Is it actually bad to drink your calories?

AngelicxAnnihilation
AngelicxAnnihilation Posts: 336 Member
edited February 21 in Food and Nutrition
If so whyy? :)

Replies

  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
    Not sure what you mean. If the calories are coming from tequila, then yeah it's pretty bad for you. A protein shake, some fresh veggie juice, or a fresh smoothie are fine in moderation.
  • greeneyes0809
    greeneyes0809 Posts: 422 Member
    It's bad to not get your proper variety of daily nutrients. In most cases, you can't get your needed macro and micro nutrients from sticking to only drinking your meals.

    Though I'm not sure what you are exactly referring to when you say drinking (alcohol, soda, protein shakes?), but sticking to only eating or drinking one food will result in a nutrient imbalance, which is definitely not healthy!
  • jasminecoco
    jasminecoco Posts: 50 Member
    It's not bad, it's just that you don't get as much satisfaction as you get from food.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Not sure what you mean. If the calories are coming from tequila, then yeah it's pretty bad for you. A protein shake, some fresh veggie juice, or a fresh smoothie are fine in moderation.

    this.

    i mean, drink alcohol in moderation. but if you're worried about drinking calories from protein shakes or smoothies, don't. store bought juices tend to have a lot of sugar and stuff in them, so maybe avoid those. but fresh smoothies are good stuff.

    what some people don't like is that shakes don't make them feel full.
  • dont_tap_my_aces
    dont_tap_my_aces Posts: 125 Member
    I think the thing people get hung up on with alcohol (liquid calories) or whatever they call it is they are stuck thinking daily instead of weekly.

    It's ok to splurge every so often. And if it really is a concern that you might be hurting your loss/gain then just try and make up for it in the following days. again, weekly number > daily.
  • StarvingInSuburbia
    StarvingInSuburbia Posts: 130
    If you're getting proper nutrition, drinking calories is perfectly fine! I love making fresh berry smoothies or mango lassi or something like that.

    I try to avoid them because they don't make me as full with as many calories, but on a day like today (91 degrees), I have some lemonade or something. It's hot, I need cold drinks!

    If they make you full and give you proper nutrition, GREAT! You're lucky. But if you're going with alcohol and processed juice, you're going to wreck your body.
  • dont_tap_my_aces
    dont_tap_my_aces Posts: 125 Member
    But if you're going with alcohol and processed juice, you're going to wreck your body.

    literally the advice i just said to ignore. listen, eat clean/organic/whatever if that's your thing, but don't go giving bad advice that alcohol and processed juice will wreck your body.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,456 Member
    I am half a century old.
    My parents are 3/4 of a century old.

    We have all been drinking processed juice and alcohol in moderation for all our adult lives.

    Amazingly our bodies are not wrecked.
  • techgal128
    techgal128 Posts: 719 Member
    I am half a century old.
    My parents are 3/4 of a century old.

    We have all been drinking processed juice and alcohol in moderation for all our adult lives.

    Amazingly our bodies are not wrecked.

    Shhhh. Quit using logic and experience to disprove stuff. It doesn't go over well here! lawl
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,456 Member
    Well, admittedly it is a study of n=3 with no control group so I don't think would pass any scientific scrutiny - however I will continue on my wrecking ways and take my chances :wink:
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    If it's juice or a smoothie, I'd say no. (Just do it in moderation.)

    If it's alcohol or soda (takes up calories and has no nutritional value and/or full of chemicals), I'd say yes.

    And make sure you log everything you drink because you don't want to accidentally go over you goal.
  • katmix
    katmix Posts: 296 Member
    If so whyy? :)

    My favorite coffee is a medium (16 oz) annihilator (chocolate macadamia nut) from Dutch Bros...and at 464.5 calories, that is over 1/3 my allotment for the day...and that is just my coffee!

    So the answer is...it definitely CAN be!

    I make my own coffee/mocha at home, using half a packet of Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate in my coffee with half and half...and it still racks in at over 200 calories. I only allow myself 2 cups per day...and I eat carefully the rest of the day!
  • ParkerH47
    ParkerH47 Posts: 463 Member
    It isn't "bad" to drink your calories. The problem is that they don't fill you up. So 100 cals from a coke is not going to fill you up where as 100 cals from lean protein or actual food will make you feel satisfied. So I see them as wasteful calories not bad calories. Food is more satisfying and leaves you more full at the end of the day. But if they are important to you enjoying life - go for and fit it into your day.
  • DonM46
    DonM46 Posts: 772 Member
    Minute Maid OJ (50 cal/serving), lemonade (15), mango & passion fruit (15), Trop 50 OJ (50) won't wreck your calorie intake, but they are pretty high in carbs.
    So if you can accept the carbs, go for it.
    I drink about five 59 oz jugs every week. Sometimes six.
    No problem with the calories.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,502 Member
    Hearing people say not to drink alcohol makes me sad.
  • hallo_spacedog
    hallo_spacedog Posts: 40 Member
    I drink a lot of beer and coffee with extra cream but I find a way to fit it in, so I won't say it was "bad."
    However, there is something to be careful of that I remember reading in a study. Apparently there is some evidence that the body doesn't fully register liquid calories the way it would solid calories. In short, apparently, your body somehow tricks itself into thinking that the 300 calories you drank were only 150 calories, leading to less satisfaction than you'd gain from 300 calories of foods.

