Will smoothies help me loose weight?

Options
2»

Replies

  • katieleggett_321
    katieleggett_321 Posts: 37 Member
    Options
    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
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Options
    fascha wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    fascha 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.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Options
    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.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    Options
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    fascha wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    fascha 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
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Options
    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.
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
    Options
    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 goals
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited April 2017
    Options
    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]
  • kayeroze
    kayeroze Posts: 146 Member
    Options
    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.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    Options
    I was just reminded of something that happened to a friend of a friend... :wink:

    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.
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
    Options
    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.
  • katieleggett_321
    katieleggett_321 Posts: 37 Member
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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.

Categories