Raw-vegan Diet, Not Losing Weight. Help!

[rtwaite]

Hello!

I have been gluten free for about 7 months, before I was diagnosed I was on nutirsystems, I lost a total of 20 lbs over the course of 1 year on the plan...I was still about 15-20 lbs over weight at this point. After I was diagnosed I just ate grilled chicken and rice, some fruits and raw veggies.

Like many of you I gained some weight after going gluten free, I went back up to 170lbs (female 5'5.5") So I started eating really healthy, nothing processed, charting everything I ate, I was eating about 900 calories a day when my Dr. recommended that I further cut that down to 800 calories a day. I also had a exercise plan of about an hour a day included weight training. I was not losing weight. My Dr. checked my thyroid, checked for metabolic syndrome, and adrenal diseases through a 24 hour cortisone test, everything came back very normal.

Recently I read some about "starvation mode" so I uped my calorie intake slowly back up to 1500 calories a day, of course this made me gain about 5 lbs, I also at the same time started a raw vegan diet, eating all raw food (fruit for bfast, salad for lunch, dinner might be spaghetti made from zucchini made into noodles...etc). I also do about 30 minutes a day of wii fit, I have been told that doing more than 30 minutes will put me back into starvation mode.

I have lost no weight since my diagnosis, gained about 25 lbs. Any ideas out there on what I can do to lose a little weight? Maybe someone has been through this?

[lizard00]

So, you did the right thing upping your caloric intake. Most diet programs do not work to preserve metabolism, which is really the key to successfully losing weight. I teach a weight management program that is basically a week of cutting to 1200-1300 calories, 3 weeks of 1500-1600, and one to two weeks of around 2000 calories, specifically for protecting your metabolism. You generally will gain about 3 lbs during those two weeks, but then you drop back down to 1200-1300 for a week... repeat the process. During the time your intake increases, you just eat more fruit, veggies, etc. Eating healthy is a must. It sounds like you've gotten that, you just need to continue working on stabilizing your metabolism. Sounds like you are on the right path.

But, where are you getting protein? You need protein to build muscle, muscle at rest burns calories... it's essential for weight loss. And a word of caution on eating only raw foods: there are some things that you cannot get from raw food because cooking changes the chemistry of foods.

[OptimisticMom42]

Go low carb. It works. It's gluten free. I never had the patience to figure out my threshold (how many carbs I can eat and still lose weight). I just ate about 10 carbs a day. After the first two days the lbs start coming off pretty quickly. The carb cravings are pretty intense for a couple days then they go away.

When I did the best on this I was using sugar free jello and sugar free kool-aid as carb free flavor but since going gluten free the sugar free stuff gives me headaches. Also I was using american cheese slices and mayo as low carb ways to make the meats less boring but my celiacs made me suddenly dairy and soy allergic and I never could tolerate much vinegar so..... I'd have to go with just meat, low carb veggies, berries and water. It would be hard to stick with for very long.

Maybe I'll give it a shot anyhow.

[rtwaite]

Thank you so much! I cant tell you how much that means to me to hear this.

For protein I do eat raw nuts and seeds, I also have sashimi (raw fish) a couple times a month. Raw nuts and seed on a daily basis. Mostly almonds. I also eat quite a bit alfalfa sprouts daily in my salads. I probably eat about 1/4-1/2 cup of raw nuts and seeds a day. I plan on having a cooked meal once a week, something safe and simple like my rice and grilled chicken or fish. I chart everything I eat on a site called calorie count, just to be really sure of how many calories I eat.

I will try this plan, this week I have been on the high side of 1700 calories a day, in 3 weeks I will up it to 2000 and then start back down. Can I continue on this plan until I lose all the weight? I know it will be slow, but as long as I am losing even 1/4 lb a week I will be thrilled! by the way after the full 5-6 week program how much weight does your class lose (average-ish)

[lizard00]

I will try this plan, this week I have been on the high side of 1700 calories a day, in 3 weeks I will up it to 2000 and then start back down. Can I continue on this plan until I lose all the weight? I know it will be slow, but as long as I am losing even 1/4 lb a week I will be thrilled! by the way after the full 5-6 week program how much weight does your class lose (average-ish)

5 lbs or so (per person) is a pretty good monthly average, which is a healthy rate. The first week kind of jump starts weight loss, but it's hard to stick to for much longer and isn't good to cut your calories that low for a long amount of time. So, you may lose 2 or 3 during the first week, but then it should stay around 1-2 lbs a week after that. You really don't want to lose it much faster than that (I know, that is not what most people want to hear)

And keep exercising! You're forming new habits which will help keep your body away from starvation mode. Our bodies are highly adaptable, and will quickly realize that it's not starving anymore.

[rtwaite]

Thats fantastic! 1-2lbs a week?! That is exactly what I wanted to hear.

I will keep this thread updated, I am sure there are others who have no idea, like I did, that they are in starvation mode. I just thought you needed to consume less calories than you expend. I probably spent over $1,000 on Dr. visits (with co-insurance) and all I was ever told is to cut more calories.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your expertise with me. A HUGE thank you.

