FitSugar

Calories in Summery Smoothies

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:34:23 PDT

It's a hot and humid Summer day and you head to your local smoothie joint for a cool, refreshing smoothie. It's made with mostly all-natural fruit, ice, and a little dairy, so what could be bad? That tall glass of thick, fruity goodness might taste like it's good for you, but the amount of calories you're consuming will most definitely stop you midslurp. Check out the breakdown below and see how your favorite smoothie stands.

Keep in mind that these calculations are based on 16-ounce servings, and many places serve up your smoothie in a much taller cup, which means even more calories and carbs consumed.

Smoothie (16 oz. serving)	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Jamba Juice Banana Berry	270	1	64	3	57	3
Jamba Juice Aloha Pineapple	290	1	67	3	63	5
Jamba Juice Strawberry Surf Rider	300	1	72	2	64	2
Jamba Juice Apple 'n Greens	220	1	50	6	40	5

Not seeing your favorite smoothie? Keep reading to see the nutritional info for smoothies found at Starbucks, McDonald's, and Jack in the Box.

Liquid Calories: What Cold Coffee Drinks Are the Worst?

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:50:07 PDT

Warm weather is on its way, which means it's time for cold coffee drinks! But beware: some of these suckers contain far more calories than that berry scone you're resisting! Men's Health has just released its latest "Eat This, Not That" list, naming the unhealthiest coffee drinks in America. Since we had so much fun on our sandwich quiz, let's see how much you know about these liquid calories in coffee.

Source

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Guess the Calories: Beverage Edition

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:47:18 PDT

Do you drink wisely? It is estimated that Americans consume 20 percent of their daily calories from beverages. All those calories in your drinks add up. Do you know how many calories you're consuming? Take this quiz and see.

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Laid Out in Cubes: Sugar Alert!

FitSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:00:00 PDT

Sometimes we all need a visual reference to help understand exactly how many calories we are actually eating. While the website This Is Why You're Fat has covered the territory of crazy fast food splurges, Sugar Stacks lays out the sugar content of foods in the easily identifiable measurement of sugar cubes. One sugar cube contains about a teaspoon of the sweet stuff and 11 calories. Take a gander at how much sugar is in a medium chocolate shake from McDonald's:
I particularly like the Sugar Stacks comparison of shakes, since I am on a kick about watching liquid calories, but I also appreciate the photos of the sugar cubes and sauces.

Diet Tip: Watch Out For Liquid Calories

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:00:00 PDT

When you're trying to lose weight, your success ultimately relies on the calories you consume being fewer than the calories you burn. In the dieting world, counting calories is the new black, but folks need to remember that liquid calories count, too. New research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health confirms that what you drink is just as important as what you eat. The study found that cutting out sugar-sweetened beverages (they included high fructose corn syrup in this group), like sodas and bottled iced tea, had the most profound effect on weight loss and weight-loss maintenance over the course of an 18-month study. The bottom line: soda has got to go.

For my three favorite soda alternatives,

While, there are many low- to no-calorie drinks out there, water comes to mind first. Staying well hydrated helps to burn fat, so it is both healthy and helpful for dieting. If H2O bores your taste buds, add a slice of lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber to your glass. By mixing sparkling water and juice you can create a flavorful spritzer. Green tea is calorie-free and full of health benefits; it can also help speed up your metabolism. What is your favorite soda alternative?

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Which Beverage Contains More Calories?

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:30:00 PST

Watching your caloric intake is a great way to lose weight, but we often forget - or don't realize - just how many calories are packed into the beverages we drink. Let's test your liquid calorie smarts with this quiz.

Question 1 of 5

Which caffeinated beverage contains more calories?

Find the Food Equivalent of What You Drank

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:00:38 PST

The first words out of a host's welcoming mouth are often, "What would you like to drink?" with the expectation that you'll be enjoying an alcoholic beverage upon arrival. Indulging in moderation is just fine, but when we're not pouring our own beverages, moderation is a greater challenge.

