and Chai Tea

I also love zucchini spaghetti with marinara & "parmesan"
Smoothies and bananas work for sweets. I really don't get cravings if I eat my fruit.