Raw Food Diet For Weight Loss – Does it Work?

With the increasing popularity of the raw food diet over the past few years, you might have even heard something about the raw food diet for weight loss diet from friends, people at the gym, or in the media.

So why are people turning to the raw food diet for weight loss, instead of popular diets like Atkins, Weight Watchers, and many others?

Well, first off, the raw food diet is easily the healthiest way of eating. By consuming more natural foods in their raw state you are giving your body everything it needs to thrive.

Also, raw food diet energy is absolutely ridiculous. And who wouldn’t want more energy?

And from a weight loss perspective, when your body gets enough nutrients (not necessarily calories) it doesn’t need to be fed as often.

Considering that most westerners follow pretty tragic weight loss diets is testament to the fact that eating garbage food (even if it helps lose weight in the short run) is never a sustainable approach to healthy living.

Concerns About a Raw Food for Weight Loss?

You might be surprised at just how easy it is to work yourself into a raw food diet. The key to it is not to dive in with both feet, but to dip your toe in the water, and slowly ease yourself in, allowing your body time to get used to the changes.

So, how do you start? The first thing you can do is to start tracking what you eat every day. Keep a small notebook with you, and every time food goes into your mouth, write it down. Don’t worry about judging it at this point, just track it. Do this for a week, no more. You don’t want to become obsessed with this.

After your week is up, take your notes, and split them into two lists. One list will be the foods that you’ve eaten raw, without really planning or trying at all. Grabbed a banana on your way out the door in the morning? That counts.

Whipped up a smoothie with the leftover fruit that was going to go bad if left for a few more days? Definitely counts.

Chose to drink a glass of water instead of coffee? Put it on the list.

Remember, AWARENESS is the first step to changing your habits. Keeping a food journal is very very powerful if embarking on a raw food diet for weight loss (or for anything for that matter).

Now, on the other list, put all the things you ate or drank that were cooked, baked, pasteurized or otherwise not raw. Do not be surprised when your non-raw list dwarfs your raw list.

Simple Changes on a Raw Food Diet for Weight Loss

Now that you’ve created your 2 lists – your food journal if you will, go through your meals and pick the easiest meal for you to make substitutions.

For example, for you that might be breakfast.

Instead of cracking open that box of dead cereal (who cares if it has whole grains – a topic for another day), throw some of your favourite fruits, veggies, and water in a blender and make a delicious smoothie.

Such a smoothie contains all the vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins, etc… to get your day started on the right foot. You won’t be falling asleep at the office and you’ll be much more mentally focused to start your day.

If dinner is a better place then start there. Pick the meal that works best for your schedule. Now, pick the worst three days of the week for you and the days that offers no personal time or space. Maybe you have classes, errands, or other running around to do. Whatever the reason, those are your days off.

The other four days of the week? Those four meals a week are going to be your testing ground.

Let’s say you picked breakfast, and gave yourself an out for Monday, Friday and Saturday.

On Tuesday, try a green smoothie for breakfast. On Wednesday, try an oatmeal replacement of apples, bananas and flax seeds, chopped up in a blender.

Thursday can be raw granola. And on Sunday, take the time to find something new and exotic online. Do something a little different every morning, and before you know it, you’ll be in the habit of eating raw foods. It’s one small step for you, and one giant leap for good health.

Oh yeah, and we were talking about how a raw food diet can help you lose weight, right?

Well, here are few tidbits to get you started:

• raw foods contain more water and fiber, both help to curb your appetite

• raw foods contain far more nutrients, meaning you don’t have to eat as much to satisfy your body

• raw foods contain massive amounts of food enzymes which enable easier digestion. A good thing since you don’t pounds of undigested food sitting in your digestive tract, do you?

• raw foods are alkaline-forming once digested. This helps regulate your body’s pH balance and reducing its acid load – a very important step for shrinking your existing fat cells.

Want more help getting started with a raw food diet for weight loss?

Well, look no further than Eating for Energy – the easiest, most powerful raw food diet program on the web. It’s the raw food diet for REAL people.