shakes and smoothies, the right way

First of all, thank you so much for the responses I got from my first post. You guys are incredible. Little announcement about the baby (I promise it will be the only one this post and then onto business). We had another doctor's appointment today and our due date got moved up to May 18! Super happy cause it means we're a week closer to meeting this little babe.

Okay, on to the business. Weight loss and weight management. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is meal skipping. Trust me people, you aren't doing yourselves any favors. I know it's a hard concept but eating well and eating often really does wonders with weight loss and weight management. So… meal replacement shakes, aka protein shakes, aka smoothies, aka I don't have time to make a full meal let alone sit down and eat it shakes. Are they a good idea or not? My opinion? They can be a great option… if you're doing them right.

Here's the thing. If you're chugging down a slim fast and calling that breakfast, I can pretty much guarantee that in an hour you're going to be a hungry, cranky beast. The reason? There's really no substance. Liquids just don't satisfy your hunger like real food does. However, drinking a smoothie is definitely waaaaaaay better than eating nothing at all… especially if you're trying to shed a few pounds. But don't fret, we can rev up those shakes and protein powders and turn them into something quick that will keep you fuller longer and keep the cranky away!

Your shake/smoothie should provide all the nutrients, vitamins and calories that you would receive from a regular meal. You want to see a balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Throw in a little fiber and you'll really be fighting those hunger blues.

Let me get a little more specific. Protein… super important. When building your shake you can decide if you want to get your protein from a powder or just from good ol' fashioned greek yogurt, or even some nut butter, all work nicely. Carbs are the easy part, throw some fruit in there and bam. I'm partial to berries for the added antioxidants. Here's where we can get a little sneaky… green veggies. Yep, spinach or kale = your new best friend in a smoothie. I promise you won't even taste these vitamin powerhouses. The skins on the fruits and veggies will provide you with some fiber, but you could always add some oats if you wanted to add more. You can prepare your shake with water, cow's milk, rice milk, almond milk, etc… you get the point.

Just to give you an idea of what we're working with here a typical store bought shake gives you anywhere from 150-190 calories a shake. Protein powder is usually about the same. In the nutrition world 100-200 calories equals a snack, 300-400 calories equals a meal. That's a diet that's 1200-1600 calories a day… pretty typical female needs. If you're a guy then you're lucky and get to eat more. By adding the above items to your powder or making your own with the other mentioned protein choices you are consuming more calories to truly make it a meal replacement and not a snack replacement. Make sense?! Good.

If you have questions… ask! I didn't give specifics on amounts or anything because everyone is different and everyone needs different amounts of calories. There's not really a one size fits all recipe. But at least this is a rough starting point. Oh one more thing I should mention…. beware of your smoothie fast food type places! Check the calorie content… you might be surprised. They can be a meal and a half sometimes. So you think you're eating healthy but that 32oz smoothie you bought could be packing on the pounds.

Thanks for reading
xoxo

Leslie