Make Smoothies for Weight Loss

Smoothie lovers beware! Creamy and delicious weight loss smoothies can actually ruin your diet if you don't follow a few critical rules. Do you know what they are?

I found this post on WedMd.com and if you're like so many other busy people, we tend to drink our breakfast and lunch and save the meals for the evening. That's okay, but you can add a lot of calories if you're aren't careful. I stick to the 300 calorie rule. Never drink a shake or smoothie with over 300 calories. Yes, a protein shake can be a good breakfast. When you want to lose weight you have to start the day with protein and because most of us don't eat breakfast everyday and if we do we don't get the protein we need, protein shakes are a great way to have a quick breakfast either at home or on the run. 

Use this list of healthy smoothie dos and don'ts to make sure that your drink isn't too high in fat and calories. Then use the weight loss smoothie recipes and try new ingredients and boost the nutritional potential of your favorite drinks .

I'm not in favor of drinks that add calories to your diet but because we have protein drinks today and some of us are substituting smoothies or protein shakes for a meal, I've had to re-think calories in drinks. If these drinks are made properly and you can get nutritional value and use them as a substitute for a meal or a snack between meals, then maybe the drinks are worth a try. Remember that not all diets work for all people and if you start gaining weight on any diet, stop it quickly. If I gain 3 pounds, I stop what I'm doing and try something different. Just because you like the diet doesn't mean you can ignor weight gain. A food Log helps you find your mistakes. If shakes are going to max out your calories for the day, be careful. If your body can't burn all the calories you are consuming you will gain weight.

Do Measure Your Ingredients

Don’t throw ingredients into the blender without measuring them first. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a high-calorie disaster. Do measure each ingredient and tally the complete calorie count for your drink so you know how many you'll consume when you drink it.

You won't have to follow this step every time you make your smoothie, but if you measure the ingredients once and continue to use the same recipe, you’ll save yourself from making a common weight loss mistake: underestimating the impact of liquid calories.

Do Add Protein

chia seeds for smoothies

Do balance nutrients. If your smoothie is a meal replacement, make sure it contains each essential macronutrient: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Many fruit smoothies contain plenty of calories from carbohydrates and perhaps a small amount of fat. But don’t forget to add a good source of lean protein.

Protein helps you build muscle, which you need to maintain a healthy metabolism. Need a recipe? Try this yummy Mocha Smoothie with chocolate protein powder. If you already have a favorite smoothie recipe and want to add a boost of protein, throw in a tablespoon or two of chia seeds. The seeds will thicken your drink and provide a diet-friendly boost of fiber as well.

Don't Limit Ingredients

green smoothie recipe

Do try to use fresh or frozen fruit, such as blueberries, strawberries, mango, peaches or apples. You won’t need a recipe to combine these sweet ingredients. Don't be afraid to branch out and use ingredients such as watermelon, spinach or kale to get additional vitamins and minerals. Try this Sweet Green Smoothie to get vitamin-packed green veggies with your morning meal.

Do Cut the Fat

bananas for weight loss

Don't use high fat ingredients to get a creamy texture. A smoothie made with ice cream, gelato or a large amount of peanut butter is delicious, but it may be too high in calories to help you lose weight. Even frozen yogurt may add unwanted fat and sugar.

Do use bananas, either frozen or at room temperature, to get a thick, smooth texture without the added fat and calories.

Don't Add Extra Sugar

sugar in weight loss smoothies

Don't add unnecessary sugar. If you make a fruit smoothie, you’ll get plenty of sugar from the fruit ingredients that you add to the blender. If you add dairy, that source will also contribute lactose, a form of sugar.

Do limit the amount of honey, table sugar or other sweeteners that you add. This 175-calorie Peanut Butter Smoothie is creamy and sweet without the addition of any extra sugars.

Do Add Juice Cautiously

juice in smoothies

Do add fillers such as water or ice. Some smoothie recipes are very thick. It can be tempting to thin them out with high calorie, heavily sweetened fruit juice. But juice can add mega calories and unnecessary sugar.

Water will make your smoothie easier to drink and ice will add thickness. Experiment with a basic smoothie recipe. Try decreasing the amount of juice and adding water or ice to get the thickness and flavor that you like.

Shakes or Smoothies are great for a quick breakfast. Add protein power and watch the calories, but you can make these in minutes and take it in the car.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.