Liquid Calories are NOT Worth It

If you are just starting out on your quest to health and fitness one of the first things to do is eliminate liquid calories from your diet. I have always said that I prefer to eat my calories. Put down the soda, the lattes, the milkshakes, and juice. Yes I said juice. Think of an orange. It comes wrapped in a neat serving size easily accommodated by the body. Plus it comes with lots of fiber. Now consider a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Believe it or not, the amount of sugar in a 12 ounce glass of fresh squeezed orange juice equals 36 grams of carbohydrate, most of it from fructose, which is a simple sugar. This amouint of carbs will push your insulin levels through the roof. Fake fruit drinks are even worse, since they are loaded with refined sugar or chemical sweeteners and food coloring.

During the past three decades, obesity in America has been on the rise, in part due to increased calorie consumption and portion sizes. Did you know about half of this increase can be attributed to sweetened beverages? A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that around 37 percent of our total daily liquid calories come from sugar-sweetened drinks. Not only has the number and variety of calorically dense drinks been on the rise, but the average soft drink portion is now 20 ounces, a whopping 50 percent greater than the 12-ounce portion of thirty years ago!

So what exactly does this mean for our waistlines? One 20-ounce soda has about 250 calories and 68 grams of sugar — with no nutritional benefits. That’s like eating 17 teaspoons of sugar, much more than you would add on your own to your morning coffee or tea. Adding an extra 250 calories every day will lead to gaining 25 pounds in just one year!

In addition, studies suggest that when people consume more calories in the form of beverages, they do not compensate by eating or drinking less. This is because the calories are often “empty,” or nutrient-poor, and do not get your metabolism moving the same way a nutritious meal or snack would. Especially with these jumbo portions, it is easier to drink more than eat a greater amount of solid food, which would offer more satiation than the liquid calories.

The bottom line is if you’re just starting out on a weight loss plan, the easiest way to cut calories is to eliminate liquid calories. Stick to water, unsweetened teas/coffee and other zero-calorie beverages. Every pound is equal to 3500 calories so if you cut out that 250-calorie drink every day, you’d lose at least 2 pounds every month. And that’s without any other change in your diet!