drinking calories

heatherzen78
heatherzen78 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else have a problem with drinking too many calories. I love my vanilla latte in the morning and then soda during the day and then beer in the evening. I dont necessarily eat a lot but am getting most of my cals through drinks. And its so hard to stop! Like I need these drinks to feel good or something. I'm not giving up the morning latte but am looking to stop the soda(not diet) and reduce the beer. So far today I've managed to only have 1 soda and 2 beers vs the 3-4 of each that i'll usually indulge in. Eventually would like to stop both the soda and beer on daily all together but I literally crawl in my skin if I try to not have any. With the beer...its not an alcoholic thing cuz i can limit them and not have them as long as i am not limiting the soda as well. It's just so hard for me to give these drinks up and I don't understand why. Any insight would be appreciated :)

Replies

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    edited April 2015
    So you can give up the beer if you get the soda?

    There are drinks like coke zero which is like 1-2 cal per serve. You would be able to drink several litres and barely make a dent in your calories.

    Also are you sure our not an alcoholic? Some of the things you said sound a little alcoholic to me.
  • toriraeh
    toriraeh Posts: 105 Member
    A couple of years ago, I had a health issue and decided to give up Dr. Pepper (which I'm passionate about) altogether. I've never been much of a beer drinker. Now, I drink more or less nothing but water. I'll very occasionally have a glass of milk, but that's rare. I WILL have a soda maybe once every couple of weeks, on a date night. One thing some people recommend is drinking sparkling water- it gives the bubbly feeling without the sugar and calories. And you can always add something like Crystal Light to it to add some flavor. To be honest, before MFP, if I would get REALLY bored with water, I would make some KoolAid. I know, not the GREATEST choice, BUT at least you can control the sugar content yourself as opposed to a soda or juice. Good luck though! It's a hard transition!
  • heatherzen78
    heatherzen78 Posts: 11 Member
    thank you. I am aware of the diet options but i believe soda whether diet or regular is just all together bad for you. also, I don't do artificial sweeteners, they just taste horrible to me and have their own list of problems they cause in the body...as does excess amounts of sugar (hello diabetes). I really do think transitioning out of the beer and soda all together is best. just ugh...soo hard.... I have used green tea in the past and hadn't thought about the kool aid. that might be better than crystal light for me since no artificial sweeteners and controlled sugar contents. I will give it a try tmrw! thanks for your responses!
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Stop buying them. Stop having them in your house.

    Have a drink before you go shopping so your not in withdrawal while surrounded by an aisle of drinks.

    Just going to take some will power.
  • ShannonMK9
    ShannonMK9 Posts: 65 Member
    Tapering off the soda helps with the headache and icky feeling you can get from stopping soda (I had some stomach issues stopping soda) also drinking sparkling water (I like the talking rain flavors with no sugar added) helps also with the need for carbonation. Also you will need to substitute something with the same number of carbs into your diet that is healthy for you, could be why hard to quit not replacing those carbs in other foods. Check with your Doctor could be a health issue on why hard to stop.
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    Are you making your own vanilla latte? I've LOVED putting almond milk in my morning coffee with Torani syrups.
    You've already cut down a lot, so I think you're on the right road.
    Were you drinking any water in addition to all that soda during the day? Before today I mean?
    I trick my brain to drink water by getting a 32oz fountain cup, and filling it with water. Then I can sip it. Water is so much easier for me to drink with a straw!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i drink very few calories.

    You're an adult. You have the ability to control what goes in your body. If its important to you, TRULY important, you will stop. I used to drink a case and a half of dr pepper a week. Now, i MIGHT have 3 diet sodas a week. I used to have 2 or 3 glasses of wine a night. I had less than a half a beer for the first time in I don't know how long this evening.

    If you don't want to drink it, don't buy it.
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    I personally tried to taper off on sodas but kept failing. I was drinking many sodas per day. So a week ago I decided to just quit cold turkey. Yes, I did have headaches, and still occasionally do. I combat that with a glass of tea once a day, but you could do coffee instead. A week later, I am surprised at how little I am craving them. Water suddenly has become better tasting, when in the past I woukd never drink water.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    heatherzen78 wrote: »
    Does anyone else have a problem with drinking too many calories.

    Every Friday and Saturday night. I'm blaming Johnnie Walker
  • sandryc79
    sandryc79 Posts: 250 Member
    A lot of people have trouble with drinking a large number of calories. I was reading an article the other day that said on average, Americans drink about 400 calories a day, fancy coffee drinks, juice, pop, milk and alcohol quickly add up.

    I think it is a matter of prioritizing what is important to you and paying attention to what is sustainable. I was cutting all milk out because I couldn't see "wasting" calories on it. I love milk and I have come to realize I find it pretty satiating. Now I spend 240 calories on milk a day. I use it as an after work out drink and a snack. I think it is worth it and have been having good loss over the couple weeks I have been doing it. Soda and coffee drinks are not of equivalent value to me. I do a bit of alcohol drinking every few weeks.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    I don't like to drink calories. I drink my coffee black and pretty much stopped drinking sodas except every so often. When I want to drink wine or beer I save calories for it. Save calories for your latte.
  • melissaw78
    melissaw78 Posts: 214 Member
    Maybe instead of focusing on CUTTING from your daily intake, try ADDING water.
    I was a 2 soda a day person (and could be again if I tried). I gave myself permission to have all the soda I want....AFTER I drink water.

