7-day Smoothie Weight Loss Diet Plan

If you are just like most people, then you are probably looking to shred some pounds. It is an understatement to say that there are many methods to lose weight; From dieting, to pills, to exercise, to fasting, etc., the options can become overwhelming for lots of people. One of the most effective, fun and delicious, ways you can lose some weight is to try the 7-day smoothie weight loss diet plan.

There are two main pre-qualifiers for you to be a good candidate for this diet: (1) You love smoothies – blends of fruit, vegetables, seeds, grains, etc., and (2) Your current diet is fairly unhealthy. The first prerequisite is clear, obviously you need to like smoothies to successfully execute a 7-day smoothies only plan. As for the unhealthy diet, we say that only because this diet plan is probably not going to get you the results you’re looking for if you are already eating very clean. You are definitely not going to see results if you are already in a calorie deficit daily.

In this article, we explain everything there is to know about doing a 7-day smoothie diet to lose weight. We will explain why it works, the different options you have when it comes to smoothie types, things you can do that compliment the smoothies-only diet, and of course some tips and tricks when it comes to recipes and things you can do to execute it successfully. We hope you enjoy it!

 

How Does the 7-day Smoothie Diet Help You Lose Weight?

When some people think about smoothies, they think about some of the high calorie options that are available at places like Robeks and Jamba Juice, so they wonder how smoothies don’t actually make you gain weight instead. Well, most of those high calorie “bad” smoothies usually contain ice cream. Ice cream is the difference maker when it comes to the difference between “good” and “bad” smoothies. Jamba Juice and Robeks sell plenty of healthy smoothie options that are both nutritious and delicious, you just need to know what to order. And if you’re lucky, you might have at least one or two local juice spots you can go to as well.

The type of smoothie you would be drinking during your 7-day smoothie diet is the “good” type, the kind with no ice cream and other types of high calorie ingredients with lots of sugar. When you drink healthy smoothies, you are ingesting less calories than you would if you were having your normal meal with solid foods, and that’s what losing weight is all about: putting your body in a calorie deficit so that it is forced to burn through fat storage for energy. Sure, you could eat “clean” and light, but that’s why we mentioned that this smoothie diet is not going to work if you are already eating healthily.

 

How Many Smoothies You Will Have Each Day

The answer to this question really depends on two things: (1) How much weight do you want to lose? (2) How much discipline do you have?

First off, we want to be clear that you can only lose so much weight in one week while remaining healthy and safe. Lots of the weight will be just “water weight,” but it is possible for you to shed some extra fat. This is also why fasting is such an important part of many people’s weight loss  plans these days.

If you want to lose as much weight as possible, then you can choose to have just one smoothie daily for 7 days. It is up to you when you want to have it, but we recommend having it around 3pm or 4pm, that way you can most likely utilize your willpower to fast the first part of the day. Then, when you finally have your smoothie reward around 3pm or 4pm, it should be able to carry you all the way to bedtime.

Having two smoothies daily is also a good option if you want to be aggressive during this 7-day smoothie weight loss journey. If you choose to have two each day, perhaps a good way to time them is to have one in the late morning, around 10am or 11am, and the other in the early evening around 5pm or 6pm. That way you can spread them out throughout the day. Another option is to have one right when you wake up early in the morning, or late morning if you like to sleep in, and then have your dinner whenever you feel like you can’t wait any longer for the second one. The only issue with having one right when you wake up is that it might get your metabolism going for the day, which could make you hungrier. However, getting your metabolism revved up for the day can also be seen as a positive too.

If you do not want to be so ambitious and aggressive in your approach to your smoothie schedule, then the average amount of smoothies per day can be changed to 3-6. If you are doing three smoothies, obviously this is a nice way for you to have one for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you decide four is the perfect number of smoothies for you to have, there are two ways to go about it: (1) You can spread them out evenly throughout the day, or (2) you can have an extra smoothie whenever you are feeling hungry. With 5 smoothies, you can choose two spots to add a smoothie in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can even have the extra one as a late-night snack if you are having trouble sleeping because you have a hankering hunger. If six smoothies is the amount you go with, the maximum we recommend, then the best way to do it is to spread them out throughout the day evenly.

 

Here is the Summarized Daily Smoothie Frequency Recommendation

 

1 Smoothie: Around 3pm or 4pm

2 Smoothies: 1^st one at 10am or 11am, 2^nd one at 5pm or 6pm

3 Smoothies: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner – whenever that is for you

4 Smoothies: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and then drink the last one when you need it most

5 Smoothies: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and then drink the other two when you need them most

6 Smoothies: Drink them evenly throughout the day

 

Popular Smoothie Ingredients to Use

Let’s face it, there are hundreds of different ingredients you can use for your smoothies, and thousands of combinations thereof, so it can get quite overwhelming. We are going to provide you with a nice, categorized list of different ingredients and combos you can use for your 7-day smoothie plan.

 

Fruit

Fruit is the obvious choice when it comes to proper smoothie ingredients. Not only do they contain a plethora of vitamins and antioxidants, but they are delicious too! Using different types of fruit is also a great way to give your smoothies varying textures and consistencies.

