Katherine Natalia’s Personal Weight Loss Story
How I lost weight with the Green Smoothie Diet
I lost a lot of weight on a green smoothie diet before I got pregnant. After my baby was born, I lost all of my baby weight by drinking Green Thickies. Read my story and find out how you can reach your ideal weight with green smoothies.
Yo Yo Dieting
Weight Loss With the Green Smoothie Diet
Until I got married I was always fairly slim. Although I was always on a permanent diet of some sort, with my weight fluctuating up and down a couple of dress sizes. I lost a lot of weight for the wedding in quite an unhealthy way. I was trying to eat ‘free’ food on a popular diet to fill myself up such as fat free jelly, egg white omelettes, hot chocolate, meringues, crisps and sweets. As soon as we got on our honeymoon I became very ill, and ended up in hospital at the airport with such agonising stomach pains, I couldn’t walk. I felt ill all honeymoon and for the next couple of years my health went downhill. I piled on about 50 pounds, became quite overweight and felt really bad about myself.
Piling On The Weight
I did a couple of faddy diets in this time including a diet which teaches you to overcome overeating where you eat exactly what you fancy in the hope that you get all the binging out of your system and then you start to eat what your body needs rather than what you’ve denied yourself all these years. I ate loads of chocolate and fatty foods, and although I did get the major binging out of my system, I never stopped eating foods which were bad for me.
Regular Diets Didn’t Work
Eating Chocolate on my 30th Birthday
My best friend asked me to be her only bridesmaid and I didn’t want to look so fat when I was on display with photos to be saved for a lifetime. So I started a well known high protein, high fat, low carb diet. I bought the book in a bookshop and the lady behind the counter actually tried to talk me out of going on the diet as it was so unhealthy. I didn’t listen to her as I knew it would only be a short term faddy diet. I couldn’t even manage 2 weeks on the diet as I felt so sick and dizzy, and although I lost weight initially, I felt my digestion clogging up, and many other symptoms including no energy at all. I felt worse than I did before.
Focusing On Health
The turning point for me came when we were fostering a teenage boy. I was feeling so ill and run down and decided I needed to take action and get well. The doctors couldn’t work out what was wrong with me so I started reading books all about health. I came across the vegan diet and how it was so good for you. I was pretty much a vegetarian anyway but I did enjoy eating dairy. I decided I was going to give it a try, so I gave up dairy, eggs, sugar and wheat and started drinking green smoothies which I made from green vegetables but no fruit. I started to feel a bit better every day so I knew I was on the right track and I lost a bit of weight. Although I still found it hard to diet and my health problems would still come and go.
Raw Food Diet Detox
I then read about raw food diets and how you can detox and overcome your health problems. This sounded perfect for me. I started the 80/10/10 Diet
“I lost a 56 pounds by eating a green smoothie diet, salads and lots of fruit.”
Slim, Fit And Healthy
Enjoying Life on the Green Smoothie Diet
I got down to my ideal weight, felt the best I’ve ever felt in my life, all my health problems were gone and I was running for an hour a day. I was determined to stay on the green smoothie diet a while longer.
Pregnancy Weight Pile On
I then fell pregnant straight away and went back to eating cooked vegan food. I didn’t feel so good for a while and vegetables didn’t appeal to me. I ended up eating much more junk and piled on loads of weight again.
Why I didn’t Return To Raw Foods
After I gave birth, I had gained an extra 42 pounds. I wasn’t devastated though as I knew I could lose the weight again. I didn’t fancy going back to the completely raw green smoothie diet though (fruit and veg with the 80/10/10 Diet
- It’s extremely difficult to live a normal life and stick to this diet as you can’t eat the same foods as everyone else.
- You have to be very organised and bring food with you wherever you go.
- I found the meals would take a very long time for me to eat. (I’m a slow eater though)
- I became too obsessed with being too pure with my food and became uptight and judgemental.
- I didn’t enjoy eating all cold foods living in such a cold climate in Scotland, UK.
