Discussion Board

Likely it's not just one thng, rather a combination. And it's not that it's 'just the sugar' with the smoothies. The disruption of the fiber hacks into the satiety you would get with the same greens and fruit in a big bowl to chew, which can have the effect of just adding liquid calories to your day. You'll see when you read the smoothie blog.

Lani

Lani, thank you. I loved the blog and I read all the responses, but, it truly just seemed to address the sugars from the fruit. I think in time I can get rid of the banana.

I am not sure I could eat all of those veggies chopped everyday, as easily, but it would be worth a try.

My food yesterday was this:
Potatoes - 2 Small
Smoothie - 2 cups spinach, 2 cups kale, 10 leaves chard, 1 cucumber, 1 small banana
Beans & Rice - Chickpeas and brown rice with mint and garlic.
Carrots - 3 raw
Green Beans - Cooked
Water - 64 Ounces
Running - 2 miles

I can try to keep up this pace, but, before my 2nd child, I would eat a ton of potatoes with a ton of vegetables. Cutting my calories seems to the be the only thing that will make a dent in my weight.

I can't stop being upset about this until I find an answer. Even with the SAD diet, before McDougalling, I weighed between 123 & 125. I am even heavier than that now, only with a no oil, plant based diet.

I am wondering if my age could have anything to do with it but I'm 40 and that doesn't seem like it should affect things.

Our bodies do everything for a reason, some we can understand and some are real head-scratchers. The focus on the fruit in the smoothie article from some responders is because though it does play a role, the fiber situation is also a player but people don't necessarily see that, even though it was pointed out in the article.

Best as you move forward,

I'm new to this WOE but I can't imagine one banana is making you gain. Some people on fruit diets eat dozens of bananas everyday and lose. I know on MWL your not supposed to eat more than a couple pieces of fruit per day. I don't trust diets that say no fruit, thats like saying no vegetables to me. Fruit is totally healthy!

For myself, I have noticed the days I lose weight are not the days I overeat and not the days I under eat either. I find if I keep the calories between 1800 and 2200 I do pretty well but I am breastfeeding so I know those numbers don't work to everyone.

Well, I think it does. Hormones are funny critters.

This is a great topic - lots to think about and to read.

I try, as I think we all should, to be appreciative of the medical benefits of McDougalling. Even though I'm not at the weight I want to be, I know that I am super healthy and that truly is the most important thing.

Don't you wish everybody would switch?!?!

A couple thoughts--yes, of course, menopause will have an effect. Since I was never in your situation--I was heavy most of my adult life, and now I've gotten thin--I can't pretend to know if it was easier to stay at a healthy weight before--I was always trying lose, and I did manage to lose a bunch (60 pounds or so) twice, but never easily. I actually had given up trying to get to a normal weight, because of menopause. I lost this all when I was 60-61, so way past it. But I do sympathize--I now get upset when I fluctuate from 120 to 125, and have to get it off again quickly!

The other thing I wanted to ask about was this quote:

If you can't eat all those veggies, then don't! The point is to eat the food you can, not to eat 5 or 6 cups of green leafy vegetables, and then get on with your life. All the foods you eat contain great nutrients, and yes, green leafies are packed, but why are you trying to get so many in in a day? And of course, the other way to get them in more easily is cooked--they cook down into a tiny little dish, after all.

And that is so expensive! Your smoothie would cost me about $6 every day! And I thought my $1 worth of blueberries on my oatmeal was high.

But anyway, I would suggest trying to eat the vegetables you pulverize in the blender every day for a few weeks, or not if they are too much, and see if there an effect that is positive.