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Posted 2/23/2010 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
My husband started the organic food diet in hopes of losing weight about 2 weeks ago.  I am a bit concerned because he will have times that he feels very weak.  He is eating nothing but fruits (mostly), some vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and maybe a handful of almonds, pumpkin seeds or peanuts.  I am thinking that maybe he needs something else vitamin wise but I am not sure.  Can you get all your vitamins and minerals from a diet like this?  He has lost approximately 18lbs already and I believe most of that was water retention because his fingers aren't swollen anymore.  He is a rather large muscular man - 6' and he was at 240lbs (now at about 220lbs) and is still working out with weights and walking on the treadmill.  He is trying to lose weight to get the pressure off his knees that hurt due to arthritis as well as to help with his back issues.  I know some of you here are vegetarians or used to be so that is why I thought I would ask on here for more info.
Posted 2/23/2010 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
It sounds as if he is not getting enough calories, an 18lb weight loss in 2 weeks is excessive and dangerous!!! He shouldn't be losing more than 2lbs per week. He could also add more protein to his diet. There are some great vegetarian proteins available; soydogs, soy patties (like hamburger), soy bacon, etc. Make sure he eats rice and beans in one meal, together they make a complete protein. You might shop together at a health food store and get more advice on a healthy diet that is safe.

Sue
Posted 2/23/2010 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
That is a terrible diet! He needs to add some more beans, nuts, and grains if he's going vegetarian, or some meats/eggs/dairy. He really needs to get a complete spectrum of proteins, eating just fruits and veggies means you're missing some. Also, B12 is very hard to get without animal sources so at the very least he should take a supplement. Fish is also a tasty, lean, low calorie choice so I'd recommend eating it a few times a week if he's not veg. The biggest challenge it to make sure he's getting a complete nutrient profile which I'm not so sure about here. Especially since veggies have a lot of nutrients fruits lack. He is probably not getting enough calcium or iron so up the leafy greens (lots of broccoli is great).

sue-processed soy foods like that are so bad for you, lol. Soy dogs and burgers are really not much healthier than regular burgers because they're so chemically treated. Though I have had some veggie burgers (the ones that are not trying to be meat) that are not like this. Tempeh, tofu, and beans are MUCH better choices.
Posted 2/23/2010 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
I've tried a diet similar to his in the past. It's basically the raw food diet. I ran into deficiencies and decided it was not the best for me. If he wants to do that he needs to supplement all the vitamins that you cannot get without animal products such as b12, vitamin d, fat soluable vitamins, etc. It's kind of dangerous diet if you don't know what you are doing. Short term he should be fine, but if he wants to do it long term he will need to do a ton of research. I tried it for a long time and researched for about 2 years to come to the conclusion that it's just not for me. It's a wonderful diet in a fantasy world but in the real world it won't be long before he heads to pizza or a burger. Maybe just let him experiment, explain to him your concerns and tell him to be very very careful!! I can't stress that enough. People run into all kinds of problems on a raw diet especially one that is high in fruit. You really have to be prepared and know what you are doing and seek the help of professionals. Not sure if this will help you.
Posted 2/23/2010 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, that is what I thought. It didn't seem like it was a very healthy all around diet. And yes, his weight loss was concerning me too which is why I asked. Would a multi-vitamin help? He started taking them again after I told him that I don't think what he is doing is beneficial and he needs some other vitamins that this diet doesn't have. He said he wants to go to the end of February with this diet and then ease back into regular foods (porportioned right though). He would sit on the couch at night and just pig out on junk food and that is one thing he wants to avoid when he starts back to eating regular food.
Posted 2/23/2010 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
I think he just needs more calories. I'd have him count calories over a day and see what he's getting. Anything below 1800 or so (at least, I'm thinkin that's right) isn't healthy for a man his size. Besides, when you loose weight that quickly, you're more likely to pack it back on, plus some. I'm totally an example of that...when I was flaring, I lost a lot of weight. By three months post-partum, I was over 25 lbs below pre-pregnancy weight, and had gained 25-30 during pregnancy. Once I got into remission, I packed it all back on really quickly. And the weight gain didn't start until after I was off of pred. If he just quits the junk food at night, eats a healthy, balanced diet during the day, and works out, I think he'll loose weight a much more healthy way and be more likely to keep it off.
Posted 2/23/2010 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
More proteins like someone else suggested.
Posted 2/23/2010 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
Red-a multi-V would help some BUT he will still probably not being getting complete protein. There are much better ways to lose weight and eat well than this.
Posted 2/23/2010 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
An 18 pound weight loss in 2 weeks (about 8% of his body weight) can only be achieved through significant dehydration. Being dehydrated can make people weak and can put a real strain on the heart and kidneys. The low protein will contribute to dehydration also.

Please help him see that this rapid weight loss a) isn't healthy for him and b) is likely to end in the weight being regained as quickly as it was lost. He needs to be establishing a new eating routine for his life, not starving himself for a short period an then going back to his old ways.
Posted 2/23/2010 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Fruitgirl, have him try it but make sure he is eating enough calories. If he's not planning on doing it forever, I think 1 month will be fine and might help him to establish better eating habits. If he's eating a large variety of fruits and vegetables and making sure to eat nuts and seed for protein and fat I think 1 month can't hurt too much. He might want to talk with a doctor though, just to make sure he can handle it. Maybe if you tell him that he will go to the doctor to give you some ease, maybe you can come up with some kind of an agreement. Just a thought:) At least he's eating all healthy stuff!
Posted 2/24/2010 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, I talked with him last night about my concerns and he agreed to start back to eating dinner again on Monday. The thing is, is that he is high suggestible. If someone tells him something about anything, he believes it to be true. He has this one guy at work who is a yoga trainer on the side and told him how he lost weight while being on this diet. Well this guy wasn't exactly big to begin with but my husband fell for this diet after seeing his friend lose the weight. My hubby has been complaining about his weight for some time so he decided to stick to this organic diet. When he started it, I was assuming that he was going to supplement his diet with the proper proteins, vitamins, minerals etc. But when he would stubbornly refuse to do supplementations I became concerned. I know this rapid weight loss was not healthy and told him so.

But thank you all for your advice. I am not that knowledgable about diets and daily requirements but I knew that many of you were....you guys are awesome! :)
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