- The quality of the fruit in the UK is often unripe so I always felt like my food should taste much better than it did.
- I found the high water content of the foods made me always on the hunt for a toilet.
- And lastly, you need to eat A LOT of food on this diet. This is great for people who love eating, and I am one of them but with a new baby to look after, I didn’t always have that much time.
- Also, fruit can be very expensive. Especially if you’re not aware how much fruit you actually need to eat. I bought my fruit at a wholesaler, but there isn’t a reasonably priced wholesaler where I live now.
by Douglas Graham has so much valuable information I totally recommend you read it as it will change your life. I never felt better on this diet and even though I lost my baby weight and feel good now, I must admit I felt better on 80/10/10 so I’m striving to add more fruit back into my diet.Healthy Quick Food For Weight Loss
I still loved the idea of getting lots of raw and healthy vegan food in my diet though, so I came up with my own invention, the Green Thickie. I used to love eating porridge while I was pregnant to fill me up in the morning alongside a green smoothie for nutrients. I had a crying baby to look after who fed for such a long time. Porridge wasn’t an option as it took too long to make and too long to cool down then too long to eat. So I thought to myself, why not add my oats to my smoothie and combine my 2 breakfasts into one. I tried it and it worked so well, making it so lovely and creamy. I added in some seeds too to make sure I was getting my omega 3s too. I still wanted to be very healthy as I was breastfeeding.
Green Thickies Are Born
Although green thickies may contain slightly more calories than green smoothies, they fill you up for much longer so you end up eating less food and thinking about food less often than you would do if you were to get hungrier sooner. I find one green thickie can fill me up for about 5 hours from breakfast until lunch which is perfect when you don’t have much time for eating. I found I could also drink them while I was feeding my baby or doing another job which made them the perfect food for a busy parent.
Controlled Weight Loss
Enjoying my Green Thickies these days
Read my health story where I talk more about the health benefits of this diet and explain how I overcame Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 6 months.To date I have lost 28 pounds all of the weight (42 pounds) I have put on so it is heading in the right direction. I’m back to feeling slim again and I’ve lost the weight in a healthy and controlled way which is better in the long term as the weight as less likely to pile on again. I have a green thickie for breakfast and sometimes another one for lunch too and I find they give me so much energy and totally stop any cravings for unhealthy food which is fantastic for someone who just loves their food. They also taste amazing too so I actually really enjoy drinking them. My baby and my husband both love them too and I can relax knowing we’re all getting at least one really healthy complete meal a day.
Why don’t you share your dieting journey with me and let me know if you enjoy green smoothie or green thickies as part of your diet and whether you have managed to lose weight or improve your health.
If you want to improve your health or lose weight, as a starting point just try adding one green smoothie or a green thickie to your diet for breakfast and see how much better you feel. Once you start noticing improvements to the way you feel, you will be motivated to start taking it one step further. At that point I would totally recommend you read the 80/10/10 Diet
If you need to know how to get started with Green Smoothies. This Green Smoothies Diet by Robyn Openshaw is a fantastic book. It will tell you why they are so good for you, give you some great recipes and some plans to help you lose weight.
Another great book about Green Smoothies is the Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko is the book that convinced the world to start drinking Green Smoothies. She has loads of green smoothie recipes and shares her extensive research into the power of drinking Green Smoothies.
For a quick detox and to kick start your weight loss, why not start a 7 day Green Thickie Challenge? And try one of the many delicious Green Thickie Recipes.
Read my regular blog posts about how I am continuing to get healthier and change my life for the better.
If you liked this post I would appreciate it if you could share it on Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook so that other people can enjoy it. Many thanks for your time.
I have shared this post with Fight Back Friday, Foodie Fridays, Wellness Weekends, Gluten Free Fridays, Healthy Vegan Fridays and these fabulous blog hops.
This post has been shared with these Fabulous blog hops.
