Will smoothies help me loose weight?
katieleggett_321
Posts: 37 Member
I've always avoided smoothies as they're full of sugar.
Would the fruit eaten as it is sustain me for longer and help me loose weight quicker?
Would the fruit eaten as it is sustain me for longer and help me loose weight quicker?
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The only way smoothies would help you lose weight is if they allowed you to eat less calories per day then you burn. That is the only way to lose weight. Most people feel that liquid calories are not very filling and actually make it harder to eat less calories per day then you burn but some find them satiating. It basically depends if you find smoothies more filling then whole foods or not.4
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I find they fill me. But would it be more nutritious to have cereal and fruit throughout the day?0
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The only way smoothies would help you lose weight is if they allowed you to eat less calories per day then you burn. That is the only way to lose weight. Most people feel that liquid calories are not very filling and actually make it harder to eat less calories per day then you burn but some find them satiating. It basically depends if you find smoothies more filling then whole foods or not.
^ This.
Our hunger hormone ghrelin is produced when the stomach is not being stretched. In general high-liquid foods pass through the stomach faster and leave people feeling hungry again sooner.
Assuming you're controlling your overall calorie intake -AND- you enjoy them, i say go for it.0 -
It really depends on what all you're putting in your smoothies. Fruit, veggies, protein powder, extras etc.katieleggett_321 wrote: »I find they fill me. But would it be more nutritious to have cereal and fruit throughout the day?
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Bananas, spinach, kiwi, strawberries etc topped with water0
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It depends. If you're on the go and need something fast, they can be the ticket. If you make them yourself, you can control the sugar (and add protein powder, etc.). But at the end of the day, the way to lose weight is through a calorie deficit.
What you need to do is figure out for yourself the best way to hit the calorie total that MFP gives you. Theoretically, you will lose weight on nothing but Twinkies (and someone has done it to prove a point), but I can't imagine being satiated on that diet and malnutrition is a real concern.
If you find that a smoothie gives you the energy you need and keeps you feeling full until the next time you plan to eat, then sure, it's a fast way to get your nutrition and depending on what's in the smoothie, a healthy one.
Disclosure: I prefer to eat my calories rather than drink them, but there are many posters on these boards who've had great results with smoothies and protein shakes.
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As long as you count those calories I don't see smoothies as being negative. Some people like smoothies as a means of getting in more fruits/veggies throughout the day.0
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katieleggett_321 wrote: »I find they fill me. But would it be more nutritious to have cereal and fruit throughout the day?
It's not 'more nutritious', your body doesn't really care how you get your calories. It's really up to what works with your lifestyle. But again, it's all about the calories.
I suggest making your own smoothies at home so you can weigh your fruit and see how much you're putting in there. Or go for the store bought stuff but look at the label before buying.
FWIW, I don't like smoothies. I've eaten red potatoes, bacon, 2 eggs and spinach all weekend for breakfast. I've lost 2 lbs this week. I weigh everything!0 -
Account for the calories and try them. If they work for you as a meal, then that can be helpful if you like to drink your meals, especially if you like the convenience or whatever. If not, they may not be a good option. It's entirely up to you. Smoothies don't lead to weight loss. They're food. Nothing more, nothing less.2
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Yeah they'd be home made. I've just heard things about your body burning off solids easier then fluids1
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I don't find smoothies fill me because a) they're liquid and b) they're mostly just carbs and no fat. I like a mix of all macros at every meal to make me feel satisfied1
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katieleggett_321 wrote: »Yeah they'd be home made. I've just heard things about your body burning off solids easier then fluids
Nope. Sounds like a myth.4 -
I don't find smoothies fill me because a) they're liquid and b) they're mostly just carbs and no fat. I like a mix of all macros at every meal to make me feel satisfied
To be fair, you can add chia seeds, nut butters, protein powders, etc. to make them macro balanced.
But again OP- You need to determine if you're one of those people or not. ^0 -
Your body doesn't burn off solids any better than liquids or vice versa.katieleggett_321 wrote: »Yeah they'd be home made. I've just heard things about your body burning off solids easier then fluids
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katieleggett_321 wrote: »I've always avoided smoothies as they're full of sugar.
Would the fruit eaten as it is sustain me for longer and help me loose weight quicker?
No not really. The absolute fastest way to lose weight and KEEP it off without the yo-yo is to simply eat healthy, enough protein, fat, carbs, fiber, micro nutrients, etc. a couple hundred calories under your maintenance. Slow is fast. Slow is consistent. Slow works for life. Sugar isn't bad, but too much pushes out the room in your calorie budget you need for the other macros like protein. Protein is the one macro that your body can't store so you need it throughout the day (I don't believe in the rules about number of hours) BUT at least 3 times a day like normal meals.0 -
As far as "fast" that is usually just water weight. As soon as you return to normal eating the water level in your body returns to normal.0
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katieleggett_321 wrote: »Bananas, spinach, kiwi, strawberries etc topped with water
What about protein powder as well?
Eat a balanced diet with protien, carbs and fats. Smoothies alone will make it miserable. You could even include chocolate/sweets/snacks.
Calories are king.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »I don't find smoothies fill me because a) they're liquid and b) they're mostly just carbs and no fat. I like a mix of all macros at every meal to make me feel satisfied
To be fair, you can add chia seeds, nut butters, protein powders, etc. to make them macro balanced.
