Are your summer drinks making you fat?

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 7/21/2006 4:24:22 PM
Author: Mara
eleguin, it''s interesting because if people DO currently consume a lot of drinks like the ones listed above, just imagine how JUST cutting out drinks like that totally and drinking all water or tea or similar could change their calorie consumption! people could actually lose a fair amount of weight if they cut out about 500 calories of just drinks per day! insane to think about that but true.

What a timely thread!

I went cold turkey with all alcohol and most "beverages" about six weeks ago. I''ve only been drinking water, green tea, and milk. Why? I took a long hard look at what I was regularly drinking: 2 glasses of wine most nights, a margarita or martini a couple nights a week, a diet coke a day, etc... Not good! I could''ve just toned it down a bit, but I wanted a challenge and decided to go for it. So far, so good! It really hasn''t been that hard to do. I already drank water almost exclusively during the day at the office, so I just extended that into my time at home.

Have I lost any weight? Hard to tell, as I don''t like to weigh myself! But I do feel a bit trimmer and not so "sluggish". I''ve also been stepping up on the exercise and healthy eating, so it''s all relative.

I''ll have my first "drink" this weekend at my bridal shower. Mimosas, here I come!

 

[Mara]

Good for you, gals!! I was totally on a coke kick about a year ago and didn't realize how much of it was I drinking, about 1 32oz drink every 2 days or so. That's not just calories but the sugar, aieee!!! So now I just drink water, sometimes iced black tea, milk in the mornings (and chocolate 2% milk for snacks sometimes), sometimes I have a PomTea as a snack but in general it's just water water and more water!!! It's amazing how you can crave water...I also love watermelon in the summer too...it's a great way to get more water !hehee.

hehe PrincessV...so did you get the frapp?!?!

 

[MiniMouse]

The problem I have with drinking water is I keep ending up running to the loo too often. It doesn''t seem to go through me so quick when I drink other drinks.

I''ve gotta say I love those Vanilla Frappuccino''s at Starbucks and I think once every couple of months is okay.

 

[ephemery1]

I love the mocha frappuccinos from Starbucks... but I always get the light version. A grande (medium size - 16oz) mocha light with no whipped cream is only 180 calories (1.5 grams of fat)!! Less calories than the equivalent amount of Coke, interestingly. I craved them DAILY when they first came out a couple years ago... I used to try and alternate between the different Starbucks near me to avoid seeing the same people behind the counter every time I ordered one... haha.

 

[portoar]

I mostly just drink club soda. I love carbonated water. I''ve gotten a few frappucinos this summer, but just the "tall" size and I always order the light. I had no idea how many calories they have, I just figured "a lot." I almost never drink alcohol, either -- I''m not a prude about it, I''m just really sensitive to alchohol, so when I do drink, it''s usually just a glass of wine at dinner. Two and I''m wasted.

I will admit though, here in So Cal we''re suffering from this horrible humid heat you guys on the east coast have, and I have been craving slurpees. I have been getting 2-3 coke slurpees a week. . . I don''t care if I''m 48, I love slurpees.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 7/24/2006 9:53:29 AM
Author: ephemery1
I love the mocha frappuccinos from Starbucks... but I always get the light version. A grande (medium size - 16oz) mocha light with no whipped cream is only 180 calories (1.5 grams of fat)!! Less calories than the equivalent amount of Coke, interestingly. I craved them DAILY when they first came out a couple years ago... I used to try and alternate between the different Starbucks near me to avoid seeing the same people behind the counter every time I ordered one... haha.

When my BF walks into the Starbucks near his office they automatically start making his mocha frapp. He has to speak up WAY before ordering time if he wants something different. It''s usually ready before he even pays. Now THAT''S service!

 

[Mara]

i LOVE slurpees too!! i typically have a few during the summer season, my fave is the coke one...yumm!!!! i figure well it''s kind of like drinking water...mixed with some coke. hehe.

 

[portoar]

Date: 7/24/2006 11:36:30 AM
Author: Mara
i LOVE slurpees too!! i typically have a few during the summer season, my fave is the coke one...yumm!!!! i figure well it''s kind of like drinking water...mixed with some coke. hehe.

Well isn''t a slurpee just a coke semi-frozen to a slushie state?

 

[monarch64]

Wow, I have SO been missing out on fun threads lately!

DH and I usually drink vodka and diet Squirt or diet 7-UP. Sometimes we throw in a splash of Gatorade...tonic water has a ton of calories, as does Gatorade, but at least the sport drink has a bit of a "healing" effect, or so we like to think. We seldom drink margaritas, maybe one with dinner at a Mexican place.