Green Thickies also co-hosts a blog hop, Healthy Vegan Fridays so join us on Friday to find fabulous health related articles and healthy recipes..
The best type of blender to make Green Thickies is a Vitamix and you will get beautifully smooth Green Thickies, but you can use whatever type of blender you have or can afford. This blender
is reasonably priced and will easily make green thickies along with lots of other delicious food.
Comments always put a smile on my face, so please take a minute to say hello below. Many thanks.
If you have enjoyed this post please pin it to Pinterest, Tweet it or share it on facebook (below) so others can enjoy it. Many thanks.
Hi, I'm Katherine, thanks for stopping by. I healed myself of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and lost 56 pounds. I now have loads of energy for my baby girl and enjoy walks on the beach with my family. I am passionate about helping you improve your health and reach your ideal weight. I invented Green Thickies to provide a complete meal drink for busy people who care about their health.
Katherine!
What you have accomplished is amazing! First and foremost, just the fact that you took charge of your health issues and weight is something I greatly admire. Many of us (including myself) tend to ignore our health issues or entrust medicine to take care of them. It takes strength to stick with a raw food diet long enough see the results.
Also, I admire your honest re: not continuing to be 100% raw. Most people think of being 100% raw as being something superhuman and enjoying being part of elite circle of people who can maintain this way of eating (or at least lead people to believe they do). Being able to say, “I went raw to heal my body, now I’m eating in a manner that feels right for me” is, I think, is you being the best role model for all of us. Thank you for being so honest.
Finally, I have a question: Over the years, I go back and forth between going through phases of only green smoothies/”thickies” and then going through phases of only drinking green juice. Do you have any thoughts on whether one is better than the other or when it’s more advantageous to have a smoothie or juice or vice versa?
Wendy,
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I also got a lot of inspiration from reading others stories so hoped to pass on some inspiration to others, so I’m glad I have.
Don’t beat yourself up about ignoring your health. The society we live in sets us up to eat badly and go to the doctor to give us pills to treat the symptoms. It’s not common knowledge that we can take charge of our own health, and even when we find the information on the internet we are skeptical as we don’t know who to trust and there is so much conflicting information.
Yes I know what you mean about being 100% raw. I felt that way when I was eating only raw foods, that I was different to everyone else. Although my health was really good, I felt like I wasn’t part of everyday society anymore. I started getting too obsessed and too pure about everything I was eating and that wasn’t healthy. So you have to watch your thinking as well as your physical health. I had to get a balance between good health and not getting too extreme with my thoughts.
Thank you for your question about juicing and blending. After reading the 80/10/10 diet I agreed with him that foods were designed a particular way for us to eat the whole fruit or the whole vegetable, not part of it. As it’s completely balanced and we need all aspects of it for good health especially the fiber. I managed to heal myself with just smoothies and eating whole fruit and veg. However when I became pregnant, for the first few months I couldn’t stomach green smoothies or cooked veg at all. I was worried I wasn’t getting enough nutrients so I bought a juicer and started juicing and did that for a couple of months. I then had a horrific accident with my juicer, (I blame pregnancy brain!) and cut the tops of 2 of my fingers off. I ended up having an operation, couldn’t move my hand for a month, moved house in the process and had to have physio for months before my baby was born. It was a horrible time and my health went downhill. I couldn’t chop fruit or veg so ate processed junk and piled on weight again. Needless to say, I’m a bit wary of juicers. It wasn’t the juicer’s fault, totally a moment of madness on my part.
Anyway to cut a long story short, I think there is a time and a place for juicing. Great for getting a load of nutrients very fast into your body. You may need to do this for many reasons, you may not be eating the vegetables you are juicing and they wouldn’t be great in a smoothie (loads of carrots) or you may be trying to heal from a serious illness and your body is so weak that you need quick shots of nutrients, or you may not be able to get hold of a green smoothie, you may not enjoy smoothies and prefer to eat your fiber and drink your juices.
