Annette, you are not eating enough to lose weight. Your body thinks that it is in starvation mode so it is going to hang on to everything. As long as you are eating good healthy food you definately need to up your food intake. You need to add at least 500cal per day in my opinion.
Once a week it is quite good to give your body a real shake and have a bit of a splurge, this ups your metabolism as it thinks it is going to be fed more so it turns up the furnaces! then the next day go back to your normal eating.
I used to absolutley pig out every Sunday, I would eat so much I couldn't move, then on Monday get back to proper portions. My body fat got so low from doing this.
From what you are saying you are eating low cal and not losing, so don't be scared you will do really well if you up your intake. I have lost weight consistantly on about 1700cal per day, below that it didn't move. I do not come from naturally thin stock so have to eat well and exercise.
I agree with Hubbie - Give it a go!
kk

Wakame is usually sun dried so it should be raw. You can get good seaweed in Australia that is raw. Look for the spiral brand it will say on the back if it had been sundried, also the Main Coast brand which comes from the USA is great, it will say on the pack if it is organic and raw.. it's a great product. Most of there stuff is raw!

xx

Hi, I use the powder. I have aquired a taste for it so I enjoy it on salads, smoothies and in a porridge with freshly groundflax and maca etc
I think the most important thing is to find one that  is organic. There are many around but some are quite expensive. Yes you can buy it at health food shops.
Yes fitday is great to see how you are going nutritionally.. that's if it is acurate, but at least it give you an idea.

Well I am one of the raw fooders that believes in the importance of protein, we need it for growth and repair. It is easy to get adequate protein on a raw food diet as long as you are eating enough. Lots of greens, sprouts, nuts and seeds - best eaten without fruit though, have them with vegies and salads. And Spirulina  which is the only Alkaline producing high protein food, it's protein quantitiy is equal to protein powders but it is natural and full of vitamins, minerals and efa's.

Hope this helps, also use Fitday.com every now and then to see how you are going with you macronutrients if you are concerned.

Have fun and enjoy.

Oh... and welcome!

BB you are really shinning.. you have come such a long way with your raw journey and you are a great inspiration to all.

Your recipes are fantastic and there is a great mix of all sorts for everyone to enjoy... love it! 

xx

Sounds like your digestion needs some work DR...

Spirulina, Maca, chlorella, Flax seeds and chia seeds..... plus a wide variety of good vegies and some fruit.

and Kitz Granola, & bars & crackers & active almonds/walnuts... because they taste SUPER!    & they make life Super!

xx

My daughter and I love it in our salad dressings and yes it does go well in crackers.

It also works well in fruit & nut balls. This is just a combination of  ground nuts and dried fruits, you can add coconut, cacao or buckwheat flour, just use small amounts of the spirulina at first then you will aquire a taste for it and may even find that you enjoy it!... we do.

It also works well in smoothies.

have fun

kk

Thank you Annette, my intentions are only good. I just want to see everyone feeling a great as I do being raw. I just won't let go of that and that is why it is so easy for me be all raw.

xx

Thought I would add my 5c to this thread as it is a great subject and one that I wondered about my first year raw. I had a dehydrator to help me through but to my amazement I did not use it as much as I thought I would.
I think it help to eat vegies that are in season, they are actually know to be warming, nature has a lovely way of looking after us. Here is a list of warming vegies as recommended by Karen Knowler.
Legumes - sprout these.
Carrots
Squash
Parsnips
Beetroot
Walnuts
Coconut
Dates
Red pepper
Pine Nuts
Chilies
 and also a a list of warming spices.
Black & white pepper
Ginger
Garlic
Cayenne
Cloves
Coriander
Chives
Cinnamon
Caraway
Parsley
Turmeric

I also find that after a green smoothie I always feel cold but it never stops me from having them. I just make sure I put something warm on before. David Wolfe says that a symptom of being too Alkaline is feeling cold! I put a lot of greens in my smoothies so that explains that one for me. It's great to follow up a green smoothie with a nice warm cup of herb tea. I do this by just warming good filtered water in the kettle. I never let it boil!! It's much faster and easier than waiting for the sun to do the same job, and it only takes seconds, you have to watch it or it gets to hot, chuck it and start again if that happens, or cool it and water plants with it.

Heavier foods are very warming too, it must have something to do with the extra work digesting them. High carbohydrate foods are also very warming. I find that after a big feast of bananas I feel very warm. Also dried fruit, nuts ands seeds, so maybe incorporate nut & seeds dressing/pates/dips into your meals and you will feel a lot better. Cooked food people change to heavier foods in winter, maybe we should do the same thing and not expect to keep warm on the summer foods.

And hey.... lets face it everyone is feeling the cold even those that live on rubbish... Oh I mean takeway stuff.