When we went on vacation we drank mostly light beer (I love Corona Light, wish we could get Red Stripe Light here in the states, I love it!), or the above-mentioned concoction. I have been known to mix diet V-8 Splash with vodka as well, it is only 10 calories per 8 oz. so if you add a shot of vodka to it, it''s about 80-90 calories, same as one light beer.

One of you chemists out there needs to come up with a "light" margarita mix!!!

 

[Sparkster]

It''s the middle of winter in Melbourne but when the summer comes along, I mainly drink water (or freshly squeezed juices) Can''t get enough of water - it''s the best thing for your body and your skin. People often comment on why I have such good skin - I reckon it''s because of the amount of water I drink and hardly any soft drink/alcohol and eat heathily.

Considering a can of coke has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, I stay away from it. Can''t stand the taste of diet drinks. Can''t stand the taste of most alcohole\ too. If I do decide to treat myself to a soft drink (about once a month) I stay away from anything that has preservative 211 in it.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/21/2006 2:28:29 PM
Author: ephemery1
These days my friends and I are in the habit of drinking vodka w/ club soda almost exclusively. Zero calories in club soda, and low calories in vodka. It takes a little getting used to, since you''re essentially just drinking fizzy, watered-down vodka... but it was like making the switch to Diet Coke for me... after a while, I didn''t even LIKE the ''real'' stuff anymore. Also significantly lowers your hangover risk (sugary mixers + dark liquors = NASTY hangovers)... just in case you have one too many!

This has been my drink for years! I used to do Ketel One, Soda with a teeny splash of grapefruit juice (and I mean a VERY small splash). Now I nix the grapefruit and just put in a lime. I love it...so refreshing and I don''t like sweet drinks anyway so this is perfect for me. It''s also hydrating as far as drinks go, so I definitely don''t get hangovers. I really have a difficult time drinking any other spirit/cocktail, and when I do it''s a bit of whiskey/scotch. Otherwise it''s wine and beer for me.

It''s still about 80 calories I think...which also add up, so I''ve been just drinking pellegrino on weeknights instead of a glass of wine. I just put it in a wineglass and it still has a bit of a luxurious feel to it...which is all I really need to unwind!

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 7/24/2006 11:36:30 AM
Author: Mara
i LOVE slurpees too!! i typically have a few during the summer season, my fave is the coke one...yumm!!!! i figure well it''s kind of like drinking water...mixed with some coke. hehe.

I was in heaven last summer when the diet coke slurpee came out. HELLO? No calories!!!

However, I can''t seem to find them anywhere this summer. I''ve been drinking the coke slurpees anyway, just to cool down. Which is crazy cuz I hate coke...too sweet. I''m a diet coke girl. Coke Zero actually. Where are my coke zero slurpees?!?!? I need to buy the snoopy snow cone machine. And make my own slurpees.

 

[Mara]

Date: 7/25/2006 7:18:32 PM
Author: FireGoddess

Date: 7/24/2006 11:36:30 AM
Author: Mara
i LOVE slurpees too!! i typically have a few during the summer season, my fave is the coke one...yumm!!!! i figure well it''s kind of like drinking water...mixed with some coke. hehe.

I was in heaven last summer when the diet coke slurpee came out. HELLO? No calories!!!

However, I can''t seem to find them anywhere this summer. I''ve been drinking the coke slurpees anyway, just to cool down. Which is crazy cuz I hate coke...too sweet. I''m a diet coke girl. Coke Zero actually. Where are my coke zero slurpees?!?!? I need to buy the snoopy snow cone machine. And make my own slurpees.

OOOH if you do get the snoopy snow cone machine for the coke slurpees, I''m comin'' over!!!!

I also do freeze glasses of coke in the fridge sometimes to get them to be slushy but I haven''t done that in forever since I don''t drink coke hardly at all anymore....portoar I think that the slurpees are more ice than coke..but it''s like coke SYRUP with ice or something. I don''t find them to be as sweet as coke itself is.

 

[ivanadiamond]

I had a snoopy slurpy machine as a kid and loved it, I wanna come over too Mmmmm a margarita would be so nice right now, it''s so hot outside! I don''t drink that much soda, but my demise is wine. I love a chilled glass of white wine a few nights a week...I am trying to switch from Vodka tonics to sodas too (my other big love), but I can''t quite get into the taste, although Stoli Strawberry and Soda is delicious.

