simple fat loss/non raw craving help!

Comments

• ginzo

  oh! also... would you suggest adding protein powder to my breakfast juice prior to working out.. or with the coconut water post workout?
• AVL Raw Newbie

  OMG, I am EXACTLY like you! I eat picture perfect meals from the time I wake up until dinner, but then that's when the cravings come and it's so hard not to give in. I eat things that I would never eat, EVER! (chips, cookies, cheese. etc.)

  I tend not to have any trigger foods in my house (II live alone, so it's pretty easy to do that), and that seems to help a bit.

  I think that watermelon sounds good as a snack, since it's sweet and is filled with water (they say cravings can be from being dehydrated). I think that you should eat more sweet fruit too. I find that on days where I eat a lot of fruit I tend to have less cravings.

  I hope that this helps a little!
• ginzo

  Hi AVL!

  Thank you for the reply and advice, I'm so glad to able to talk with someone going through the same thing.. Everyone around me thinks I'm crazy for going raw! I def. think I need more fruit throughout the day & to either throw away my families JUNK FOOD or lock up the pantry! lol

  I just joined goneraw & actually read 1 of your post today, listing your typical day.. I didn't think ANYONE besides myself jumped rope for so long! we seem to be a lot alike, so I'm going to follow your posts & advice!! Thanks again!
• freewitheft Raw Newbie

  I'm another one who gets weird cravings at the end of the day. I don't really know what the answer to that is, but I did want to tell you that it's my understanding that you should have any extra protein *after* the workout. I use hemp protein powder.
• ginzo

  freewitheft,

  Thanks for the help! I really need to start making a shopping list, that's another thing that gets me off track.. when I start running out of raw foods.

  I'm going to try AVL's advice and start eating more sweet fruits & drinking more water.. hopefully the craving go away. Let me know if you try the same & how it works for you!!
• AVL Raw Newbie

  g. - It's funny you say that you are going to lock your family's junk food away...that's exactly what I did last year when I lived at home! My sister took out all the junk that I would eat and put it in a large cardboard box and hid it somewhere in the house without telling me where it was. It worked really well...until I accidentally found the box (labeled "Audrey's Binge Food"!). I also used to tie elastic bands around the knobs of the pantry door, since I didn't have to go in there to get fresh fruits and vegetables.

  As so the protein, I used to put VEGA protein powder (which had hemp protein) in my smoothies in the morning, after my run or skipping. I only did that while I was transitioning from cooked to raw, and then I didn' t find that I needed it anymore and got full with just my fruits and greens. But everyone is different and your body might need it. I think a lot of it is trial and error, until you find what works best for you.

  I am not 100% raw, although I would really like to be. I also think that it's much easier in the summer than in the winter. I just think that for now I like having the "option" of having a cooked veggie meal (usually a veggie soup or steamed broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini) with my dinner. I don't feel guilty about it and I find that it also somewhat decreases my cravings for cooked food. I also think that with the colder weather my body is often looking for something warm to eat, and herbal teas just don't do the trick anymore. But I would much rather have a cooked veggie meal than binge on junk food. But, I'm not saying that you should eat cooked foods, but that's what works for me for now, until I can find another "raw" strategy.

  I started eating raw in May, so about 8 months ago. I also was a high protein eater...meat (poultry), dairy, fish. And I believed that EVERY meal had to have protein in it. Also, I believed that eating too much fruit was bod for you because of all the sugar. So I was depriving myself a lot, which caused me to binge on starchy carbs. When I first transitioned I was having a hard time because I was getting hungry a lot because I wasn't eating enough fruit. But it took about 3-4 months to transition and to feel ok about what I eat. I've established a routine that works for me and I have found out how much food my body needs.

  Yay, I'm glad I found another rope skipper! At first I couldn't even jump for more than 1 minute and now I can go for 1.5 hours and I don't feel that exhausted!

  Ok, so now you've probably been reading this message for about 5 minutes! I hope that you will find something that suits your body. Don't forget, it's ok to "screw up", we all do from time to time (sometimes more often than we should). But you get right back on track with your next meal and you will begin to feel better again.
• elle212

  I agree that eating more fruit would be a big step in the right direction. Fruit is perfect for pre- and post- workout (or even during a workout if you're working out for a long time). It digests quicky and easily and sends fuel to where your body most needs it. I've found that bananas fill me up really well when I'm hungry or have cravings.

  Green smoothies are also great for squashing cravings and they taste amazing. I look forward to my daily smoothie probably more than anything else I eat! If you're new to them you may want to start with around 30-40% greens by volume and the rest fruit, and gradually increase the amount of greens. I love them with bananas, kale and frozen mangoes & strawberries.

  For me, it's a matter of eating some fruit whenever I'm hungry, eating enough so that I'm satiated, and making sure I get my greens in, too. I'm not 100% raw right now- I'll have cooked veggies a few times a week if needed to stay warm since it's freezing where I live- but eating this way has allowed me to completely stop craving breads, sweets and the other not so great stuff I used to eat.

  Best of luck and welcome to the boards!
• ginzo

  THANK YOU, AVL & elle212!! I really appreciate you taking the time to help me =)

  It seems that whatever stage your at, or however long you've been raw.. it's a challenge everyday- so I can't get ahead of myself and just take it 1 day at a time..

  thanks again!
• bitt Raw Newbie

  Hmm, maybe you haven't eaten enough earlier in the day? That can make me get really hungry at night. I know zucchini pasta tastes great but it has very few calories. When I was first transitioning to eating raw I needed to eat a lot more than that. Even now if I have just juice in the morning I need more later on like chia pudding or something.

  As for watermelon at the end, if that feels right go for it. But for me watermelon can be hard to digest if my stomach is full.

  also, I suspect sometimes these food cravings are either habit or emotional. Try to break the habit with talking a walk or making tea or something different to mix up the "raid the cabinet" routine. Also try to get the stuff out of the house!
• AVL Raw Newbie

  Good advice durianrider! BTW, I love your videos :)
• wichten Raw Newbie

  check out brendan braiziers book, thrive. he details a lot of things on workout and recovery nutrition. I think you need to move more calories to be around your workout time for your body to fuel itself. when we eat is just as important as what and how much.

  And while i think fruit is wonderful- i cant totally agree with the 811ers out there. For me it was too much sugar and jacked up my teeth. I prefer to eat more non-sweet fruits and veg and keep my fat intake at 20-25%. Still low fat, and i still eat fruit just less extreme.

  We all do better on different things- read the posts, but listen to your body above all else.