People trying to lose weight watch the plate and forget the glass. The problem is that drinks have calories and barely fill you up. You drink 300 kcal of juice and, half an hour later, you're just as hungry as before.
Why your body doesn't "discount" what you drink
Studies comparing the same calories in solid and liquid form found that after a drink, people don't eat less at the next meal. After solid food, they do. In practice, what you drink lands on top of what you eat.
Where they hide
- Juice, even fresh: a large glass of orange juice easily tops 200 kcal. The whole fruit fills you up more.
- Coffee with sugar and milk: three sweetened coffees a day can add up to more than 150 kcal.
- Soda and bottled tea: a regular can has about 140 kcal.
- Alcohol: besides the calories, it opens your appetite and unlocks the "might as well".
- Smoothies and coffee-shop drinks: some carry the calories of a full meal.
How to cut back painlessly
- Log everything you drink for one week. That alone shows where the excess is.
- Swap one thing at a time: soda for the zero version, juice for the fruit, half the sugar in your coffee.
- Keep water in sight. A lot of "I feel like drinking something" is thirst.
In BoraDrinks are logged like any food. When one shows up in your day, you see right away how much of your budget it took.
Sources
- DiMeglio DP, Mattes RD. Liquid versus solid carbohydrate: effects on food intake and body weight. International Journal of Obesity. 2000;24(6):794-800.
This content is for information only and doesn't replace advice from a doctor or dietitian.