Hope this helps some of you.

xx

I think we should also remember that we are not the only ones feeling the cold, everyone is getting cold, even the cooked people, so just rug up and enjoy all of the wonderful raw stuff you can get into.

Great.. have fun...

BB you are a prime example of what work for one does not always work for another. 811 works well for DR because he exercises a lot more than normal, he then needs the extra carbs and he has the body type that can cope with the high fruit. I would say that the reason someone craves something sweet after dinner is because they had a savoury meal without any sweet fruits.. so the body naturally wants to balance that. David Wolfe mentions it wih his triangles. So weather you have it before or after it is still a balancing thing.

Gabriel Cousins talk about different types being able to cope with fruits in the morning too, he cant eat watermelon before 10am.. funny as I experience the same thing. If I have it before 10 I get dizzy and light headed but after that I am fine. But if I have a watermelon G.. I am fine. I believe the sugars need to be balanced out with the greens, they bring the GI down. Thats why you would have done ok on G's. Not having the greens with the fruit makes a big difference.

There are many long time raw foodists that still eat fats very successfully. I think the fact that there are so many experts out there sending completely different messages cleary shows that we must all find what works for us individually. I eat differently to my daughter (who is raw).. my way does not work for her and hers does not work for me. So just do what works for you and make sure that you feel great, are happy and enjoying your family. If that means all raw with the occasional wine.. there are raw ones, then good on you.

Fruit seems to send you way out of balance so maybe a nice savoury salad in the morning would work better for you and if you enjoy it more and it makes you happy and its all raw .. it must be great for your body!! Ani Pho does a nice 'Save the chicks scramble' that is made with almonds I think ... maybe a little of that on your breaky salad would be just the thing..


KK
xx

Hey you deserve to blow your own trumpet.. well done! You will be a great inspiration to other.s. very proud of you.

xx
KK

On the subject of protein on a raw vegan diet ... in my opinion you can't go past Spirulina. It's 60 to 71% protein. One of the best sources of protein available.... in my opinion the best. Beefsteak is about 28%! then factor in that it is cooked making it much less available, plus it is acidic. Spirulina is the only protein source that is alkaline.

Everyone is so focused on Carbs for energy, which is great but what I don't understand is that when you are doing a lot of exercise you are really using up a lot of your body resources and wearing them down, which is fine, but then it needs to be repaired. It is when you are resting after exercise that you get the growth. The muscle fibres get damaged from the excess overload. Then in the process of repairing they grow bigger.... AND the only thing the body needs for Growth and Repair is Protein! It is also important for the maintenance of enzymes and hormones for metabolism and digestion.

The problem is everyone compares it to cooked protein which is very different to raw protein. When protein in cooked you body is only able to use a small amount of it as the cooking denatures it. Whereas raw protein has not been damaged and the body is able to use it 100%.

I see so many people struggle with raw. I often wonder if it's because they completly disregard the importance of balancing there diet. Making sure that they are getting adequate quantaties of Greens, fruit, salads/vegies, and fats. Plus the equally important ratio of Protein, Carbs and Fats. Leave one of these out and you will get cravings.... therefor causing you to struggle on the raw food diet and a cooked diet at that!

I have been raw for exactly the same amount of time as Durianrider... (Hi DR!) and I have never struggled with being raw, at first I actually tried to add some cooked food but just didn't want it so I just let go of it. I have been 100% the whole time with no problems. But I am fully aware that if i eat too much of one thing and don't naturally balance out all that I have mentioned above I don't feel right.. it's something that I have done naturally and have learnt why I do this. I exercise daily, always have even pre raw, I weight train, run and walk. I have extremly low body fat. I don't measure it.. what for? I just have to look at myself to now that it is low..some would say to low for a female. But hey I am happy, balanced love to eat lots of good raw food, love my exercise, love life, my family, love pushing myself, (something I try not to do as much now!!) my goodness even love my house, car, and all of the unessacary gadgets we own!!.. And I love my organic spirulina and seaweeds....

Having said all of that everyone if very different and what works for one doesn't always work for another. Some people need more protein than others and I feel that we should acknowlegde that and not make them feel that it is not right. So to the original question.. If you are looking for a Great source of Protein go for Spirulina!

And Annette maybe that is something you should try, along with some seaweed which is so full of minerals it amazing, and I know you like to exercise so I would say that your body is craving Protein.. all you can do is try adding both Spirulina and  seaweed.. I have a feeling that within a couple of weeks you will really start to feel great. Just between you and I ...Protein is the secret for women!!!!

all the best
karen

StevetabeI'm wondering who should be seeing a psyciatrist, if she's all she say's she is she should know better!... it's that simple....

Good on you for standing your ground.