Hello all,

I made maybe one introductory post a while ago, and have since been reading here and everywhere trying to find my way... but I'm as confused as ever!  I'm hoping that with all the experience here, I can get people's opinions on how to get back on track.

I came here from a sorta healthy SAD (if there is such a thing) to vegetarian to raw vegan to all animal/ products that included raw red meat, some raw dairy, raw and cooked eggs, cooked chicken, ... I think that sums it up. 

The shift from vegan to animal foods came with about simply bc vegan wasn't working for me and I wanted to try eliminating starch due to my IBS.  This was a fantastic change!  I lost 10 lbs practically overnite which felt awesome!  I didnt think I could weigh that little at my height and be healthy, but I was eating a ton of food and felt great, digestion and all!   

Lurking over at Charles' forum I decided to take this a step further and try zc.  Red meat is my fave, so easy enough.  I just never ate more than 30% fat before.  The first two weeks were all red meat pan seared with 80% fat.  I gained about 12 lbs in two weeks.... a disgusting 12 lbs!  I felt disgusting, bloated, my stomach would not stop girgling after meals, running to the bathroom...  Despite all of this,I did enjoy some sense of calm about not needing to eat much and improved energy.  But I was too uncomfortable.  So, I lowered the fat a lot by eating mostly pan seared lean red meat, cooked eggs, and cooked chicken.  This got my weight back to normal pretty quickly, but I did this for my weight... I'm not sure it's so healthy.  I'd like to give ZC a chance, experience keto-adaption, and what ever other benefits there are.  Oh, I tried pemmican too.  I love it and it's convenience but it makes me extremely thirsty (I use no salt nor seasonings) and my tummy swells and talks to me!

So... I'm tired of screwing up and wondering where to go next.  Like what kind of advice do you have for a newbie or what do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?  Has zero carb been a hit or miss for you?  What % fat/protein?  Adjustments in caloric intake?

And finally, I have to add that constancy and control of my weight is very important to me and I feel like I'm losing control.  I do a lot of modeling, so I get anxious when a dietary change isn't working, but it's my name and paycheck on the line.  Maybe I don't stick some changes out long enough for the benefit?  The problem is that being female, I don't have to be healthy to model... I just have to fit the clothes.  It's awful, but true.  Still, I pride myself on staying fit and healthy and still being able to do what I do.  This recent experience with zc and weight gain has (for the first time) made me so upset and desperate with my body. 


Sorry for the long post and desperation, but I thank you for reading and in advance to any who post!

Thanks!
Ioanna

Hello All,

I've transitioned from vegetarian to mostly raw to raw vegan to now half-raw paleo with fully raw intentions!  I knew something wasn't right when I began to crave insane amounts of nuts and seeds on raw vegan, so I started adding raw dairy and raw eggs.  This helped a lot.  I then learned about AV and moved on from there.  My diet is pretty much a complete 180 degree turn from where I was a year ago, and I feel so much better for it!  I hardly eat any vegetation these days.  I don't digest it well at all.  I love salads, and if I ever get to the point that I can actually digest them well I'll start eating them again.  I thought it was all the fiber, but juicing doesn't help either. 

I love eating raw red meats.  In fact cooked red meat looks ruined to me now.  I've not tried white meats, not even fish...I've not yet the nerve for that. 

The only thing keeping me from being 100% raw is that I still have some learned fear about eating raw animal food that kicks in every once in a while.  Anyone else have this?

Look forward to conversing with all of you!