Can't Lose Weight? Count LIQUID Calories!

Many times when people are frustrated with weight loss, they look and look again at their food records and insist that they are eating only healthy food in small portions, yet the scale wont budge. There are certainly multiple reasons for this, not the least of which is the scientifically proven human tendency to record LESS than we consume and MORE than we exercise. It's not purposeful cheating, but small things such as forgetting the handful of M&M's off a co-worker's desk, or chips at a Mexican restaurant (we didn't ORDER chips, right?) or assuming we must have walked "at least a mile" during the day (without counting steps on a pedometer.)

My focus today, however, is on the portion of calories that we all tend forget- the LIQUID calories! Yes, Virginia, the liquid calories count, too...and often way more than you'd expect. Let's review some common ones:

Soda: 1 can of Coke is 140 calories
Starbucks:Tall Cafe Latte with Nonfat milk: 126 calories (Grande: 168 )
Caramel Frappuccino Blended Coffee with whipped cream: Brace yourself- 430 calories!! (Note a McD's Quarter pounder is 410)
Wine: 4 oz- a HALF CUP- glass of Chardonnay~90 kcal. MEASURE your glass once- most of us drink at least 6-8oz- check the picture above!
Frozen Margarita: 180 kcal for 4 oz...but most Margarita glasses hold 12 oz, which is over 500 kcal!
GATORADE: 12 oz is 310 kcal.

Recognize that 3600 calories equal one POUND, which means your simple morning coffee may be adding a pound or more per month. Or your workout drink, ironically, can easily do the same.

BOTTOM LINE: Focus on WATER the most, and low or no calorie drink options if you are trying to lose weight!

Mixing Drinks & Medications?

People have become increasingly cavalier about mixing medications. In our age of polypharmacy, we think nothing of taking this pill for our heartburn, plus this one for ADD, and that one for anxiety and depression. In fact, our doctors prescribe these combinations all the time, usually with good reasons and positive effects.

Why am I writing about this? Because there are (at least) two major problems that result from this mindset.

1. People like to SHARE. We want to help our friends, and often people share their PRESCRIPTION medications-from saved up antibiotics, to cough suppressants, pain pills and anxiety medications. When you remove the medical professionals (both providers and the pharmacy team) from the equation, there are no checks and balances to watch out for drug interactions.

2. People forget ALCOHOL is a drug. Especially this time of year, alcohol is offered and consumed without a second thought to whether or not it might interact with prescription medications. The most DANGEROUS combinations are ALCOHOL, NARCOTICS (pain pills and cough suppressants) and ANXIETY MEDICATIONS (like Xanax/Valium, etc.) Please note- your SLEEPING PILL falls into this category as well!
In this case, 1 +1= 3 or more, as the additive effects are much greater than the individual effects simply combined. In particular, you can STOP BREATHING when you combine these drugs. And BREATHING is good, right?

PLEASE, before you toast the season, picture your prescription bottles sitting in your drink. Is this MIXED DRINK safe?

BOTTOM LINE: PLEASE, do NOT share prescription medications, and do not COMBINE alcohol, narcotics, and/or other sedatives!