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Caloric Intake...


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I have been raw for appx 6 months and have read varying raw foodists ideas on calorie intake. Many of these are from raw foodists who do not weight lift, and others dont understand why I would want to put on weight, especially being raw.

 

I have read Raw Power, and nothing impressed me. This was a couple years ago when I was vegan so maybe I dont remember much, but I didnt read anything about the calories you need to consume.

 

I have also read information here at: www.charliesgym.info

 

I have talked to Charlie over email and he told me not to worry about calories, just eat when your hungry to satisfy yourself.

 

I could be looking at this all wrong, from the view point of a SAD addict. But I have been eating appx as many calories as I did when I was weightlifting vegan. 4000 - 5000 kcals a day.

 

I am 183 after being raw for 6 months, 200 when I was vegan and at the top of my weightlifting. I am 6 foot 8, making me very skinny.

 

Right now I am not interested in gaining weight, but strength. The weight will happen sooner or later as long as I am getting stronger. I want to eat enough to fuel my body with some left over for some weight.

 

But my question is this, what about your calorie intake? Eating 4000 - 5000 raw calories a day is WAY EXPENSIVE. I can afford it, but I would not like to in the long run.

 

What are your diets for weight lifting and strength? And how many kals do you consume to fuel your body?

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Its not the healthiest way to go about things but I've always felt that if you can stomach it...eat it. This only qualifies if you train very hard and want to get big. Its even more important for hard gainers. Its hard to get those calories eating truly raw food though.

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A lot of people say you always drop weight when you first go raw, which I think may be at least true for many people, depending on how much raw fresh foods you were eating before your transition.

 

I have been raw for about 5 months now and I just started gaining weight again, and that is without any weight lifting.

 

Where you get your calories might be important too. Make sure you are getting a really wide variety.

 

Some people say to gain weight raw, superfoods are the way to go. I like this idea because it is also a way to really pack in the nutritional and cleansing power of these foods.

 

Things like goji berry power, vitamineral greens or greener grasses (those a product names), and shakes filled with weeds like dandelions, plantains and lambs quarter.

 

My biggest problem with the book raw power is the writing and lack of research, but some of the ideas do make sense.

 

Oh, and if you don't have a good blender, you should get one. You can really pound in some nutrition by eating 1/2 head of kale, a handful of weeds and a couple bananas in a shake. On top of that you can add superfood powders if you are into that idea (and you have the $$$ for it).

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I dropped to 1500 raw calories a day while burning "3000" calories a day on my bike(the science says that but I don't believe it) 6-7 days a week and I lost little more than 5 lbs in over 3 months.

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Well. I weighed myself yesterday, 177. 5 lbs drop from last month. But during that month I didnt work out due to my injury. So I am taking it in stride.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions. Instead of asking people what is good for me, I have stopped that and doing my own research and trying to listen to my body to see what I need to do with my food.

 

I think I have gotten impatiant because I am a very skinny guy to begin with, and going raw made me a bit more skinnier, so I have been looking for immediate results, which is impossible.

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I think I have gotten impatiant because I am a very skinny guy to begin with, and going raw made me a bit more skinnier, so I have been looking for immediate results, which is impossible.

IMO the immediate result usually is that one looses weight. Everybody you saw me on VV2007 know that I am kind of skinny, too. Being about 6ft tall I lost 35 pound (from 210 to 175) after going high-raw.

Be patient. If you have energy and motivation to train – train as hard as possible.

Concerning what to eat. Do your own research. Some raweaters say highwater-fruit like melons are best for building muscle. Some are concinced that the cooked food rule of putting lots of calories in works for raweaters as well. You have to find this one out on your own.

 

Btw: Maybethis will be helpful for you as well!

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Thank you for your words Flanders77. I think Im not going to weigh myself for a while and just concentrate on eating the right foods and getting stronger. Then after a month or two, see if I feel stronger/look stronger on my diet, then weight myself.

 

I think I have been a slave to the scale too much, is just scary sometimes looking in the mirror and seeing a skeleton, even though I feel healthy

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  • 1 month later...

My husband and I are having the same question about calories. We have friends who are not bodybuilders who tell us that on raw food we need fewer calories than cooked food (since there is more nutrition). However, we are trying to eat the same number of calories as before going raw. We do not want to lose weight, and so far we have not. But we have not gained weight either! We would love to know how many calories most raw bodybuilders are consuming each day.

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I think you do need fewer but if you think few you'll eat way too little since the food has so much less in terms of calories. Think more and you'll have enough to bulk...and still you'll have less calories.

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I found an easy way to take in raw calories for me.

 

I have a very well balanced 100% raw diet right now, and I am gaining muscle mass and strength on. I decided to go back to 100% raw as of a few days ago, and I am already gaining. I was about 80-100% raw for about half a year and dont have much to detox as I had seriously lost about 40lbs of cooked muscle).

 

I eat lots and lots of fruit (sweet and nonsweet), and I also eat nuts/seeds/fats, greens/sprouts. I found for me that greens/sprouts help me to grow. while fruits cleanse me out and give me nutrients and vitamins.

I mainly mono eat, but I also make myself some raw hummus to put on salad, and I like to make trail mix.

and will eventually get into making some raw meals, but nothing fancy. no dehydrating. only use a blender and a knife to prepare my meals if Im going to make something.

 

some things I find good for calories and cheap too:

 

-sprouted lentils

-sunflower seeds

-avocados

-dates

-almonds (sometimes)

-pumpkin/Pepita seeds

 

typical day of what I eat right now (all raw):

 

-1,000-2,000 calories sprouted lentils

-raisins

-tomatoes

-oranges

-Clementines

-pineapple

-lettuce

-box of dates (800g)

-pears

-apples

-banana (when theyre not expensive)

-carrots

-almonds

-pistachios

-sprouted mungbeans

-garlic

-onion

-lemon

-ginger

-dried coconut

-sprouted chickpeas

-peppers (red, yellow, orange)

-walnuts (picked straight off the tree)

-sesame seeds (200-400g)

-sunflower seeds (200-400g)

-pumpkin/pepita seeds (150-300g)

-flax seeds

 

 

this is just a sample of what Im eating right now. I try to eat in season and to have a variety and to mix it up everyday. I eat based off of the knowledge I know and what my body truly craves. this is working for me. no idea if it will work for you.

 

hope this helps and gives you some ideas.

 

I find that as being RAW, I do not need less calories. I need to match the same amount of calories as if I was cooked. It is better quality calories when theyre raw, but I still need to take in the same amount.

I do not weigh myself. I go based off of how I feel and look.

 

I find lots and lots of raw calories builds muscle for me, combined with proper exercise, rest, sunshine, nutrients, and vitamins.

 

it is a balance. but under-eating will not build muscle for me.

 

I find watermelon to help after lifting too for recovery...same with pineapple.

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