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!

How Fast Can You Lose 30 Pounds?

You only have to drive around town, flip open a magazine or your computer, and you will see an ad promising weight loss of "30 Pounds in 30 Days". And of course, all you have to do is buy this brand new miracle pill. You don't have to exercise or eat healthy foods. Ready to sign up? I hope not!

Our parents taught us that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Yet, as Americans, we have become so used to instant gratification, we are convinced that somewhere out there exists a pill we can pop for easy, quick weight loss. Let me ask you this- do you think there would be any fat doctors (especially women, forgive my bias!) if such a prescription existed?

So, what is realistic? Well, obviously, it depends on your starting weight. If you are only 20 or 30 pounds overweight, though, a good rule of thumb is a half to one pound per week. It takes a 3600 calorie deficit to lose a pound. Period. If you can burn an extra 250 calories a day (walk 2 -3 miles, for example) AND delete another 250 calories from your usual diet (give up two sodas or one loaded latte per day), then you can expect to lose a pound per week.

Try to look at the big picture. There are 52 weeks in a year. If you make healthy changes such as eating MORE fruits and vegetable servings and moving MORE, you can easily take off those extra 20 to 50 pounds in a year...and KEEP THEM OFF because you did it through small, permanent changes!

BOTTOM LINE: Fast does NOT equal good, nor permanent, weight loss. Realistic, EXCELLENT weight loss is ONE POUND per week, so it will take 6 months to lose 30 pounds.