Lately I feel like I’ve been seeing smoothies EVERYWHERE. I rarely get on the smoothie train. I’m just not much for liquids - if I never could drink another calorie I think I could do it besides a little milk now and then and a cup of coffee in the morning.
It also always throws me off when I hear peanut butter going in the same drink as berries- clearly it must work but it doesn’t compute in my mind!
My dentist makes you a smoothie at the end of the appointment if you want one. That’s about the only time I have one, although I do like them. If I’m drinking calories I usually like it to be alcohol! 
^^^ That’s so interesting that your dentist does that!!! Beats a lollipop! (speaking of diet/health/wellness remember when your dentist use to give a sucker at the end of a visit - they weren’t dumb they were getting you back in the office with a cavity! Actually my childhood dentist gave us coupons for ice cream!)
This dental practice is pretty posh. I wound up there when I moved from Dallas in 2006 because this dentist went to dental school with my Dallas dentist and she referred me. Well, my dentist here is best friends with Dolly Parton and all he country stars and celebrities go to him for their cosmetic dentistry. The other dentist (the one I see) does the “normal” stuff. It’s really a nice practice and only 2 blocks from my office! They also do hot paraffin hand treatments while you are in the dentist chair.
Hot paraffin wax is the best part of hand OT.
When I started walk/run a few years ago, my knees did hurt a bit. So I started using some sturdy walking shoes I already had. Also in those first few months I tried to spend most of the run times on dirt part of my trail, not pavement. Then I got a pair of sneakers that felt better and allowed thick socks. Over time I was able to switch to running shoes… no knee pain. Admittedly I usually only run 5k, just a few times a week. Occasionally I run 2 days in a row due to weather/work variables, but my preference is to avoid that.
Smoothies really don’t appeal to me. I drink the occasional one on tropical vacations, but that’s really it.
I don’t consider what I make for myself to be a “smoothie” but instead view it as a “super-shake” because I design it to be a meal replacement with a balance of protein, carbs and fats that falls in line with my daily nutrition plan. And I never buy a commercial smoothie from a smoothie store etc for a load of reasons including no control over the quantity and quality of the ingredients. Even those stores that try to jazz their smoothies up with peanut butter, protein powders and supplements don’t cut it for me because there’s often added sugars like honey or agave syrup, I have no idea of the quality of the protein powder and if I ask, it usually turns out to be a brand I normally wouldn’t touch and the added supplements, right, juju powders with magical mystical properties coming from an industry where there are little or no controls over the manufacturing process, ingredients, purity etc. Big waste of money and calories in my book. That’s why I make my own.
And I don’t drink my super shakes as a snack but, as I mentioned upstream, plan them as a meal. I will have them as a lunch or occasionally as a dinner. I also usually limit them to days when I’m doing hard training because of the caloric density of the way I make them (about 640 calories, although I could knock a couple hundred calories off by reducing the quantity of peanut butter and having one or two servings of fruit instead of three).
^ likewise, when I do have a smoothie, it’s my breakfast, not a snack. There is a Smoothie King right by my office, but I am leery of the sugar content, so I don’t buy them there.
In other news, I finished both January fitness challenges today- just over 90 miles running and purposeful walking in January. I’ll stop by the running store tomorrow and pick up my medal. It looks like they are going to do a new one for February- oh boy!
I also do a smoothie as a meal most days, but mine is really a green monster: water, oats, beans (any kind), banana (or 1/2 avocado), ginger, cinnamon, a little apple cider vinegar, unsweetened cocoa, a bit of date syrup or a whole date, a huge handful or two of kale,and frozen fruit. It’s quite thick and I sip it slowly, keeps me full for a long time.
The only thing that I like my peanut butter with is jelly and bread. Now that’s a treat!
Around here we have some these smoothie and bowl places where they mix in fancy ingredients like almond butter, coconut butter, cacao nibs, collagen, probiotics, cashew milk, celery, sonach, kale, hemp and chia seeds, MCT oil, bee pollen, yada, yada, yada. To me, smoothies are a treat. And I’ll always order a small.
My resting metobolic rate is about 2,000 calories/day, so if you incorporate the calories that I typically burn in my workouts, one smoothie or bowl once or twice a week or two won’t kill me. At least I hope! 
I asked for a small raise today and wasn’t too thrilled to see both owners stop smiling and see their faces darken somewhat. They said they’d talk it over. At least I asked!
Once I got back to my car, I felt sick to my stomach with the adrenaline rush. Blech. What an awful feeling that is.
I’m really looking forward to moving that barbell this afternoon! I need my monkey brain to quiet down about it all. No lives are at stake. Shut up, please! What happens happens.
Managing stress is a challenge!
From the sound of all these smoothies, imo it would be a good idea to weigh and measure and get accurate calories… A smoothie for me is 1.5 cups of greens, 1/4 banana, 5 or so frozen strawberries, tsp chia or flax. a bit of beetroot, a couple of carrots. Water. The stuff some people put in these make calorie bombs. I don’t understand adding juice to a smoothie. Just blend the carrots, don’t add the juice.
Depends on whether it’s a snack or meal replacement. Depends on whether it’s for post workout recovery or something else.
@Midwest67 , kudos to you going to bat for yourself. Unkudos to your bosses for the not friendly reaction!
I wish one of you could mix me up one of your champion smoothies just to give it a try! But whether snack or meal replacement I don’t like the idea of drinking my meal. I’ll take a sample sized smoothie AND some food.
Yeah, I feel gypped if I don’t actually chew some of my food. I mostly like hot meals, though I am learning to appreciate cold and room temperature ones as well.
Bench PR today. 95# for 5 sets of 3 with a 4 minute rest between sets.
I think I can see 100# on the horizon!
It’s my least favorite lift, but it still feels good.
The healthy smoothies just sound disgusting to me. But to each their own!
I’m officially injured and went to my sports doc to be “fixed”. He did ART, laser and poked and prodded my inner knee, hamstring and calf, all of which are tight. It’s most likely some inflammation of the tendon connecting all of that. He gave me some exercises, one of which is balancing on one leg for a total of 2 minutes (OK to fall out of it). Also bridges, leg lifts with a strap (lie on back) and rubbing the whole area with a tennis or lacrosse ball. He said I can run as tolerated. I did a mile (barely) this morning to keep my streak going. The knee area isn’t killer painful but feels weak and unstable. He ruled out meniscus stuff. It happens…
@Midwest67 I can see 135 lbs. Do you have someone to spot you or do you have safety arms on your bench?
@MomofWildChild do you take any off days?