Green smoothies and slowed weight loss

[vegggeeemom]

I just had to share this! I got the Boutenko's newsletter yesterday in my email and I have to say, I agree.
I had been drinking green smoothies and not really loosing. I don't blame it on the GREEN smoothies, but just smoothies in general.
They are so very good, but I think pack alot of food into them.
Anyways, this is what part of her newsletter said. I thought it was interesting and after really reducing my smoothie intake, I lost 4 pounds in a week, after 1 pound per week for 3 weeks.

Quotes f/ her newsletter:
“ Though the raw food took care of my arthritis I was never able to stick to it longer than two months because on raw foods alone, I dropped weight so quickly, down to 135 lbs, that my wife panicked thinking that I was dying, so I had to go back to cooked foods which made my arthritis return. When I started drinking green smoothies, my weight stabilized! I have been raw now for six months and keep my normal weight of 155 lbs. Thank you

I guess the part that really caught my attention was this part here " When I started drinking green smoothies, my weight stabilized!"
Do you all think that drinking green smoothies daily can cause you to stabilize your weight?
I am just very curious of everyone elses experience. I know it is different for everyone.
Oh, even my dh who has been drinking green smoothies daily has said, look, I am actually putting some weight on, by eating all raw!! LOL He was very impressed that his sunken belly is now filling out! :) He is very tall and skinny.

I am just experiementing now and seeing what works and what does not. For me, having a smoothie maybe once a week at this point seems to be working. Or maybe having a smoothie daily, but in smaller quantities. I'm going to mess around with it and see my results.

[sport]

You have not told us what you are putting in your smoothies

[vegggeeemom]

It varies but mostly it will be 2 bananas,water, blueberries and 1 1/2 C spinach or 2 bananas, water, 1 apple, 2 leaves of Kale or 2 bananas, water, 1 1/2 C frozen strawberries, spinach or 2 bananas, water, 3-4 leaves of chard, 1 C frozen strawberries or blueberries.
That has basically been our smoothie combos.
Well, I am sure I am alone on this, but I am just experiementing and seeing how my body reacts to different things I'm feeding it.

[chilove]

Green smoothies are the base of my raw diet and I'm still losing weight, although I'd prefer that I wasn't. Hopefully my weight will level out soon.

[vegggeeemom]

Or it could just be coincidence. I have not had as much nut rich desserts or foods w/ nuts in the past week.
So, it could be that.

[sport]

Your green smoothies are similar to mine and I lost weight for the first few weeks but have levelled out.

[misslinda]

hmmmm. I've been trying to offer the raw food lifetstyle to my sis (who is sitting reading this thread) and I'm a little confused. Is it the preparation of it being in "smoothie" form that is stabalizing? I find juices of green to be cleansing and in effect--losing weight. I notice most people who drink smoothies are usually putting more than 4 kinds of ingredients...can this contribute to leveling off or inablility to lose weight?

My sis has a little weight to lose and finds this confusing that greens would prevent you from losing weight----help me answer this one :p

[vegggeeemom]

I don't know either. That was why I asked the question.
I hope someone has an answer for us. But, if not, then I will just mess around with adding and not adding them to my diet and see how I do with and without them, or at least a smaller version of them.

[misslinda]

Yeah, will just wait here on the park bench vegggeeemom! ;)


When I lost my weight the second time with raw, I added more greens but kept a portion of fruits and the weight came off twice as fast! I'll have to check but another thread mentioned adding more greens to accelerate weightloos. BRB

[vegggeeemom]

Yes, please find that post and post it here if you don't mind.
I am very curious about this!

[misslinda]

Pam sorry it took so long.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5362&highlight=weightloss


:)

[tvillemom]

The only thing I can see (and I am by NO means an expert) is that is seems you consistently change everything except those 2 BANANAS! I usually have 1/2 banana to MAYBE 1 banana per smoothie. I always feel like bananas kinda "slow things up" for me :rolleyes: if ya know what I mean? I use about 2 cups of spinach, a handful of kale, 5-6 frozen strawberries,maybe some blueberries, 1 banana and water if needed.....hope this helps. Maybe "a professional" will let us know.
Wendi

[tvillemom]

OH yeah...it seems like what I've read lately says that the more "types" of food you eat at one time, your body has to spend alot of energy and time digesting those foods....maybe limiting how many different foods you put in each one? What do ya'll think? I really like my green smoothies...and I can't see GREENS as being a food that would make you hold weight; Bananas yes, greens, NO...just my humble opinion.
Wendi

[misslinda]

Wendi, I've read that on a juicing website too. They suggest no more than 3 different types of juices b/c the body then will have to work harder---not that it's a bad thing but I would agree that it could possibly slow the process more---on the flip side, I can see how greens and adding weight training equals more mass. ;)

[vegggeeemom]

Yeah, will just wait here on the park bench vegggeeemom! ;)
Don't wait too long it might get cold waiting for my research remarks! ;) I am totally joking around with you.
But, I am reducing my intake, my husband is upping his intake and I have 2 other people that are going to reduce their intake and we will see what we find.
It's more for my own curiosity than anything else. Nothing scientific going on here!! I have nothing to back up what I'm saying at all. :D
Thanks for a great thread though! I have learned alot from it!

[squidly]

no expert here but I would say it is not the greens but rather the amount of bananas you are putting in. Bananas are calorie dense - I think about upt 300 calories per banana depending on its size so that is alot of calories compared to other fruits and greens. I would suggest decreasing the amount of banana and see how you go.

[vegggeeemom]

Thanks, I am sure it's the bananas as well! I was talking to my mom today and she said she uses 2 bananas in hers, plus eats 2 bananas per day. So, in one weeks time she is eating/drinking 28 bananas! Wow!
Or what else could I put in the smoothies besides bananas? I really need that smoothie book that the Boutenkos have coming out! I know I can just try mixing on my own, but when doing something for the first time, I need directions! :)
Thanks to everyone for some great suggestions!

Pam

[Jackie1995]

I've been switching up my smoothie recipe, too, because I've stopped losing weight but in reality I still have 30 pounds to go.

So, after decreasing bananas to 1 small, then to 1/2 small, I've eliminated them altogether except for 2x per week, just as an experiment.

I use the following recipe now:

pineapple, pear, apple (pick one)
yellow squash, zucchini (pick one)
kale, spinach, collards (pick one)
with about 10 oz water, and a glass of ice
flaxseeds (about 2 tbsp)
==> the flaxseeds keep this mixture from foaming like crazy, plus I think it is important for me personally to get some flaxseed in every day. The omega thing...

sometimes I also throw in some whey protein and brewers yeast, but they are not considered raw, so I don't use them often, only when I have a long day and no chance of getting home to eat properly.

Meanwhile, that smoothie is delicious, and very, very green. I use two huge handfuls of spinach, (about 6-8 cups) or 3-4 leaves of kale or collards per smoothie (about 1/4 pound). I control the texture by adding more water, or less water, depending on do I want a "thick shake" style or not.

Well, these recipes work for me, and it's an alternative to the bananas.

I'm also limiting my nuts/avo/olive oil intake to see if that works. (Hint: deadly delicious combo to avoid: peanut butter on banana. That tastes wonderful, but I think I'll save it until I get too thin!)

Have fun experimenting, go for variety!