[FMcGee]

Hi! You've gotten some good advice here, but I'll throw my two cents in anyway. My first cent is to advise you to decide whether you can really stick with a low-carb diet in the long run. My dad has been on the yo-yo for the last ten years with Atkins, and it's not improving his health, to say the least. If you want to do a specific program, Weight Watchers seems to work the best, in terms of sustainability. Cutting out empty carbs, however, is a great idea. One of the reasons low-carb scares me is because it means eliminating fruit and almost all vegetables, and I can't get behind that idea for anyone.

My other cent is this: I'm not sure why doing another half hour of wii fit would put you into starvation mode. I often work out for 2 hours a day (I eat lot of healthy food), as do many others at my gym, and none of us are in starvation mode. If you watch The Biggest Loser, those folks workout 6-8 hours a day and are medically supervised along the way. If they work out too hard or don't eat enough, their weight loss stalls immediately. On the flip side of this penny analogy I'm taking too far, you definitely do NOT want to over-exercise, which means something different to everyone's body, and you want to gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts so you don't injure yourself. I'm not going to TELL you to increase the length or intensity of your workouts because I don't know you; I just wouldn't put all my eggs in the basket of someone saying working out for more than 30 minutes puts the body in starvation mode. Especially if that basket was the doctor telling me to go down to a ridiculous 800 calories a day.

[RiceGuy]

My only thought is on the rice - if you're eating white rice, switch to brown. Or you can select one or more of the various gluten-free grains and beans. Buckwheat (no relation to wheat) is higher in fiber than brown rice. Teff is higher still, both in protein and fiber. I've read that fiber helps with losing weight. Beans and lentils are probably even better for protein and fiber.

[FMcGee]

My only thought is on the rice - if you're eating white rice, switch to brown. Or you can select one or more of the various gluten-free grains and beans. Buckwheat (no relation to wheat) is higher in fiber than brown rice. Teff is higher still, both in protein and fiber. I've read that fiber helps with losing weight. Beans and lentils are probably even better for protein and fiber.

I second all of the above. Amaranth is also great.

[rtwaite]

Thank you for the advice

[rtwaite]

I wanted to ask one more thing about the diet program you suggested, Is it really ok to go from 2000 calories a day for a week and then immediately go to 1200 calories for a week? I have been reading a little about this calorie cycling, or zig zag diet, seems most people shift calories on a daily basis, it makes more since to me to do it your way, remembering how many calories you need to consume every day when it changes everyday is kind of silly to me. I like having a constant set amount of calories better for at least a week at a time as you suggested. The only way I can see it being better is if it was more effective...any thoughts on this?

I started my week of 2000 calories a few days ago...surprisingly I have not gained any more weight. I can't wait to see what will happen next week when I go to 1200 calories a day.

Thank you everyone for your advice, low carb is always a good way to go on any diet.

[lizard00]

I think that what makes a weight loss program effective is whether or not people can reasonably stick to it, and that you learn something in the process.

I don't know too much about calorie cycling vs counting calories, but from what I know I would say that it is probably not the easiest to stick with (as you mentioned) because you have to remember a different number from day to day. What I also know is that our bodies are constantly seeking consistency and balance, and purposely creating a big caloric change daily doesn't fit into what I think of consistent and balanced. Again, that's just my take on it.

Although I can kind of see the rationale behind it, I can't say it would be my first pick if I were trying to lose weight.

I also wanted to mention that quinoa is high in protein and fiber, and can give you an extra meal option. (It's actually a complete protein source, so it's great for veggies/vegans)

[rtwaite]

I think that what makes a weight loss program effective is whether or not people can reasonably stick to it, and that you learn something in the process.

I don't know too much about calorie cycling vs counting calories, but from what I know I would say that it is probably not the easiest to stick with (as you mentioned) because you have to remember a different number from day to day. What I also know is that our bodies are constantly seeking consistency and balance, and purposely creating a big caloric change daily doesn't fit into what I think of consistent and balanced. Again, that's just my take on it.

Although I can kind of see the rationale behind it, I can't say it would be my first pick if I were trying to lose weight.

I also wanted to mention that quinoa is high in protein and fiber, and can give you an extra meal option. (It's actually a complete protein source, so it's great for veggies/vegans)

Thank you for your reply, and I completely agree with you. this is something I can stick with, not sure I could stick with daily calorie changes, but weekly is great. I will try Quinoa next week

just to be really sure, this week I am following 2k calories, next week I start 1200?

[lizard00]

just to be really sure, this week I am following 2k calories, next week I start 1200?

1200-1300 calories a day. JUST for one week

then increase your intake to 1500-1600 for three weeks.

