Maximum amount of healthy green leaves = maximum energy production = maximum growth.
There is no need to remove healthy green leaves, if your plant did not need them, it would not have grown them in the first place!
Your plant will grow its biggest and fastest with all of its leaves left in place to make the energy she needs to grow her biggest and fastest.
Or, to put it another way -
Less leaves = less energy = less growth.
Some light, well considered "lollipopping" now and another quick tidy up at the beginning of flowering will negate the small inner buds growing, which are a real pain to clip and it won't take very much away from the over all yield.
Try to only remove yellow leaves, for once they are yellow, they have served their purpose.
Hope his helps, Organoman.