smoothie help for the culinary idiot

[kenyonchris]

So July 1 starts my Hotter n Hell diet. I am 5'5, 110 - 115 lbs (I don't know, I don't have a scale but the guys call me "the twig"). But for the Hotter n Hell, where my goal is 5 hrs. rolling time, I need to be about 3-5 lbs down. SO, I begin the yearly quest for the perfect smoothie, which becomes breakfast and lunch. I take Hammer Nutrition vitamins to supplement, and dinner is pretty much fair game, but no eating between meals. My smoothie must stay under 300 calories TOPS.

Anyone have any idea on ways to make my usual protien powder and ice smoothy (which I don't think is really a smoothy as much as grit) taste better? My slightly elevated calorie smoothies add vanilla or chocolate slim fast or ensure to the protien powder, which way helps the taste, but it does crank up the calories.
In the morning I have successfully blended strawberries with orange juice and vanilla ensure and vanilla fat free along with protien, but that is just one meal...
No bananas for me....they make my lips itch.
Anyone? Anyone?

[Kano]

I've been making one that starts with soymilk -- it was on the soymilk box, pretty much just a cup of soymilk and a half cup of frozen berries. I add a serving of protein powder to it and wind up around 250 calories I think, depending on how much fruit I put in. (Does my half cup runneth over a bit sometimes? Probably!) Not entirely smooth either -- berries have lots of little gritty seeds!

Tasty, filling and satisfying -- sometimes, if I want to make it kind of decadent, I add a bit of Nestle's Quick powder. This makes it feel like dessert!

Karen in Boise

[witeowl]

Unflavored protein powder (or tofu) + pineapple + blueberries = yum!

I rarely put any milk/yogurt/soymilk into my smoothies; it's just not needed. They're just protein + fruit (typically + greens, but you probably don't want a green smoothie) + flax and maybe some agave syrup (just a touch).

[RockChickRides]

Witeowl mentioned green smoothies - I say give them a try! Granted they're funky to look at, but they taste great and were my go-to for post-training run recovery. My "recipe" ratio is 60% greens (I prefer baby spinach or kale) to 40% fruit (I like pineapple, mango, peaches, strawberries) mixed with coconut water and hemp powder (or another protein powder) and some chia seeds. Blend the greens and coconut water first and then add in the other ingredients. I've turned lots of folks onto green smoothies once they get past the visual!

[Pan Dulce]

My smoothie has banana in it, but you can substitute, of course. I use a scoop of protein powder, 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 4 strawberries, half of the dreaded banana, a small handful of blueberries, and a tablespoon of agave to sweeten. The almond milk and agave give it the right amount of sweet without the sugar. Yuuuuum! It's just under 300 calories, I believe.

[spokewench]

Ok I'm rather confused. You are called the twig - you are 5'5" and 110 to 115 Which is really really light, too light if you ask me. Why do you need to lose 5 pounds before a ride? YOu do not. So, eat some mashed potatoes and gravy - you certainly don't need to go on a liquid diet.

spoke

[sgtiger]

I'm with Spoke, why do you need to lose 3-5 lbs? It sounds like you're already a bit below your ideal weight for your height. And please, I do not mean it as an attack. I'm just curious as to why you feel the need to lose any weight at all.

[TrekTheKaty]

I bike to EAT, so I'm not the one to ask. My smoothie is not low-cal, but a recovery drink: 1 cup liquid (1% milk, oj, or apple juice), 1 banana (you can peel and freeze if you like your smoothies thicker), 1 cup frozen fruit (strawberry, blueberry, peach are my favorites). Optional: 1 scoop protein, 1 low-fat yogurt.

[kenyonchris]

I'm with Spoke, why do you need to lose 3-5 lbs? It sounds like you're already a bit below your ideal weight for your height. And please, I do not mean it as an attack. I'm just curious as to why you feel the need to lose any weight at all.

I feel better a little lighter. I have a tiny frame. I get many more nutrients from smoothies than the diet coke and lucky charms I live on if I am not on my "bike" diet....did I say I eat like a 5 year old? I feel *better* but I have to say my smoothies suck. I don't love the way I look 5 lbs lighter, it is a little on the greyhound side, but I certainly feel better.
And, I stick to smoothies for breakfast (or oatmeal for breakfast) smoothie for lunch and dinner is fair game. Beer and fajitas!

[Biciclista]

ok, you are preparing for a big important ride by cutting calories? am i hearing you right?

what do you suppose is going to come off first? Muscle. work hard and burn it off but do not decrease intake!

