Don’t Drink Your Calories

You’d be amazed at how easily calories can pile up in liquid form.

Hidden calories  in your favorite beverages, including those that you may think of as healthful, could be sabotaging your fat loss efforts!

A tall glass of orange juice has around 200 calories. This may not seem like a lot, but when you convert this to a small boiled potato and several chicken strips, it suddenly seems like just too much, since the solid meal just mentioned has the same calorie total – and is far more satisfying. Plus, it’s not just the calories, it’s the insulin spike that comes with this rush of sugar that will store these calories as fat.

If you know the local coffee shop barista by name, this is a warning sign you may be getting tons of calories from your favorite coffee concoctions. For example, a Starbucks Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte with whipped cream and whole milk has 410 calories, 17 grams of fat, 48 grams of sugar!  Yes, you read correctly…48 grams of sugar!

Omit the whipped cream and use soy milk, and it has 300 calories and 48 grams of sugar!  Do you realize how much solid food you can eat for 300 calories? Try this Salmon burger for 290 calories and 6 grams of sugar  http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7712/superhealthy-salmon-burgers

Smoothies
Beware of smoothies prepared at smoothie stands. A lot of calories get dumped in in the form of juice, yogurt, sherbet and even ice cream. You can make a much lower calorie smoothie at home by blending some berries, unsweetened almond milk and crushed ice with a scoop of vanilla protein powder.

Soda
I don’t even have to go here, right? Why not just eliminate soda altogether? One can contains 150 calories of useless drink. Diet soda is not a smart alternative since it contains an artificial sweetener which can trigger hunger (diet soda also spikes your insulin levels and since there is no true energy, i.e. sugar, your body continues to look for it, hence the hunger.)

Coffee and Tea
Cut calories by using Stevia instead of sugar. Stevia has zero calories and is a natural herb with a good safety record.

Alcohol
Many people don’t realize how the calories in alcohol can quickly add up.

Just 1 ounce of the following contain around 65 calories: rum, vodka, whiskey, gin and brandy.

Four ounces of sweet wine is 105 calories; 4 ounces of sherry and port are 75 and 90, respectively; a 3.5 ounce martini is 140; a 4 ounce margarita cocktail is about 170. Need you read more to be rudely awakened? You can see how “a small drink here and there” can strongly factor into your daily caloric intake.

Chocolate Milk and Hot Chocolate
One tablespoon of some chocolate powders is an unforgiving 50 calories. This may not seem like a lot, but for anybody who loves chocolate drinks, one tablespoon to 8 ounces of milk is a slap in the face.

For most chocolate lovers (if not all), even three tablespoons don’t quite cut it. This isn’t heaping tablespoons, either, assuming that if it were, the nutrition label would state “heaping.”

Four tablespoons of powder plus 8 ounces of skim milk mean almost 400 calories – all for a beverage that’s gone within moments if it’s cold.

Beware of chocolate syrups; they’re just as loaded with calories. A tall glass (two cups) of chocolate milk with whole milk can pack in 500 calories if you use only four tablespoons of the better tasting powders or syrups, and if you like a richer chocolate flavor, you’ll need to add six tablespoons total (at least) to satisfy your chocoholic requirements: That’s a 600 calorie glass of liquid.

A calorie is a calorie is a calorie

Not exactly. The quality of food/drink you consume plays a major role in your success at fat loss. However, you do need to understand that the calories in liquids are just as formidable as they are in solids.

To get a firm grip on just how many of your calories are coming from beverages and how to cut back on these calories without feeling deprived, call me today. You can also “Like” Flemington Boot Camps on Facebook to get motivation, tips and find out about our latest programs, such as our up-coming Back To School Transformation Contest!