Will smoothies help me loose weight?

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  • katieleggett_321
    katieleggett_321 Posts: 37 Member
    vismal wrote: »
    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.

    I might sound daft but when you say 'calories you burn' does that mean resting calories + active calories?
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    katieleggett_321 wrote: »
    vismal wrote: »
    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.

    I might sound daft but when you say 'calories you burn' does that mean resting calories + active calories?

    Yes the calories you burn include everything, from the ones you burn while sleeping to the ones you burn with intentional exercise.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
    I am a fan of smoothies for breakfast (and even lunch sometimes) since I was not the best at getting my veggies. I'm a lot better now so I don't have them as much but my base recipe is:
    1 cup baby greens
    1/4 frozen banana
    1/2 cup frozen berries
    1 scoop protein powder
    1 TB ground flax seed
    1 cup liquid (usually half milk and half water)
    Couple dashes of cinnamon or other spices

    They usually come in around 200-250 calories depending on the types of fruit I use or if I use my husband's protein powder vs mine. For me they have a good mix of protein and fiber which keeps me full and I can adjust the flavors to fit any cravings I am having (if I need a chocolate fix I use chocolate protein powder and add in a tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, if I want a PSL I use coffee in place of water and replace the berries with 1/4 cup pumpkin puree)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I like my breakfasts to be balanced with some fat and protein and to include a good portion of vegetables and to be about 350-400 calories. In the summer (and occasionally at other times), I feel like a smoothie in the morning and make them, including the same kind of things (protein, source of fat, lots of vegetables, not a huge amount of fruit) as I would in a regular (for me) breakfast. Doing that, they are neither good nor bad for weight loss vs. whatever other breakfast I would eat, and I find them filling.

    A lot of people do seem to make fruit heavy smoothies (with just some spinach or kale too), and there I don't think I personally would find it satisfying and it would make it hard for me to meet my vegetable and protein goals, and also the calories can add up fast, depending on how much fruit you add. Also, for me, eating whole fruit IS way more filling than the same amount of fruit in a smoothie (that my smoothies are usually not that high in fruit is why I find them filling). But I know this is NOT the case for everyone, so it really depends on you.

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