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| Photo by DeaPeaJay |
Liquid Calories Are the Most Devious
What are you drinking right now? Coffee? Coke? Juice? Wine? Do you have any idea how many liquid calories you’ve consumed today?
Beware: the calories you’re drinking today may be the ones that make you fat tomorrow. Or next year.
You know that excess calories are what make you gain weight. But it’s easy to forget about the calories in the things you drink. And over time, those calories will sneak up on you.
For example, let’s assume you are following a proper diet, with the correct number of calories to maintain your desired weight. Now add four 5-oz. glasses of wine per week to the mix. By the end of the year, you will have gained 7 pounds!
Other examples:
| Daily Consumption | Calories per Serving | Yearly Weight Gain |
|---|---|---|
| 4 cups of coffee w/2 teaspoons of sugar | 30 | 12 lbs. |
| 2 12-oz. light beers | 103 | 21 lbs. |
| 2 12-oz. Regular Cokes | 135 | 28 lbs. |
| 1 margarita | 325 | 33 lbs. |
| 1 16-oz. Mocha Frappuccino® Blended Coffee – whip | 380 | 39 lbs. |
| 1 16-oz. Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino® Blended Crème – whip | 510 | 53 lbs. |
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| Photo by clevercupcakes |
See It for What It Is: Dessert
So, does this mean that you can never have a Coke or a flavored coffee or a glass of wine? No.
But, with the exception of drinks like milk, they tend to have little nutritional value—just like cake. So, try thinking of your high-calorie drinks as desserts.
You wouldn’t eat a giant frosted cupcake with every meal, would you? (If so, you have bigger problems).
So, be aware of how the things you’re drinking affect your weight. For example, limiting yourself to just one margarita per week can still cause you to gain 5 lbs. per year—unless you cut back elsewhere.
But the problem is: where do you cut back?
For example, a woman who wants to maintain her weight of 130 lbs. should eat no more than about 1,690 calories per day (formula: 13 calories x 130 lbs.), assuming an average level of activity. So, after having her favorite Frappuccino (see chart above) in the morning she has 1,180 calories left (1,690 – 510). It’s going to be a tough day.
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| Photo by Ben30 |
Would You Like Gravy with That?
Do you have a high-calorie drink with each meal? Consider substituting a low-calorie or no-calorie drink like water, unsweetened tea or a diet drink.
I know. Lunch is just not lunch without a 20-oz. Dr. Pepper. And you hate the taste of diet drinks.
Try thinking of it this way: having a high-calorie drink along with your meal is like pouring gravy on everything.
Just imagine this exchange between you and a waiter:
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| Photo by Kevin Lawver |
“I’d like the grilled chicken with broccoli, and a garden salad.”
“Yes, Ma’am. And would you like your grilled chicken smothered in white cream gravy?”
You smile. “Yes, please. Sounds delicious.”
“And the garden salad comes with brown gravy. Is that okay?”
“Definitely. In fact, give me a double order of gravy. I hate it when I can taste the lettuce.”
Does that make you want to barf? Good. Maybe if you keep that image in your mind it will help you cut back on the calorie-rich drinks.
In Summary
- The calories in drinks are devious. Don’t let them fool you.
- Count the calories in everything you drink.
- The calories in drinks can go to your butt just as easily as the ones in food.
- Find alternatives to your high-calorie drinks.
- Enjoy high-calorie drinks as you would desserts—sparingly.
- Having high-calorie drinks with meals is like pouring gravy on everything you eat.
