RE: My Green Smoothie Recipe

June 13, 2012

Bill half the fun of blending is coming up with combinations of things you like. What you came up with sounds really great but at what cost. I ran your ingredients in a program I have that will tell you the nutritional values of a recipe. I substituted your hand full for an approximant measurement. Your handful I choose a cup and added 2 cups for spinach. If you drank the whole thing this program says it has 698 calories 107 grams of sugar and a staggering 179 carbs. In general the more fruit you add the higher the calories so as you experiment I would suggest you try substituting vegetables for some of your fruit if you want to bring down any of those figures and still taste good. Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebannSent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 2:02 PM Subject: My Green Smoothie Recipe Big handful of black grapes, handful of blueberries, 1 banana, 1 orange with skin removed, 2 pears pitted, 4 medjool dates pitted, 2 handfuls of spinach and some ice. I'm sure someone else has made something like this before but so far I haven't found another recipe exactly like this. All I know is that for a newbie like me it taste very good.Bill

June 13, 2012

Tom,

What program are you using to determine the nutritional values?

>

> Bill half the fun of blending is coming up with combinations of things you

> like. What you came up with sounds really great but at what cost. I ran

> your ingredients in a program I have that will tell you the nutritional

> values of a recipe. I substituted your hand full for an approximant

> measurement. Your handful I choose a cup and added 2 cups for spinach. If

> you drank the whole thing this program says it has 698 calories 107 grams of

> sugar and a staggering 179 carbs. In general the more fruit you add the

> higher the calories so as you experiment I would suggest you try

> substituting vegetables for some of your fruit if you want to bring down any

> of those figures and still taste good.

>

> Tom

>

> From:

> [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebann

> Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 2:02 PM

>

> Subject: My Green Smoothie Recipe

>

> Big handful of black grapes, handful of blueberries, 1 banana, 1 orange with

> skin removed, 2 pears pitted, 4 medjool dates pitted, 2 handfuls of spinach

> and some ice. I'm sure someone else has made something like this before but

> so far I haven't found another recipe exactly like this. All I know is that

> for a newbie like me it taste very good.

>

> Bill

>

June 13, 2012

Tom,Would you mind sharing what program you used to plug the info in? I'd like to do that with some of my creations. Thanks! MimiSent from my iPhoneOn Jun 13, 2012, at 11:55 AM, "Tom Matuschak" <pmatus@...> wrote:

Bill half the fun of blending is coming up with combinations of things you like. What you came up with sounds really great but at what cost. I ran your ingredients in a program I have that will tell you the nutritional values of a recipe. I substituted your hand full for an approximant measurement. Your handful I choose a cup and added 2 cups for spinach. If you drank the whole thing this program says it has 698 calories 107 grams of sugar and a staggering 179 carbs. In general the more fruit you add the higher the calories so as you experiment I would suggest you try substituting vegetables for some of your fruit if you want to bring down any of those figures and still taste good. Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebannSent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 2:02 PM Subject: My Green Smoothie Recipe Big handful of black grapes, handful of blueberries, 1 banana, 1 orange with skin removed, 2 pears pitted, 4 medjool dates pitted, 2 handfuls of spinach and some ice. I'm sure someone else has made something like this before but so far I haven't found another recipe exactly like this. All I know is that for a newbie like me it taste very good.Bill

=

June 13, 2012

Sure it is Living Cookbook 2011.Â Â Another nice thing about this cookbook software is that you can copy and paste a recipe in it.Â That feature doesn't always work perfectly because it sometime doesn't recognize the ingredients so you have to manually choose the ingredient from the program data base to get the correct nutritional values but it beats typing the whole recipe in. Tom http://www.livingcookbook.com/?gclid=CIPxkLaGzLACFUgDQAod_WtPZA http://cookbook-recipe-software-review.toptenreviews.com/living-cookbook-review.html From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of MimiSent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 3:37 PM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe Tom,Would you mind sharing what program you used to plug the info in? I'd like to do that with some of my creations. Thanks! MimiSent from my iPhoneOn Jun 13, 2012, at 11:55 AM, " Tom Matuschak " <pmatus@...> wrote: Bill half the fun of blending is coming up with combinations of things you like. What you came up with sounds really great but at what cost. I ran your ingredients in a program I have that will tell you the nutritional values of a recipe. I substituted your hand full for an approximant measurement. Your handful I choose a cup and added 2 cups for spinach. If you drank the whole thing this program says it has 698 calories 107 grams of sugar and a staggering 179 carbs. In general the more fruit you add the higher the calories so as you experiment I would suggest you try substituting vegetables for some of your fruit if you want to bring down any of those figures and still taste good. Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebannSent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 2:02 PM Subject: My Green Smoothie Recipe Big handful of black grapes, handful of blueberries, 1 banana, 1 orange with skin removed, 2 pears pitted, 4 medjool dates pitted, 2 handfuls of spinach and some ice. I'm sure someone else has made something like this before but so far I haven't found another recipe exactly like this. All I know is that for a newbie like me it taste very good.Bill=