The only beverage that can be measured in exact calories is a bottle of beer, but when we're being served glasses of wine, champagne, or mixed drink concoctions, the number of calories in our cups becomes cloudy. For some clarity, check out BBC's cheeky Alcohol Experiment. While it's not entirely accurate because you can't specify types of beer or hard alcohol, the tool gives you a rough idea of the liquid calories you consumed - as well as the junk food equivalent. To find out what it does,

For example, if you drank a double mixed with tonic and a beer, the website calculates the calorie intake (345 calories) and shows the food equivalent: two jaffa cakes (must be a British cookie) and a hot dog. Although I have doubts about its accuracy, the website serves as a reminder that most alcoholic beverages are empty liquid calories, which can affect our waistlines as much as calories we eat. It's something to keep in mind this season when our holiday party hosts ask if we'd like a refill.

Know Your Liquid Calories

FitSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:00:00 PST

When it comes to celebrating during the holidays, remember that drinks contain calories too. Mulled wine, hot apple cider, spiced rum, hot toddies, and eggnog are delicious, but these kinds of beverages can add hundreds of calories to your meal. Let's see just how many with this quiz.

Source

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Thinking About a Juice Cleanse? 4 Ways It Can Cause Weight Gain

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:19:17 PDT

Whether it's to improve energy, clear acne, Spring clean the digestive system, or shed a few pounds, juice cleansing is all the rage now. Even celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Richie are buzzing about the benefits of liquid detoxing. Before you splurge on a juicer or lay down the dough for a liquid detox program, learn how a juice cleanse may lead to weight gain.

Hard-to-measure liquid calories: Since all the calories you're consuming are liquid, if you're not watching your intake, it's easy to consume well over the daily limit. (A pressed juice averages between 100-350 calories per 16-ounce bottle.) Make sure you have a plan to follow and an accurate way to determine how many calories are in each glass or bottle you're drinking. Most retail juicing programs provide calorie counts, but are also pricey to join.
Messes with metabolism: A typical juice cleanse lasts anywhere from three to seven days (or sometimes longer), where you drink 32 to 64 ounces of freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juice each day. When your body doesn't get the all the nutrients (or the amount of calories) it's used to, it stresses out because it thinks it's starving. Often the body reacts to this by slowing down its metabolism, which can make losing weight harder in the future. And while juicing is an easy way to deliver phytonutrients to the body, the fruit-based juices tend to be high in sugar, which can negatively affect insulin levels in the body.

Continue reading for more ways a juice cleanse can cause weight gain.

Not So Fast: 4 Ways Post-Workout Snacks Lead to Weight Gain

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:48:51 PDT

After finishing an intense workout, refueling is a must to restore water, electrolytes, and energy. But if you're not careful the snack you choose could end up undoing the good you've done, leading to extra pounds on the scale. Before grabbing just any old snack after working out, learn how the wrong choice can lead to weight gain.

Chowing on a minimeal: A post-workout snack is just that - a snack. And unless it's mealtime, what you eat after an average workout should be around 150 calories. Since healthy foods like trail mix can be high in calories, measure out a serving instead of mindlessly chomping straight out of the bag. If you're looking for some ideas, here are 10 post-workout snacks under 150 cals.
Chugging a sports drink: Liquid calories are still calories, and if you gulp a 120-calorie bottle of Gatorade along with a snack, calories really start to add up. For workouts under an hour (or low-impact activities), good old zero-calorie H2O is the perfect way to rehydrate.
Choose wisely: While you could really go for an enormous brownie after your run, it's not the best way to refuel after a workout. Your body needs carbs and protein, and if you choose a sugary or high-fat treat, you'll be hungry for something else soon after, which means consuming more calories. High-fat and sugary foods are also not the best choices when it comes to repairing the muscles to prevent soreness the next day.
Rewarding yourself with food: I'm all for rewarding fitness goals, but edible rewards are risky business. Hitting the ice cream parlor for a waffle cone or local café for a plate of cheese fries may sound like heaven on earth, but constantly using high-calorie foods as a way to pat your fit self on the back means tons of extra calories consumed. Find other healthy ways to reward your efforts, such as getting a pedicure, buying a new fitness top, or hitting the movies with your running buddy.

Source: Flickr User mary_thompson