    I think this topic is still under debate but from an anecdotal point, it makes sense, as there's been many times when I couldn't eat another bite from fullness but could still finish a beer, for example.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    If so whyy? :)

    Bad? Not really.
    Just may not be the most bang-for-you-buck so to speak. Regular food with the same caloric intake may feel much more satisfying that a drink.

    One of those bottles of pop is around 270 calories. What do you think will fill you up more and keep away hunger, that or a sandwich with the same calories?
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    I maintain a calorie budget (and occassionally look deeper than just calories in / calories out). Since I have a budget I look at my food as spending my budget and I think "is this beer worth spending my budget on" or "is this salted caramel cheese cake worth spending"

    It is not bad to drink your calories but you only have so much so it behooves you to get your nutrition in around that beer or wine. I am a big fan of beer, but I run to have my beer. Sometimes I run to have extra/bad food. But I exercise first and indulge after, mostly so I can see how much I indulge. But I don't drink regular soda because a coke is never worth the calories. I'll even have diet barqs in my rootbeer float if I want one.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    its really just because calories in liquid form tend to be less filling and its easier to take in too many calories more or less by accident if your drinking them.

    if it all fits into your over all calorie picture, then its a total non-issue
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    its really just because calories in liquid form tend to be less filling and its easier to take in too many calories more or less by accident if your drinking them.

    if it all fits into your over all calorie picture, then its a total non-issue

    This ^^ I can suck a 500 calorie shake down really quick and still feel hungry.
  • jchenks
    jchenks Posts: 164 Member
    It's not bad, it's just that you don't get as much satisfaction as you get from food.

    This is how I feel about drinking calories.

    I'd rather have a chicken breast then a can of pop.

    Those people who drink smoothies as meal replacements are special people to me. After I drink a smoothie I'm already thinking "OK, where is the rest of my breakfast" but in reality I've just consumed a 300 cal drink which doesn't allow for much more breakfast food :(

    To each their own though. Find whatever works for you!
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    its really just because calories in liquid form tend to be less filling and its easier to take in too many calories more or less by accident if your drinking them.

    if it all fits into your over all calorie picture, then its a total non-issue

    This ^^ I can suck a 500 calorie shake down really quick and still feel hungry.

    But it has its advantages too. You can ingest and absorb nutrients quickly for recovery after a hard workout this way.
  • canadianbooty
    canadianbooty Posts: 38
    I drank all my calories for eight weeks and lost fifteen pounds. I also had a broken jaw. :glasses:

    I felt great though, despite the broken jaw.

    Now who wants to break my jaw for me? :laugh:
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
    Not sure what you mean. If the calories are coming from tequila, then yeah it's pretty bad for you. A protein shake, some fresh veggie juice, or a fresh smoothie are fine in moderation.

    How is it bad? If you don't go over your calories it's not bad. Stop demonizing food.

    OP: Of course it's not bad. I play sports, and when I do I drink stuff like gatorade because it's an easier way to fuel my body than eating something.
    I don't drink much in calories if I'm just having a meal but there's no reason why you can't.
  • kjo9692
    kjo9692 Posts: 430 Member
    Hearing people say not to drink alcohol makes me sad.

    I know right??!! :drinker:
  • jchenks
    jchenks Posts: 164 Member
    its really just because calories in liquid form tend to be less filling and its easier to take in too many calories more or less by accident if your drinking them.

    if it all fits into your over all calorie picture, then its a total non-issue

    This ^^ I can suck a 500 calorie shake down really quick and still feel hungry.

    But it has its advantages too. You can ingest and absorb nutrients quickly for recovery after a hard workout this way.

    Yep, although I'm not a smoothie fan I do agree with this and have post workout drinks for this reason.
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    It depends on your goals, what you're drinking and how much you're drinking. Unfortunately a lot of the calories we drink are pretty bad for you: soda, processed fruit juice, booze, milkshakes, iced coffee drinks and so on. With a these kinds of drinks it's easy to consume a lot of calories without getting very full. Meanwhile you aren't getting any nutritional value from a soda.

    If you have a drink that does have some nutritional value and that you are going to consume in a proper serving, go for it.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Nope.

    Milk, juice, chocolate milk, Yoohoo, fruit smoothies, beer....all calorifically yummy!
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