June 14, 2012

Tom,

I am curious because I am on WW but have trouble on it since it takes more prep time then I seem to have lately. I do make alot of smoothies with fruit and little veggies. I guess I am scared to add more veggies due to the fear it would taste terrible. So my question is does your wife make any smoothies with more veggies and do you have any suggestions for what veggies to use that would make a good tasting smoothie for less calories?

Thanks for your posts..very informative.

MARILYN

NOT EVERY HERO WEARS A CAPE - Happy Mothers Day.

"The most important career choice you'll make is who you marry."

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you would do things differently."

Warren Buffett

From: Tom Matuschak <pmatus@...> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 6:20 AMSubject: RE: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe

This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now.

I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories.

This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal.

IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes.

Tom

Amount Per Serving

Calories

699

Calories from Fat

23

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

2.5g

4%

Cholesterol

0mg

0%

Sodium

104mg

4%

Total Carbohydrates

179.3g

60%

Dietary Fiber

30.1g

120%

Sugars

123.5g

Protein

10.5g

Vitamin A 240%

â€¢

Vitamin C 296%

Calcium 27%

â€¢

Iron 30%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebannSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:43 AM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe

>> There are free programs online that do the same thing. Paste in> ingredients, get the nutritional info.> > Here's one:> > http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php> > It gives a nutritional label with the info on it.> > -->Using the software program you listed I came up with 86 calories and 17.2 grams of sugar for one serving and I didn't have to pay 35 dollars for Tom's program. BTW my 2 handfuls of spinach were about 4 cups. Bill

June 14, 2012

Currently my wife is not doing smoothies because she finds it easier to track numbers and she is having success with that strategy.Â Lea Ann one her web site has her list of The 5 " Magic Veggies " that don't alter the taste of your smoothie.Â They are Cabbage, Spinach, Carrots, Yellow Squash, and Zucchini.Â I like red or yellow pepper myself.Â One time I questioned Lea Ann on the wisdom of adding grape fruit concentrate to her smoothies during demos and she told me people need to take " Baby Steps " towards a healthier lifestyle and this is good advice.Â I would make a list of the vegetables you like and slowly incorporate them in your smoothies.Â Don't be afraid to experiment a little the worse you can do is to throw it away.Â One other suggestion if you do use a recipe in a book make sure you look at the serving size. http://blenderlady.com/the-5-magic-veggies/ Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of javachicSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:52 AM Subject: Re: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe Tom,I am curious because I am on WW but have trouble on it since it takes more prep time then I seem to have lately. I do make alot of smoothies with fruit and little veggies. I guess I am scared to add more veggies due to the fear it would taste terrible. So my question is does your wife make any smoothies with more veggies and do you have any suggestions for what veggies to use that would make a good tasting smoothie for less calories? Thanks for your posts..very informative. MARILYN NOT EVERY HERO WEARS A CAPE - Happy Mothers Day. " The most important career choice you'll make is who you marry. " " It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you would do things differently. " Warren Buffett From: Tom Matuschak <pmatus@...> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 6:20 AMSubject: RE: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now. I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories. This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal. IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes. Tom Amount Per ServingCalories 699Calories from Fat 23% Daily Value*Total Fat 2.5g4%Cholesterol 0mg0%Sodium 104mg4%Total Carbohydrates 179.3g60%Dietary Fiber 30.1g120%Sugars 123.5gProtein 10.5gVitamin A 240%â€¢Vitamin C 296%Calcium 27%â€¢Iron 30%Nutrition Grade A* Based on a 2000 calorie diet From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebannSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:43 AM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe >> There are free programs online that do the same thing. Paste in> ingredients, get the nutritional info.> > Here's one:> > http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php> > It gives a nutritional label with the info on it.> > -->Using the software program you listed I came up with 86 calories and 17.2 grams of sugar for one serving and I didn't have to pay 35 dollars for Tom's program. BTW my 2 handfuls of spinach were about 4 cups. Bill