I think juicing alone wouldn’t be great for your blood sugar levels but if you are combining it with a healthy plant based diet with loads of raw foods then you can’t go far wrong with either option.
I think for most people though, it’s easier to make a green smoothie, and it’s better for your health in the long run if you sustain good healthy habits rather than going through phases. Green smoothies are a habit many people can easily embrace as they don’t have time for juicing in the morning and a filling breakfast too. I took this one step further by adding oats so a green smoothie would fill me up longer as I have even less time. But you just have to make use of the time you have and do what feels better for you.
Which do you prefer, juicing or blending?
Katherine!
Apologies for not replying to your reply much sooner!
OUCH! I can’t even imagine how painful it must have been to cut your fingertips! Wow. I’d stay away from juicers as well. I hope you were able to have a full recovery.
Thank you for your thoughts on smoothies vs. juicing and for answering my question. Throughout all the research I’ve done on both, I’ve noticed people are either pro-juicing or pro-smoothies, but never have said, there’s a time and a place (and a purpose) for both as you did. I really appreciate that because, since reading your reply, I have approached them both differently.
If I didn’t say it before, I admire you so much. You are a fabulous educator and role model. :)
Yes it was quite traumatic. I told myself I had to recover before I had my baby otherwise I wouldn’t be able to change nappies. They said I’d healed in half the normal time for this kind of injury. Maybe it was down to the green smoothies!
Yes I’ve noticed people tend to get very religious about their diets too. I’ve been there too and now I try to take a more balanced approach to everything. I want to inspire people to improve their health, not alienate them by telling them their efforts have been in vain. If people are making an effort to change their diet that can only be a good thing, and in the end they will notice major improvements and find out what works better for them.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Hi Katherine,
This post was picked as one of the top reads on Healthy Vegan Fridays. It will be featured on our blogs in tomorrow’s HVF! I hope you join us again!
Hi Shelby
Yay that’s great it was one of the top reads. Thank you so much for letting me know. I wouldn’t miss Healthy Vegan Fridays for the world. I’ve already made so many of the recipes!
Hi Gabby,
I love your story. I wish I had come across your site sooner, I just found you from reading BakeYourDay and reading your pinaapple recipe.
I just taught a class this week on Raw Food and loved that recipe. Assuming that you just warmed up the coconut oil that’s a great raw food recipe I plan to try. Green Smoothies are also beneficial for those with cancer and has shown to reduce some stages of cancer, give energy and help rid the body of aches and pains.
A diet balanced with raw fruit, veggies and lean meats will keep you healthy and lean. Congretualations for your accomplishments and for feeling healthy again.
Hi Vicki, Did you mean to find Gabby at the Veggie Nook instead? Yes green smoothies are amazing aren’t they. So glad to hear you are teaching raw foods. That’s very inspiring. Thanks for visiting Green Thickies, Best wishes, Katherine.
Thank you Katherine! You look amazing – I love your story! Thank you for sharing it!
I lost 25pounds drinking green smoothies and it completely changed my way of eating, I cannot live with out them :-)
Thank you so much Anne. Wow congratulations on losing 25 pounds with green smoothies. That’s so encouraging for me to hear. It does change everything doesn’t it. It’s so hard to go back to normal eating after introducing green smoothies. I’m the same, I don’t feel right if I don’t have my greens in the morning. Many thanks for visiting.
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story my friend – while reading it, all I could think of was your incredible commitment and wonderful determination :)
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Aww that’s lovely, thank you. Yes I had to be very determined but I guess being so ill that you can’t get out of bed can give you that kind of determination!
Hello my friend. I love what you have to say about healthy pregnancy and how it mirrors to what so many people are doing. What are your feelings about whey protein shake. I would like to know your recommendations.
Hi, I’m afraid I couldn’t recommend whey protein. I don’t eat dairy and I believe we can get all the protein we need from whole foods. Thank you for your comment.
Good reading. Thank a lot for writing that. I will definitely return back to see what’s new and inform my friends about you, hcg.
