Blending & Juicing
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taoistpunk
Posts: 57 Member
Two years ago I managed to begin a regimen using MFP and my fitbit, and I managed to lose over 70lbs...but it's back. So now I'm off to start again, and hopefully make the weight change a more permanent fixture. This time around I've decided to use a combination of Blending and Juicing to my daily diet plan, building in repetitive habits to my breakfast and dinner routines, as well as to increase the number of Fruits and veggies I get daily. While keeping under my calorie allotment and a workout routine worked well last time, I know I struggled with getting enough plant material and nutrition into my daily diet.
Wondering if anyone else is using on, the other, or more specifically BOTH of these methods during their journey, and if so, how has it been going? Tips and suggestions?
BTW: Nutribullet gets my blend on, and the Breville Juice Fountain Plus is my juicer of choice (for now)
Wondering if anyone else is using on, the other, or more specifically BOTH of these methods during their journey, and if so, how has it been going? Tips and suggestions?
BTW: Nutribullet gets my blend on, and the Breville Juice Fountain Plus is my juicer of choice (for now)
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Replies
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I never liked juicing. I find it much more filling to consume fruits and vegetables whole. If I drank my calories I'd be hungry all the time. I also never found juicing to be something I could commit to for the long haul.7
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I never liked juicing. I find it much more filling to consume fruits and vegetables whole. If I drank my calories I'd be hungry all the time. I also never found juicing to be something I could commit to for the long haul.
I eat whole fruit and veg as well, just not enough to get the 5-? servings I need. Also, I like to build daily habits, and having a machine and a process helps me do that...but I hear ya! I'd rather eat than drink given those options.1 -
I eat whole fruit and veggies through the day. Carrots and sugar snaps as a snack with lunch. I also do a bullet with dinner with brussels sprouts, cucumber, radish, coconut water, and a lemon. It keeps me full and I get raw veggies I wouldn't get eating them whole. I have juicer but it's not a great weight loss tool IMO. It's hard to calculate how many calories are in it and it's not filling at all. I use it when I buy too many veggies, I'll burn through a bunch of cucumber, broccoli, kale, etc. I don't juice or blend fruit, just 1-2 lemons for flavor.1
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taoistpunk wrote: »Two years ago I managed to begin a regimen using MFP and my fitbit, and I managed to lose over 70lbs...but it's back. So now I'm off to start again, and hopefully make the weight change a more permanent fixture. This time around I've decided to use a combination of Blending and Juicing to my daily diet plan, building in repetitive habits to my breakfast and dinner routines, as well as to increase the number of Fruits and veggies I get daily. While keeping under my calorie allotment and a workout routine worked well last time, I know I struggled with getting enough plant material and nutrition into my daily diet.
Wondering if anyone else is using on, the other, or more specifically BOTH of these methods during their journey, and if so, how has it been going? Tips and suggestions?
BTW: Nutribullet gets my blend on, and the Breville Juice Fountain Plus is my juicer of choice (for now)
Perhaps figure out why your weight loss didn't hold from the last time? Maybe there's something you could learn from that to prevent it from just happening all over again.
For me, I need to eat my calories instead of drink them, or I would be very hungry all the time. And it would only be a matter of time before the hunger would win out.
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Maybe you should see the maintenance of a healthy weight/body as a lifestyle, not a "journey"...it only ends when you die....
Why did you gain the weight back? Just don't do that again - you don't need juice and smoothies - just eat enough, but not too much good yummy food.....
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Perhaps figure out why your weight loss didn't hold from the last time? Maybe there's something you could learn from that to prevent it from just happening all over again.
It didn't hold last time because I got divorced and moved out of the house...stress and depression put the weight back on, both of which I couldn't manage. I could have turned to drugs, but they don't taste as good...lol
I'm not trying to stop eating/chewing my food btw, so don't misunderstand the post. I was looking for info from folks who have integrated these items into their routine, not given up on eating food...I love eating and I agree, I need to eat or I will be hungry...however...a big nutribullet full of fruit and veg is VERY filling and keeps me full, since all of that fiber is still in there. I use the blend in the morning and it keeps me full until lunch...usually. I bring an apple or banana with me in case I need a 10:30 snack though.0 -
DrifterBear wrote: »I eat whole fruit and veggies through the day. Carrots and sugar snaps as a snack with lunch. I also do a bullet with dinner with brussels sprouts, cucumber, radish, coconut water, and a lemon. It keeps me full and I get raw veggies I wouldn't get eating them whole. I have juicer but it's not a great weight loss tool IMO. It's hard to calculate how many calories are in it and it's not filling at all. I use it when I buy too many veggies, I'll burn through a bunch of cucumber, broccoli, kale, etc. I don't juice or blend fruit, just 1-2 lemons for flavor.
That's an interesting combo of veg you bullet...how's the flavor? Was it a recipe you found or something you simply 'whipped up'?0 -
I agree with the other posters: you lost 70 lbs before so you can do it again without the blending and the juicing. The key is figuring out WHY you gained it back and start from there.
