Wondering about beverage calories

dayspoon
dayspoon Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!
Wondering how strict you guys are on logging drink calories? I log things like smoothies and frappes, but that's really it.
Is it imperative to track my calorie intake from things like milk, fruit juice, and fat-free creamer in my coffee to achieve my weight loss goal in my allotted time?

I'll appreciate any advice! Thanks!!
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Replies

  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Hi!
    Wondering how strict you guys are on logging drink calories? I log things like smoothies and frappes, but that's really it.
    Is it imperative to track my calorie intake from things like milk, fruit juice, and fat-free creamer in my coffee to achieve my weight loss goal in my allotted time?

    I'll appreciate any advice! Thanks!!

    Yes, yes yes yes and ....um .....yes!

    those mini-moo creamers are like 35 calories and I don't know how much fat. I put three of them in my coffee. That's 105 calories, or one cookie snackwell pack (I dont' eat those).
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    If it has calories track it.
  • amperry328
    amperry328 Posts: 21
    It is only imperative if you want an accurate account of how many calories you are consuming daily.
  • nltg13
    nltg13 Posts: 24 Member
    O log everything with calories in it. It can really add up!
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
    What do you really think..?
  • ChrysalisCove
    ChrysalisCove Posts: 975 Member
    Doesn't matter where your calories come from, a calorie is a calorie whether you eat it or drink it. If it has calories, log it! Even of it doesn't have calories, if it has artificial sweeteners or sodium it can be helpful to log if you are having trouble w/ water retention.
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  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Unless you have some miracle no calorie fruit juice or milk. Log it. If it has calories you need to know about it
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    There is no difference between a calorie you drink and a calorie you eat. If you have a couple of glasses of milk a day and you don't log it it would be like not logging hamburgers.

    Drink calories can add up.
  • iPlatano
    iPlatano Posts: 487 Member
    Track everything you put in your mouth.
  • LaneB89
    LaneB89 Posts: 93 Member
    Hi!
    Wondering how strict you guys are on logging drink calories? I log things like smoothies and frappes, but that's really it.
    Is it imperative to track my calorie intake from things like milk, fruit juice, and fat-free creamer in my coffee to achieve my weight loss goal in my allotted time?

    I'll appreciate any advice! Thanks!!

    Depending on how much you drink, you can easily erase your entire deficit through beverage calories. 3 tbps of coffee creamer is not a lot at all - a lot of people use more for a single cup - and it has over 100 calories. 2-3 cups of coffee a day and there goes most of your deficit. An 8oz glass of OJ is over 100 calories. An 8oz glass of milk is 122 calories.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Do you think that not logging your afternoon snacks would make a difference?

    I log all of my liquids. Even the 10-calorie Snapple Half and Half I had yesterday. They have calories and I want an accurate accounting of how many calories I'm taking in day-to-day.
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
    If you are watching your sodium you should also count diet drinks as some of those are loaded with it.
  • matchbox_girl
    matchbox_girl Posts: 535 Member
    I use to track those little things but don't anymore. I think it's really a personal preference.....everyone will have a different answer. I don't track my booze/juice/milk and still lose, so....
  • erockem
    erockem Posts: 278 Member
    I stopped drinking my calories over a year ago. If I do indulge in the occasional recovery chocolate milk, it does get counted. It all counts I can't hold myself accountable if I don't log it.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    If it has calories track it.

    +1
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Track everything you put in your mouth.

    well...
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    If you are watching your sodium you should also count diet drinks as some of those are loaded with it.

    Loaded? Really?

    Let me look up diet coke real quick.

    Hmmm one can of diet coke.... 30mg sodium. Okay so MFP has me at 2500mg per day so I could get to that by drinking.... 84 cans of diet coke.

    Lets see what does normal coke have. 19mg. So, 11mg difference....that is it.