June 14, 2012

That is terrific help Tom, thank you for the link and the advice about the grapefruit concentrate. I had not heard that one before. I am going to try your suggestions. I appreciate you sharing the information and I'm glad it is working successfully for you. You in your wife inspire me to re-examine my approach. Thanks.

MARILYN

NOT EVERY HERO WEARS A CAPE - Happy Mothers Day.

"The most important career choice you'll make is who you marry."

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you would do things differently."

Warren Buffett

From: Tom Matuschak <pmatus@...> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:17 AMSubject: RE: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe

Currently my wife is not doing smoothies because she finds it easier to track numbers and she is having success with that strategy. Lea Ann one her web site has her list of The 5 "Magic Veggies" that don't alter the taste of your smoothie. They are Cabbage, Spinach, Carrots, Yellow Squash, and Zucchini. I like red or yellow pepper myself. One time I questioned Lea Ann on the wisdom of adding grape fruit concentrate to her smoothies during demos and she told me people need to take "Baby Steps" towards a healthier lifestyle and this is good advice. I would make a list of the vegetables you like and slowly incorporate them in your smoothies. Don't be afraid to experiment a little the worse you can do is to throw it away. One other suggestion if you do use a recipe in a book make sure you look at the serving size.

http://blenderlady.com/the-5-magic-veggies/

Tom

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of javachicSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:52 AM Subject: Re: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe

Tom,

I am curious because I am on WW but have trouble on it since it takes more prep time then I seem to have lately. I do make alot of smoothies with fruit and little veggies. I guess I am scared to add more veggies due to the fear it would taste terrible. So my question is does your wife make any smoothies with more veggies and do you have any suggestions for what veggies to use that would make a good tasting smoothie for less calories?

Thanks for your posts..very informative.

MARILYN

NOT EVERY HERO WEARS A CAPE - Happy Mothers Day.

"The most important career choice you'll make is who you marry."

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you would do things differently."

Warren Buffett

From: Tom Matuschak <pmatus@...> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 6:20 AMSubject: RE: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe

This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now.

I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories.

This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal.

IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes.

Tom

Amount Per Serving

Calories

699

Calories from Fat

23

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

2.5g

4%

Cholesterol

0mg

0%

Sodium

104mg

4%

Total Carbohydrates

179.3g

60%

Dietary Fiber

30.1g

120%

Sugars

123.5g

Protein

10.5g

Vitamin A 240%

â€¢

Vitamin C 296%

Calcium 27%

â€¢

Iron 30%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebannSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:43 AM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe

>> There are free programs online that do the same thing. Paste in> ingredients, get the nutritional info.> > Here's one:> > http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php> > It gives a nutritional label with the info on it.> > -->Using the software program you listed I came up with 86 calories and 17.2 grams of sugar for one serving and I

didn't have to pay 35 dollars for Tom's program. BTW my 2 handfuls of spinach were about 4 cups. Bill

June 14, 2012

Thanks , this program is easy and instant. The smoothie I made for

breakfast today (kale, arugula, mint, parsley, cucumber, watermelon) had 95

calories for one serving and it listed all the vitamins and minerals I got from

this smoothie. Great idea to use.

