Smootie ideas please.

Soldato
Joined
17 Jan 2006
Posts
2,891
Location
Dundee
After my mates 40th yesterday I found that today I had hangover from hell and to be honest I did not drink/eat more that I would normally do on a full day session but felt awful.

Today being a local holiday I was off work and decided to do some gardening and could barley manage it and have come to the conclusion that:

  • I'm overweight.
  • I'm very unfit.
  • I have an unhealthy diet.
  • I have an unhealthy lifestyle.
So I decided time to start looking after myself.

Apparently my wife has been bemoaning my excess weight for several years but I did not take heed.

Drastic measures I plan include.

  • No Alcohol
  • Fresh Fruit & Veg
  • Less Ready meals
  • Less trips to BK/McD/KFC etc
  • Gentle excersise (increasing each week)
So the start today was to hide the frying pan and make use of my blender and start having smoothies and cereal for breakfast. Light salad for lunch and try for a regular but healthy style dinner in the evening. Also whilst working I tend to drink a lot of fizzy stuff, usually Coke Zero or Vimto and am planning to change that to water / fruit juice.

Anyway to the title

I am desperate for some good smothie recipes and am willing to try all fruit or veg based options.

Cheers.
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Oct 2005
Posts
6,330
Location
England
I tend to make a mixed berry smoothie

500g plain yoghurt (or vanilla is nice)
250g frozen mixed berries
2 tablespoons of caster sugar (thats the bad part but otherwise the fruit makes it a little sharp!)

If you want to cut down on sugar you could use Splenda. haven't personally tried it but i hear it's good
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
17 Jan 2006
Posts
2,891
Location
Dundee
Just made one here

Banana
Raspberry
Strawberry
Low Fat Natural Yoghurt
Semi Skimmed Milk


Very sharp but ok.

How about storage? Can I make some and then leave in sealed container in fridge and how long will it last?

Is it better to use fresh or frozen berries etc?
 
Associate
Joined
20 Aug 2008
Posts
1,654
Location
Bath
3 Bananas
Tinned Pineapples
then milk or yoghurt and a lot of ice.
little bit of honey if you like it nice


If you want you can use frozen bananas, its different but nice because they blend better.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Jan 2008
Posts
11,023
From what I gather, smoothies aren't all that good for you as they include a large (ablbeit natural) sugar intake. You'd be a lot better off if you can stomach eating just the fruit on their own (why not try it on cereal/weetabix?) and supplement it with fruit juice maybe once a day, eating pieces of fruit/veg with each meal rather than a load at once.

Water is also obviously the best thing to drink when you're thirsty, absolutely avoid coke etc as well as that fast food.

Do you enjoy any sports? You could get yourself in shape with the aim of playing one casually and possibly more seriously as you become fitter, quite a few of my mates have taken up playing in a small 5-a-side league for fun, and are keeping fit in the gym too.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
17 Jan 2006
Posts
2,891
Location
Dundee
Do you enjoy any sports? You could get yourself in shape with the aim of playing one casually and possibly more seriously as you become fitter, quite a few of my mates have taken up playing in a small 5-a-side league for fun, and are keeping fit in the gym too.

Used to play football Sunday Morning and Indoor but retired a few years ago (I'm 40 now) and was playing indoor until July when I ruptured my Achillies tendon and tore my calf muscle (same leg) and am only 4 weeks out of plaster. Have been told to do stretching and light jogging only at mo and no football until Jan.

Really like fruit so not a problem to eat it as is but was looking to jazz it up a bit so to speak.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Jan 2008
Posts
11,023
Ouch, achillies tendon is bad news, hope you're back fit again soon.

Yeah, eating healthy can be boring, just don't go crazy on the smoothies (not so bad when you're making your own mind), but they're not as healthy as you might think that's all, though probably not a major issue unless every other drink is one.

Ever feeling peckish though, stick some grapes in the freezer - they last for ages and are a great little snack for a movie or when working, though only when it's vaugely warm (shame the summer's gone already eh).
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,926
Location
SW London
If you're after smoothies for something low calorie then you may be surprised at how many calories they actually contain.

