Just remember, your plant needs every healthy green leaf she has to make the energy she needs to grow her biggest and fastest.
Removing healthy green leaves just reduces the amount of energy she can make, therefore slowing growth.
Besides, if she did not need those leaves, she would not have grown them in the first place!
Those "bud sites"/branches are relying on those leaves to make the energy they need for them to grow.
Hope this helps, Organoman. (and anti defoliation psychopath!)