Thanks for sharing such a great story! My husband dealt with weight issues for most of his life but has maintained an ideal weight for the last 10 years now. He’s almost 47 and looks great! We like smoothies here too (we have a Vita Mix)and oatmeal IS a great thing to add to it. I sometimes do this too, but your article reminds me to try it again! Especially in the summer as I find it hard to eat hot oatmeal. Thanks for the post!! Blessings, Nancy visiting from Living Green Tuesdays
Wow, amazing! A while back I found Kris Carr and her amazing story. I learned about green juice and my husband really loves it! Honestly I am kind of lazy sometimes and don’t feel like prepping the veggies and cleaning the juicer afterwards, but I’m trying to get better :)
Visiting from the blog hop :)
Katherine, you are amazing and such an inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing your journey to health and well being with us! :) And thanks for linking up at Tiny Tip Tuesday – I’m following you on FB and Twitter now and will share your page on my FB page. I’m also pinning this :)
Hello, after a 80/10/10 diet, do we gain weight again?
I guess we’re all different. Some people do and some don’t. I think you are more likely to gain weight if you went back to a normal diet after eating 80/10/10 but hopefully it will change your taste buds so you’ll naturally eat similar healthy foods after you’ve stopped the diet. I was pregnant straight after the diet and did eat a lot of junk at the start.
Hello(: so I am planning on starting this i’m going to do it for a week. Then if i think capable of it i am going to try a month and if I see good results probably longer. But I was wondering with exercise did your body tone up/tighten up, because if I try this, I will be doing my normal exercise routine if my body is up for it, but you know when people lose weight fast we tend to get flabby /: and I dont want that problem, how did do with the staying in shape like did you exercise regular, how is your body now? btw you’re a BIG inspiration(: Thats why I want to start this(:
Thank you so much Tatiana! That’s great you planned such a healthy change. How did you get on? At first I went through a detox so I didn’t have the energy to exercise but when I got my energy I couldn’t stop and did go running and do P90X. I think you’re much less likely to get loose skin when you lose weight if you lose it slowly, eat healthily and get some exercise. I didn’t have any problems with loose skin until I had a baby!
Thank you for such an inspirational story! I was thinking of going strictly vegan but agree that it is a lot to deal with – having to bring your own food or not having many options when eating out.
Hi there. I think going vegan is much easier than going raw vegan. When you are a raw vegan you are limited to fruit and salads when eating out but as a vegan you can probably find things to eat when you eat out. It depends where you live but bigger cities will tend to cater quite well for vegans these days. I live in the UK, not in a big city but I still manage to eat out. I often have to phone ahead though but places are always willing to make something vegan for me.
omg Can I just say your skin is absolutely amazing??!! It glows and is just beautiful!! You have definitely inspired me to start my health kick asap!! Congrats to you also on your weightloss and healthy living journey:)
Aww that’s very kind thank you! Let me know if you need any help.
This is amazing. I’ve always loved smoothies but found that i still have craving after them and I get bored with the flavors. I cant wait to start the 7 day challenge.
Thank you so much
Yes it’s easy to get stuck in a rut isn’t it, and some smoothies are healthier than others. The ones you buy often contain sugar but I think the most important thing is to drink enough so that you’re not hungry. That’s why I think the oats are so important. When I’ve filled myself up with filling whole foods I don’t get any cravings. I hope you enjoy the 7 day Challenge!
Quetion: is the oatmeal you use in the green thickies cooked?
Hi, I don’t cook my oats before adding them to my smoothie, just use either rolled oats straight out of the packet or soaked oat groats overnight. However all oats have been heat treated (unless stated that they are raw) so they are all technically pre-cooked which makes them easier to digest.
