By now, it’s no secret that when we consume calories in amounts greater than what our body can use, we gain weight. Today, I want to talk about some of the quickest and easiest ways that Americans get into a surplus of calories: liquids. Whether they be from alcoholic drinks, energy drinks, juices, pop, or dairy drinks, calorie containing liquids remain the easiest way outside of a fast food meal to boost you into caloric surplus and send you hurtling down the road to weight gain. Following a breakdown of these liquids, I’d thought I’d give some recommendations for when these drinks seem unavoidable or when you just feel like tying one on for the hell of it, yknow?
Anyway, the juices, soda (it’s pop… seriously… don’t call it soda. what’s wrong with you?) and sugary energy drinks are an incredibly huge part of any level of overweight and obesity. Keeping the alcoholic drinks out of it for a second, if you have weight to lose on your person – whether a lot or a little – dropping anything you drink that has calories in it will take you a long way toward reaching your goals. It’s not only a simple matter of calories, but also the effects that large amounts of sugar being digested at once can have on hormones, blood sugar, satiety, etc. that leads to more fat gain. I can honestly say if you are obese and seeking to lose weight, you have absolutely zero business consuming any of the sugary drinks listed above. If you’re having a protein shake you grabbed on the go, or something to that effect, I say go for it. If it is anything resembling a Snapple, Red Bull, or Coca Cola – DROP IT!
Is there an alternative? Is Diet Coke an answer? The answer to these two questions is an unfortunate “maybe”. Artificial sweeteners carry a lot of controversy with them in terms of general health as well as other more profound topics. Do they cause cancer? Do they alter hormone response making it harder to lose weight? Well, one of those is in my wheelhouse and the other is not, so let’s talk mainly about hormone response as it pertains to weight loss. The main hormone that regulates appetite and satiety is called leptin while the main pleasure emitting hormone is called dopamine. With normal sugar, dopamine elicits a pleasurable response while leptin elicits a fullness response. However, according to an article in Scientific American, the brain is also being told “hey, you’re having something sweet and calorie containing, so you are getting full.” But in people who consume diet drinks on a regular basis, science has determined that these people may be incapable of distinguishing real sugar from fake sugar and in turn have a harder time avoiding the pleasure associated overconsumption of calories. So diet drinks in terms of appetite are best to avoid as well.
Finally, let’s spend a bit of time talking about alcoholic drinks. I would echo my earlier statement that if you are a person trying to lose weight, it is probably best to avoid alcohol altogether simply due to the fact that alcoholic drinks have calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, your caloric allowance is better used consuming nutrients that actually do something for you other than make you feel good for a few hours and subsequently make you feel bad if you over consume. That said, I know in this day and age you would have a better chance of asking someone for their first born than you would getting them to quit drinking for a couple months. However, if you are going to drink, here’s the rundown on how to do so without the waistline expanding calorie binge:
DO: Go for drinks that are pretty much just the alcohol itself. Whiskey and water, Vodka and soda, and others are great options that give you a little buzz that won’t do much damage in terms of calorie intake.
DON’T: Drink calorie containing mixers and high sugar mixed drinks. Sorry, the margs are going to have to wait if you’re looking for some visible muscle tone. Same goes for screwdrivers, fruity shots, and the like.
DO: Eat a sensible but filling dinner before you go out for drinks. The body is able to digest the food properly and use the calories most effectively without alcohol in your system. Think about it: alcohol is a toxin and the body is working as quickly as possible to eliminate it. It can’t burn calories via normal metabolism when it is working on metabolizing and removing alcohol from the body. Make sense?
DON’T: Go nuts at the taco shack or pizza parlor after the bar closes. Sure, you’re starving after a night full of boozing, but if we’re talking about the lesser of two evils, the ideal is a bunch of low calorie drinks and no high fat, high carb food at the end of the night. Period.
DO: Drink light beer. I hate myself for saying this. Let’s move on.
DON’T: Drink craft beer. I also hate myself for saying this. Here’s the deal: craft beer with all of it’s flavor is often chock full of calories (especially darker beers). So if you’re watching your calorie consumption, it’s probably best to just nix the craft beer altogether until you start making some progress towards your goals.
That wraps up today’s post, but feel free to post questions here on the blog, via Twitter (@tanktoptraining), and Facebook as well (/tanktoptraining).
Cheers!
Triple T
Tank Top Training 