    My problem has almost solved itself.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I try never to drink my calories. I like to chew food and feel like I'm eating!
  • fatblatta
    fatblatta Posts: 333 Member
    ummmm... beer. This was really hard for me to give up. You can try switching to a low cal/carb beer. 4 Sierra Nevada's are like 1000 calories and a bunch of carbs. Bud select 55 would be about 200 calories and 8 carbs total. It's not the same, and takes some getting used too. But, it's a reasonable compromise.

    Cheers!
  • kshay89
    kshay89 Posts: 15 Member
    I am an ex-soda drinker -- I would drink 6-7 Diet Dr. Pepper's a day! It was very hard to quit and I would get random cravings even a year or more later. My problem was that when I was stressed or moody, I HAD to have a soda. For whatever reason, that calmed me down. Is there some kind of trigger for you that you can identify that makes you crave soda and beer?

    I also found that sometimes I just wanted something fun and textural to drink. Occasionally, I'll drink Lacroix flavored mineral waters. I love the carbonation and there's no sugar (fake or real) or calories. You might try switching to those gradually.

    If you can, you might try making the switch to almond or soy milk in your latte. Typically they have less calories than milk, but they are still thick and creamy unlike nonfat milk. I work at a coffee shop and use almond milk for myself anytime I drink something to save on calories.
  • heatherzen78
    heatherzen78 Posts: 11 Member
    thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I think i can find a way to cut some cals out of my latte in the mornings. sodas...well i think cold turkey is best. I quit smoking a year ago and about 5 months ago quit soda for 2 months and when i had that first innocent soda it was like a cigarette addiction effect in my psyche and body. as for the beer....I'm gonna try to keep it to the weekends in moderation. I appreciate everyone's insight on here. I know it comes down to will power and substitutions so wish me luck!
  • heatherzen78
    heatherzen78 Posts: 11 Member
    ncboiler89 wrote: »
    heatherzen78 wrote: »
    Does anyone else have a problem with drinking too many calories.

    Every Friday and Saturday night. I'm blaming Johnnie Walker

    LOL!! love it..made me laugh!!
  • KingofWisdom
    KingofWisdom Posts: 229 Member
    I simply cannot give up sugary beverages. I love them too much. I can easily drink multiple cans of soda a day. My weight loss stalled for a while. I'm now skipping lunch so I can fit the soda/sports drinks into my calorie deficit. It helps that I have a job, which keeps my mind off of food.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    KingofWisdom wrote: »
    I simply cannot give up sugary beverages. I love them too much. I can easily drink multiple cans of soda a day. My weight loss stalled for a while. I'm now skipping lunch so I can fit the soda/sports drinks into my calorie deficit. It helps that I have a job, which keeps my mind off of food.

    Good thing that you have a job. Otherwise, you might be the star of "My 600 Pound Life". Love the way you fit the sugary drinks into your diet and stay at a deficit! (pssst I got your sarcasm, but don't tell anyone.)
  • kimmaltsev
    kimmaltsev Posts: 57 Member
    I would recommend to do reduce both gradually if its regular soda or just switch to diet or coke zero sprite zero or something in the general area. That is what I had don't over the past two to three years in now down to two 12oz cans or two 12oz /20oz bottles.
  • NoIdea101NoIdea
    NoIdea101NoIdea Posts: 659 Member
    The only drinking calories I have problems with are alcohol (don't like tea/coffee/milk/regular soda). I just factor them into my daily calorie allowance though, and I have found that I am so motivated that it is actually stopping e from drinking so much.

    Diet soda is a god send, even as a mixer....currently loving the cherry pepsi max they have going on. That combined with a double vodka is just over 100 calories, so doesn't totally break the calorie bank!
  • ArkMom35
    ArkMom35 Posts: 225 Member
    I cut most drinks out of my diet. I now drink water and about three coffee's a day. No more soda no more juice, and I was never big on alcohol. I barely even miss them anymore. I will have a diet soda when I go out to eat sometimes, but that's about it.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    I try never to drink my calories. I like to chew food and feel like I'm eating!

    This +1. Calories are too precious for me. id just keep drinks with serious calories as a treat. the only exception is milk, but even then I prefer to have it with food and its got a lot of goodness in. Diet drinks are a boon, but the normal drinks like tea or coffee are fine , just ditch the sugar. I drink more water than i ever have.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,596 Member
    I gave up drinking my calories back in the late 1980s.

    I was working in a donut shop, and *somehow* I grew into a new uniform size. I decided I had better cut back on something, so I quit drinking my calories. I still drank ... water, black coffee, black tea, diet drinks ... so I wasn't dehydrated, I just wasn't consuming so much sugar.

    I lost 5 lb in a couple weeks with that one small adjustment. :)
  • CockneyLady2014
    CockneyLady2014 Posts: 199 Member
    It is hard to give up things that you like. However I am a person that would rather eat my calories. A suggestion for alcohol - dilute a glass with half low cal beer and diet lemonade (can you get that in the USA?). We call that drink a shandy.
    If you "need" the drinks cut down slowly and the advice drink a glass of water first is good. If not then mind over matter and we all have to deal with that if we want to lose weight.
    Good luck.
  • FoxyMars25
    FoxyMars25 Posts: 112 Member
    I usually just drink black coffee, herbal tea, and water. My problem is wine. When I first started losing weight, I made a rule for myself that I am only allowed to drink on weekends and not during the week (previously, I would have at least 1-2 glasses with dinner EVERY night). This rule really helped and I have been about 90% successful with sticking to that rule since 2012. I just make sure that I am creating enough of a deficit during the week so I can drink on Friday/Saturday nights.
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
    If you don't like the taste of artificial sweeteners, but still want to feel like you are getting your fizzy fix, you could try seltzers. They make a lot of great flavors now. No artificial sweeteners, and 0 calories.

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