Are Liquid Calories Stalling Your Weight Loss?
If you are trying to lose weight but find yourself struggling to see the number on the scale change and you can’t seem to shrink your waist, you might want to look at the liquid calories you are taking in per day. Unfortunately, something not many people factor into their overall nutrition plan is drinks and beverages. While some are great with tracking their macros and the food they consume, they neglect to consider the liquid calories that could destroy their progress.
In this article, I want to bring to light a few key beverages that could be crushing your weight loss. By eliminating these liquid calories from your nutrition, or at least drastically reducing them, you should start to see your weight loss progress begin to kickstart once again. Here are some beverages you want to stay away from.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
Table of contents
What Are Liquid Calories?
Liquid calories are calories found in beverages rather than solid foods. These calories come from the sugars, fats, and other energy-containing ingredients in drinks. Unlike solid foods, liquid calories might not make you feel as full, which can lead to consuming more calories overall.
Being aware of your intake of liquid calories is important, especially for managing weight and maintaining a balanced diet.
Why Are Liquid Calories Bad?
Liquid calories are often considered bad because they can lead to weight gain and other health issues. Here are a few reasons why:
- Lack of Satiety: Liquid calories don’t make you feel as full as solid food, which can lead to overeating and increased calorie consumption.
- High in Sugar: Many beverages, like soft drinks and sweetened teas, contain high amounts of added sugars, contributing to excess calorie intake without providing essential nutrients.
- Hidden Calories: It’s easy to overlook the calories in drinks, leading to unintentional overconsumption of calories.
- Impact on Blood Sugar: Sugary drinks can cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, leading to energy dips and increased cravings.
- Nutrient Deficiency: Relying on high-calorie beverages can displace healthier food choices, leading to a lack of essential nutrients in your diet.
Being mindful of liquid calorie intake is important for maintaining a healthy weight and overall well-being.
Liquid Calories You Should Stay Away From
Below are some of the liquid calories you want to stay away from if you feel your weight loss has stalled.
1. Sports Drinks
I’m not going to name any brands here, you can fill in the blanks as there are some very well-known brands out there that sell millions of sports drinks each and every year. However, what people fail to realize is that while their favorite athletes are all drinking these beverages, their liquid calories are being utilized by the body due to the calories burned and sweat they shed. Those athletes use those liquid calories while you, on the other hand, have a greater chance of storing them if you aren’t active.
Related Article: Sports Drinks — A Sugar Trap for Kids?
Sports drinks are loaded with sugar. Essentially, they are sugar-water beverages with some electrolytes. If you aren’t a competitive athlete, there’s really no reason for you to consume these regularly. They do you more harm than good. Stay away from sports drinks unless you are engaging in a high-intensity activity where you would need to replenish electrolytes and rehydrate.
2. Regular Soda
When it comes to liquid calories, this could be the worst out of all the drinks on the list. In fact, it was found that in 2022, Americans were consuming around 154 liters of soda per year. That’s roughly 40 gallons of soda per person. If you consume sugary sodas that are about 180 calories per can (12 ounces), you’re looking at around 427 cans of soda each year. If you do the math, that equates to a total of 76,860 calories.
Just as a refresher, 3,500 calories equal one pound. Again, doing the math, that is 22 pounds that you could have gained by simply consuming soda per year. Think about how much weight you could have kept off if you switched to a zero-calorie beverage instead of consuming all those liquid calories and putting the sugary soda down.
Related Article: Not Even a Soda Tax Can Stop Us!
Taking things a step further, think about how many times you may eat out at a restaurant and order a soda with your meal. How many refills do you get? Two? Five? All those liquid calories add up quickly if you aren’t paying attention.
3. Fruit Juice
Many of us were brought up having our parents pouring us glass after glass of orange juice, apple juice, and just about any “juice” they could find. Little did they know or even understand back then was that this “juice” wasn’t truly juice and was, in fact, bad for our health. The sugar content in fruit juice is through the roof. Now, if it were 100% fruit juice, it wouldn’t be as bad (I still wouldn’t include it in your nutrition), but at least on top of the natural sugars, it wasn’t loaded with added sugar as well.
Related Article: Pomegranate Juice — Is This Something You KNEEd to Drink?
Fruit juice is liquid calories you don’t need. Not only will the sugars leave you feeling hungry after drinking a glass, but a normal-sized glass of fruit juice could yield you hundreds of calories on top of insane amounts of unwanted and unnecessary sugar. Skip fruit juice altogether.
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