Thirsty?

In my line of work, hosting guest speakers is part of the job.  This means eating out whenever our organization brings someone in.  A couple of years ago, we sat down with one of these guests for a meal at one of the large restaurant chains in our region.  As the server gathered our drink orders, our guest ordered an unsweet tea and then turned to our table and said, “You can’t drink your calories.”

As the conversation unfolded he revealed that due to his line of work, he ate out for more than half of his meals.  While exercise was part of his routine he realized that his eating habits had to take on a certain form if he wanted to maintain a healthy weight.  His answer to this dilemma was a resolution to never drink his calories.  The conversation left an impression and I began thinking about how many calories I drank a day.

On any given day I would have two cups of coffee in the morning each with the equivalent of 2 sugar packets in each cup.  Then for lunch I would generally have a Coca-Cola Classic and refill at least once before heading back to the office.  In the evenings, I would enjoy a glass of sweet tea with dinner and refill at least once.  Here is what I figured out…

(4) Packets of Sugar – 60 calories

(2) 20 oz servings of Coke – 480 calories

(2) 16 oz servings of Sweet Tea – 192 calories

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Total Calories Consumed – 732 calories!

It is no small wonder that I was having difficulty maintaining a healthy weight in those days.  Changes needed to be made.  Here is how I tackled the problem of drinking my calories. 

·      Instead of using granulated sugar to sweeten coffee and tea, I switched to Splenda.  At the time of this writing, Splenda has not been linked to any of the harmful long-term side effects that other non-calorie sweeteners have been associated with.

·      Instead of drinking Coca-Cola Classic, I switched to Coke Zero.  If you are like me, Diet Coke was not a good fit.  I found Coke Zero to be more similar to the Coke I had grown to crave.

·      I started carrying a reusable water bottle with me to work each day.  Drinking 20+ ounces of water in the morning and again in the afternoon does a lot to curb your desire for other sweet drinks when tempted.

You may have your own method of replacing calorie rich drinks with calorie free alternatives.  The key is finding something that works for you!  The important thing is to make the following commitment… Don’t drink your calories!