Raw Food

[Atl]

I am adopting a new diet pattern. Two days a week I will consume only raw foods (not raw meats). This is to break eating patterns and gather information to use in order to tweak my diet (which is over heavy in cooked food and meat) further so I can more easily lose about 25 more pounds. Anyone else experimented with raw food or have input?

[der uber]

Cut off one of your legs. It will weight about 25lbs., and at first be raw. But do not eat.

The raw diet is a long and lonely road, good luck to you. Why not just eat canned tuna or somthing? Switch to a low fat diet, cut out sodas and sweets.

[Atl]

I eat no soda or sweets. I eat only high quality high protein meats. I also eat lots of cooked vegetables. I do sometimes tend to eat too much still. I run 5 to 7 miles a day every day, and I lift weights for 45 minutes a day 5 days a week. So, my lifestyle is very healthy right now, but I would like to incorporate raw (vegetable, nut, fruit) foods which have several benefits. They are easier to digest leading to increased energy. Your body doesn't spend energy digesting the food so more of it is available. They also contain enzymes, vitamins, and minerals which are absent from processed and cooked foods. It is well known that foods higher in nutrients lead to ones hunger being sated with fewer calories. I also wish to break past learned behavior patterns I have concerning food combinations so that I can eventually incorporate raw and near raw foods more into my diet daily as part of a healthier diet. Over the last year I have lost over 100 pounds, but I got this last 25 lbs of stomach fat that is really stubborn. I do not wish to exercise too much more that I already do, so I think a further altered diet might be the ticket.

[pawilkes]

my aunt had some condition that the doctors couldn't figure out. they did exploratory surgery to no avail. she went on a raw food diet and lost a bunch of weight and her medical issues went away. her hair also started to grow in black, no more gray. thats all i really know, sounds pretty intense. good luck with it, sounds like something i should try.

[Atl]

I have experienced similar results with just losing lots of weight and getting the proper nutrients, but the raw food thing should be interesting. I am very interested in maxing my energy levels out.

[pigsteak]

instead of doing more exercise, how about turning up the intensity on the exercise you already do? if you run at an 8 minute pace, incorporate some track work, some heavy pace work, etc....into the same time you already allot to running.

good luck, and congrats on dropping 100 already....that is amazing.

[Atl]

All of those are great and informed suggestions. My interest in increasing my energy level is to that end. I have steadily increased exercise intensity as that is the other half of my plan. I have been looking at other types of exercise like yoga and kettlebells as well. I posted about the raw foods because I thought that others might have be interested in that aspect of health.

[dipsi]

I am adopting a new diet pattern. Two days a week I will consume only raw foods (not raw meats). This is to break eating patterns and gather information to use in order to tweak my diet (which is over heavy in cooked food and meat) further so I can more easily lose about 25 more pounds. Anyone else experimented with raw food or have input?

I have decided to become a vegetarian (again) in my old age, mostly organic, and I have to say that I certainly feel better (again).

I don't limit raw vegetables, fruits, and nuts to specific days, but rather incorporate them throughout the day. If I eat a sandwich, I have grapes on the side instead of chips. I add a lot of fruit and sprinkle nuts on my salads, which is, of course, raw. Snacks are usually apples, oranges, or a hand full of dried apples and walnuts. I like to smear organic pb in a celery stalk or apple slices....yum. I have also stopped cooking my veggies to death. I either steam or roast, sometimes marinated in a balsamic based salad dressing. If I eat a baked potato, I pour a finely diced tomato over it.

I still have 13 pounds to lose, but found the first 10 easy to shed when I started eating healthy.

Not sure if that will help, but I fit raw foods in easily this way.

[captain static]

Rather than eat cooked foods one day and raw foods another day, decrease the portion size of your cooked foods at regular meal times and snack on raw foods inbetween meals. Balance carbs, protein, & fats in cooked meals. Carb portion should be about the size of your fist, protein the size of your palm, fat the size of your thumb. Inbetween snack on fresh fruit, veggies, or salads with low-fat dressing. Incorporate yogurt into your breakfast and/or take a probiotic supplement with your meals.

[Atl]

Dipsi:
That is where I am headed, but I want the experience of using totally raw foods a few days a week to weaken my old behavior patterns and build a foundation for new ones. I plan to eventually integrate all of this into a raw/cooked balenced diet with about 60% raw. I just needed some ideas for foods so going 100% raw a few days a week forces me to get creative.

captain static: You have some great suggestions and this type of integration is my goal.