The raw foods lifestyle promises many things. Glowing health, healing of dis-eases, clear skin, better athletic performance, freedom from chronic indigestion, and most peoples all time favourite, weight loss. In the present times, most of us know that we are being bombarded on a daily basis with messages about how our bodies should look. Thin, lean, toned and tanned are strongly marketed as the ideal, and in some cases, as the only acceptable way to look. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel your best, but if that is your main focus when you start on a raw foods lifestyle, you are most likely setting yourself up for disappointment and failure.
Why Some People Don’t Lose Weight Quickly On Raw Foods
Homoeostasis -Your body is in a constant pursuit of homoeostasis. That is, a constant state of being. When you start to change your eating habits, even if those changes are for the better, your body might initially panic. This inital phase is just that, a phase. Once your body recognizes that what you are doing is good, it will relax and allow for change. Weight loss does not happen overnight, so don’t drop out after a few weeks if you don’t get the results you were hoping for.
Detox – I know that everyone thinks that detox is synonymous with quick weight loss. This is not always the case. When we start to eat raw foods, our bodies will naturally begin to release old stored toxins from our cells. This may cause your body to retain excess fluid to dilute those toxins, so that they can be safely ushered out of the body without causing further damage. A little water weight gain is totally normal in the beginning.
Healing – Raw foods are totally nourishing. This means that they will facilitate the bodies natural healing processes. Sometimes the body is going to prioritize healing certain underlying and subtle issues before it start to work on releasing excess weight. The body is infinitely wise and knows exactly what it is doing. Learn to trust your body and it’s processes. When we start to swap out cooked foods for raw foods, we are most likely increasing the amount of water and carbohydrates (glucose) we are taking in. Most people are dehydrated, and carbohydrate (glucose) deficient, meaning that they do not have enough stored water in their cells, or enough stored glucose in their muscle tissue. Raw foods will start to replenish the body of water, and the body will also start to store some carbohydrate molecules (glucose) in our muscles, and every gram of carbohydrate needs 3 grams of water to be stored. We want our bodies to be well hydrated and well stocked with glucose. Keep in mind that glucose is the bodies main source of energy. It is far more efficient for our bodies to use glucose that we have gotten from raw foods, than fats from our bodies or our foods. This replenishing process will eventually ebb off, as your levels get to a place where your body wants them. It is not uncommon for the body to decide to restock its water and glucose stores before it starts to release fat.
Natural Body Timing – Lastly, healing takes time. It did not take you 2 weeks to get sick or overweight, so it is going to take longer than two weeks for your body to heal. We are used to quick-fix, fast results in this society. We are not accustomed to having to wait for things. The body does work fast, but it runs in its own schedule. Telling yourself that you want to lose 30 pounds in 30 days will only set you up for disappointment. It is so important to realize that the body works at the pace and rate that it knows is best. Some of us would send our livers into shock if we tried to process all of our toxins at once. The body knows how to preserve itself, and that is its main job.
Some final thoughts – Remember that there is so much more to this journey than just weight loss. It is about healing. It is about finding a new lifestyle that really works for you over the long run. Finding a way of being that makes it so that you never have to go on a diet ever again. It is about discovering how amazing your body is, and learning to really love and understand it. Do not limit yourself in this lifestyle by only attaching value to it based on how much weight you lose. You will be missing out on all the other amazing health and healing benefits.
- 5 Ways to Listen to Your Body for Deeper Awareness and Personal Power - Sep 7, 2015
- Apricot Bliss Smoothie - Apr 11, 2014
- 5 Daily Detox Recipes to Keep in Your Back Pocket - Apr 4, 2014