But again OP- You need to determine if you're one of those people or not. ^
Once I add in higher fat and some protein my shake can easily be 400 cals. Idk, I prefer to eat those kind of calories but if this is her personal preference then by all means. Psychologically I don't like to drink my calories, I'm a volume eater
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When I'm on early shift, I will make a smoothie as a quick meal. I do balance it by adding protein powder and flax seeds. I find it will keep me satisfied for a couple hours and is a great way to get some extra fruits and veg. It's figured with my daily calories, so doesn't really effect my weight loss, either good or bad. It depends on what works for you, but it's not a magic bullet.1
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Give me a 250 cal Wendy's chilli over a smoothie any day. A meat smoothie, if you will lol8
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How much flax do you use. I have some and some chia but I've never used either. I don't really know what they are0
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rainbowbow wrote: »I don't find smoothies fill me because a) they're liquid and b) they're mostly just carbs and no fat. I like a mix of all macros at every meal to make me feel satisfied
To be fair, you can add chia seeds, nut butters, protein powders, etc. to make them macro balanced.
But again OP- You need to determine if you're one of those people or not. ^
Once I add in higher fat and some protein my shake can easily be 400 cals. Idk, I prefer to eat those kind of calories but if this is her personal preference then by all means. Psychologically I don't like to drink my calories, I'm a volume eater
I am too, and you're right. i eat like 99% of my calories at night, and if i do every make a shake (post workout, feeling lazy, etc.) they are ALL around 400 cals just about.1 -
I use smoothies to help me gain weight (mine can get up to 1000 cals or more).. so they can be a calorie bomb.. just be mindful and weigh everything going in.0
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rainbowbow wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »I don't find smoothies fill me because a) they're liquid and b) they're mostly just carbs and no fat. I like a mix of all macros at every meal to make me feel satisfied
To be fair, you can add chia seeds, nut butters, protein powders, etc. to make them macro balanced.
But again OP- You need to determine if you're one of those people or not. ^
Once I add in higher fat and some protein my shake can easily be 400 cals. Idk, I prefer to eat those kind of calories but if this is her personal preference then by all means. Psychologically I don't like to drink my calories, I'm a volume eater
I am too, and you're right. i eat like 99% of my calories at night, and if i do every make a shake (post workout, feeling lazy, etc.) they are ALL around 400 cals just about.
I'm the same, I eat well into the evening and most of my calories come from dinner and after dinner snacks. I'm a little more balanced on the weekends but again, that's due to all day access to my fridge lol
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katieleggett_321 wrote: »How much flax do you use. I have some and some chia but I've never used either. I don't really know what they are
I usually add in 10 grams.0 -
A smoothie is not a weight loss answer. To lose weight you can eat whatever you want and as long as the amount of calories you eat or less than what your body Burns you will lose weight.
A healthy smoothie can be a thousand calories versus a Wendy's hamburger which can be 300 calories. Overtime you would lose weight faster eating the Wendy's hamburger than the smoothie. For weight loss all that matters is calories. It's a matter of making the smoothie fit within your calorie goals0 -
I don't do smoothies for weight loss - although they are a part of my regular day some days - and I'm in weight loss mode eating at a deficit. Mine are about 400 calories, but they have protein powder AND Greek yogurt, along with strawberries, 1/2 banana and some ice. When I feel like I'm needing some extra fiber, I'll put some chia seeds in there (another 60 calories).
They're breakfast for me 2-3 times per week. They are very filling - although I snack about 3 hours later most days (no matter what I eat for breakfast).
You certainly can include them to help you lose weight, but they have to fit your overall calorie budget - they won't do it by themselves or in the absence of a deficit.
[ETA - I would eat/drink these anytime, regardless of whether I'm in maintenance/gain/loss. I just like 'em]0 -
I do workouts in the morning the straight to work, so I make smoothies the night before of between 300-375 calories (fruit, greens, protein powder, liquid) and then snack around 10am. I have a lower cal threshold - 1300ish - so I eat meals of 300ish cal plus 75-200 cal snacks to stay full. Smoothies can be useful, can be prepped, and easy for on the go. It keeps me full as long as I don't drink it too quickly.0
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I was just reminded of something that happened to a friend of a friend...
A coworker (someone's coworker. Certainly not mine) likes to post pictures of her smoothies on Facebook to show off how super healthy her eating is. She posted the ingredients: Yogurt for the base, protein powder, coconut oil, ice, almond milk, about 10 metric f-tons of fruit. Probably some other stuff but I forget. Someone asked what kind of yogurt she used. She said it was frozen yogurt....
Frozen. Yogurt. That wasn't a smoothie. It was a milk shake.
Anyway, smoothies can be a snack, a low-cal meal replacement, or a total calorie bomb. Whatever you do, count the calories, see how much satisfaction you get from it and how your diet lines up nutritionally with the smoothies included in it.2 -
I'm a big food experimenter and although I only use smoothies as an after workout type of thing, I have discovered a benefit to smoothies by experimenting on my friends that are, shall we say, healthy eating challenged. They will eat things in smoothies that are nutritionally very dense and low in calorie, that they would never eat in their whole form or alone. I'm talking about things like raw whole vegetables, kale, swiss chard, spinach and other greens, protein powder etc. Once blended in a smoothie with some fruit/water/milk/cocoa powder etc, the tastes they find unappealing are masked over by the sweetness of the fruits, berries, honey etc.0
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