Be Careful What You Drink!
Be careful what you drink, it may have more calories than you think!
by Work It Trainer, Shane Whitehead
If you are trying to lose weight and are looking for an easy way to cut excess calories you may want to look at what you are drinking. Most people tend to forget or just don’t realize how calories are in some common beverages we drink every day that can add up. Here are a few you may consume regularly.
20oz fruit smoothie = 350-600 calories
20oz soda = about 250 calories
12oz apple juice = 200 calories
12oz orange juice = 180 calories
16oz iced tea (sugar sweetened) = 140 calories
To put this in perspective, one pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories. That means to lose one pound you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume. So if you drink a 20oz regular soda daily and replace that with water, you would lose a half pound every week. It doesn’t seem like much but it requires almost no effort and to burn that one soda off you would have to run 2 miles!
Now if you thinking “well, I only drink diet soda” you may want to check out a study from the University of Texas Health Science Center. They found that diet soda, although containing few or zero calories, has been linked to weight gain. People drinking diet soda showed an increased risk of obesity compared to those drinking regular sodas. They suggest that artificial sweeteners give you that sweet taste but don’t supply the sugar, leaving your body craving sweets and potentially getting them from another source. Also diet soda contains phosphoric acid which can cause bones to weaken potentially leading to osteoporosis.
No, don’t replace diet soda with regular soda! Instead replace it with water. It’s cheaper, better for you and you don’t have to run 2 miles to burn it off! If you don’t like plain water try to add a little fresh fruit juice to it, but don’t opt for an additive that has sugar or artificial sweetener. A squeeze or lemon, lime or orange should give your plain water a little zing.
One Response to “Be Careful What You Drink!”
April 28th, 2010 @ 6:38 pm
When I get tired of water, I like to mix 1/3 juice with 2/3 La Croix. Still more calories than water, but WAY less than soda or juice by itself!