[darkhorse]

I have done tons of research on this exact topic and I just about died when I saw that your doctor suggested you go down to 800 calories! My first thought was starvation mode and I'm glad you were able to see that too. Have you calculated how many calories you need in a day? You can search for these calculators online and they will give you a starting point for your calorie intake. I've never done the calorie cycling method that lizard00 suggested but I know that many people swear by it.

Something that stuck out at me was your exercise amount. I have done Wii fit and it is not intense at all. What is your fitness level like? If you are very out of shape then Wii Fit is a good starting point, but you will want to venture out from there. You should be doing at least 30 minutes of cardio a day, at least three days a week. Which means getting your heart rate up for the full 30 minutes. 45 minutes to an hour would actually be better. You also want to add strength training. Most women don't want to do strength training because they don't want to get bulky muscles, but women aren't made to create bulky muscles (the body building chicks have to really work hard for it). Lean muscles increase metabolism and burn calories just by being there, so the more lean muscle you have, the better your metabolism will be.

You want to be careful about losing weight the right way and not losing muscle mass along with the fat. That is the problem with most fad diets and starvation diets. If you lose the lean muscle, your metabolism drops and your body's calorie burning potential is dropped.

Can I suggest a really good person to look into for information on healthy weight loss. It's a guy who wrote an E-book called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. I never downloaded the E-book because it's somewhat expensive and I was able to find tons of informative articles by the same author for free. He is really motivating and I have yet to find one person who has anything bad to say about what he is telling people. He is a real advocate for healthy weight loss that will stay off.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

If you google his name and the name of his e-book you will find lots of information.

Anyway, I hope this helps a little and good luck. I was able to lose about 5 pounds last summer and several inches following the information that has been given to you in this thread. I gained it all back and then some over the winter before figuring out I was gluten intolerant. I'm just trying to get the motivation this summer to lose it again.

[BRUMI1968]

It's funny how there are so many theories of weight loss...and all of them no doubt work for some and not others.

One thing to watch for is your fat intake. I say this because I recently read a book called 80/10/10 by Dr. Graham. It is an all raw diet of mostly fruits, with tender greens and some but very little overt fat (almonds, walnuts, seeds, avocado, olives, etc....but honestly, a tiny amount.) He mentions that the average raw vegan diet is extremely high in fat, maybe higher than the Standard American Diet iin some cases. Are you using a lot of nuts and seeds to make pates and desserts and the like?

I was raw vegan for a while; then went 80/10/10. Going 80/10/10 really gave my liver a break, I tell you. Digesting was super easy. However, I could not keep weight on. It is not a sustainable diet for most people, especially those who are not independently wealthy.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention it. Also, the China Study is an interesting book that shows how animal protein in particular, but also a high protein diet of any kind, increases the changes of cancer and diabetes. it is just a foil to the low-carb ideas - but it's important to hear all arguments, analyze them, and see what you think. Personally in the end, I think fruits and vegetables should be eaten in maximum, seeds and nuts in small amounts, and if tolerated, legumes. Grain free worked really well for me and has for others as well....but anyway, fruits/veggies - things from nature - should be first on anyone's list.

[rtwaite]

It's funny how there are so many theories of weight loss...and all of them no doubt work for some and not others.

One thing to watch for is your fat intake. I say this because I recently read a book called 80/10/10 by Dr. Graham. It is an all raw diet of mostly fruits, with tender greens and some but very little overt fat (almonds, walnuts, seeds, avocado, olives, etc....but honestly, a tiny amount.) He mentions that the average raw vegan diet is extremely high in fat, maybe higher than the Standard American Diet iin some cases. Are you using a lot of nuts and seeds to make pates and desserts and the like?

I was raw vegan for a while; then went 80/10/10. Going 80/10/10 really gave my liver a break, I tell you. Digesting was super easy. However, I could not keep weight on. It is not a sustainable diet for most people, especially those who are not independently wealthy.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention it. Also, the China Study is an interesting book that shows how animal protein in particular, but also a high protein diet of any kind, increases the changes of cancer and diabetes. it is just a foil to the low-carb ideas - but it's important to hear all arguments, analyze them, and see what you think. Personally in the end, I think fruits and vegetables should be eaten in maximum, seeds and nuts in small amounts, and if tolerated, legumes. Grain free worked really well for me and has for others as well....but anyway, fruits/veggies - things from nature - should be first on anyone's list.

Raw-foodisem really caught my eye because it is so high in greens, and personally i just feel "at my best" the more greens I eat, I love fruit to, but the greens seem to do better at keeping me going. I did read a little on 80/10/10 but I also read a few conflicting opinions on it...no doubt you are correct regarding in raw vegan diet being very high in fat. However the fats are very good ones, high in omegas, not just omega 9's either I eat quite a bit of flax to, that has omega 3's,6's, & 9's. I try to keep the nut patties and deserts to a minimum, it's so easy to consume a half a cup or more of nuts/seed in one sitting this way! Thank you for your suggestion, I really should keep an eye on those nuts and seeds even if they are healthier than other fat options, like butter! lol. You do have me thinking about checking out that 80/10/10 book though!