Raw Green Smoothies: Is the weight loss just about calories?
 

I have started having raw green smoothies throughout the day and then a hot vegan meal at dinner. I come to this after being 100% vegan so I am not totally changing my diet.

I have read so many accounts of rapid weight loss on this sort of plan (or 100% raw) and am wondering if it is because the calorie counts are lower or if it has to do with the food being eaten?

I AM counting my calories and am averaging 1500 a day and have lost 8 lbs. in 4 days (again, after eating a healthy vegan diet -- not the fast food, cookie vegan diet).

Is this sustainable? And is the rapid weight loss healthy? Has anyone else lost a large amount of weight this way?

Thanks for your replies.

I have read many first person accounts of raw diets in another forum where people said they ate 2000+ calories of raw food and still lost weight. I am a big believer in not all calories being equal. When I eat unprocessed food I lose weight a lot faster than when I eat the same amount of calories of processed junk. And I feel better. Rapid weight loss isn't the healthiest. You have a much better chance of keeping the weight off if you lose it slowly, but that is mostly because it shows that you are making more permanent changes.

What's in your raw green smoothies?

I recently got my husband and toddler addicted to green smoothies. I use a sunbutter in mine because my son is allergic to nuts. The smoothies really give me a warm and happy feeling in my tummy and a lot of energy in the mornings.

The weight loss could definitely be some water weight if you just started these.

I make a blender full for two servings. It usually includes a ton of spinach (4-6 packed cups), 4 cups of frozen fruit, a half a banana and up to one cup of water. They are delicious although not easy to eat in this weather.

That seems like a lot of sugar to have all at once everyday? Are you having one of these or multiple?

well, that recipe is for two people and we have this once a day about 4 times a week. We usually have it as a lunch or as a dinner with a cooked veggie on the side.

I'm training for a half marathon with a goal of a full in october so fruit sugar is concerning to me at this point.