    Do diet drinks have sodium? Yes, most flavored drinks do. Are they "loaded" with sodium? No.
  • navygrrl
    navygrrl Posts: 517 Member
    Why wouldn't you log them if they have calories? Heck, I even log drinks that have no calories because of sodium content. Just log everything.
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  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    I use to track those little things but don't anymore. I think it's really a personal preference.....everyone will have a different answer. I don't track my booze/juice/milk and still lose, so....

    Your "goal" calories are also set to a ludicrously low level of 1100 (how did you even do that I thought MFP would never go below 1200). So yeah, you have some room for extra calories in there and still lose weight. Thing is you have no idea what your daily intake is. Booze juice and milk all have a lot of calories, more calories than many of the things you log that you have eaten.
  • scarrletti_girl
    scarrletti_girl Posts: 479 Member
    i would say yes. because you if you could be going over your calorie goal or not.
    when i log i log everything no matter what it is so i know how well i am doing and if i am aloud that afternoon snack.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Depends on your daily deficit and how many unlogged calories you consume (from all sources.) 100 calories here, 75 there: can add up. And wipe out your deficit.

    Personally I don't feel full when I drink calories so I mostly try not to. Occasionally drink milk or some lower-sugar fruit juice, but mainly try to eat solid dairy & actual fruit. Personal choice, just because I tend to have higher calories (total) when I drink alot of calories.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    One pretty small glass of juice can be like 150 calories, even fresh juice with no sugar added. If you're on a smaller calorie deficit, that can add up fast to inhibit your loss. Especially if you're not logging other food totally accurately (weighing and measuring everything.)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Track everything you put in your mouth.

    well not everything :bigsmile:

    to the OP I log my 1cup of diet cranberry pom juice that has 10 calories...I don't log my diet coke or water it doesn't have calories...my coffee does, my milk etc all gets logged.
  • meltedsno
    meltedsno Posts: 208 Member
    every single calorie counts. when I started tracking my food, I about fell over when I realized that the "little bit" of powdered creamer I was adding to my 20oz mug of coffee two or three times a day .....added up to like 300-400 calories per cup ( I like a little "coffee" in my creamer)

    wow.... a big wake up call when I realized I was drinking 800-1200 calories of nasty office coffee --- wasn't even the good stuff!!! I have since acquired a taste for black coffee with an occasional splurge on a large nonfat latte from Starbucks or Caribou -- if I am going to spend some of my calories on a cup of coffee, you can bet it's going to be a good one!!!

    so yeah, tracking EVERYTHING makes a difference.... I even track my gummie vitamins and calcium supplements. They equal 45 calories. I do stop short of tracking diet sodas, though.... if it is zero calories, I don't track.
  • ErinMcMom
    ErinMcMom Posts: 228 Member
    Track it all!
    Think about it, it's totally feasible to have the following in a day (and this is being super conservative):
    -a large double-double tim horton's coffee 270 calories
    -a large glass of milk with your breakfast 172 calories (for 2 cups skim)
    -a can of coke at lunch 248 calories
    -a glass of apple juice in the afternoon (234 for 2 cups)
    -a glass of red wine at dinner 160 calories
    TOTAL UN-ACCOUNTED FOR: 1084 calories in just one day

    If you are aiming for a 2 pound weight loss, you are working with a 1000 calorie deficit and not logging these drinks wipe out the ENTIRE deficit and more!
  • dayspoon
    dayspoon Posts: 4
    Thank you so much for the input, guys!
    Apologies to those of you who found this to be an asinine question.. It was legitimate coming from someone who's never dieted based solely on calorie intake. Really a whole new realm to me.
    But I can see that the majority is on the same page, here. So thank you!
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    I track everything. Coffee and tea don't have many calories but I still record them or I quick add cals for them at the very least. Creamers, skim milk, honey, sugar packets, juice, everything. I'd be hundreds of calories off in any given day if I didn't.
  • forkofpower
    forkofpower Posts: 171 Member
    Why wouldn't you track drinks? Being in liquid form doesn't somehow make a calorie any less a calorie.

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