Do green smoothies actually work? Any tips appreciated :)

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pawprints86
pawprints86 Posts: 59 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've heard good things about people's various ways of making those famous "green smoothies" - with spinach, fat free yogurt, pineapple, frozen banana, etc, etc....

My question is, people seem to really enjoy these (got some ingredients tonight to make my first one in the morning) are they really good for weight loss? If I can be honest, I have an event in just under one month that I need to lose as many pounds/inches as I can in that time, would this be a good meal substitute a few times a day?

Does anyone have any other tips for me to lose as much as I can in that short of a time-frame? Other than what I've already been doing (exercising my butt off, etc). Anything would be appreciated, I'm into crunch time here.... :/

Thanks everybody! :)
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Replies

  • miracle4me
    miracle4me Posts: 522 Member
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    I want to see the comments because I want to know also. I do know green smoothies are healthy and some people replace meals with them.
  • bewitchinglife
    bewitchinglife Posts: 167 Member
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    I drink green smoothies all the time. They are only going to be as good for you as the ingredients you put in them.

    I personally prefer to drink my greens (not a salad lover) than eat them. I put chia seeds in my smoothies so one serving usually costs me about 350 calories.

    Losing weight fast is a bad idea all around. Go for slow and steady. You are only going to hurt your body if you try to take off the weight fast.
  • pawprints86
    pawprints86 Posts: 59 Member
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    I drink green smoothies all the time. They are only going to be as good for you as the ingredients you put in them.

    I personally prefer to drink my greens (not a salad lover) than eat them. I put chia seeds in my smoothies so one serving usually costs me about 350 calories.

    Losing weight fast is a bad idea all around. Go for slow and steady. You are only going to hurt your body if you try to take off the weight fast.

    I agree with you, I calculated everything I'll be putting in my smoothies, and it looks to be right around 305 calories per serving. That isn't too bad, all things considered, especially if replacing 2 meals a day with the smoothies, plus a healthy dinner, a snack in there somewhere, and exercise. I've heard plenty of water is good on these too, as the spinach is full of fiber, which needs water to get through your system. I'm hoping for the best!
  • peace_pigeon
    peace_pigeon Posts: 120 Member
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    I *love* smoothies for breakfast. I usually do a big bunch of kale, protein powder, frozen bananna, berries and sometimes coconut butter or peanut butter if I need extra calories. I can't really taste the kale, but it does add a nice kind of "freshness" to the smoothie, if that makes any sense at all? Enjoy :)
  • jessradtke
    jessradtke Posts: 418 Member
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    I had a long reply typed out and lost it. Basically, it said "They work for me" :-) I have green smoothies pretty much every day, usually for lunch, but I don't put yogurt in mine. Just fruits and veggies. I get bloated when I eat dairy products and fruits together, but just fruits and veggies and I feel fantastic!
  • pawprints86
    pawprints86 Posts: 59 Member
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    I had a long reply typed out and lost it. Basically, it said "They work for me" :-) I have green smoothies pretty much every day, usually for lunch, but I don't put yogurt in mine. Just fruits and veggies. I get bloated when I eat dairy products and fruits together, but just fruits and veggies and I feel fantastic!

    Thanks to you for your reply (sorry you lost your other one!) So glad to hear people love their smoothies, I actually saw a pin about the green smoothies on Pinterest and couldn't help but check it out :)
  • pawprints86
    pawprints86 Posts: 59 Member
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    I *love* smoothies for breakfast. I usually do a big bunch of kale, protein powder, frozen bananna, berries and sometimes coconut butter or peanut butter if I need extra calories. I can't really taste the kale, but it does add a nice kind of "freshness" to the smoothie, if that makes any sense at all? Enjoy :)

    I loathe anything coconut but I saw that a lot of people enjoy things like that, or coconut milk in theirs. I hope these will do the trick for me! :)
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member
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    I love them. Cup of Kale or Spinach, add 1 banana, frozen fruit, flaxseed, water.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I don't think you're going to lose more weight having green smoothies. Just a good way to get your nutrients from your greens. Also you can purchase green and red powders for your smoothies.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    i have a green smoothie every morning. it's around 150cals and a pint serving.

    i don't drink them because they promote weight loss, but i would say that they provide a wonderful balance of fiber and nutrients that help benefit weight loss.

    the thing that has helped me the most has been to cut all simple carbohydrates to an absolute minimum. you may look at my diary, but i just got back from a camping trip, so look before june 8 (the days between the 8th & 13th are sketchy due to end of season parties).

    by consuming a lot of fiber and drinking a lot of water, you can effectively stay hydrated, nutrient-rich and lose weight quickly. in the last month i lost almost 13lbs by eating lean & clean for 3 days at a time and allowing a natural path of the occasional bread or sweet fall where it did.

    another thing i did was sort of plan for social occasions. if i knew there was to be a party or social situation, i would try to eat very clean & lean for the days following up to it. i also tried to be aware if i was actually hungry or just bored, uncomfortable, hot, or whatever.