Janet

June 14, 2012

Bless you Tom - I was going to send that link, and you did it for me! :-)Blessings,Lea Ann SavageSatellite Beach, FL(321) 773-7088 (home)(321-961-9219 (cell)www.BlenderLady.com(AKA the Vitamix Lady :-)<))><

On Jun 14, 2012, at 9:17 AM, Tom Matuschak wrote:

Currently my wife is not doing smoothies because she finds it easier to track numbers and she is having success with that strategy. Lea Ann one her web site has her list of The 5 "Magic Veggies" that don't alter the taste of your smoothie. They are Cabbage, Spinach, Carrots, Yellow Squash, and Zucchini. I like red or yellow pepper myself. One time I questioned Lea Ann on the wisdom of adding grape fruit concentrate to her smoothies during demos and she told me people need to take "Baby Steps" towards a healthier lifestyle and this is good advice. I would make a list of the vegetables you like and slowly incorporate them in your smoothies. Don't be afraid to experiment a little the worse you can do is to throw it away. One other suggestion if you do use a recipe in a book make sure you look at the serving size. http://blenderlady.com/the-5-magic-veggies/ Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of javachicSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 8:52 AM Subject: Re: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe Tom,I am curious because I am on WW but have trouble on it since it takes more prep time then I seem to have lately. I do make alot of smoothies with fruit and little veggies. I guess I am scared to add more veggies due to the fear it would taste terrible. So my question is does your wife make any smoothies with more veggies and do you have any suggestions for what veggies to use that would make a good tasting smoothie for less calories? Thanks for your posts..very informative. MARILYN NOT EVERY HERO WEARS A CAPE - Happy Mothers Day. "The most important career choice you'll make is who you marry." "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you would do things differently."Warren Buffett From: Tom Matuschak <pmatus@...> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 6:20 AMSubject: RE: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now. I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories. This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal. IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes. Tom Amount Per ServingCalories 699Calories from Fat 23% Daily Value*Total Fat 2.5g4%Cholesterol 0mg0%Sodium 104mg4%Total Carbohydrates 179.3g60%Dietary Fiber 30.1g120%Sugars 123.5gProtein 10.5gVitamin A 240%•Vitamin C 296%Calcium 27%•Iron 30%Nutrition Grade A* Based on a 2000 calorie diet From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of bebannSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:43 AM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe >> There are free programs online that do the same thing. Paste in> ingredients, get the nutritional info.> > Here's one:> > http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php> > It gives a nutritional label with the info on it.> > -->Using the software program you listed I came up with 86 calories and 17.2 grams of sugar for one serving and I didn't have to pay 35 dollars for Tom's program. BTW my 2 handfuls of spinach were about 4 cups. Bill

June 14, 2012

Tom,I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and I worked as a receptionist for Weight Watchers for awhile too.You are absolutely right about the danger of using too much fruit in smoothies as a Weight Watcher. While they allow you not to count fruit, they kind of depend on it to fill you up because of the fiber content. And while the Vitamix is different from a juicer because it allows you the benefit of eating the whole fruit as intended, it is pre chewed in a way that can lessen the fullness factor leading to over consumption. I am glad that your wife learned this lesson.The new fruit rules that came out a couple years ago have been helpful, but they can be troublesome too. TerriOn Jun 14, 2012, at 6:20 AM, Tom Matuschak wrote:

This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now. I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a

specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories. This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal. IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes.

June 14, 2012

Terri I was at a Vitamix demo a few months ago and I met a few ladies that worked for Weight Watchers also and I asked them about the zero points and fruit. As I recall they said they (Weight Watchers) would rather you eat fruit than high calorie snacks. All of them bought a Vitamix that day so I am sure those on Weight Watchers there is a message board somewhere devoted to Vitamix and Weight Watchers. Maybe you know of one Terri. While most if not all diet programs in the end try to reduce your calorie intake they all do it a little different. I knew myself well enough that for long term weight loss I would have to devise a way of losing weight that wasn't so structured. I like a variety of foods and I learned to cook without as many calories. I am the cook in the house and while through diet and exercise I lost over 60 pounds my wife gained weight. Her weight gain mainly had to do with eating things other then what I fixed. She needs the structure of Weight Watchers to lose weight and while I am still cooking basically the same way she now limits her calories the rest of the day and has had a lot of success with Weight Watchers. Three years ago I developed throat cancer and I had new challenges after chemo and radiation treatments. For all those years it took to lose weight I now found myself having to increase my calories to stop from losing weight. So up until now I have been adding calories to my diet but recently I have stabled off a little and now and I find myself having to watch my calorie intake so I don't gain weight. Actually I liked it better adding calories. The point I am trying to make through all this rambling is no matter if you are trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight calories count. Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Terri SchurterSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:26 PM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe Tom, I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and I worked as a receptionist for Weight Watchers for awhile too. You are absolutely right about the danger of using too much fruit in smoothies as a Weight Watcher. While they allow you not to count fruit, they kind of depend on it to fill you up because of the fiber content. And while the Vitamix is different from a juicer because it allows you the benefit of eating the whole fruit as intended, it is pre chewed in a way that can lessen the fullness factor leading to over consumption. I am glad that your wife learned this lesson. The new fruit rules that came out a couple years ago have been helpful, but they can be troublesome too. Terri On Jun 14, 2012, at 6:20 AM, Tom Matuschak wrote: This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now. I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories. This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal. IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes.