 

• Strawberries:  Contains Vitamin C, Folate (B9), and a little bit of B6, K, and E. Strawberry seeds add a nice texture
• Blueberries: Contains Vitamin C, Vitamin K1, and a little B6 and E. Sweet yet tart flavor addition.
• Apples: Vitamin C is mainly with small amounts of B-complex vitamins and Vitamin K. Goes great with leafy greens since they add a nice sweetness and acidity.
• Grapes: Vitamins C, K with small amounts of B1 and B6. It is not a popular smoothie ingredient, but it mixes nicely with lots of ingredients and adds some good flavor.
• Mangos: Vitamins C, A, E and Folate (B9). Adds a very nice tropical flavor and velvety texture.
• Bananas: Vitamin B6 (lots of it), Vitamin C, and Folate. Bananas are the best to give your smoothie a creamy thicker texture.
• Pomegranate: Vitamins C, K, and Folate. It gives it a fun color and good texture with the seeds.
• Papaya: Vitamin C (very high), Vitamin A, Folate, and Vitamin E. Provides a tropical punch and smooth thicker texture.
• Watermelon: Vitamins C, A, and B6. Very liquid and watery with a nice, sweet flavor.
• Oranges: Vitamin C (very high), Folate, Thiamine (B1), and Vitamin A.
• Guava: Vitamin C (lots of it, even more than oranges), Vitamin A, and Folate
• Passionfruit: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, and Niacin. Adds a delicious flavor that goes good with the other tropical fruits.

 

Also, always remember that you can use frozen fruit to give your smoothie even more texture, not to mention it makes it very cold and refreshing. You can even buy frozen bags of fruit or freeze your fresh fruit so it stays good for much longer than it would just sitting in the refrigerator.

 

Thickeners

If you like the consistency of a thicker and creamier smoothie, then try any of the ingredients below. Not only do these thickeners make it thicker, but they also add their own special array of vitamins and nutrients.

 

• Banana: as mentioned above, bananas are very high in Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and Folate. They are also a great source of fiber.
• Silken Tofu: It sounds weird, but in a smoothie, you can’t even taste it. It contains good Vitamin B1, Folate, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium. Not to mention, a healthy does of protein.
• Avocado: Avocado gives your smoothie a nice earthy flavor and contains Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B Vitamins, Potassium, and Magnesium.
• Nut Butters: Peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter are all popular nut butter options to use to add thickness and flavor to your smoothie. Not only do they contain healthy fats, but also protein, fiber, Vitamin E, B Vitamins, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, and Potassium.
• Greek Yogurt: Try Greek yogurt to thicken up your smoothie and add a little tang. It also adds a dose of protein, Probiotics, Vitamin B12, Riboflavin (B2), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc, and Potassium.

 

Vegetables

One of the best parts of the 7-day smoothie diet is that it gives you a great avenue to eat your vegetables while also being able to enjoy some deliciousness. Vegetables blend seamlessly into smoothies, and in most cases, they improve the flavor and add some good earthy tones to the usual fruity sweetness. Below is a list of the most popular vegetables to use in smoothies:

 

• Spinach: Blends very easily and is a great way to add Vitamins K, A, C and Folate to your smoothie. It also has Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium, along with antioxidants such as Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
• Kale: It is slightly bitter, so that must be something you enjoy if you want to use kale. Or just don’t use a little bit. It adds a nice amount of Vitamins A, C, K and B6. It also has Calcium, Manganese, Copper, Antioxidants Quercetin and Kaempferol.
• Cucumber: Cucumbers add a nice sweetness and freshness. They contain Beta-carotene, Vitamin K, Biotin, B6, and Carotenoids (which is a type of antioxidant).
• Celery: Adds a nice saltiness if you like that type of thing. It also adds Vitamin K, Potassium, Fiber, and Antioxidants such as Apigenin and Luteolin.
• Beets: Not only do beets add beautiful color to your smoothy, but they also add a nice sweetness and earthy flavor. They contain Vitamin C, B6, and Potassium.

 

 Grains

Grains seem like a weird thing to add to a smoothie. While most people think of smoothies being only fruit and perhaps vegetables, grains add a nice texture and abundance of nutrients and carbs to your smoothie for nutrition and energy.  However, if you are trying to shed some weight you may want to take it easy on the carbs.

 

• Rolled Oats: Adds lots of fiber and gives it a smooth and creamy texture. Not to mention carbs to give you more energy and make you feel fuller.
• Cooked Brown Rice: Thickens up your smoothie and adds carbohydrates to provide energy and fullness.
• Cooked Quinoa: A good way to add a nutty tasting protein to your smoothie.

 

Seeds

Seeds blend into smoothies nicely, giving them a nice seedy texture and an extra punch of nutrients. If you like that type of seedy mouthfeel, then the below list of seeds can be great options for you to kick your smoothies up a notch. None of them are going to affect the flavor, unless of course you add a lot!

 

• Hemp Seeds: Lots of protein and healthy omega-3s.
• Flaxseeds: High in fiber and healthy fats.
• Chia Seeds: A good dose of protein along with omega-3s and fiber.

 

Ending Your 7-Day Smoothie Diet Without Problems

Consuming nothing but smoothies for 7 days is an extreme form of weight loss and is something your body is not used to. Normally people have a daily smoothie with their normal solid food or perhaps work in a few smoothies a week for extra nutrients or even as a special treat. When you only consume smoothies for such a long period of time, your body gets in a digestive rhythm and needs to be eased back into your normal eating habits.

When your smoothie diet is over with, don’t just go to your favorite cheeseburger place and order a double cheeseburger with a side of fries, or call the pizza delivery man to bring you a nice pepperoni pie. Start easing your way back into your normal routine by introducing solid foods slowly.

Start by making your first meal back with solid foods an easy one to digest. This means mainly sticking to soft foods such as fruit, whole grains & breads, soups & broths, steamed or roasted vegetables, or perhaps some cooked grains like a bowl of rice.  Eating food such as these that is easy to digest will allow your digestive system to get back in the swing of things. No matter how hungry you are or how much you crave certain foods, you should spend at least 1-2 days taking it easy with the foods mentioned above.