Can’t Seem to Shed the Weight? Look No Further Than Your Beverages!

Do you enjoy a glass of juice in the morning, a latte pick-me-up, or wine or beer with dinner? What about when you’re running late – isn’t a breakfast smoothie the perfect on-the-go option?

But sometimes, our go-to, favourite beverages may be the one thing preventing us from achieving our weight loss goals. But that’s the thing about beverages – because we drink them – we don’t think about them as ‘food’ nor consider how many calories they might be adding to our diet. But they can. And in a BIG way!

Take for example, your morning smoothie. Packed full of fruit, protein, healthy fats – but too much of a good thing… can be a bad thing! Watch:

• 1 scoop of protein powder, 120 calories
• 1/2 cup of blueberries, 50 calories
• 1 banana, 120 calories
• 1 tbsp of collagen, 30 calories
• 1 tbsp of chia seeds, 100 calories
• 1 tbsp of hemp hearts, 100 calories
• 1 tbsp of nut butter, 100 calories
• 1 scoop of greens supplement, 30 calories

Total: 650 calories

Your smoothie just clocked in at more calories than a Big Mac!

Not to mention, the average Starbucks latte ranges between 250 and 450 calories and that bullet-proof coffee trend that everyone loves – depending on your ingredients – that could be adding as much as 350 calories to you day!

So how can you ensure that your beverages aren’t sabotaging your diet? Keeping a diary of what you’re drinking is a great way to understand how many calories are in your favourite beverages.

And if you do find that you’re ‘drinking your calories’, here are some tips to help you ‘skinny up’ your beverages so you can still enjoy them – while achieving your goals.

Low Cal Smoothie

When making your smoothie, think essentials – Protein, Fats, Carbs and Fruits/Veg and only include one source of each. For fats, you can choose a nut butter, coconut oil or butter, hemp seeds, or avocado). For fruit choose berries (blueberries, cherries, raspberries, etc.) for lower calorie options that won’t spike your blood sugar. Alternatively, for ever lower calorie and carb options, choose frozen vegetables like cauliflower, butternut squash, beets and kale. Use water instead of milk or juice and ensure that your protein powder is a pure source of protein and not a meal replacement shake. Meal replacement shakes have high amounts of carbs and fats and you already have that in your smoothie! And skip the supplements. Avoid greens, spirulina, maca, unless advised by your doctor. With a whole foods, balanced diet you won’t need fancy supplements!

Lower Calorie Coffees and Lattes

When ordering coffee, ask for a misto instead of a latte. It has half the steamed milk. Request that no sugar pumps be added to the beverage or ask for sugar-free pumps instead. Skip the whip cream and the drizzle altogether. Use stevia instead of sugar to sweeten your coffee and replace whole fat milks with skim or nut milks.

Lower Calorie Bulletproof Coffee

For your bullet-proof coffee, only include one source of fat (butter, ghee, coconut oil, XCT oil and MCT oil and be sure to measure your fat source diligently as fat has the highest caloric value of all the macronutrients and can really throw off your diet when over used. Only include one source of protein (an egg, a scoop of protein powder or collagen) or skip the protein altogether.

What else can you do to cut back on drinking your calories?

• Avoid juices and pressed juices – most contain loads of sugar and carbs that will make your blood sugar crash!
• Avoid wine and alcohol – opt for spritzers and other low cal options.
• Opt for zero-calorie versions of vitamin water, pop and carbonated drinks.

Mostly, just being conscious of what you drink will make the biggest difference – and your body will thank you!

With love and nut butter,

Lindsey