Do not confuse dieting with getting fit for a hard ride.
Good luck!

ps i re read your post. Eat better, you'll feel better. you're not a 5 year old; use the discipline you use riding on how you eat too.

[channlluv]

I've had kidney problems in the past, so my doctor has advised me to stay away from protein powders. My smoothie starts with a half-cup of pure concord grape juice (I buy Trader Joe's store brand or Knudsens' Just Concord), then a cup of frozen blueberries, a cup of frozen strawberries, a banana, and then a kiwi or two, some pear, a small apple, some pineapple, or maybe some raspberries, depending, then TWO BIG HANDFULS OF BABY SPINACH. Top of with water and blend, split between two water bottles - in my blender this makes about 30 ounces.

You could also add nuts, but I prefer to get the satisfaction of chewing those.

I've never calculated calories, but this is what I drink on my long rides (I keep it in an insulated lunch bag in my car and stop for a few minutes ever ten miles to take a few swigs) and as my recovery drink on the way home.

The spinach is a good source of protein. The only thing I need to watch out for is the high sugar content of the fruit, so I try to stick with mostly low or medium sugar stuff.

The grape juice and blueberries totally dominate the spinach in color. I'm drinking a dark purple slushie, and it's delicious.


I read in Self magazine today that you're supposed to divide your body weight by two and that's the number of ounces of protein you're supposed to eat every day. I wonder how many ounces of protein is in spinach.

Roxy

[Andrea]

There is not very much protein in spinach (relative to meat/soy/nuts/beans): Nutrition Data: Spinach

Extra protein is perfectly safe for someone without a kidney problem, and can help with recovery- even in endurance athletes (it was previously thought that only people who lift weights needed anything extra).

Was that Self magazine article using ounces as a measurement, or was it grams?

[kenyonchris]

ok, you are preparing for a big important ride by cutting calories? am i hearing you right?

what do you suppose is going to come off first? Muscle. work hard and burn it off but do not decrease intake!

Do not confuse dieting with getting fit for a hard ride.
Good luck!

ps i re read your post. Eat better, you'll feel better. you're not a 5 year old; use the discipline you use riding on how you eat too.

No, no....I am subbing a smoothie for uh, Lucky Charms and diet coke (my usual breakfast) and pretzels and diet coke for lunch. I WILL lose weight, because I am increasing my riding, but calorie for calorie I don't lose much. In fact, I probably increase it, because of the bars and gels I consume riding. Nutritionally speaking, the smoothies are an improvement to my usual diet. I do feel better when I am on this particular course, because I am eating better (maybe not optimally). But my smoothies are poor, thus the question. Weight loss is not the goal, it is the biproduct.
I have a personal trainer's license, have been helping athletes for years. I understand caloric needs and functions. I have an athletic, cut body (not bad for 39 years old!!) from proper cross training, lifting, and, of course, biking. Nutritionally, I take my vitamins but heartily admit to being a nutritional disaster (like stretching, I don't stretch much either...do as I say and all that). Trust me, the smoothies are a step up.

[smilingcat]

+1 with those questioning about needing to lose another 3-5 punds.

I wish I knew the link where I read about psyche of female athletes and male athletes. It had to do with marathons mostly.

The study said that we tend to concentrate on our need to be lighter to perform better. Almost all female marathoners are anorexic. Few have died. Male however concentrate on building strength with little emphasis on reducing weight.

To perform at your peak, your body weight has to be within some range. Seems common sense to me. if you are too light like Karen Carpenter, who died of anorexia induce heart failure, that's not good. Then again if you went to the other extreme, at 400 pounds that's no good either. Again common sense.

At your weight, you probably can see your ribs. That's not good. And what about your period. If you stop because you are underweight, your body is telling you something. I was a mid-distance (10k runner) in my 20's and I weighed in at 105 pound. and I'm 5'4". I also biked alot back then too. I didn't have the muscle mass to sprint, and I didn't have the needed endurance to run or bike long distances because my body fat was way way too low. You stop menstrating and all sorts health issues starts up.

When I popped my weight back up to abou 110-115 pound, I felt much stronger. And my time actually improved. So you don't need to lose anymore weight.

Instead concentrate on your strength, endurance and tolerance to heat. These things can be improved upon.

You are already below optimum weight for endurance sport.

[OakLeaf]

There is not very much protein in spinach (relative to meat/soy/nuts/beans): Nutrition Data: Spinach

Actually spinach is even higher in protein than top sirloin (1 g protein per 7 calories for spinach, vs. about 1 g per 8 calories for sirloin).