Friday, June 21, 2024

One Habit That Keeps You Chubby

To lose body fat, we have to stay in a low to moderate caloric deficit. And for most of us men, the last place we're going to lose body fat is in our tummy. 

Now, one habit that prevents us from losing body fat is liquid calories. Because "eating" and "drinking" are different verbs, somehow we think that drinking doesn't count. But if you don't get a handle on your liquid calories, you're going to end up with a caloric intake that's way higher than you want. Think of having a Starbucks cappuccino that's about 320 calories or a coke that's maybe 150 calories. If you have a refill that's 300 calories. Suddenly you have 620 calories worth of drinks, which, by the way, would require at least 2 hours of running to burn off. I don't recommend that style of training. So do not underestimate liquid calories. Instead of going for the latte go for black coffee. Instead of going for the classic coke go for the sparkling water. 

Now, no one has been more guilty of indulging in liquid calories than me. I love drinking sodas. At the same time, I'm learning to love even more drinking water during the day and with my meals. That alone saves me about 600 calories each and every day. I do allow myself to cheat on occasion. If I'm invited to someone's home for dinner, for example, and they serve me fruit juice, I drink fruit juice. But that's the exception, not the rule. Incidentally, drinking liquid calories does not contribute to satiety, which means that drinking soda will go right into your bloodstream and contribute to obesity and maybe even diabetes down the road. 

Just some thoughts.

Have a fantastic day!