Even if you eat healthy, low-cal foods most of the time, you may be getting extra calories from an unexpected source: beverages. Do you drink those fancy lattes, cappuccinos, and flavored coffees with cream and sugar? How about energy drinks, soda, or fruit juice?
Nearly all of these drinks pack a wallop in calories, fat grams and/or carbohydrate grams. Big deal, you say?
When you’re trying to keep your calories down to a moderate level for fat loss, it is a big deal.
Picture this: your weight loss plan allows you to eat 2,000 calories a day. You’re running late for work one busy morning, so you swing into the drive-thru lane of your local coffee shop and order a large flavored coffee with cream and sugar, and a blueberry muffin. Sounds so innocent, right?
From this simple little breakfast you just ingested up to 600 calories, 25 grams of fat, and 80 grams of simple carbohydrates. Yikes!
If you drink soda, juice or energy drinks during the rest of the day, those figures can climb dramatically. It’s not impossible to ingest your full daily calorie allowance just from beverages alone.
Needless to say, it’s important to count your calories from ALL sources, not just solid food. While it would be ideal to eliminate beverages like these all together, you can also create some workable compromises to prevent yourself from feeling too deprived.
– Fruity Water
Rather than drinking straight fruit juice, how about adding just a tablespoon or two to a full glass of seltzer water or spring water? Add a wedge of lemon and you’ve got a tropical treat that fits nicely into your daily calorie allowance.
– Low Carb Options
Some juices and energy drinks now come in low-carb varieties, using artificial sweetener rather than sugar. However, some experts would argue that artificial sweeteners can be even more damaging to the body than sugar, so this option may not be right for everyone.
– Good Old Water
Believe it or not, it’s not that hard to get used to drinking plain water instead of soda. You may actually start to enjoy it after awhile!
There are plenty of great tasting beverages you can make at home that won’t kill your diet success – you just have to be creative and plan ahead.