True, juices and blended drinks can help with our fruit and vegetable intake but 1) they DO have calories and those need to be counted and logged, and 2) you need a lot of produce to yield enough for a full glass.
And 3) I'm just too lazy to wash those machines every day! I have a juicer and use it once a week to juice any produce that might be going bad. Then I add it to soups or as a cooking / braising liquid for other meals.0 -
taoistpunk wrote: »DrifterBear wrote: »I eat whole fruit and veggies through the day. Carrots and sugar snaps as a snack with lunch. I also do a bullet with dinner with brussels sprouts, cucumber, radish, coconut water, and a lemon. It keeps me full and I get raw veggies I wouldn't get eating them whole. I have juicer but it's not a great weight loss tool IMO. It's hard to calculate how many calories are in it and it's not filling at all. I use it when I buy too many veggies, I'll burn through a bunch of cucumber, broccoli, kale, etc. I don't juice or blend fruit, just 1-2 lemons for flavor.
That's an interesting combo of veg you bullet...how's the flavor? Was it a recipe you found or something you simply 'whipped up'?
Just from trying things. I use coconut water instead of water, cucumber also isn't too dense so that's good, then I try to add a leafy green like kale, collards, or brussels, and radish or beets. It would be horrible without the lemon. Taste is good, but not great. I'd say it's advanced for sure, but as long as the lemon is there and it's not too thick, I like it. I LOVE smoothies made of fruit and yogurt or something, but I don't drink this as a treat. I like it enough and it provides a lot of benefits.
-edit- wanted to add, I don't drink this to lose weight other than that it helps me feel more full. I want to get more veggies and this is a good way for me to do it. Most nights, we also roast broccoli and bell pepper so I'm getting tons of veggies (my diary should be open). Juicing and blending are not a magic bullet for weight loss. In fact, I'd say if your not careful they're likely to do more harm than good.0 -
I agree with the other posters: you lost 70 lbs before so you can do it again without the blending and the juicing. The key is figuring out WHY you gained it back and start from there.
True, juices and blended drinks can help with our fruit and vegetable intake but 1) they DO have calories and those need to be counted and logged, and 2) you need a lot of produce to yield enough for a full glass.
And 3) I'm just too lazy to wash those machines every day! I have a juicer and use it once a week to juice any produce that might be going bad. Then I add it to soups or as a cooking / braising liquid for other meals.
I log every calorie...including blends and juices, and taking the fiber out of an apple does NOT reduce it's caloric count, so I'm very careful to make sure I log as close to exact as possible. Careful logging and being mindful of intake was key to my previous success, but small extraneous factors helped (like having the fitbit on and making myself accountable to reach goals with it, or weighing in only 1/day and only in the morning). I am using these tactics again, but after 3 previous false starts I felt like adding juicing (I already had the bullet) to the mix would help push me to succeed.
Everyone's body and mind is unique...I know myself well enough to know what I need to keep moving forward
also: I don't mind washing the machines...
Everyone seems to agree that we need to eat more fruits and veggies, and I don't eat enough of them, so this is a method for me to increase the intake of these important foods. If all I cared about were calories, I wouldn't be doing either. I would just eat 1600 calories of Pizza daily 3 -
DrifterBear wrote: »taoistpunk wrote: »DrifterBear wrote: »I eat whole fruit and veggies through the day. Carrots and sugar snaps as a snack with lunch. I also do a bullet with dinner with brussels sprouts, cucumber, radish, coconut water, and a lemon. It keeps me full and I get raw veggies I wouldn't get eating them whole. I have juicer but it's not a great weight loss tool IMO. It's hard to calculate how many calories are in it and it's not filling at all. I use it when I buy too many veggies, I'll burn through a bunch of cucumber, broccoli, kale, etc. I don't juice or blend fruit, just 1-2 lemons for flavor.
That's an interesting combo of veg you bullet...how's the flavor? Was it a recipe you found or something you simply 'whipped up'?
Just from trying things. I use coconut water instead of water, cucumber also isn't too dense so that's good, then I try to add a leafy green like kale, collards, or brussels, and radish or beets. It would be horrible without the lemon. Taste is good, but not great. I'd say it's advanced for sure, but as long as the lemon is there and it's not too thick, I like it. I LOVE smoothies made of fruit and yogurt or something, but I don't drink this as a treat. I like it enough and it provides a lot of benefits.
-edit- wanted to add, I don't drink this to lose weight other than that it helps me feel more full. I want to get more veggies and this is a good way for me to do it. Most nights, we also roast broccoli and bell pepper so I'm getting tons of veggies (my diary should be open). Juicing and blending are not a magic bullet for weight loss. In fact, I'd say if your not careful they're likely to do more harm than good.