June 14, 2012

Tom,I agree entirely that it all comes down to calories in vs. calories out. Most successful diet programs are simply ways to simplify that. I haven't actually used Weight Watchers for quite awhile. Instead I am using an armband called the Body Media Fit which registers calories burned as you wear it. I also use their web site to log my food. The idea is to achieve a calorie deficit. The armband serves as an incentive by providing you with data about your calorie burn. Knowledge is power. I've hit a rough patch recently in my motivation since my mother went into an Alzheimer's unit in January, and it isn't a good excuse, but it has side tracked me a bit. I am hoping that my use of the Vitamix will help to get the eating back on track, and that the motivation to exercise will return as well. I used to run three times a week, but that all just flew out of the window in January. It's stupid I know. I just need to get mentally back on track again.Thanks for your response and your insight.TerriOn Jun 14, 2012, at 2:40 PM, Tom Matuschak wrote:

Terri I was at a Vitamix demo a few months ago and I met a few ladies that worked for Weight Watchers also and I asked them about the zero points and fruit. As I recall they said they (Weight Watchers) would rather you eat fruit than high calorie snacks. All of them bought a Vitamix that day so I am sure those on Weight Watchers there is a message board somewhere devoted to Vitamix and Weight Watchers. Maybe you know of one Terri. While most if not all diet programs in the end try to reduce your calorie intake they all do it a little different. I knew myself well enough that for long term weight loss I would have to devise a way of losing weight that wasn't so structured. I

like a variety of foods and I learned to cook without as many calories. I am the cook in the house and while through diet and exercise I lost over 60 pounds my wife gained weight. Her weight gain mainly had to do with eating things other then what I fixed. She needs the structure of Weight Watchers to lose weight and while I am still cooking basically the same way she now limits her calories the rest of the day and has had a lot of success with Weight Watchers. Three years ago I developed throat cancer and I had new challenges after chemo and radiation treatments. For all those years it took to lose weight I now found myself having to increase my calories to stop from losing weight. So up until now I have been adding calories to my diet but recently I have stabled off a little and now

and I find myself having to watch my calorie intake so I don't gain weight. Actually I liked it better adding calories. The point I am trying to make through all this rambling is no matter if you are trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight calories count. Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Terri SchurterSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:26 PMTo:

Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe Tom, I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and I worked as a receptionist for Weight Watchers for awhile too. You are absolutely right about the danger of using too much fruit in smoothies as a Weight Watcher. While they allow you not to count fruit, they kind of depend on it to fill you up because of the fiber content. And while the Vitamix is different from a juicer because it allows you the benefit of eating the whole fruit as intended, it is pre chewed in a way that can lessen the fullness factor leading to over

consumption. I am glad that your wife learned this lesson. The new fruit rules that came out a couple years ago have been helpful, but they can be troublesome too. Terri On Jun 14, 2012, at 6:20 AM, Tom Matuschak wrote: This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the

point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now. I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories. This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal. IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes.

