BAD news this week everyone with revelations that some delicious and chocolaty hot drinks contain the same amount of calories as a plate of steak and chips!

(How is life fair?)

But after the devastation that some of my favourite drinks are laden with hidden fat and calories I thought about just how many of my daily calories are consumed by drinking.

Nutritionists say that many dieters make the mistake of ignoring the calories they have drunk.

They are doing everything else right but are still not losing weight.

But when you realise that drinking that Starbucks Frappuccino is drinking three cheeseburgers worth of calories - then it becomes crystal clear where the problem lies.

(I know - it is very depressing! Even smoothies - yes smoothies- can be laden with calories).

Most people would think it was perfectly acceptable to have two Frappuccinos throughout the course of the day but would never dream of eating six cheeseburgers!

But a calorie is a calorie whether it comes from lettuce leaves, pizza or hot chocolate.

And it is only by monitoring our calorie intake to create a deficit that we can effectively lose weight.

Now I for one am not willing to give up the odd Starbucks hot chocolate but it is important that we all do recognise their calorific content.

For example if a drink has 290 calories in it then compare it to a small order of french fries from McDonald’s.

How many of those would you think it was acceptable to consume in a day/week?

It is really just about being aware about what you actually are putting in your body.

(At this point I really should go on to discuss the hidden calories contained in alcohol - but I am already depressed enough! In fact I think I might go and get myself a nice chilled glass of Rose to console myself! HA!)

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