Weight loss has its tough challenges, but none of them should include actually gaining more weight from a weight loss smoothie. Blending up your favorite fruits and proteins may actually be harming your mission to lose weight. Before you go through all of the trouble of blending your next smoothie, make sure that you aren't making these mistakes that could be packing on the pounds and calories.
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1. Not all fruits are created equal: While a fruit smoothie of any kind is better than stuffing your face with a pastry or donut, not all fruits are good for weight loss smoothies. The key is to pick fruits that rank low on the glycemic scale, which will keep your blood sugar low and at a healthy level. If the smoothies glycemic level is high, this will increase the insulin level and make you pack on more pounds. Blueberries, strawberries, apples and pears are great choices. Avoid fruits like watermelon and bananas being the star of your smoothie. These are still good for you, but try to keep the use of them to a minimum since their glycemic levels are much higher.
2. Don't make your smoothie sweeter: Adding extra sweeteners like sugar, honey or canned syrup into your smoothie will add on the calories and make you gain weight. That is the complete opposite effect we want to achieve when drinking smoothies! "The thing is, there's a huge difference between the naturally occurring sugar and carbs found in fruits and veggies and those found in processed, refined foods and sugary drinks," explains fitness expert Yuri Elkaim. Make sure you eliminate these sugary ingredients and simply enjoy the natural sweetness of the fruits.
3. Blend the right proteins: Sorry to break it to you, but whole milk is not going to do the weight loss job for you. Stick with non-fat yogurt, milk, tofu or almond milk. Make sure you add about ½ to 1 cup of the healthy protein of your choice. The right ingredient and portion is very important in making the best weight loss smoothie.
4. Make sure there is a good balance of ingredients: You want to make sure the fiber and proteins are at balanced portions. Adding too much fruit to a smoothie could end up costing you 500 calories or more. Be mindful of the portion size and make sure you have healthy proteins that will keep you feeling full for longer.
Now we are steps closer to getting into those skinny jeans.
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