How I lost 100 pounds with plant protein smoothies vs. juicing

Juicing has always been touted for weight loss and general health. But while I'm sure juicing good for you, I found protein smoothies more more effective to help me lose weight. Dr. Now of "My 600-lb Life" doesn't recommend protein shakes for treating obesity in his gastric bypass patients. That's probably the whey protein kind he objects to. But having a plant protein shake every morning is part of how I lost 100 pounds.

You may be wondering, does it need to be an either/or thing, juicing vs. protein smoothies for weight loss. Yes, it does and here's why. Juicing removes all the of membrane, pulp, seeds and well, fruit, from fruit. That's where the antioxidant and fat burner goodness live. Part of Dr. Now's gastric bypass "homework" on "My 600-lb Life" is to lose weight ahead of bariatric surgery. A great way to do that is to fat flush (sorry to be graphic but that's basically pooping it out). Fruit "guts" (all the aforementioned innards) work as natural fiber cleanses (laxatives). They can even help treat Type 2 diabetes.

So the problem with juicing in fighting obesity, is that it removes everything that aids weight loss and leaves only juice where most of the sugar and calories reside. So, how I lost 100 pounds with smoothies? Every day, I make a protein shake and cram that sucka full of high fiber fruit guts, LOL. Note certain fruits are better than others. The "My 600-lb Life" gastric bypass diet calls for cutting high sugar concentrate fruits, like oranges, grapes, bananas. I also eliminated stone fruits (peaches, mangoes, apricots) to treat diabetes and lose weight. 

The best fruits I found for weight loss  are: apples, berries and grapefruit. Here's my "how I lost 100 pounds" smoothie recipe. 1 scoop pea protein powder (120 calories and 24 grams of plant protein), fresh spinach, half a grapefruit, fresh cranberries (in season) and berries (fresh or frozen). I get 12 oz of frozen mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries) from Dollar Tree.  Total calories: about 210. Drinking these plant protein shakes helped me manage obesity, avoid diabetes and lose weight. 

How I lost 100 pounds with protein breakfast shakes: weight loss recipes 2 diet 4!

A lot of folks ask me how I lost 100 pounds. I think what they really want to know is how I lost 100 pounds and kept it off. That's much trickier. My weight loss is down to simply eating differently. I've reimagined a lot of favorites with healthier diet food swaps. To lose weight, my days start with antioxidant rich, low calorie, sugar free plant protein breakfast shakes. 

Gastric bypass surgeon Dr. Now of TLC's "My 600-lb Life" reality TV show doesn't recommend these for patients with morbid obesity. And I can see why not. The "My 600-lb Life" participants must lose weight fast to get gastric bypass surgery and have hundreds of pounds to lose. Dr. Now doesn't want them eating packaged foods. And lots of weight loss shakes are surprisingly full of junk. 

When I set out to lose weight, I was obese, but not to the extent of "My 600-lb Life" obesity. I wasn't considering gastric bypass weight loss surgery. I wanted to lose weight steadily not too quickly, and keep it off with diet and exercise alone. Also, the breakfast shakes I eat are simple pea protein with no additives except what I add and that's all natural.  

Plant protein breakfast shakes have helped me lose weight in several ways. Plant protein powder is generally lower in calories, sugarfree, transfat and saturated fatfree. Some varieties fill your RDA vegetable quota. Plant protein powder is easier to digest that whey protein and is just as filling. That's important because shedding obesity requires diet recipes to satisfy hunger. A 240 calorie shake keeps me full till lunch at least. 

I currently use Now Sports pea protein powder, but I've tried other brands. Now Sports has 120 calories of unsweetened pea protein powder that gives 24 grams of protein per scoop. I blend it with half a grapefruit, berries, kale or spinach and water. Now Sports is sugar free, so it does need a little fruit for sweetness. It can also be used as a milk substitute in recipes. I just made a dessert chocolate shake with pea protein powder, vanilla and 3 T chocolate malt powder. It was pretty tasty and all for 200 calories! Stay tuned for more on how I lost 100 pounds!