Are Your Beverages Responsible For Weight Gain?
publication date: Jun 28, 2009
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author/source: Lynn Smith
By Lynn Smith
 Frustrated by your weight loss efforts? Or maybe you’ve reached a plateau? When trying to lose weight we tend to pay attention to what we eat, but have you thought about what you drink? The Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina examined dietary records of U.S. adults and found a startling trend. In 1965 only 11.9 percent of calories came from beverages, but by 2002 that went up to 21 percent. That’s a lot of opportunity for weight gain! Liquid calories are the worst calories we can put into our bodies if we’re trying to lose fat because they add up so quickly without suppressing hunger. And these calories often come in the form of sugar. There are so many high-calorie drinks on the market now: energy drinks, sports drinks, sweetened teas, lattes, and blended drinks. And they’re exploding in popularity. Most fast-food restaurants are now offering some sort of latte or blended beverage. Just drive by any coffee house on your way to work in the morning and you’ll see the line. I’d be willing to bet most of those people are not ordering black coffee! Did you know a medium size caramel macchiato has 270 calories? Numbers don’t mean much without a point of comparison, so here it is: that’s more calories than typical small order of french fries! A peppermint white chocolate mocha with whipped cream has 560 calories; a popular two-patty burger has 540. That’s a burger in a cup! No wonder we’re not losing weight. For you chilled coffee drinkers, those blended drinks aren’t any better. Your local coffee shop isn’t the only one with high-calorie beverages. Let’s take a look at others:
Right about now you’re probably thinking that you don’t regularly drink those kinds of beverages and think you’re doing pretty well with making healthy choices. In fact, you may have thoughts like these going through your head: “I only drink diet drinks” “Sports drinks are good for you when you’re exercising” “I drink vitamin-infused water instead of soda. Not only am I getting my water but extra vitamins, too.” Let’s take a look at each of these beverages individually and see if you are really making healthier choices. Diet Soda: Research on diet soda in the medical journal Circulation shows that people who drink more than one soda a day, whether diet or regular, increase their risk for metabolic syndrome, which doubles risk for heart disease and diabetes, by almost 50 percent. The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio found that for every diet soda you drink a day, you increase your risk of gaining weight by 41 percent. Pretty startling statistics, aren’t they? Diet soda has no calories, so how can it contribute to weight gain? There are theories. Dr. Jonny Bowden feels that a sweet taste creates a conditioned response in the brain, causing the body to release insulin, the fat-storing hormone. Diet drinks cause other harm to our bodies as well. The aspartame used as a sweetener causes the body to become more acidic, which causes calcium to be released from the bones. Phosphoric acid, which is in all carbonated beverages, does the same thing. With diet drinks, you’re getting that effect from two sources. This is especially bad for women, who are more prone to osteoporosis. Aspartame has also been shown to stimulate carbohydrate cravings, making you want to eat more. Sports Drinks: Unless you are exercising more than 90 minutes, plain water is still the best way to hydrate your body. Drinking a sports drink might just mean longer on the stair stepper, too. The average sports drink has 63 calories and 13 grams of sugar per bottle. It would take an extra ten minutes of working out to burn that off! And that’s the small, eight-ounce bottle. Do you carry a larger one with you? Vitamin-Infused Water: It sounds like a great idea, in theory. Not only can you hydrate yourself but you can also give yourself a vitamin boost. But again, read the label. One popular vitamin-infused water contains 130 calories and 33 grams of sugar. That’s almost as much sugar as a can of soda and more sugar than some candy bars! If you’re drinking this while working out, you’d need twenty minutes on the stair stepper just to burn off your water! With such abundance and vast variety of beverages, the one liquid our bodies really need – fresh, pure, water – is grossly overlooked. For someone who’s trying to lose weight, water is a great ally. Staying hydrated can boost your metabolism to burn three times faster. Water can make you feel full, which can suppress appetite, and water carries fat out of the body, which can help empty fat deposits. Other benefits of water include giving skin a healthy glow and boosting energy levels. The body needs water to break down triglycerides, which it converts to energy. But what if water isn’t one of your favorite beverages? With just a little effort and forethought, you can easily start boosting your consumption. Keep in mind, too, that the more water you consume, the more your body will crave, so it gets easier. First thing in the morning is a great time to give your body hydration. The night before, place a glass or bottle of water on your nightstand or bathroom sink and drink it as soon as wake up. It may take a little effort to finish, but you’ll feel good knowing you got your day started on the right foot. Other suggestions include drinking a glass before each meal, drinking a bottle on your way to and from work, or on your coffee break. Be sure to plan ahead and make sure water is readily available in these scenarios to help you build a healthy habit. Or you can make drinking water a more enjoyable experience by adding lemon, lime or orange wedges to your glass. For color, add a small amount of fresh squeezed juice. Building awareness can be a key to losing weight. Start becoming aware of what you are putting into your body. Read labels. Look at the nutritional information on the websites of your favorite establishments. Make a goal to cut 200 calories a day. By making that simple reduction you could lose up to 20 pounds in the course of a year. About the Author Lynn Smith is a founder of Health Coach Team, coach and author; having written a book and a myriad of articles. She is co-author of The YES Diet: A New System for Permanent Weight Loss, available at www.healthcoachteam.com |