Before I take a crack at that... I have my newest article for you guys to peruse.

http://www.feelitnutrition.com/blog/...orey-springer/



Cut Liquid Calories… Cut bodyfat.

By Corey Springer AKA “Narkissos”
Friday, September 5th 2008: The NarkSide

Taken from: “Cut Liquid Calories… Cut bodyfat.” by Corey Springer


The average gym-goer, when asked, usually claims to have “no idea” why they’re having difficulty losing bodyfat. The usual claim follows the vein of: “I eat no junk food… I eat really healthy man!”

‘Healthy’, one of those terms I hate to hear. That, however, is a rant for another time.

Ok… getting back on track:

Joe Gym-dude: “I eat healthy”.

Me: “Ok… We all do. Why do you then, not look like I do?”

Joe Gym-dude: “I don’t know man… It must be my genetics”.


(Genetics… another monster of a rant for another time.)


If you’re a subscriber to "the NarkSide" message board, you will have come across some of my previous articles…and some of the arguments raised therein. One such argument is that people eat a lot worse than they think they do. In addition, people underestimate just how impactful liquid calories are.


Ergo this article: Cut the liquid Calories… cut the bodyfat.

Tell me… Do you frequently consume juices, smoothies, coffee concoctions, ‘energy drinks’, or soft drinks with or between meals?

(Yes… I lumped juices in there with soft drinks, though many fail to make this distinction. Studies show that this is erroneous, as sweetened juices are just as likely to cause weight-gain as non-diet soft drinks.[1][2])

The answer is probably ‘yes’… and you’d be in the company of millions of failed dieters around the world.

Yes… millions.


Using the United States as a gauge, it has been documented that:

* In the past 50 years, consumption of soft drinks has increased by almost 500%.[3]
* Half of all Americans and most adolescents consume soft drinks multiple times daily.[4]


Why does it matter what you drink?

Well…Weight-loss revolves around a relatively simple mathematical equation:

* Weight-loss= calories consumed < calories expended

For argument’s sake, let’s say that the above equation is true regardless of where the calories come from.

What we drink matters because liquid calories, like all calories, matter.

Unfortunately, we tend to forget to count these calories.:

The sodas, juices and teas;

The cream, creamer and sugar in our coffee;

It all adds up.

Adding up… as inches around the waist.

Every calorie you consume affects your weight-loss goal.


To give you an idea just much so, let’s review the caloric content of some of the most commonly consumed beverages:

* Blended coffee drinks: 250-850 calories (i.e. the cumulative calorie count of 1-3 average sized meals)
* Gatorade: 310 calories per 12 fl oz
* Coke: 97 calories per 8 fl oz
* Vitamin Water: 50 calories per 8 fl oz


With regard to Gatorade and the like: nobody consumes an 8 oz serving…

Let’s be real with ourselves.

8 oz isn’t satisfying (though studies do argue that liquid calories aren’t ’satisfying’ period [5]).

The average beverage intake is 16-20oz per meal.


This bumps the kcal intake to:

* Gatorade: <>500 calories
* Coke: <>240 calories
* Vitamin Water: <>125 calories


Putting this all in perspective, what we are looking at is the consumption of basically 1-3 meal’s worth of calories in liquid form in addition to a solid meal.

The average daily calorie requirement is 1920kcals and 1680kcals for a male and female respectively.

The indiscriminate ingestion of these beverages can easily result in an aggregate calorie intake double or triple that required for the maintenance of one’s body weight.

Like I said… It all adds up.

…Usually around the waist.


So what can we do?

Well you could:

* Swap sweetened juices for unsweetened juices
* Retain the natural fibers (AKA ‘pith’) in your unsweetened juices. (Increased fiber content blunts the resulting blood sugar elevation.)
* Drink water/diet beverages with meals.
* If you must consume alcohol during cocktail hour, choose wine (or the good old vodka + diet coke/diet sprite + lime) over the sugary drinks.

Little changes beget big results.
Good luck.

-C.Springer

Owner Of Apollo Fitness Barbados & “The NarkSide” Fitness Forums



References:

1. Julie R. Palmer, ScD; Deborah A. Boggs, MS; Supriya Krishnan, DSc; Frank B. Hu, MD; Martha Singer, MPH; Lynn Rosenberg, ScD. “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in African American Women”. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(14):1487-1492.
2. Lenny R. Vartanian, PhD, Marlene B. Schwartz, PhD and Kelly D. Brownell, PhD. “Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”. April 2007, Vol 97, No. 4 | American Journal of Public Health 667-675
3. Putnam JJ, Allshouse JE. Food consumption, prices and expenditures, 1970?97. Washington, DC: Food and Consumers Economics Division, Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, 1999.
4. Borrud L, Enns CW, Mickle S. What we eat: USDA surveys food consumption changes. Commun Nutr Inst 1997;27:4?5.
5. Mattes RD. Dietary compensation by humans for supplemental energy provided as ethanol or carbohydrate in fluids. Physiol Behav 1996;59:179?87.