I was s-t-r-u-g-g-l-l-i-n-g to lose those five pounds despite buying expensive personal training sessions and using them.

So, I asked a different personal trainer for some advice. “Why I am not losing the weight despite all of my sweating and time at the gym?” I asked.

This personal trainer told me that the secret to weight loss and body sculpting has less to do with your level of exercise (though it is important) and more to do with your nutrition.

“You can out-exercise a bad diet, girl ” is what she told me and what I hear each time I am about to make poor food decisions.

I know that this is not new, but have you internalized this nugget?

The personal trainer went on to tell me that she, too, had to learn the hard way. She had spent close to a year and a half trying to lean out her lower body but saw no results despite herefforts.

She went to her “fitness elder” and he told her to reduce the carbohydrates, increase the veggies, and maintain the optimal protein levels and she would see results. Essentially, clean eating was the name of the game.

With that lesson, I went researching and found so many books and articles about the benefits of incorporating green smoothies into my diet. I was open, so I tried a green smoothie cleanse for 7 days. While there are so many recipes for green smoothies, here is my favorite recipe. (You can Google recipes or search on Pinterest for more variety):

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

-2 bananas

-1 cup of frozen strawberries

-2-3 handfuls of spinach

-a piece of ginger

-1 tablespoon of flaxseed

-2-3 cups of water

Instructions

Blend in a NutriBullet or a food processor

I substituted these smoothies for my meals and ate as much fruit as I wanted throughout the day. For protein, I had one boiled egg for the day and a handful of nuts.

The Benefits of Clean and Green Eating Besides Weight Loss

I was super stoked when I saw those last pounds melt away in a week. But my clean and green eating journey offered me more health benefits than the weight loss. I was able to fall asleep more quickly and slept more soundly. This process also helped me discover how much I actually enjoyed green smoothies.

I now incorporate green smoothies into my diet everyday. Instead of having smoothies for all meals, I prepare my smoothies for breakfast and/or lunch and I don’t feel deprived!

Frugal Feministas: Are you interested in dropping five pounds in seven days in a healthy and tasty way? Have you tried green smoothies?

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