What do you think about the effectiveness of juicing for weight loss?

Options
jtorr1984
jtorr1984 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
There are some conflicting ideas about a juice detox for nutrition. Some believe that juicing strips the nutrients from foods but other feel that juicing maximizes nutrient intake.
«1

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Options
    I feel detoxing is a silly idea and that juicing ends up with something not as filling as the original items.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Options
    Your body detoxes all by itself.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Options
    I'm not a fan of juicing. An apple fills me a lot more than the juice of 3 apples. I think it is due to the mix of physically biting and chewing and keeping the fibre content.

    If you do decide to juice make sure you count the calories properly, I've seen some crazy enteries in the data base. As an example a banana and kiwi one 300ml, only 100 calories!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Options
    Your liver, kidneys and intestines do a great job of detoxing your body already. You don't need any kind of juice to do that. There are lots of reasons NOT to do a juice diet like the fact that you're losing fiber, which helps digestion, and some nutrients in the juicing process. You'll be hungrier since our bodies process juice really quickly. A couple of days of nothing but juice probably won't harm you but anything longer than that isn't necessary and could actually do more harm than good.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    Options
    You seemed to have asked two questions. One on detoxing and one on juicing.

    Detoxes are hoaxes--don't do one. Cased closed.

    The process of juicing using calls for the peeling of the fruit and sometime straining the juice. These remove the fiber and other nutrients. For weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit so this really doesn't matter but most will tell you it better to eat your calories. Also, fiber will give you a better sense of fullness and control your hunger.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    edited September 2015
    Options
    Detoxing is not necessary. Your body already detoxes, that's what your liver and other internal organs are for.

    Juicing is not needed for weight loss since losing weight loss is about consuming less calories than you burn. But I know a lot of people like juicing, they either like the taste, it's more convenient, or they can get better nutrition if it's blended together. I honestly can't see how juicing would strip nutrients from foods since it's just changing form. It may have some impact on fiber, but don't quote me on that. But overall, there's nothing wrong with juicing if you like doing it. Just count the calories that go into it the same as you would if you were eating it and you should be fine.
  • YorriaRaine
    YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
    edited September 2015
    Options
    Your body detoxifies itself just fine, if it isn't go to a hospital.

    I love making my own green juices but I include them in my calorie goal for the day because I ENJOY them, and it helps me get veggies in my diet in a way I like. If you like eating veggies then eat them, spend your calories on foods and drinks you like.

    My favorite green juice is kale, spinach, apple and lemon if your still interested in juicing for pleasure reasons, which is the only reason to juice imo.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Options
    I think that detoxes as a means to jump start weight loss are a farce. Pretty much anytime you cut calories and start to lose weight, you have a big *whoosh* of water weight loss in the beginning. This translates to a bigger than average loss (e.g., 5 pounds the first week instead of 1 pound, etc.) for a few weeks and then weight loss slows. People who do a detox experience the same initial whoosh but credit the detox rather eating at a reduced calorie level. They could eat normal everyday food and get the same results but instead want to think that fruit juice or lemon water or cucumbers and cayenne pepper or some other food combination has magical weight loss properties when it just isn't true.

    As far as long term juicing for weight loss, it's not for me. I'd rather eat a whole piece of fruit and feel more full than drink a glass of juice for as many or more calories.
  • justrollme
    justrollme Posts: 802 Member
    Options
    One of the yummiest juice drinks I've ever had was a combination of beet, carrot, ginger, lemon and apple. I had it at the beginning of this summer (at an adorable little restaurant in Cape May), about a week or two after I began changing the way I eat and joined MFP. I didn't order it for any kind of "detox" reason or even for weight loss purposes, or anything like that, I just happen to love all of those ingredients. However, I would not make a regular practice of juicing. I think it's too easy to end up with way more calories by drinking them, rather than eating them. (And really, eating that particular combination is delicious, too!)
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
    Options
    I think its expense (financial, personal, etc) far outweighs even the best benefits juicing could offer a person.

