Sweet Drinks, Liquid Calories and Weight Loss

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It’s fairly common for people to ask my advice about weight loss, getting in shape, etc.

Want to hear my first piece of advice to those who want to shed some pounds?  Here it is: start by cutting out all liquid calories except for lowfat or skim milk.  Stick with water, coffee (without sugar), sugar-free drinks and milk (lowfat or skim).

The amount of sugar we drink has been one of the most overlooked negative aspects of the American diet.  A can of soda per day, for example, can add 15 lb in a single year.

One problem with sugary drinks is the “sneaky” nature of these calories:  you don’t realize just how many you are consuming, and neither does your body.  “Real” food will cause a hormonal response–hormones like leptin will send signals to your brain, telling you that you are full.  But sugary drinks don’t trigger the body’s natural feedback systems.   The end result is an excess of “empty” calories (“empty,” meaning calories with no nutritional value).

One study found cutting liquid calories to be a more effective strategy than reducing solid calorie intake.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine how changes in beverage consumption affect weight change among adults.

Design: This was a prospective study of 810 adults participating in the PREMIER trial, an 18-mo randomized, controlled, behavioral intervention trial. Measurements (weight, height, and 24-h dietary recall) were made at baseline, 6 mo, and 18 mo.

Results: Baseline mean intake of liquid calories was 356 kcal/d (19% of total energy intake). After potential confounders and intervention assignment were controlled for, a reduction in liquid calorie intake of 100 kcal/d was associated with a weight loss of 0.25 kg (95% CI: 0.11, 0.39; P < 0.001) at 6 mo and of 0.24 kg (95% CI: 0.06, 0.41; P = 0.008) at 18 mo. A reduction in liquid calorie intake had a stronger effect than did a reduction in solid calorie intake on weight loss. Of the individual beverages, only intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was significantly associated with weight change. A reduction in SSB intake of 1 serving/d was associated with a weight loss of 0.49 kg (95% CI: 0.11, 0.82; P = 0.006) at 6 mo and of 0.65 kg (95% CI: 0.22, 1.09; P = 0.003) at 18 mo.

Conclusions: These data support recommendations to limit liquid calorie intake among adults and to reduce SSB consumption as a means to accomplish weight loss or avoid excess weight gain.1

I’m not saying you can’t have a soft drink ever again–that’s not practical.  But you can look at sweetened drinks the same way you’d look at cake or ice cream: something to occasionally indulge in, but not something to be consumed daily.

Remember:  Diet is going to count for at least 85-90% of your results when it comes to weight loss/fat loss.   Don’t mess up all your hard work in the gym buy drinking a bunch of junk.

Reference:

1. Am J Clin Nutr May 2009 vol. 89 no. 5 1299-1306 Reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight loss (emphasis mine).

The Fat Burning Kitchen Review

Here’s a quick summary of The Fat Burning Kitchen, an e-book that is part of the Truth About Abs package.  It was written by Mike Geary (creator of Truth About Abs, Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Nutrition Specialist) and Catherine Ebeling (RN, BSN).

This book is divided into two main sections:

Part One: Start the Cleanout!

This section guides you in getting rid of foods that have negative effects on your body and fat loss goals.  Just a few examples include foods with refined flour, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and soy products.

Part Two: How to Stock Your Fat-Burning Kitchen

Next you’ll learn how to fill your kitchen with alternatives to what you’ve gotten rid of.  Examples include high-quality protein (like grass fed beef), avocados, berries, etc.

There’s also a bonus section: The Advanced Nutritional Fat-Burning Blueprint: The 23-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Plan

You’ll find this book to be very well researched, and I believe following the recommendations will help you lose fat and be healthier in general.

You may be unable to follow 100% of the authors’ recommendations.  But I still think you’ll find this to be a worthwhile guide with many practical suggestions.

Just click here if you’re interested in buying or learning more about The Fat Burning Kitchen. I’d highly recommend you take advantage of one of the bundle packages–you’d have some great workout information to go along with the diet.

Please use my links if this review was helpful.