weight loss wednesday: what are you drinking

so the one you've all been waiting for - the one where i chastise you for all the soda you're drinking. except i think we've gotten to the age where most people realize how bad soda is and try to limit how much they take in. i grew up in a household where cold cereals were a special treat you had once a week and soda was just as rare. in fact, i sold my soul once for a coke and two candy bars [actually, it was a $100 bill of my dad's i found in the backyard. but still, my family still makes fun of me for making such a poor deal but i still stand by it. at that time, which i think i was about 8, a COKE and TWO candy bars was the best deal in the whole world].

my father used to be a cokaholic [drinking at least 3+ cans a day] and i am a devoted coke-only slurpee fan but i've never been addicted to soda. i've been able to give it up for months/years and not be a big deal. now i drink soda rarely and when i do, it's because i'm sick or need a boost or it's a special treat. because drinks [even slurpees] are a special treat that i enjoy after a meal, not during. i prefer water while i eat. and i've always been lucky to have the best tasting water there is [sorry beaver, utah- my parent's well water beats yours hands down].

now in case you are ignorant about how bad soda actually is for you, take this for a gander
seeing that much sugar makes me sick. but doesn't really make me want to give up that cherry coke.... but consider this. coke can be used to remover rust, oil or grease stains. it used to actually contain cocaine [explains why it's so delicious and addictive]. i found this article particularly interesting on what soda does to your body the second you drink it.

okay so i've got you convinced, soda is the devil. now onto other drinks. for one i am not a fan of protein shakes. i hate their taste so that's primarily why i'm a hater but consider this. this is how much protein you need [depending upon your body weight]. protein, found in eggs, meats, dairy, legumes and nuts are essential for your body and you do need more if you're pregnant or weight training. but more often that not, you can get the protein you need from a balanced diet and multivitamins. therefore, when you chug giant protein shakes you're taking in all these extra calories and your body can only take so much protein. after your body has all it needs, it pees it out. making your pee ridiculously expensive. so shakes are good - in moderation but don't use it as a replacement.

now energy drinks, oh how i loathe thee. these are basically crammed with caffeine and sugar, so why even drink them? sports drinks are great, when you're playing sports. they are beneficial when you need to replace electrolytes that are lost during vigorous exercise. and that yogalates class was not it. therefore you're just drinking calories. moral of the story - just stick to water.

*one drink i WOULD recommend for a treat after a workout would be chocolate milk. it's got enough protein/sugar/carbs to replace what you lost post-workout, it's delicious and it's cheap. and supposedly the new craze in the gym circuit*

i know some people hate water so try adding some lemons/cucumbers/fruit to your water or try those zero calorie flavor boosters but be careful, most of them have fake sugars which are really worse then real sugars. just stick to water 9/10 and use that one time to treat yourself - with a slurpee or soda or drink of your choice. anything other then water is a special treat to be taken sparingly [like chocolate cake - even though i wish i could have chocolate cake everyday]. happy drinking!