So, youre hooked to having a sugary drink with your meal?
It’s something I see people doing every almost every single day, with every single meal. I guess the general excuse is because since they’re eating ‘outside’, lets have a fancy sugary drink. Right? But what’s wrong with water? Do you really need a glass of iced lemon tea to go with your meal? It’s totally OK if you only do it once in awhile. But there are people I know who do this every single day. There are times I go to lunch with my colleagues, and suddenly, its as if the word ‘water’ has been removed from their vocabulary.
What’s wrong with having a glass of water at a your favourite restaurant? Nothing.
What’s wrong with ordering a glass of water at posh hotel restaurant? Nothing.
Must you order a glass of iced milo or teh-tarik just because you’re at a mamak restaurant?
To those of you who couldnt care less about consuming unnecessary calories, I guess this post wouldnt mean much. But there are those of you out there who try so hard to lose weight, complain that you’re overweight and that your diet isnt working, complain that you can’t seem to cut calories from your diet, but yet - overlook such an obvious mistake. Oil isn’t the only thing you need to be aware of when you’re counting calories. This one’s for you.
Sad to say, but these are unnecessary calories that are SO EASY to avoid. Why put so much of effort to run on a threadmill, or to carefully select your food, but then add damage all because you insist on having your ice-lemon tea, or iced milo, etc. Though its not wrong, I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is one area where you have complete control over.. so why waste the chance?
To those of you addicted to canned sodas, let’s take a can of regular Coke for example, which is 139 calories. Drink one everyday for a month, and thats an additional 4170 calories per month. If you didnt already know by now, an EXCESS of 3500 calories causes you to put on 1lb of weight. So, if that can of Coke is an excess of calories everyday.. now do you see the impact just a ‘drink’ a day can have? It’s a different story if you’ve factored in the calories to your diet already though.
If you think you don’t have the willpower to do so, then you can always try switching to a calorie free soda first, like a Diet Coke, Pepsi Light, or H2OH. If you have the time, see my previous write up on Calorie-free Sodas.
I’m writing this right after getting home from church on a lovely Sunday evening, after which they served some light refreshments… and though they served packet drinks (which my friend Manju was having a field day with… but she’s not on a diet.. so i’ll let her off the hook ;)) and cakes, etc, I was relieved that they also had packaged water at hand. Excellent.
Can’t stand plain water? Some people find plain water with a twist of lemon to be easier to drink than water alone. It’s probably easier to get a lime here in Malaysia. But then again..personally, if you ask me - if you can’t stand the taste of plain water… what one earth is wrong with you? I would love to personally slap some sense into you. And perhaps a spank, if you’re cute. ;)
Learn to love a glass of water. It will do you so much good. Cheers! - to a glass of water.
See previous write-ups on Eating Clean:
- Eating Clean - Tips for Overcoming The Dilemma
- The Problem With Eating ‘Clean’ Outside
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I undestand u DM!
I was once someone who felt that if I ate out, might as well go all the way and drink something with flavour, so it was teh tarik if i ate nasi lemak or roti canai, an ice-blended latte at those fancy coffee outlets to go with my calorie-laden pastry, sirap limau if i ate at a local halal chinese economy rice shop, rootbeer with float if it was A & W, and the list goes on.
Then, I started to have sudden onset of epistaxis (that’s nosebleed). That was when I learned i had high blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance(or prediabetes, meaning i am sort of a borderline diabetic) PLUS my cholesterol was way off limits, esp my bad cholesterol and my good cholesterol was way too low. I was weighing 106kg then on my 176cm height frame.
A visit to the dietitician(on the advice of my attending doctor and after prescibing me medicine & advice on exercise, etc) I was told to cut ALL sugary drinks and drink only plain water/unsugared coffee or tea, etc.(plus other relevant dietary advice, of course).
It was hell, I tell you. Life actually seemed like hell having to only drink plain water. But after a few weeks you get used to it. After a few months, you actually enjoy the taste of coffee without sugar so much so that you will find sugared coffee kind of revolting! And ordering plain water is actually OK even at posh restaurants and even fancy wedding dinner at 5 star hotels - and as far as I know, my request for plain water has never been denied, and whaddya know - you won’t be the only one. I once sat at a table for 10 at a wedding dinner at a posh hotel and 5 of us on the same table asked for plain water - and there were no disapproving looks, no people commenting on how weird we were, etc.
So for the people who think that switching to plain water is something you can’t do “because you eat outside most of the time” let me tell you that’s a load of crap! Even at open houses/parties at private residences you will find that many people actually provide plain drinking water for health-conscious guests.
Anyway, do what I do. Keep a bottle of clean drinking water/mineral water in your car in case you are in the rare place that doesn’t provide water for drinking.
Cheers, Yam Seng, Salute and whatever else to good old plain H20!!
Aiyo…. you better kill me if I can’t have my kopi-o fix early morning. I still cannot adapt to kopi-o without sugar leh…
Personally I prefer Chinese tea.
amirfuadh: Nice to know we’re on the same wavelength. I wish you success!