June 14, 2012

Terri I am truly sorry to hear about your mother. Count the blessings that you have had the company of your mother for all these years while others like me lost their parents early in life. I am sure you find the motivation again to get back on track of your goals. I am too in a transition period with the Vitamix. While initially I use it as a meal supplement I now find myself using it a meal replacement. Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Terri SchurterSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 2:59 PM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe Tom, I agree entirely that it all comes down to calories in vs. calories out. Most successful diet programs are simply ways to simplify that. I haven't actually used Weight Watchers for quite awhile. Instead I am using an armband called the Body Media Fit which registers calories burned as you wear it. I also use their web site to log my food. The idea is to achieve a calorie deficit. The armband serves as an incentive by providing you with data about your calorie burn. Knowledge is power. I've hit a rough patch recently in my motivation since my mother went into an Alzheimer's unit in January, and it isn't a good excuse, but it has side tracked me a bit. I am hoping that my use of the Vitamix will help to get the eating back on track, and that the motivation to exercise will return as well. I used to run three times a week, but that all just flew out of the window in January. It's stupid I know. I just need to get mentally back on track again. Thanks for your response and your insight. Terri On Jun 14, 2012, at 2:40 PM, Tom Matuschak wrote: Terri I was at a Vitamix demo a few months ago and I met a few ladies that worked for Weight Watchers also and I asked them about the zero points and fruit. As I recall they said they (Weight Watchers) would rather you eat fruit than high calorie snacks. All of them bought a Vitamix that day so I am sure those on Weight Watchers there is a message board somewhere devoted to Vitamix and Weight Watchers. Maybe you know of one Terri. While most if not all diet programs in the end try to reduce your calorie intake they all do it a little different. I knew myself well enough that for long term weight loss I would have to devise a way of losing weight that wasn't so structured. I like a variety of foods and I learned to cook without as many calories. I am the cook in the house and while through diet and exercise I lost over 60 pounds my wife gained weight. Her weight gain mainly had to do with eating things other then what I fixed. She needs the structure of Weight Watchers to lose weight and while I am still cooking basically the same way she now limits her calories the rest of the day and has had a lot of success with Weight Watchers. Three years ago I developed throat cancer and I had new challenges after chemo and radiation treatments. For all those years it took to lose weight I now found myself having to increase my calories to stop from losing weight. So up until now I have been adding calories to my diet but recently I have stabled off a little and now and I find myself having to watch my calorie intake so I don't gain weight. Actually I liked it better adding calories. The point I am trying to make through all this rambling is no matter if you are trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight calories count. Tom From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Terri SchurterSent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:26 PM Subject: Re: My Green Smoothie Recipe Tom, I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and I worked as a receptionist for Weight Watchers for awhile too. You are absolutely right about the danger of using too much fruit in smoothies as a Weight Watcher. While they allow you not to count fruit, they kind of depend on it to fill you up because of the fiber content. And while the Vitamix is different from a juicer because it allows you the benefit of eating the whole fruit as intended, it is pre chewed in a way that can lessen the fullness factor leading to over consumption. I am glad that your wife learned this lesson. The new fruit rules that came out a couple years ago have been helpful, but they can be troublesome too. Terri On Jun 14, 2012, at 6:20 AM, Tom Matuschak wrote: This recipe analysis using the calorie count program below is almost exactly the same as what I posted but that is not the point I was trying to make. My wife is on weight watchers and she told me weight watchers doesn't count fruit and vegetables so she made smoothies with a lot of fruit and she was wondering why she wasn't losing weight and it was because of the high calorie smoothie she was making. When she quit making those smoothies she began to lose weight again. She has done really well on weight watchers as will. She is down around 30 pounds now. I chose a different approach to losing weight. I lost over 60 pounds through diet and exercise. I didn't have a specific diet but I lost my weight by making healthy food selections and counting calories. This calorie counter listed works well and I would suggest all of you that make your own smoothie creations use it especially if weight loss is your goal. IMHO Living Cookbook is a great program to store, organize, print, and share your recipes and as an added benefit it will give the nutritional information for your recipes.

June 14, 2012

>

> >

> > >

> >

> > Using the software program you listed I came up with 86 calories and 17.2

> > grams of sugar for one serving and I didn't have to pay 35 dollars for

> > Tom's program. BTW my 2 handfuls of spinach were about 4 cups.

> >

> > Bill

> >

>

I have made quite a number of recipes so far with my Vitamix and I've been very

impressed with almost all of them. I'm using it 2 to 3 times a day and trying to

stay balanced while trying out different things. I decided to take Tom's advice

and go back to a more balanced green smoothie like Dr. Oz's version; although I

probably could afford to gain a little weight. So far I'm very happy with my

machine. Vitamax definitely rocks.

Bill

June 15, 2012

What is the program to give you the carb and sugar info?