By all means have them for the vitamin content and as a way of getting fruit into your diet as part of a calorie controlled plan, but don't think that they will help you lose weight unless you have an overall calorific deficit.
 
Associate
Joined
20 Aug 2008
Posts
1,654
Location
Bath
Used to play football Sunday Morning and Indoor ruptured my Achillies tendon and tore my calf muscle (same leg).

Outch!
I did something to my Achillies once on a 30 mile walk, huts soo bad!
I can't imagine what that must have been like.

On Calories in the smoothies, if you use Skimmed milk for them it can cut it down considerably, and the fruit used with thicken it up, so it won't make much difference in taste, but in calories it does.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
17 Jan 2006
Posts
2,891
Location
Dundee
Interesting to find that the smooties are not really a low fat food/drink.

I do plan to have them really just to get the fruit into my diet to be honest.

Think I'll take a trip to my local supermarket and get some frozen berries etc.

Plan to start jogging tommorrow morning before work. Should be fun. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
17 Jan 2006
Posts
2,891
Location
Dundee
Outch!
I did something to my Achillies once on a 30 mile walk, huts soo bad!
I can't imagine what that must have been like.

Very sore !

On Calories in the smoothies, if you use Skimmed milk for them it can cut it down considerably, and the fruit used with thicken it up, so it won't make much difference in taste, but in calories it does.

Only ever use skimmed milk as I dont like the full fat stuff. Is it the yogurht that makes it highish in calories?
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Oct 2005
Posts
6,330
Location
England
depends what yoghurt i guess. I use alpro as i'm lactose intolerant so the calorie content isn't as bad (well i dont think it is!)

The recipe i mentioned above normally gives me two large glasses maybe more. I tend to drink it within a day or two of making it.
 
Soldato
Joined
4 May 2007
Posts
9,347
Location
West Midlands
Just checked the yoghurt I used (ASDA low fat naturalt pro-biotic) and it has 336 calories per 500g pot.

Not particularly high (It depends on how much you use).
Having a smoothie with blended fruit has the same nutritional benefit as eating the fruit itself, I sometimes have:
Strawberries
Raspberries
1% fat Milk/ Full milk (Stick to lower calorie ones if you're trying to lose weight)
No added sweetener strawberry yoghurt

I tend to add whey/milk protein powder to this, but thats to keep my protein intake high which you probably don't require.
 
Associate
Joined
30 Nov 2003
Posts
2,495
carrot and apricot

peel and chop a fresh carrot (carrot is often overlooked but is excellent in smoothies)

add 4 dried apricots

core and chop an apple or pear (leave the skin on)

250ml orange juice

2 teaspoons low fat natural yoghurt

1/2 a banana (optional)

i make enough for a glass with my evening meal as a desert and a glass for first thing in the morning.

if you are looking to make improvements to your morning eating routine go for porridge:). to a handful of porridge oats i just add hot water from a ketlle add some chopped dried figs perhaps a tiny bit of honey. This plus my smoothie keeps me going easily until lunchtime. :)
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Jan 2009
Posts
8,037
Looks like a good plan. I think you're right to focus more on your diet than some intensive exercise regime to begin with. I'd recommend cutting out ready meals/fast food all together. The quickest way to lose weight is to stop drinking alcohol. The weight will fall off if you can keep this up.

Whenever I make a smoothie I just take any fruit that's lying around, put it in the blender and then pour over just enough fruit juice (low/no sugar) to cover it. Don't sieve out the pulp. For me, it's just a quick way to get a couple of portions of fruit in the morning.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
17 Jan 2006
Posts
2,891
Location
Dundee
Smoothies will obviously solve your problems.

FACT.


LOL

Seriously thoug h made one yesterday (enough for two glasses) and had one fresh this morning and my bloatedness has gone. Helps with the regulation if you get my drift.

Big test tonight. I play league pool on a Tuesday and it's usually a decent night for drink and eating crap so lets see what happens ! will I have the will-power?
 
Back
Top Bottom