It’s time to stop drinking your calories
Have you been trying to lose weight and starting to get frustrated not seeing the results you’ve been working hard for? There might be some loop holes that you aren’t being mindful of.
When it comes to losing weight, we usually focus more on the food intake. Some do calorie counting, others even deprive themselves from eating and starve themselves just to say that they’re trying their best to make some action. As they say, “a goal without action is just a dream”.
Well, partly true, the problem is, when the action made is just part of a whole. That’s why, I’d always love to add another mantra with the one I’ve mentioned earlier with, “don’t work hard, work smart”.
When you work towards a goal, it’s important to look at the whole picture. In this case, if you want to lose weight, make sure to not only to be mindful of what you eat but also what you drink.
The marketing industry of companies of today have invested tons and tons of money just to make sure consumers bite to their trap. We already know how bad sodas are and I think it’s been the most exposed high-sugary drink, that’s why I won’t dwell on that anymore. This article is to pin-point more of those kind of drinks which aren’t that much exposed yet we usually drink on a daily basis. Yikes!
Popular drinks which disguises itself:
Fruit juice. We all know that fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals. Little do we know that those labeled 100% fruit juice boxes we buy from stores are contain more sugar-sweetened versions can come with a large dose of sugar and very little fiber.The next time you want to drink some fruit juice, make sure to have them freshly squeezed.
Sports drinks. This drink has been more popular nowadays as more people get into fitness. Linking itself to be a go-to drink to keep you hydrated and fuelled to prolong strength for intense periods of exercise. FYI, it’s the high amounts of added sugars that can be quickly absorbed and used for energy that’s being consumed.
This is quite alarming actually if you come to think of it. A 32-ounce sports drink contains between 56 and 76 grams of sugar – equal to about 14 to19 teaspoons – and four to six times the recommended daily amount for kids and teenagers according to this article from UICH.
Into fitness? Know that it’s still the old and simple water that you can rely on to keep you hydrated.
Chocolate milk. Milk itself is a nutritious drink filled with calcium to keep our bones healthy. Adding chocolate though which is composed of cocoa and mostly sweetened sugar, it surely defeat the purpose of drinking milk. To highlight, 1 cup of chocolate milk comes with almost 3 teaspoons of sugar. Try eating 3 teaspoons of sugar and see for yourself if you’ll still enjoy it.
Flavoured coffees. This one could be the culprit for many for sure. Sadly, with the help of Social Media, it’s been made into a status-symbol, hence, everyone want to have our hands on it. This is one of the trends where not only does it affects your finances (those drinks aren’t cheap!) but also puts your health into jeopardy.
A large flavoured coffee usually have 45 grams of sugar, if not much more. That’s equivalent to about 11 teaspoons of added sugar per serving. WOAH! Don’t worry coffee addicts, there’s some healthier ways for you to have your caffeine-fix. Check out this article.
Iced tea. I must confess, this is where the loop-hole is in our family. Not being a soda fan, we end up with Iced teas. Surprise, surprise!!! It’s another drink full of sweetened sugar in it! Worst is, the usual iced teas sold contains around 35 grams of sugar per 12-ounce (340-mL) serving. That’s almost the same as a bottle of Coke. 🤨 Guess where drinking sodas without the fizz!
Pre-made smoothies. If you look at any healthy eating blog, you’ll probably see a smoothie as one of their recommended breakfast recipe. Truly, homemade smoothies that’s you usually make out of blended fruits and milk is a healthy morning drink. Those you buy though and are commercially produced are full of sweeteners and even have ice cream or syrup on it.
This makes a “supposedly” healthy drink contain a ridiculously high amount of sugar, with over 13 teaspoons of sugar!
It’s not only drinks that disguise themselves, in today’s world where everyone wants to somehow trick the other, it’s good to always be mindful about everything. Check out the list of food that disguise themselves as healthy.
I hope you find these tips helpful. For daily inspiring Self-Care tips, you can follow me here. I’d also love to see you on my Mindfulness Course and be with your journey to a better you. Sign-up now to be included on my VIP list!
I remember a friend who used to go on a liquid diet and drink all the sugary pre made drinks and smoothies. She used to complain about not losing weight for obvious reasons
I always prefer to prepare homemade drinks like juice or smoothies with fresh fruits and veggies. In my family we hardly drink outside drinks .
Absolutely, I agree that these store-bought drinks are full of unhealthy sweeteners and other additives that not only contribute to excessive calorie intake but also negatively impact our health. I prefer to make homemade drinks like smoothies with natural, wholesome ingredients only. This is a very well-written article and I completely agree with the idea of mindful eating and drinking – we should be more conscious of what we consume and how it affects our bodies!
This is so true, I have completely stopped intake of sugar in coffee, tea. I avoid packaged juice as well they are loaded with sugar
I prefer to make homemade drinks like smoothies with natural ingredients only. One should definitely go for mindful eating and drinking.
I do not have a habit of consuming these drinks. I prefer to make homemade drinks like smoothies with natural ingredients only. One should definitely go for mindful eating and drinking.
Well-written. indeed we ignore the drinking calories, and think that it’s just a drink. One should definitely go for mindful eating and drinking.
So onpoint article specially for our Gen z generation who survive on soft drinks and coke. These carbonated drinks have high sugar and can cause many more health problems in future. I will forward this to my nephew to read this as he needs cokes everyday.
I enjoyed reading this one. Most of us don’t consider the calories through our drinks while calculating total calorie intake. Thanks for talking about this important topic. One should definitely consider the calories and sugar content.
Yes agree these market bought drinks contain so much unhealthy ingredients as sweeteners and also increase our calorie consumption excessively. luckily I do not have a habit of consuming these drinks. I prefer to make homemade drinks like smoothies with natural ingredients only.
I remember back when I was younger; I used to love aerated drinks like Coke and Pepsi. But now that I’m older, I find myself preferring lime and soda instead. Maybe it’s because the sweetness of it makes me more thirty for water, or maybe it’s because I’ve just grown out of it.