DietBet: Smoothies, Yay or Nay?

It is officially the start of week 2 of my DietBet, and I’m making great progress. According to my last unofficial weigh-in, I’m 26% to my goal weight, which is where I should be. I’ve made some great recipes this week, been able to work out quite a bit, and have found that it’s true what Michael Pollan says, that we don’t need as much food as we think we do most of the time.

However, there’s something I’ve been struggling with since starting this DietBet last week, and that’s what I’m eating for breakfast. Some people sing the praises of smoothies, and say that they help you stay full and lose weight fast and they’re packed with nutrients and all kinds of other things, so I thought I’d try them for the first week.

Now, seven days down, and I can say that I’m even less convinced that smoothies are a great idea for me. Here’s what I blended up:

1. Blueberry Chocolate Smoothie

• 1 package Vega One smoothie mix, chocolate
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 1/2 cup soy/almond/coconut milk (do whatever you like best)

2. Mango Vanilla Chai Smoothie

• 1 packages Vega One smoothie mix, vanilla chai
• 1 cup frozen mangoes
• 1 1/2 cup soy/almond/coconut milk

Four out of the five days during the first week, I had a smoothie. They were delicious, no doubt about that, and have pea protein, hemp protein, and all kinds of other good nutrients. I stayed pretty full, until about 11am, and the last hour before lunch always ended up being a challenge to reach.

I’m not saying that smoothies wouldn’t work for everyone, but I’m not so convinced that they work for me. Many studies have come out that say we don’t register liquid calories the same way we do when we’re eating a whole fruit (although we most likely do get a good part of the fiber benefits), and I think that’s why I have trouble with them. I also struggle with the whole adding protein supplements, or any supplements, to your food.

So, going into week 2, I will be bringing whole foods into work for breakfast: fruit, nuts, possibly eggs. I will report back at the beginning of week 3, and also start testing another favorite breakfast of mine – steel-cut oats and hot grain cereals.