Hi everyone! I am preparing to start the Smoothie Shakedown plan after having received my kit yesterday. However, I was wondering if anyone had tips for someone like myself. I work full time and also go to law school in the evening. This means I leave my house at around 5:00 in the morning to go to the gym, 7:30 at work, 5:30 at school and finally home at around 9:30-10:00 in the evening, pretty much 5 days a week. This leaves me very little prep time. How I have adapted so far is to prepare as much of my food for the week in advance, on Saturday and/or Sunday.
Exactly - you've already figured out one of the key tricks to succeeding with food prep. Do as much as you can ahead of time.
A quick note about gym time --- re-read the exercise recommendations in your Smoothie Shakedown booklet. You want to be careful not to overdo........
I guess my question is, firstly, since the shakedown includes 2-3 smoothies during the day, which requires blender to prepare, is there a problem with preparing several days shakes (portions) ahead of time, freezing, and then taking with me?
No problem. I do this often and always have several frozen smoothies waiting for me in the freezer.
If so, does anyone have any tips about the best method to freeze, store, portion and/or thaw for consumption? Hopefully at least one person will have encountered the same challenges regarding schedule as myself.
I freeze mine in heavy plastic glasses, cover the top with 'press-n-seal' then freeze. Some folks on the Forum have found glasses with snap-on covers that they use for smoothies. As far as eating them goes, I like to let mine thaw part way then eat it with a spoon like soft ice cream. You can also let them thaw completely, give a quick stir with a spoon and then drink. You def don't want to ever thaw them using heat since that alters the flaxseed oil. Almost anytime I leave the house, I travel with a small cooler to hold whatever food I need. This works well with smoothies too.
Also, on the website I chose the SS because it said it was a great way to lose weight, even if you have no choice but to eat out on occasion... However, with the materials, I did not see any tips regarding eating out. As a matter of fact from everything I have read so far, its probably not a good idea to EVER eat out, considering the fat, sugar, salt etc etc that restaurants may employ in preparing even the most innocuous and seemingly healthy dishes. Any tips in this regard would also be helpful.
You're right restaurant dining can be tricky at times. Salads (bring your own dressing) topped with lean grilled meat or fish are good choices for eating out. Also, many restaurants are happy to leave out the salt and spices if you let them know you have dietary restrictions. Don't be shy about asking for what you want and need.....
Also, I was wondering if (since I'm a habitual coffee drinker) there are any teas (other than the dandelion tea) that can be used as a substitute for coffee? I was introduced to Teecino when I first picked up the Dr.'s Fat Flush book several years ago... However, I know I'm only allowed ONE cup of this per day (AAARG, probably my GREATEST challenge!!). SO if there are other teas which will give me flavor and a nice warm relaxing drink that are within the plan guidelines that would be helpful as well.
Warm cranwater always works well for me, and like you I am a big fan of coffee. Just to keep you updated, Dr. ALG is no longer recommending Teecino. Instead she allows one cup of organic regular coffee (not decaf).
Finally, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around drinking half my body weight in ounces of water. Sadly, I'm 260+ pounds, which means I'll have to dring 130+ oz of water during the day. In the past I've found it challenging to do so because 1) I dont have TIME to drink so much 2) having my stomach full of water makes it hard to eat/exercise/etc. and 3) trips to the bathroom become so frequent as to be completely disruptive. Again, any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.
Yes, we understand the challenge that can accompany drinking half your body weight in water. What we've found though is that our bodies adjust to the water intake and restroom trips become less frequent. Remember that those ounces of water include the cranwater you drink (including what is in your smoothies), your 1 cup of coffee, as well as any tea you drink. You may actually be consuming more ounces than you think! Double check yourself and see if you're not already drinking a good portion of those ounces.
Thanks for reading my incredibly long post. My goal is to lose weight as quickly (and safely) as possible. I have been told by my doctor that unless I do, I will be in serious danger healthwise by the time I graduate law school. Thanks in advance for your advice and encouragement. I'm sure I will be on the forums quite a bit looking for advice, support and hopefully reporting my successes, and being able to contribute somewhat myself.
We're looking forward to hearing from you often! We're here to support you on your journey so post your questions and your progress. We're here to help.
Smoothie Shakedown for "On the Go" People
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Originally Posted by LSue
