Raw Food and Weight Loss
You might want to sit down, I am going on a rant.
I have noticed lately that there are a lot of websites popping up promising weight loss with the “new raw food diet.” Honestly, this saddens me. Raw food for me is not just about weight loss, it is about health gain. It is about learning how to make better choices about the food we eat. It is about how our choices nourish our bodies. If we make good choices, we can have better health, bad choices can lead us to chronic disease, low energy, weight gain and poor health.
I abhor the word diet. The minute you say, “I need to lose weight”, you diminish yourself. You say, I am not what I should be. Personally, I do not have a skinny person’s genetics. But I am healthy. I exercise daily. Whether it be a 5 mile walk, or a power yoga vinyasa. But do I look like Kate Moss? No.
Now here is where it gets interesting. I was having breakfast with a new friend last week. Someone who knew about my raw food business before they met me. When we met, I am guessing that I did not fit her “image” of what a raw food person should look like. Halfway through our meal, she looked at me and said, “If you are into raw food, why aren’t you skinny?”
Honestly, I didn’t quite know what to say. I am not skinny. Nor am I obese. I would describe myself as curvy and athletic. Skinny? No.
Unfortunately, this brought up a ton of issues for me. I have had times in my life when I gained weight. And truthfully, I have lost weight by eating raw. I still fluctuate. Even though this friend told me that I had a “beautiful face and great skin”, I drove home fighting all of the past insecurities that I have had for years, feeling like I must look awful.
If you are a woman, you know what I am talking about. Society tells us that we are supposed to look like the fashion models on the cover of magazines. It’s interesting that those models don’t look like their pictures in real life. I have watched people starve themselves to fit a certain type. Is that healthy? No. You are still robbing your body of the essential nutrients it needs to be healthy. And if weight is your only concern, you are not going to be making good choices for your body.
At this meeting it was also suggested that I do a weight loss series on my blog. Take pictures of myself, post them and then show people how you can get skinny on raw food. Because, believe me, you can get skinny on raw food. Eat fruit, veggies and nothing else. You will get skinny. I actually considered it. For about 5 seconds.
Then the light turned on. I don’t believe in diets. I don’t believe in statements like, “oh, you cheated”, or “you can’t eat that”, or “is that on your diet?” I don’t believe in the negativity this creates around our bodies and what we eat. I think it sets you up for failure and self-loathing.
I believe in replacing the unhealthy food you are eating with healthy food. As you eat healthier, you will get healthier. If your body needs to, you will lose weight. Even with raw, it is not the wise choice to sustain yourself with raw Strawberry Cream Pie, raw cookies and raw ice cream. You still need to make balanced choices.
What happens if instead of saying, “I need to lose weight”, you replaced those words with, “I am making healthier choices about the food I eat.” One is negative and condemning, one is empowering. I am all about empowerment. It is a part of the whole process of being a healthy person. Healthy mind, healthy body, healthy attitude. Wanna join me in my “anti-diet revolt” and join my “choose health” movement instead?
Nathalie Lussier wrote on October 26, 2009
Way to go Susan! I think you’re spot on. We’re all in this for health first, and mental wellbeing is certainly a part of my definition of health.
Yes, weight loss does seem to go along with raw food. But then again, if we gained weight along the years we can’t expect to lose it in 2 seconds. I think you brought up a great point that you can eat raw but not healthy (raw cookies, ice cream, etc.) but it’s a great way to transition to raw.
Now you’re so right to focus on health first. 🙂
Bunny Berry wrote on October 22, 2009
Amen. Thank you for writing this. Weight loss is gravy on top for me on my raw food lifestyle. I’m not a miracle weight loss loser on raw foods, and you wouldn’t believe the mail I get about being a loser because I am not a skinny raw foodist. The way I see it, my body is working on me from the inside out. Healing, and working on what is most important. I’m still slowly losing, but I’d rather be a little chubby and healthy than skinny and obsessed with the weight.
Thank you for sharing this. Do you mind if I share on RawFu? Let me know; bunny@rawfu.com
Ida Friedman wrote on October 11, 2009
SOOO glad I found your blog. You are so right! I am new to raw food, but not new to dieting. I’ve done it all my life. Want to gain weight? Go on a diet. Seriously. I am learning to make healthier, tasty choices. A raw friend of mine returned from Europe recently and said to me on the phone…”Are you eating raw? Did you lose any weight?” I decided she is not someone I want in my life because she is shallow, caring more about appearances than substance.
I learn a lot of raw recipes online, and have found classes in my area. I don’t stress about going completely raw, just learning new recipes and ingredients, and taking it slowly. I do like how it makes me feel.Will keep reading your blog. Thank You!
Susan wrote on October 11, 2009
Thanks so much! I am glad you found the blog!
Janet wrote on October 8, 2009
Terrific post Susan! Health gain needs to be our focus—that’s the most important thing.
Damon wrote on October 7, 2009
BRAVO! I Totally and absolutely agree with and support you! I push the term “food education”.We have to accept the fact that we have simply been mis-educated by our parents, teachers, friends, peer-pressure and media to eat the way we do/did (SAD). We have to full on own it and deal with it. What to do? Learn how our bodies work, how we process the foods we choose to fuel our body and what happens when we make choices our bodies do not agree with. Again, this is a great and enlightening post that will help all of us raw or not to stay inspired and live our lives wonderfully….have a great day everyone!
GirlonRaw wrote on October 7, 2009
Thought provoking I meant! 😀
GirlonRaw wrote on October 7, 2009
Wonderful post. I read this because of the Pure2Raw girls mention of you and I totally relate. Although I would love the weight loss with a high raw diet, that is not my motive. Health is the no1 priority to me and everything else is a bonus. I do believe that you look after your body it will look after you and provide you with a strong healthy body that is for you. Some raw foodies I think can look emaciated and I wonder if that is really healthier than eating a standard diet. Great through provoking post. I am going to add you to my blog roll 🙂
Curvatude wrote on October 6, 2009
oh i totally agree.
i initially went raw partly because i wanted to try something that i felt would be the next step for me as a vegetarian of many years and that perhaps would make me healthier (i have a very serious familial cholesterol issue) not because i wanted to lose weight.
it just happened that as a bi product, i have lost weight.
but i have to note that to say that what that person said to you was rude would be an understatement.
the nerve.
you are so nice. i am a taurus. my response would have come out as such!
anyway, i dont believe in diets either and sometimes people find that hard to take because i am a plus size woman.
but oh well.
i joke that i #rawdietcheat on twitter but i honestly don’t consider when i eat non raw foods as cheating..its my choice…this is my journey…
as far as the body image struggle that women feel, thankfully it has not been a big deal for me mainly because even when i was little girl i could sniff out BS.. and call it what it is.
but i am totally in on the “choose health” movement!
Lets Rock!
Kate Quinn wrote on October 6, 2009
This is a fantastic article Susan! I teach raw food preparation, and have been eating high raw for a number of years but I am still overweight due to thyroid issues slowing down my weight loss. I have never had a comment directly from people but I am still insecure at times about teaching raw while not being the “perfect image” of a raw foodie. I believe though that as ambassadors for the “choose health” message is what should come first, and that living and sharing that core belief is more powerful than “just getting skinny on a diet” will ever be!