Stop drinking your calories.
In general, liquid foods tend to be less satiating (keep you feeling full) than their solid counterparts, this can cause issues when fat loss is the goal.
You see liquid foods bypass what we call the “cephalic” phase of eating, which refers to the effect that the smell, taste and chewing of food has on your subsequent appetite and your hormones that regulate appetite. This is down to the fact that you can drink liquids much quicker than you can chew foods, so it doesn’t allow time for your stomach to tell your brain that you are full.
Fruit juice compared to whole fruit is a brilliant example of this, you can easily chug down a bottle of fruit juice, but the equivalent in whole fruit takes much longer to eat. You also get the benefit of the fibre and other micronutrients from whole fruit that is lost as part of the juicing process. Now of course there are a few exceptions to this, but for the most part this rings true every time.
So that milky coffee you get everyday with lashings of syrup on top? This could be the difference between you losing fat and hitting those weight loss goals you have:
Do you indulge in a few pints every evening after work? Or a few glasses of wine on the regular with meals? Those calories can add up quick!
That “innocent” little smoothie you have with lunch every day because you think it’s “healthier.” The truth is these could all be significant barriers to you creating an energy deficit required to lose fat.
So what if you need a liquid fix?
Contrary to what you may have read in the press diet drinks can actually help you in your quest for a leaner you too. Not only are they a great way to fix a sweet craving but there’s no evidence moderate consumption of artificial sweeteners is even remotely unhealthy either.
In fact when researchers compared those who drank water or artificially sweetened beverages in terms of weight loss, they found those people who made use of diet drinks not only lost more weight but maintained that weight loss too!
These results suggest that NNS beverages can be an effective tool for weight loss and maintenance within the context of a weight management program.”
Here are the guys over at examine.com with a brilliant post on whether or not diet drinks are bad for you from a health perspective.
You can read Part 5 of the Fat Loss Series here.
