Don't Drink Your Calories

I drink something called 'Good Girl Moonshine" it is really delicous considering the weird ingredients. It is 1-2 TBS apple cider vinegar, ginger, serano chile, stevie.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NtQBauMbD_Y?list=PL4r_65QeC2edEUzAXaGML-NgI8UzE-FGX

I like to add some Mio or Crystal Lite to my water sometimes, but the real question, is why 1200 calories?

You're a guy and according to your ticker on your profile, you have 16-18lbs to lose. How did you get at 1200??? Did you choose that yourself? And why would you?

Have you tried any different types of tea. Herbal, earl grey, etc. There are lots of different flavors of tea out there that can really change things up for you. I have one that is pomegranate that so great even without sweetener.

You can also try spicing up your water by filling a pitcher with water and placing fruit in to let it infuse into the water overnight. Strawberries, lime, lemon, and grapes are all good for this.

If none of those float your boat you could also make lemonade using your favourite no-cal sweetener. I like Truvia personally. Hope these help.

Hey guys - The only way I can seem to keep to my LOW goal of 1,200 calories a day is to completely eliminate any calories from beverages. I can only drink so much water and iced tea, and I'm not a fan of diet cola. Am I missing any great solutions out there that I should know about?

Thanks
Doug

A few homemade coffees with skim milk are pretty low cal. I'm a big plain water drinker but I also like soda water with fresh lemon or lime juice and herbal or fruit teas (hot or cold) - faves being peppermint and ginger (not together).

I steer away from anything fizzy (other than soda water), even the "diet" stuff. If I want a soft drink I'll do it properly and have the regular variety. I don't trust that "diet" crap.

Haha - Do not worry, I've checked it with my physician and it wasn't determined by ME, it was part of a formula by MFP for 1.7 lb. loss per week. I'm only 5'8, so I'm not a hulk. But thanks for the concern. :-)

I'd ask why he put you on something that low? What are the special circumstances in this particular case? Also, why are you trying to lose that fast? According to your ticker you have less than 20 lbs left to lose. That's too aggressive a goal.

I'm older than you, shorter than you, and female, and I never had to eat as low as that to lose.

So - what are the special circumstances you're leaving out?

Minimum calorie intake for a man as stated by the ACSM is 1800 calories per day. 1200 is ridiculously low. Gonna lose a lot of muscle that way. I'm 5'7, and lose quite easily at 2500-3000 calories.

Also, general doctors are horrible sources for nutritional advice, as they don't have any education in nutrition (that's why registered dietitians exist.)

Haha - Do not worry, I've checked it with my physician and it wasn't determined by ME, it was part of a formula by MFP for 1.7 lb. loss per week. I'm only 5'8, so I'm not a hulk. But thanks for the concern. :-)

1.7 lb per week is still too aggressive for the amount of weight you have to lose. 0.5- 1 lb per week is more realistic, especially if your goal is to retain muscle, burn fat, and end up with a defined physique.

If your trying to keep your calories low, and want refreshing drinks, fruit infused water is the way to go. With summer here, fresh fruits are plentiful. I add cucumber and lemon slices to my water, stick it in the fridge in a bottle for a few hours, and then drink. Lemon is such a great detoxifier for our body. This website also has tons of recipes, but making up your own combination is fun too. Enjoy!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/fruit-infused-waters

Doug. You need to eat more.

I'm a soda person too (that's actually the thing I miss the most)! I usually like Dr. Pepper, Coke, & Pepsi but they don't fit into my macros if I want to have a snack and some decent meals. I agree, most of the diet drinks are super nasty and not even worth drinking. The only one I've come across that is pretty true to taste is Sprite Zero. I've never been a big Sprite fan but if it comes down to me really needing a soft drink I'd much rather grab a Sprite zero than ruin my good streak by drinking a full calorie drink. Also, I haven't tried it with the Sprite Zero but Sprite with JUST A LITTLE dash of almond extract is super good. I know it sounds totally weird (had some at a baby shower). Doesn't hurt to try though, especially if it helps keep you away from worse drinks.

Minute Maid puts out a great tasting 15 calorie lemonade in the carton. It also comes in fruit punch flavor. Pretty inexpensive.

I'd get a second opinion from a registered dietitian. Doctors aren't that well versed when it comes to diet, although I think they should have been concerned with the fact you'll be losing a lot of muscle mass going that aggressive.

Is there a reason for the rush?

So many questions and the exact ones I had upon reading the OP.

I drink some of my meals, I have a glass of veggie/fruit juice daily to ensure I get enough in for the day. I sometimes have a glass of chocolate skim milk as breakfast. I have no problem staying under 1500 a day, will drinking my juice or milk

I'm a 5"4 woman losing 1-2lb a week on 1900 a day.

Just sayin'. :drinker: <- that's beer.