When I traded my pants for shorts this past spring, I could not believe the amount of cellulite that had congregated on my thighs. I had gained about 10 pounds over the winter for no apparent reason: I rode a stationary bike for one hour 3 days a week, I did strength training for 45 minutes to an hour twice a week, I didn’t overeat, and I ate a nutritious, healthy diet. So why the cellulite and weight gain? I just turned 50 this past April and am approaching menopause, so I reasoned that maybe hormonal changes to my metabolism were the culprit. I declared war on my weight gain and cellulite!
Protein Fruit Smoothies
I started making protein fruit shakes–sometimes called fruit smoothies–and drinking them twice a day, for breakfast and lunch. Protein smoothies make for a quick, convenient, nutritious meal. For dinner, I ate anything I pleased, and voila, the pounds and the ugly ripples in my thighs (at least most of them) melted away. I found my appetite at dinnertime was somewhat diminished because my stomach was smaller, so I ate less without feeling deprived. Not feeling deprived is the most important part of that last sentence: I expend loads of energy during my day with working, exercising, and daily chores, so I cannot spend my day being hungry. If I felt like having something sweet later on, Luigi’s Mango Ice is a dieter’s dream: it has an almost creamy consistency for an ice, loads of sweet mango flavor, and only 100 fat-free calories.
Calories From Protein
After being so successful with this plan, I have come to believe that it’s not necessarily how many calories you consume in a day, it’s what those calories come from that makes all the difference. With a fruit smoothie that contains fruit, milk, ice, and protein powder, I’m getting fiber rich carbs and protein.
Quick, Convenient Meal For a Busy, Athletic Person
Because I’m a very busy writer, mom, and athlete (I ran a women’s mountain biking group for many years and have biked and strength trained consistently for the past 30 years), I’ve made protein shakes for years as a quick meal, but had never gone extreme with them as I did this time.
Protein Shake Recipe
Fruit—Whatever you like (one banana, or a handful of berries, or one mango, or one pear-just be sure to vary your fruit; frozen fruit works well too)
½ cup of skim milk
1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder (Twinlab 100% Whey Protein Fuel Vanilla Slam is by far the best that I’ve tried)
4 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in the blender. Top with cinnamon or nutmeg for an extra pinch of flavor. Enjoy!
One final side note: I suffer from diverticulosis, which at one point became diverticulitis, and all my symptoms totally vanished on this regimen.