Triathlon training on a raw diet (Page 2)

I, like most physically active raw foodists, did eat lots of nuts and seeds.  In fact, I ate whatever I wanted as long as it was raw.  It was very freeing from that perspective, and very limiting in other ways.  Which is why, ultimately, I decided to add some cooked foods back into my diet, with the intention of eating as many raw and unprocessed foods as possible while still being flexible.  I'd really like to work back up to around 75% raw.

Funny thing about fruits and greens...gorillas have no trouble getting all big and muscley eating pretty much nothing else.  Not that I am a gorilla, not that I want to spend all day eating, and not that I have any intention of giving up my favorite treats...I'm just sayin'.

Slight hijack....just want to mention that eating a lot of fruit does not put someone on the path to diabetes

I've tried a raw foods diet, but didn't have enough time to create dishes that were satisfying.  I did discover that the best hummus is made w/ sprouted garbanzo beans, however!  And there are lots of tasty dishes to be made..... My friends made them and I enjoyed them, but there are only so many hours in a day!

Now I'm trying to avoid all sugar, starch and processed foods (which sounds like a raw diet in some ways) but I'm suddenly really bored by the salad I used to love for lunch everyday and really crave meat (to get enough calories?) when I've always eaten very little meat.  It was suggested that I go vegetarian (again) but if I can't eat any dairy, sugar (fruit) or starches and only limited grains, it's impossible for me to live on green beans and the like, especially when they're uncooked, because I would never feel satisfied.  I have been losing weight quickly lately even with cheating so I'm happy and my body must be happy too.  And I'm feeling pretty good when working out.

BUT to get back to the original subject, I don't think a raw or vegetarian diet has enough calories for me when I'm training.  You either feel energetic or you don't.  If your muscles feel more achy and tired than they used to, if your times are down, something's not right.  If you can eat raw foods and kick butt in races, why change?  It's got to be more healthy for you to eat that way.  A raw foods guru, I read one of his books but forget his name, was NOT muscular..... but very lean w/ some muscle.   Don't know if he could complete a race....

Nutrition is so complex and for the most part there is very little science on the subject because AMA disregards it completely -- so we do what feels best and keep blogging each other to find out what's working for them!!

Good luck to you and thanks for starting this thread  -- it helped me to work out some thoughts on the subject as well.