Thanks. Not really using these methods as a means to a 'weight loss' end, just a way for me to get more veg and fruit into my diet, since I don't eat enough of them whole...I don't like leafy greens at all, so blending them with other ingredients gets em in me. I enjoy a good salad, but it's not really enough of a veg variety...but I can drop most anything into the bullet and make a thick smoothie I will drink.0 -
I have a smoothie (spinach, carrot, cucumber, peanut butter, banana, fruit, protein powder) for breakfast every day, and often for dinner too if I haven't anything planned. Lunch and snacks are real food. That's what started me on my weight loss journey - am 32lb down since new year. I find having them for breakfast inclines me to choose healthy options for the rest of the day. If I've over indulged in chocolate at work, I'll leave out the peanut butter at night because I figure I'll have had enough fat. I use a nutrininja because you can put ice in them. Good luck!1
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taoistpunk wrote: »DrifterBear wrote: »taoistpunk wrote: »DrifterBear wrote: »I eat whole fruit and veggies through the day. Carrots and sugar snaps as a snack with lunch. I also do a bullet with dinner with brussels sprouts, cucumber, radish, coconut water, and a lemon. It keeps me full and I get raw veggies I wouldn't get eating them whole. I have juicer but it's not a great weight loss tool IMO. It's hard to calculate how many calories are in it and it's not filling at all. I use it when I buy too many veggies, I'll burn through a bunch of cucumber, broccoli, kale, etc. I don't juice or blend fruit, just 1-2 lemons for flavor.
That's an interesting combo of veg you bullet...how's the flavor? Was it a recipe you found or something you simply 'whipped up'?
Just from trying things. I use coconut water instead of water, cucumber also isn't too dense so that's good, then I try to add a leafy green like kale, collards, or brussels, and radish or beets. It would be horrible without the lemon. Taste is good, but not great. I'd say it's advanced for sure, but as long as the lemon is there and it's not too thick, I like it. I LOVE smoothies made of fruit and yogurt or something, but I don't drink this as a treat. I like it enough and it provides a lot of benefits.
-edit- wanted to add, I don't drink this to lose weight other than that it helps me feel more full. I want to get more veggies and this is a good way for me to do it. Most nights, we also roast broccoli and bell pepper so I'm getting tons of veggies (my diary should be open). Juicing and blending are not a magic bullet for weight loss. In fact, I'd say if your not careful they're likely to do more harm than good.
Thanks. Not really using these methods as a means to a 'weight loss' end, just a way for me to get more veg and fruit into my diet, since I don't eat enough of them whole...I don't like leafy greens at all, so blending them with other ingredients gets em in me. I enjoy a good salad, but it's not really enough of a veg variety...but I can drop most anything into the bullet and make a thick smoothie I will drink.
Good. Sounds like you're on the right track. I dislike greens as well so I prefer juicing those. Nothing wrong with getting as much nutrition as you can. Wishing you long-term success this time!1 -
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I like having a homemade smoothie for breakfast sometimes, and/or lunch, for no reason other than I like them, they're healthy, they are quick & easy to make without much mess to clean up, and I can eat it at my desk at work without subjecting my coworkers to food smells. Plus I don't take the skin off anything before I put it in my Nutribullet (except certain things like pineapple or kiwi) so that keeps some of the nutritional value you would lose from juicing.
I can't stand most liquefied veggies (even though I love veggies in any other form) so my smoothies are mostly fruit with maybe 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt to make it thicker and creamier. I use mostly fresh fruit because it's sweeter. I try not to add sugar but sometimes, if my smoothie turns out too tart, I'll add a TINY (maybe 1tsp) amount of sugar or Stevia (or whatever sweetener). If I do add veggies, I find cucumber and zucchini don't add a weird veggie flavor.0 -
I juice every weekday morning to suppliment my nutrients and I feel that it has greatly improve the health of my family and I. It's not an meal replacement or for weightloss, just added insurance that we are getting adequate nutrients in our diet. If you find that you like it and it's something you are going to incorporate into your life style change, consider getting a cold pressed juicer. You get much more juice from the process, significantly less waste, and it doesn't hear the ingredients during processing so nutrients don't get destroyed, it's easier to clean and you can do greens and grasses with it as well. Prior to juicing my husband had very high cholesterol, and now it's within the normal range. Good luck OP!1
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DrifterBear wrote: »I eat whole fruit and veggies through the day. Carrots and sugar snaps as a snack with lunch. I also do a bullet with dinner with brussels sprouts, cucumber, radish, coconut water, and a lemon. It keeps me full and I get raw veggies I wouldn't get eating them whole. I have juicer but it's not a great weight loss tool IMO. It's hard to calculate how many calories are in it and it's not filling at all. I use it when I buy too many veggies, I'll burn through a bunch of cucumber, broccoli, kale, etc. I don't juice or blend fruit, just 1-2 lemons for flavor.
It's not difficult to calculate the calories if you measure the juice each item produces as you go. I juice into a measuring cup and can calculate the quantities as I go.0 -
I like to incorporate bottled juice (cold pressed and non-pasteurized) like Suja.... I like to include juices but not enough to commit to hard core juicing. So I do drink a few bottles a week in the afternoon, it fits in my calories and holds me over until dinner.
You can also include Mamma Chia style drinks or kombucha if you are looking for more beverages.0 -
I use nutribullet every morning for breakfast. I make a smoothie with almond milk. I find just juices sickly unless it's small. They are a good way to get in your veg if you don't get much.
You've done it before, you can do it again x0
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