I also recommend ordering Splenda Mojito''s in the summer. They taste just as good as regular ones, with hardly any calories or carbs, just have them put soda water and splenda instead of sugar. It''s delic!

Anyone for pies and mojito''s?

 

[Sparkster]

Date: 7/21/2006 4:24:22 PM
Author: Mara
eleguin, it''s interesting because if people DO currently consume a lot of drinks like the ones listed above, just imagine how JUST cutting out drinks like that totally and drinking all water or tea or similar could change their calorie consumption! people could actually lose a fair amount of weight if they cut out about 500 calories of just drinks per day! insane to think about that but true.

Too true. FI''s son (15) would drink up to 6 glasses of cordial/coke a day. Considering there''s 10 teaspoons of sugar in a can of coke, and about 6 teaspons of sugar in cordial (that''s probably a conservative figure) then in his drinks alone, that would be approx 52 teaspoons of sugar a day! For those of you who don''t think that''s a lot, measure out 52 teaspons and see how much it adds up to.

Everytime he was over at our place, we tried to get him to drink water - he would look at us as if we were aliens. His mum let''s him drink whatever he wants at her place and because of the short amount of time he spends at our place, it''s hard to influence him on a healthier lifestyle.

 

[ocbride2007]

You know, all this talk about low calorie alcohol... I remember a professor telling me once that alcohol metabolizes different than regular food, so it''s not really accurate to go by the calorie count, etc. I''m not sure exactly what it does, but if you are dieting limiting alcohol of any kind is probably the best way to go. sorry to rain on your parades... I can''t drink, so I''m not missing anything but nothing wrong with a glass of wine now and then, on any diet, IMO.

lately I have been drinking a lot of wheatgrass juice. I always saw it on the menu at Jamba juice etc but finally tried it. the fresh stuff is actually sweet and gives you a kick of energy. But I buy the powder and drink a glass at home every day - it''s from more mature grass so it has more vitamins, but it''s more bitter. I mix it with 1/2 glass of apple juice and 1/2 glass of water, and it tastes just fine. Best thing is, in addition to having your daily servings of vegetables in the glass, all that fiber makes you feel full. And after a glass of grass in the morning, I''m a lot less likely to go and drink something like lemonade - so sweet!! But I do notice I drink a lot more water, and I think I may be coming close to kicking my caffeine addiction (diet coke... ahhhhh, I will miss thee).

 

[DonaBella]

I SO needed to read this thread! I am SO in trouble...I love margaritas on the rocks. I did see some worthy suggestions for low calorie margaritas and I plan to try them. My hubby and I get the premixed margarita in the big bottle at Costco for our home use, but now I am thinking...no more. Time to seriously cut calories where we can. I am a sweet wine drinker from time to time, but hubby is not. He loves his Smirnoffs. I love the Triple Black one. I also love my rum and coke. I cannot do the diet sodas.

Lately, the weather has been so hot that I have turned to white tea or diet green tea, citrus flavored, which is less in overall calories, I think its 60 calories for a bottle. Not as good as the sugarfree lemonade or sugarfree lemonade/vodka mix--if I want a drink--but I am trying to not have soda. I do NOT like the feel in my mouth of the sugar afterwards. I feel gross. But with this heat wave, the flavored waters go only so far. I still get them and try to alternate between the regular H20, flavored water, and the diet green tea. It works most of the time, but about once or twice a week I cave in to a coke or mountain dew and then I get a stomache later, plus the extra calories...

I do not do well with any diet soda or anything food or liquid with sugar alcohols, aspartame or saccarhine. Just Splenda or nada. I felt quite stumped on what next to do with my overall diet because I have had a really hard time losing weight for about the last 2 months. Now, I know that it has to do with mostly my cocktail choices.

I HAVE to change that and then I will see more results with my body.

My overall eating is really good. I eat a sensible breakfast even I do not feel much like eating, just less so. I eat a protein loaded lunch and lighten up for dinner. With this heat though, I am having more green teas and flavored waters, like Propels so that isn''t helping much. The alcohol drinks are no more than twice a week, more than likely on the weekend.

My health has been challenged though. I have had a really tough time getting used to my new prescription with my contacts and glasses and it has made me physically sick and drained. I have had to cut way back on my exercise and lack energy and am dizzy. It is getting better but I still have a little ways to go before everything simmers down, my eye dr. says so I am depressed.

Anyways, this is tremendously good info. Sorry to go on and on...