Liquid Calories and Fat Gain
I was twelve years old when I read in one of my favorite magazines that short people, specifically women, shouldn’t drink juice because it makes you fat. At 29 years old I am five feet tall, so I was even smaller then. I was confused because there wan’t an explanation as to WHY it “makes you fat” or WHY specifically short people should be careful, but out of fear I didn’t drink juice for a very long time.
It is statements like those that mislead people into crazy, restrictive diets and present feelings of utter confusion when it comes to nutrition. It is statements like those that drive me to make nutrition and fitness as simple as possible for people so they can be educated and reach their goals.
Juice doesn’t make you fat. Fruit doesn’t make you fat. Sugar doesn’t make you fat. There is no food on its own that inherently makes you fat; continuously overeating in calories in comparison to what your body burns daily is what leads to fat gain.
My guess as to why this article specifically targeted short people is because smaller individuals could potentially have a lower Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) than those who are much bigger. BMR is the rate at which our bodies use energy for vital functions such as breathing while we are at rest. This article also specifically focused on women, and this could be because muscle requires more energy to function than fat, and women often have less muscle mass in comparison to men, i.e we tend to have lower BMRs. But, of course absolutely none of this was explained in the article.
What this article also failed to mention is WHY drinking your calories could potentially lead to fat gain, so this is exactly what we are going to examine in this post.
First we will examine liquid calories in general and then we will dive into juices more specifically, looking at the pros and cons.
Liquids such as soft drinks, juice, alcohol mixers, alcohol, coffee drinks, etc. all contain calories, and often a lot of them. Is something containing calories inherently bad? No, of course not. These liquids are often consumed on top of our normal solid food calories, which is where overconsumption comes into play. And remember, continuous overconsumption of calories overtime is what leads to fat gain. So, if we choose to consume liquids full of calories, we need to be mindful that they play a significant role in our calorie intake.
If someone is looking to lose fat (they need to consume less calories than what they burn), drinking their calories would be a sub optimal choice most of the time. Liquid calories in the forms listed above, contain quite a lot of calories without much nutritious value or the ability to leave you feeling full. Feeling full and satisfied is a massively important part of losing fat because it will help reduce the amount you consume.
To lose roughly one pound a week, we should aim to reduce calorie intake by 500 calories a day (3,500 a week) because one pound of fat contains roughly 3,500 calories. Below I have listed common drinks and their calorie content. This isn’t fear mongering and I am not saying you cannot drink your calories, I simply want to help shed light on the impact they may have in your overall calorie consumption.
Florida Orange Juice (no pulp): 8 oz is 110 calories (often we have at least 16 oz = 220 cals)
Coke: 20 oz coke bottle contains 240 cals
Starbucks peppermint mocha: 16 oz is 440 cals
It is clear to see how much liquid calories can add up, especially when consumed on top of our normal daily solid food consumption.
I believe it is important to discuss the health benefits of juices and smoothies and not just focus on fat loss, because that is simply not everybody’s goal. Fruit and vegetable juices can provide a lot of benefits to our diet and make crucial vitamins and minerals accessible to those who do not add the solid form of fruit and veggies into their diet. However, whenever possible we should aim to eat our fruits and vegetables instead of always resorting to them in liquid form so we can maximize the fiber content. We lose a significant amount of fiber when we juice produce rather than eat it whole, and fiber is wildly important in our diet for our intestinal and colon health, feeling full, amongst many other things.
In cases where individuals are looking to increase their calorie intake, whether that be due to recovering from an eating disorder or eating in a calorie surplus to maximize muscle growth (or anything in between), consuming calories through liquid might be a good option to consume quick calories don’t leave us feeling too full.
Growing up and into my early adulthood, I wish I understood that no specific food (or juice) would make me fat. This post is for all of those who are still engulfed in our media’s false advertisement to promote fear and restrictive dieting. With knowledge comes power, and with power you can achieve your health goals.
Thank you for reading! Blogs are updated weekly, so be sure to check back to learn more on fitness, nutrition, and healthy living! To read more like this, check out insideoutfitnesspdx.com
Natural, Florida's. “Florida's Natural Orange Juice Plus Calcium With Added Vitamin D.” FloridasNatural.com.com, 2020, floridasnatural.com/our-juices/orange-juice-plus-calcium-with-added-vitamin-d.php.
“20 Fl Oz.” Coca, 2019, www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/products/coca-cola/original/20-oz/.
“Starbucks®.” Starbucks, 2020, www.starbucks.com/menu/product/496/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Fmochas.