HEALTH | The culprit that destroys weight loss goals
- Jill
- May 6, 2021
- 2 min read
There's one aspect people tend to forget when it comes to meeting weight loss goals:
The drinks.
Not just alcoholic drinks (which have an absurd amount of calories) but also all the other liquids consumed throughout the day. Even drinks considered "healthy" or "clean" can have hundreds of calories, often leading you to meet your calorie total by noon; completely counteractive to the calorie deficit needed to lose weight.
Take a look at a typical day of drinks (without food):
Morning
Coffee with flavored creamer
Coffee: 5 calories
Creamer: Around 40 calories per serving*
*Per serving is key here, a typical travel mug holds about 2 standard cups of coffee and most people use 2 tbsp of creamer per coffee, thats 4 servings of creamer. Making your coffee 180 calories. If you order a specialty coffee you could be drinking almost 500 calories in the morning.
Mid morning
Fruit Juice: 110-200 calories
or
Smoothie: 200-1200 calories
Fruit Juice and smoothies that you don't make yourself also tend to be filled with sugar. Smoothies should be considered a meal when made properly with enough protein and fat to accompany the sugar from the fruit.
Lunch
Soda: 140-180 calories per 12 oz bottle
or
Sports drink: 80 calories per serving (230 calories per 32 oz bottle)
Dinner
Wine: ~125 calories per glass
Beer: 100-150 calories for light beer, 300+ for craft beers
Fruity Mixed Drink: 150-400 calories
Healthier Options:
If you can't get behind drinking your coffee black, there are healthier options for creamer. I like oat milk, but there are also low calorie options of almond milk creamer, coconut milk, etc.
Try to replace other drinks with water. Flavor with fresh fruit if you don't like drinking plain water. Even low calorie options like Crystal Light and most iced teas aren't that great for you. The more natural, the better.
For alcoholic drinks, try to stick to clearer liquids to stay low calorie. Think vodka with club soda and lime.
Comments