    I also dislike it because it seems to presuppose that fruits and veggies have magical properties and some juice machine can harness their power; strikes me as a little dopey.
  • Chasity6
    Chasity6 Posts: 183 Member
    Options
    I use a nutri-bullet to make smoothies from usually mixed berries and kale or spinach for breakfast sometimes. I do it because I enjoy it. It feels me up due to the fact it keeps the fiber. But personally I wouldn't just juice since you lose all fiber. But that is just my personal opinion.
  • OneHundredToLose
    OneHundredToLose Posts: 8,523 Member
    Options
    I did a juice-only diet for 30 days a couple years ago. This was much longer than the typically recommended 7 or 10 day cleanse. Here's what I can tell you from my experience:

    -It gets very expensive
    -You can't pre-make juice...it quickly loses nutrients and begins to taste bad
    -You will quickly tire of cleaning your juicer
    -You will lose water / food weight quickly
    -Your body will hate you
    -You will feel like *kitten* for the first 3 or 4 days
    -You will feel great for a few days after that
    -When you stop, you will gain back all of the weight you lost in a matter of days / a week

    Overall, I don't recommend it. It's not worth it for anything other than a test of your willpower. Again, I did this for 30 days, so I really got a good idea of what goes into it. You'll see big numbers coming off on the scale - in 30 days I lost a little over 20lbs. But much of that was retained water and food weight, and the rest was lost unhealthily. Within 2 months I had gained back every pound, most of it in the first 2 weeks after I stopped.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Options
    The effectiveness of juicing for weight loss? It's quite effective because it restricts calories. Nutrients? It strips some, not enough to make a difference except in the fiber department.

    Now that you have your answers do you feel like you may have been asking the wrong questions? If weight loss is your goal, and it is well known that eating fewer calories than you burn is how you lose weight regardless of the method, wouldn't it be more productive to ask "what strategies can I apply to reduce my intake and increase my burn in a way easy enough to last me a lifetime?"
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    I pretty well have dropped all juices from my diet. The equivalent portion of fruit is more satisfying. You can accidentally add a whole lot of calories drinking juices.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    Options
    Detoxing is stupid. The human body detoxes itself. It's why we have kidneys and livers. If there's a problem with that then a medical doctor needs to be consulted.

    Juicing makes no sense to me. Eating the whole fruit or veggie would be a lot more filling and nutritious.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,338 Member
    Options
    I'm not going to read the other comments, just give you my opinion of the juicer and the results I've found "for me"...My daughter gave me a juicer for my birthday two weeks ago...I've used it faithfully almost every day for lunch....In that two weeks, I have lost 3 lbs, and the only change made was the juicer...I've looked over my food journals, and the amount of really good nutrients going in has more than doubled, but my calorie consumption is pretty much the same. Meaning I'm full all day, and not suddenly snacking due to hunger. So. 3 lbs down, more nutrients. I like it so far. The only problem I've found is it's a *kitten* to clean...scuse my French!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    JustMissTracy wrote: »
    I'm not going to read the other comments, just give you my opinion of the juicer and the results I've found "for me"...My daughter gave me a juicer for my birthday two weeks ago...I've used it faithfully almost every day for lunch....In that two weeks, I have lost 3 lbs, and the only change made was the juicer...I've looked over my food journals, and the amount of really good nutrients going in has more than doubled, but my calorie consumption is pretty much the same. Meaning I'm full all day, and not suddenly snacking due to hunger. So. 3 lbs down, more nutrients. I like it so far. The only problem I've found is it's a *kitten* to clean...scuse my French!

    If you're not snacking due to hunger any more, how is your calorie count the same as it was previously?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
    Options
    juicing is irrelevant to weight loss...
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    Options
    To answer the question ("What do you think about the effectiveness of juicing for weight loss?"): juicing for weight loss is HIGHLY effective, as 1-2 litres per day of home-pressed vegetable juice is very low in calories.

    Still not recommended.

Categories