Chong: Ever considered using low-calorie sweeteners? TESCO Malaysia’s sweeteners (a pack of 300 tabs for under RM6+if i’m not mistaken) is the best deal you can get out there. I always keep a pack handy in the office. Not all of us are as strong as amirfuadh.. dude.. how on earth do you enjoy sugarless coffee? Drinking it can la.. but I don’t think i’ll ever enjoy it.
KY: Ah.. I forgot to mention Chinese tea. Thanks. When I’m at a Chinese restaurant, I normally opt for chinese tea too. I just hope that you’re not one of those who believe that a glass of chinese tea will err.. ‘wash down’ the fat in the meal? Cos honestly.. I think it’s a load of rubbish.
DM : To be honest, i just drink tea all the time without any sugar, or black coffee, just need it for the caffeine fix haha. LOL and I recently found a pack of 150mg caffeine pills in my suitcase, didn’t remember it was still there LOL.
amir : well done, im still guilty of having alcohol….not sweet drinks haha. But i’ve been cuttin down on alcohol alot the past 6 months and results are showing.
chong : In a short while u’ll get used to the bitter taste of tea n coffee without sugar.
DM: Enjoying sugarless coffee? Well, didn’t come quite easy for me as well, it’s sort of an acquired taste which develops over a few months (maybe will take longer for other people) and now for me coffees and teas(all types of teas- Earl Grey is my favourite) taste better sugarless and for me now sugar kind of “kills” the original taste of the beverage.
Well, one man’s meat is another man’s poison, right?
KY: Yup, I definitely agree that Chinese tea is a good choice, calorie free(or at least negligable) and good accompaniment to Chinese cuisine. Ditto for green tea for Japanese cuisine.
Whatever is said and done, the fluid our bodies need is water. If we drink flavoured beverages, our body still uses mainly the water. The extra calories in sugared drinks if not “burned” by activity/exercise will be stored as fat. Also if you are a diabetic/potential diabetic like me, the more you stay away from sugar the better.
what abt coke lite/pepsi lite, etc..
is it more harmful or is it a good alternative to regular canned soda..
is lite canned soda addictive?? I do crave for coke lite every other day..like black sugarless coffee which is a daily necessity to me, in order to survive the day.
I love coke too. But I’ve cut down drinking coke tremendously. I only consumed about 2 to 3 cans of coke a year.
Why I stop drinking coke? It contains extremely high amount of sugar. A person like amirfuadh knows too well of how harmful is sugar to our body.
DM: Thank you for giving me the tips. My kopi-o is state import from Alor Setar. A 2 in 1 sort of drink. This is my only drink of the day that contains sugar, usually. Unless, my colleague invites me for a cup of teh tarik in the evening. Of course, my teh tarik is always kurang manis.
doglover: Generally speaking.. its always good if you’re not hooked to canned drinks/sodas… cos there’s tonnes of other stuff in there that you could easily do without in your everyday life. However, if you MUST, then of course a ‘lite’ version of the drink is a better alternative. Coke lite and Pepsi lite are both diet versions of the original drink. Just turn the can around and read the label. Look for sugar content, and overall calories. Diet sodas are usually 1calories, or less.
Is it addictive? Well.. i guess you could get hooked to the caffeine. And how can you say that coffee is a necessity? It’s not. Even if its addictive and you’re addicted to it.. you forget that you also have full power in you to kick the habit if you want to.
heh, i think that most ppl order drinks other than plain water is they are afraid to be labelled ‘cheap’? And another reason is in restaurant or anything more posh than your regular mamak or kopitiam is the exhorbitant price they slapped on plain water.
Power to H20! :p
DM: Oi, go light on the canned drinks… i know your having one even as im typing this. 1 calory…? That is such a balony. You all actually believe that..? PROPAGANDA i tells you. They wanna make you all fat…. bwahahahaha! Come DM, i treat you ais-kosong at my mamak downstairs…hehehehe.
Should start a book… I Love My Teh Latte
Staying hydrated throughout the day is an aspect that is so taken for granted these days. If a cup of coffee does not count… maybe seven? Yeah right. I just scolded someone close to my heart just because she says she drinks 2litres of water on top of her 3 cups iced-nescafe a day and claims to be well hydrated… naggy little bitch aren’t i?
You see, im not like DM dispensing all my knowledge to all of ya… Any Tom, Dick or Harry knows the story that a can of coke is equivalent to 9 tsp of sugar. Theres more secrets to it just that you just gota learn things the hard way.
Im just here to entertain DM…yeah baby. You want me all formal schmormal (we’re all certified SportsPerformanceNutritionists) to yourself? Do drop by… we’ve got a credit card terminal right here waitin fer ya…. hAhahha.. just kiddin’… or am i?
Yeah. Water is source of life. Drink lots of water everyday and you will be benefitted from it. Agree with you totally.
Jay: 3 cups of cofee is okay lar. Though its dehydrating.. you’re still taking in more water by the coffee itself, don’t you think? Don’t be so hard on your woman lar dude. Oh yeah.. I saw the credit card terminal the other day.. nice to know its now ONLINE. *swipe-swipe*
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