Good to hear you were able to figure out something that was sustainable an healthy! Very inspiring.. I’m struggling with losing weight (which probably goes without saying, since I’m at a site called greenthickies dot com, lol) and I’ve been trying to make kale smoothies or thickies with the ol’ blender…
I was using a juicer, but I heard I get more fiber if I use a blender, which makes sense.. PLUS it’s WAY less clean up than that stupid juicer machine… (and after I juice something, there’s so many vegetable scraps, it’s disgusting. If I just blended it altogether, I could get all those nasty vegetable bits safely in my body, eating away at my unhealthiness, and getting me thinner much quicker)..
So anyway, just decided to stop by and say your story is inspiring, and I hope I can lose as much weight and be as healthy as you’ve become! :)
Will
Hi Katherine,
Thank you for this nice blog.
I never in my life was overweight. I was always thin and I was very happy to gain 16 lbs when I got pregnant with my first child. I worked hard at keeping that weight on for several years. In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with Graves disease. It nearly killed me because it went undiagnosed for a very long time. After 2 yrs of therapy and pills, my thyroid failed me again and I had to have radioactive ablation, which killed my thyroid. My doctor told me I was a miracle because for many years after I was quite healthy, and as I said, I felt I was the perfect weight. But eventually my thyroid became useless and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Although my weight remained stable and ideal (I did not fit the profile), about 1 year ago, quite suddenly, I put on 20lbs without realizing it! I was working a very stressful job and somehow I gained weight – not because of any significant changes in my diet. Also, I am now 48. I have never been this heavy, not even during my 3 full term pregnancies. I am 142 lbs now, and i am 5ft tall. I feel huge, and clumsy, and no longer flexible. I can’t fit in my clothes which is very frustrating and depressing. I have tried to diet, but it seems not a single lb drops. I am not super active but I exercise – walk and tone with weights. I am going to try your suggestions because I was inspired by your amazing dedication and results. Thank you.
Hello,
Just want to thank you for sharing your story! I am reenergized to eat healthy & hopefully shed (eventually) a few pounds. I had a green smoothie for breakfast today but I’m going to join in on your 7 day challenge using your recipe.
Hi Katherine,
What a great and inspirational story! Congratulations on your accomplishments! I have recently switched over to a whole foods, plant-based diet myself and I feel better than I have felt in years. As a lot of this is new to me and I scour the internet in search of ideas and the green thicky sounds like to great way to start the day. I look forward to trying the green thicky as well as continuing to follow your page for more ideas.
Tom
Hi, thank you so much for reaffirming my convictions about the smoothies. I’ve been having 2 a day now for 2weeks and have lost 8 lbs and l feel . My energy levels are through the roof, my skin cleared up and i just feel GOOD! Your weight loss is inspiring to me. I’m trying to lose weight and get healthy so that i can one day (hopefully soon) conceive a cold. I wad told by many doctors that my pcos would never go away unless i lost weight do after many yo yo diets and medicines that wrecked my body, I deem like I’ve found the promised land with these smoothies. I heard the expression, let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” and i truly believe there’s nothing better than simply eating healthy food
Hi Katherine , I just came across your fabulous site. I have been making green smoothies for my 8yr old son, husband and myself for years. In fact they remind in the mornings for them if i don’t mix up a batch. The question I wanted to ask is do you think the smoothies can cause weight gain? The reason I ask is I had gone on a kind of break from the smoothies, beginning of school,hectic schedule etc for a while but now I’m back on schedule and are making them every morning , now I’ve noticed that my clothes are not fitting and my stomach is huge. Im getting big…I go for a run / walk at least 4 to 5 times a week. We eat healthy and are very active. I really don’t want to stop having my morning smoothies. Do you have any idea of what’s going on? Thank you for any ideas or suggestions you can give.
Harriet
Hi Katherine,
Beautiful website sharing your green smoothie weight loss diet plan. I’ve it for 2 days just to see how I do. Yes it wasn’t long enough but for them 3 days believe it or not I wasn’t hungry and didn’t have an appetite. Looking forward to doing the 7 day planner. Also I need the exact ingredients for the recipe…I see more then one and not the one your talking bout.
Thank you dktq