

What Is The Smoothie Diet—And Can It Really Help You Lose Weight?

Don't dust off that blender too fast.

Smoothie diet
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Attention all tongue-biters, the latest diet fad require that you ditch all solid foods in favor of your blender. The newest interwebs craze, The Smoothie Diet, has been pegged as the go-to easy way to lose weight, and fast.

Sure, you've heard of drinking smoothies to lose weight, but The Smoothie Diet takes things to the next level. Here’s how it works: You drink a low-cal detox smoothie from The Smoothie Diet digital recipe book (a $47 cost) for at least two (if not all) of your three meals for three weeks. Then, you repeat the three-week cycle as many times as you want.

The result: You drop weight quickly. After all, on the diet, you’ll be bringing your daily calorie intake down to as low as 1,200 calories a day, according to registered dietitian Wesley Delbridge, R.D., a spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. If you go from consuming 2,000 calories per day to consuming three 400-calories smoothies per day, of course you will lose weight and, likely, quickly, he says.

Problem is, very little of that will actually be from fat. Rather, a lot of it will probably come from lean metabolism-revving muscle, says Jonathan Valdez, R.D.N., C.D.N., owner of Genki Nutrition, and a spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. So when you go back to eating normally (enter, solid foods), your body is going to start holding onto those calories as fat, which means you’re bound to regain the weight you lose, and possible even more, he adds. What's more, the diet sets you up for a host of nutritional deficiencies, he says.

It's also worth mentioning that, the diet's creator, Drew Sgoutas, is a certified health coach, but he is not a registered dietitian. (Women's Health reached out to Sgoutas for comment on this story, but did not receive a reply.)

And, in the end, while the website is decorated with convincing testimonials about Smoothie-Diet results, any weight loss you experience on this plan will likely lead to a cycle of yo-yo dieting and a troubled relationship with (solid) food. The Smoothie Diet, put simply, just won’t contribute to sustained weight loss, Delbridge says.

That being said, it’s not surprising that smoothies have taken off in the realm of weight loss. That's especially true considering the fact that smoothies, when made and used right, can be used to promote weight loss for women who are always on the go, usually skip breakfast, or need some quick carbs and protein before a workout.

Nutritionists like Valdez, Danoff, Delbridge, and Devaux agree that incorporating a nutrient-dense smoothie can help increase satiety, and even promote pound-shedding, thanks to filling fiber and muscle-making protein… But again, if made and used right.

Here, they share their top concerns with the Smoothie Diet, plus how to start blending the smart way.

Watch Your Sugar

The smoothies on The Smoothie Diet are almost entirely fruit- and fruit juice-based, says Rachael Devaux R.D., C.P.T, founder of Rachaelsgoodeats. And even if those sugars are natural, consuming a bunch of them at once puts you at risk of blood-sugar swings and fat storage, says Pennsylvania-based family medicine physician Rob Danoff, D.O. Plus, sugar consumption triggers a release of insulin, a hormone that sends sugar into your body’s cells to either use or store as fat, explains Delbridge. And over time, too-high blood sugar and insulin levels can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, and Type 2 diabetes.

The solution: Valdez recommends adding no more than one cup of fruit to your smoothies, using water or nut-milks instead of fruit juices or rice milk, which tends to be high in sugar, and going for an all-natural peanut butter to keep sugar content in check. He also suggests balancing out any sugar with healthy doses of protein, fat, and fiber. They will slow gastric emptying to keep you feeling fuller, longer and prevent blood-sugar spikes.

Related: 7 Sneaky Signs Your Blood Sugar Is Too High

Pump Up the Protein

On The Smoothie Diet, protein is mostly MIA. And, because for a minimum of three weeks, you're drinking only these detox smoothies for at least two meals per day, you could be setting yourself up for protein deficiency, Delbridge says.

That's a big problem for anyone, let alone dieters: Apart from promoting satiety, protein is vital to ensuring that, as you lose weight, you don't lose it from muscle. One study published in The Journal of Nutrition even suggests amping up protein to as much as 1.8 to 2 grams per kilogram (or 0.8 to 0.9 grams per pound) of body weight per day to stave off muscle loss when restricting calories.

The solution: To keep up your smoothie's protein levels, Valdez recommends concentrating on protein first, aiming to get 15 to 25 grams of protein in the smoothie through all-natural, no-sugar-added nut butters, protein powder, plain Greek Yogurt, and even greens like kale and spinach.

This simple swap will make your smoothie so much more filling:

Don't Fear Fat

Just like protein, fat also ensures your smoothie is filling. That's because healthy fats take longer than carbs to digest, Devaux says. And the longer they stick around in your stomach, the more satisfied you feel. Plus, research shows that nuts can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases. So what will fill you up now, might save you later.

The solution: To make your smoothie filling, which will keep you from snacking, add in some tasty, healthy fats like a tablespoon of coconut oil, a serving of all-natural almond butter, one tablespoon of flaxseeds or flaxseed oil, or some raw cashews, suggests Devaux. And if you love a creamy smoothie, add in a quarter of an avocado to make your smoothie's texture extra velvety, she says.

Related: The Secret Ingredients That Helped These 5 Women Lose 20+ Pounds

Befriend Fiber

The biggest downside of getting food in liquid form is that you could be missing out on necessary fiber you would normally be getting from the whole-food version, says Devaux. The research on the topic is minimal, but one small study published the The Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Journal showed that phytochemical content, antioxidant content, and fiber content were all lessened when blended.

Fiber is essential to include in your diet because it helps keep your bathroom habits regular, feeling satisfied, and the good bacteria levels in the gut happy, explains Delbridge.

The solution: Upping the fiber in your smoothie is tricky given that the blender could be messing with the nutrient, but Valdez suggest sprinkling in fiber sources such as oat bran, chia seeds, wheat germ, or wheat bran after your drink has already been blended. Women need at least 25 grams of fiber per day, according to the Institute of Medicine.

For more healthy recipes that flatten your belly, check out Slim Chicken!

Make It a "Sometimes" Food

Eating is a sensory experience that combines taste and smell to make eating enjoyable, explains Valdez. When you go on a smoothie diet, you're taking a body that is used to chewing and getting completely rid of that step, says Delbridge. “People think that something like a smoothie diet is a quick fix because they’ve convinced themselves that the same food in liquid form has less calories than it would in solid form, which is just not true,” he notes.

Instead, you’re actually just confusing the body with a totally different "eating" process, he explains. When you’re chewing your food, you’re thinking about it, focusing on flavor of the food, deriving pleasure from the food, and then swallowing. With a smoothie, you’re simply swallowing, explains Danoff.

Related: This Is Your Best Weight Loss Strategy, According To Your Zodiac Sign

The solution: Reserve your smoothies for breakfasts or morning snacks, suggests Devaux. Fueling up with a high-protein smoothie in the morning will promote better energy levels throughout the day, so they're especially good for people who would otherwise miss out on or not have time for breakfast, she adds.

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