    i've also been tracking my sugar to fiber ratio, which has helped me recognize my end of day balance. since mfp doesn't separate simple sugars from complex sugars, this keeps me in check. the average whole food is less than 5:1 sugar to fiber, and the average american diet is 12:1 sugar to fiber.

    so if i keep my ratio under 5:1, preferably 2:1 or lower, then - in my mind - i have had a good day.

    i hope that helps!
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I don't think green smoothies are going to make you lose weight any faster than just eating yogurt, spinach, and fruit separately. I actually find I don't really like smoothies for weight loss purposes, because my mind processes it as a drink and therefore as no filling, meaning it leaves me still hungry. I eat smoothies mainly when I need a boost in calories (like after a long run) or when I want something fast. Other than that, there aren't really any advantages to them other than maybe disguising the taste of the vegetables you might not like.
  • ehunte
    ehunte Posts: 125 Member
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    I usually have a green smoothie for breakfast and it will send me to the bathroom within a few hours so it works in that respect :wink:
  • pawprints86
    pawprints86 Posts: 59 Member
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    Thanks for the tips, everyone! The thing with me is, I love fruit, but I don't love my veggies that much. I'm hoping this helps me get some extra nutrients from veggies as opposed to just the fruits I love so much. :)
  • Nessalee77
    Nessalee77 Posts: 78 Member
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    I have one every morning as my morning snack. I have orange, pineapple, and two big handfuls of whatever leafy greens look good at the market that week.

    I don't know about for weight loss I see them as a super effective multivitamin. I don't replace meals with them, just snacks.

    Some benefits I have noticed in the last 6-8 months... My skin is clearer, my hair is shinier, I have more energy to get out of bed (although I go to bed earlier these days too) also there have been several colds/flus around the office this winter and I haven't had so much as a sniffle yet. Most winters I get chest infections.

    At first people around the office felt compelled to tell me daily how revolting my smoothies looked, and I would reply 'well, no one asked you to drink it!' and just turn away. Then i got sick of it and offered to pour ine down the shirt of the next person who felt the need to comment (in a joking way of course, but loudly and publicly at a morning tea :-) ) Now there are 2 others in the office drinking them also and people hassle them instead.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    Thanks for the tips, everyone! The thing with me is, I love fruit, but I don't love my veggies that much. I'm hoping this helps me get some extra nutrients from veggies as opposed to just the fruits I love so much. :)

    try it with vegetable juices, too....

    i usually use unsweetened almond milk in mine, so sometimes i'll replace that with beet or carrot juice. there are so many options, just tinker around with it until you find your favorite mix.

    don't forget putting a little fresh ginger in every once in a while! :)
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I drink green smoothies all the time. They are only going to be as good for you as the ingredients you put in them.

    I personally prefer to drink my greens (not a salad lover) than eat them. I put chia seeds in my smoothies so one serving usually costs me about 350 calories.

    Losing weight fast is a bad idea all around. Go for slow and steady. You are only going to hurt your body if you try to take off the weight fast.

    I agree with you, I calculated everything I'll be putting in my smoothies, and it looks to be right around 305 calories per serving. That isn't too bad, all things considered, especially if replacing 2 meals a day with the smoothies, plus a healthy dinner, a snack in there somewhere, and exercise. I've heard plenty of water is good on these too, as the spinach is full of fiber, which needs water to get through your system. I'm hoping for the best!

    You're really not necessarily replacing anything with anything... you could eat a 305 calorie meal or drink a 305 calorie smoothie... it's the same thing. And there is no short cut to weight loss...
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I've heard good things about people's various ways of making those famous "green smoothies" - with spinach, fat free yogurt, pineapple, frozen banana, etc, etc....

    My question is, people seem to really enjoy these (got some ingredients tonight to make my first one in the morning) are they really good for weight loss? If I can be honest, I have an event in just under one month that I need to lose as many pounds/inches as I can in that time, would this be a good meal substitute a few times a day?

    Does anyone have any other tips for me to lose as much as I can in that short of a time-frame? Other than what I've already been doing (exercising my butt off, etc). Anything would be appreciated, I'm into crunch time here.... :/

    Thanks everybody! :)

    You should safely lose 3-8 pounds in that time frame.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    Now there are 2 others in the office drinking them also and people hassle them instead.

    hehe


    i had a coworker refuse to try it because of the way it looked. i just shrugged and said, "more for me!"
  • mikebooker1
    mikebooker1 Posts: 148 Member
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    If I were you and was giong to do a meal replacement I'd probably substitute dinner and your physical meals be breakfast and/or lunch. That way you are getting the most calories you need when you need them most for energy to get you thru the day.
  • Bikini_Bound150
    Bikini_Bound150 Posts: 461 Member
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    Before I got pregnant (which turned me against anything green, thick, milky, etc) I drank them almost daily. I have them for breakfast with protein powder, a cup of spinach, banana, peanut butter and water. That's my favorite! It made me really full and felt better through out the day. I don't think they really did anything for weight loss as much as they did for feeling REALLY healthy since I was getting nutrients.

    Once I get over my morning sickness, I plan on having them again for the extra nutrient boost. They are so, so healthy when made the right way :smile:

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