Be Careful What You Drink
We are a nation of "supersizers" and often don't pay attention to the calories we're drinking. For most people, when we're home, we have "normal" size glasses, and pay attention to the serving size we're drinking (or at least most of the time!). Studies show that we ALL drink what's put in front of us. If a small serving is provided, we drink that... If a large one is there, we usually drink the whole thing (or much more than if we were just offered a small size). Bottom line: whatever size we're given is "one serving".And, restaurants - whether chains, or fast-food types - lure us with amazing looking drinks in very cool glasses (sometimes we get to keep them as a souvenir! - or buy them in the "gift shop"). Most restaurants offer free refills, and we can always "supersize" for just pennies.
We all accept that eating away from home can add more calories. But most of us don't think about the calories from our drinks - which add up quickly. We also, biologically, don't compensate for these calories when we eat. Translation? We basically add on all the liquid calories to what we're eating.
While no drinks are "off limits", paying attention to the servings and what's in these drinks is a definite plus for your waistline. Check out my Today Show segment (check back later for the video) for some easy solutions to this problem.
How do you cope with liquid calories?
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Comments
What I do is I always make sure I have a tall glass of water, whether or not I order a drink. That way I quench my thirst with the water, and treat the drink like it's part of the meal.
A study from the University of North Carolina found that we consume 450 calories a day from beverages, nearly twice as many as 30 years ago. This increase amounts to an extra 23 pounds a year that we're forced to work offâor carry around with us.
And it's not just soda that's stretching our waistlineâit's coffee drinks, cocktails, even smoothies that are doing much of the damage.
The good news is that liquid calories are the easiest calories to cut from your diet, as long as you know where they're coming from. "Eat This Not That" is a comprehensive guide to what to eat at home, from the supermarket, even at a fast-food counter: http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_802473_eat_this_not_that_reviews
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There is also a lot of sugar in all of those drinks which is horrible for your body. Drinking water is always better. Treat your self to a small 12 oz or even an 8 oz soda as part of the meal. I often drink a small soda with dinner almost as dessert. In moderation anything is okay, but I think we have forgotten how to moderate.
I wish there were healthier options for drinks when I go out to eat. Tap water at restaurants often tastes horrible. At home I have bottled water usually mixed with those On-the-Go packets. I can't find anything to drink when I'm out especially since I avoid caffeine except for my morning tea. That leaves Sprite! For dinner I'll order a glass of wine but after that what options are there?
Hello Madelyn-
I'm a fan of your blog and I'm writing to let you know some recent news about our site, Trusera. Trusera is a online network for health of "friends who've been there," it's a place for people with health stories to help others by telling them. It was started by a Lyme disease survivor and an Amazon veteran, Keith Schorsch. I think your readers would be interested in learning more about the communities on Trusera and information they're sharing regarding the role healthy eating and diet plays in so many facets of oneâs life.
Today, we're going public for the first time with the announcement of our Open Beta. You can read about it on our blog (http://blog.trusera.com/trusera/2008/03/trusera-announc.html) but we'd appreciate the opportunity to share more about what we are doing at Trusera with you personally.
Please let me know if you're available to connect with Keith, give your input, and to hear more about our plans. We'd love to hear more from you.
Kim Malek
Trusera
kim@trusera.com
For KT, I always ask for lemon with my water, and then add a packet or two of Splenda to it, and stir. It tastes like a really light, delicious lemonade! Oh, also, when I'm at a bar, I order a virgin bloody mary, and count it as a vegetable serving.
Up until recently, I rarely took into consideration the calories from what I was drinking (soda and alcohol). I've cut out the soda and cut down on the alcohol and it has definitely made a difference. I love food --- thus, getting my calories from food instead of drinks is so much more satisfying for me. I love reading your health journal.
