Are Drinks Making You Fat?
According to the National Center of Health Sciences, 34 percent of Americans are now within the levels to be considered "obese," while 32.7 percent are now considered "overweight." Six percent of Americans are considered "extremely obese." While it cannot be argued that factors such as lack of exercise and poor diet are high contributors, the average American diet is full of hidden calories that one may not be aware of unless actually reading the nutritional information. Beverages are an excellent example of "hidden calorie offenders." Are your pants getting tight? Consider the following information when thinking about how you're quenching your thirst each day.
Soda
Ahh...soda. Who doesn't love an ice cold soda on a hot day? However, the average can of soda contains 150 calories. Drinking three a day? That's 450 calories a day, or 3,150 calories per week - almost a pound gained of calories only from soda.Juice
Overall, juice isn't among some of the worst offenders of calorie-laden beverages. Aside from natural suger, there is a great deal of nutritional content found in fresh-squeezed juice. An eight ounce glass of OJ contains around 120 calories, as does apple. Cranberry runs around 130 calories per eight ounces, while grapefuit has 100 calories per cup. However, as with any food, enjoyment of juice comes with being mindful. A small OJ may only have 120 calories, but at a restaurant, a large OJ may contain 16 or more ounces of juice - adding an extra 240 or more calories to your breakfast.Favored Coffee Drinks
With the advent of Starbucks and other popular coffee shops, so comes a demand for fancy coffee drinks, as opposed to a regular old cup of joe at the neighborhood diner. However, many of them are filled with calories. For example, a grande white chocolate mocha with whole milk has a staggering 439 calories. A grande caramel macchiato has 272 calories. If you can't give the fancy drinks in favor of regular old coffee (which has an estimated two calories in it to begin with), try getting your favorite drinks with non-fat or soy milk, sugar-free syrup, and leave off the whipped cream.Alcohol
Many of us enjoy a cocktail with dinner, or a beer with burgers and pizza. However, drinking is not the way to go it you want to lose weight. First, alcohol can cause bloating, which will make you larger, and it's full of sugar. That being said, there are some drinks high in calories. A Long Island Iced Tea has an average of 276 calories. A low alcohol beer has 139 calories per bottle. A four fluid ounce serving of table wine has 99 calories. In moderation, not too bad. However, add two or three servings, and you are adding a significant amount of calories in addition to the calories you are ingesting with your food.As always, anything in moderation isn't bad. However, when trying to lose weight, be mindful of what you're drinking, and remember any diet suggests at least 80 fluid ounces of water per day.
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