MoniMeals

Holistic Meets Realistic!

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • PRESS
  • Testimonials
    • Moni Meals Reviews
    • Moni Meals Testimonials
    • Fitness Testimonials
  • Modeling
  • Fitness
    • Moni in SHAPE
    • Fitness Site
    • Modeling
    • Fitness Testimonials
  • Contact

3 Things You Should Stop Drinking To Lose Weight

November 30, 2020 by Monica Nelson Leave a Comment

What do you usually do when you want to lose weight? That’s right, you go on a diet. You cut out all of the bad foods that cause weight gain, and you focus on eating fewer calories to ensure you lose weight. Of course, you combine this with a good fitness routine to stay nice and healthy! 

What happens if you do this and still fail to lose weight? While many factors can come into play, there’s an obvious one that people tend to forget about. When following a diet, you often forget to think about what you’re drinking. Your food might be healthy and low-calorie, but your drinks are doing all the damage! Here are three drinks you should cut down on if you want to lose weight:

Source (CC0 License)

Alcohol

Yep, it’s not surprising to see alcohol at the top of this list. There are 7 calories per gram of alcohol, which is almost as many calories as there are in a gram of fat! At least fat has some nutritional benefits – alcohol provides you with nothing. Basically, you consume ’empty’ calories because you’re getting nothing beneficial from it. All you end up with is alcohol breath and a few extra pounds on the scales. Reduce your alcohol consumption as much as you can if you want to see weight loss progress. 

Source (CC0 License)

Soda/Energy Drinks

Next, you have soda and energy drinks. They’re both coupled under the same heading as they share the same problem. These drinks are absolutely chocked full of sugar. As a result, this packs them full of calories that you consume in seconds. You can drink a can of soda in a minute, and that’s over 150 calories gone already. Now, imagine you have one of those with lunch and dinner, plus another one between meals. Suddenly, the calories pile on and make it impossible to lose weight. One solution is to look for soda/energy drinks that have zero calories – though they’re still not good for you and can harm your teeth!

Source (CC0 License)

Fancy coffee drinks

A cup of black coffee isn’t going to add many calories to your day. Neither will a cup of coffee with a splash of milk. Problems arise when you start going to Starbucks and ordering all the fancy drinks. Things like Pumpkin Spiced Lattes or cappuccinos are full of calories – far more than you think! Again, this is usually because of all the sugar in there, along with added things like whipped cream. For context, a grande Eggnog Latte will contain 460 calories! That is insane – you can put together a meal that contains fewer than that. If you are going to get fancy coffee, opt for a smaller size and ask for it ‘skinny.’ This should decrease the calorie count quite substantially. 

The moral of the story is that you should watch what you drink just as much as you watch what you eat. There’s nothing worse than working hard and following a diet, only to drink away loads of calories every day. Cut these three drinks out if you want to see faster weight loss progress.

This is a collaborative post.


Filed Under: Blog

« 10 Ways to Make The Right Decision
4 Key Steps to Healthy Eating This Year »

You Might Also Like

Manage Your Health Better With This Guide

5 Reasons to Start a Food Truck

Why Food Should be the First Thing You Plan Around When Traveling

Bone Broth: What You Need To Know

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

logo
Food Advertising by

Hi! I'm Monica Nelson and I'm thrilled that you're here. As a healthy chef, personal trainer & fitness expert, I love helping people look & feel great! That's why I've developed more than 350 recipes from diet-conscious to decadent - but all delicious - so you can experiment with healthy foods that taste great. Take a look around and try a recipe or two and head over for a quick workout at monicanelsonwellness.com

Food Advertising by logo

Follow Me On Instagram

Let’s fire up the grill and here is a healthy ye Let’s fire up the grill and here is a healthy yet super tasty and fun treat for the 4th!
You can also use this same coconut cream again and just serve with your favorite fresh berries all season long! Enjoy. 

GRILLED PINEAPPLE WITH COCONUT CREAM
🍍🍍🍍

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade:
• 1 tbs coconut oil (can also use olive)
• 1 tsp  ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tbs dark honey
• 1 vanilla bean (can be optional – but I love it here)
• 1 tbs of fresh lime juice
• 1 firm yet ripe pineapple, can buy already cut
For Garnish (Optional):
• 1 tbs dark rum
• 1 tbs grated lime zest from the lime
My Coconut Cream:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)

DIRECTIONS

Marinade:
1. In a large bowl – combine the oil, cinnamon, honey, vanilla bean (if using), and lime juice; whisk to well to blend together. Set aside.
2. Place each pineapple half cut-side down and cut it lengthwise into four long wedges; slice away the core. NOTE: Or you can slice it in rings too, which I do often. 
3. Place the pineapple in the bowl with the marinade and stir to coat the pineapple. Heat up the grill.
4. Place on the grill and cook about 3 to 4 mins. You can baste once or twice with the remaining marinade. Turn the fruit and move it to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat. Baste again with the marinade. Grill until the pineapple is tender and golden, about 3 more mins.
5. Remove the pineapple from the grill and place on a platter. Next, brush with the rum – if using. Last, sprinkle with the lime zest. Serve hot or warm!

For the Coconut Cream:
1. With an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream and cream of coconut until soft peaks form. TIP: You can also use this same cream again and just serve with your favorite fresh berries all season long.

So perfect for a summer treat with friends. Enjoy!
Let’s make my GREEN ME UP smoothie! I’ve been Let’s make my GREEN ME UP smoothie! I’ve been making this smoothie or a variation of it for the past 13-14 yrs, heck before there was TikTok. 😂 Such a delicious way to pack in some serious nutrition and those GREENS. 

Smoothies are an incredible tool to your wellbeing. They are super easy, versatile, and gosh dang - delicious and healthy. (If made correctly). That’s why I’m all about getting my clients on the smoothie train - if they’re up for it. 😉 

Just love providing clients with dozens of smoothie recipes I’ve created packed with protein and fiber, including healthy fats that keep you full 3-5 hrs easily. No matter what season of life I’ve been in personally: serious training, fitness modeling, both pregnancies/postpartum/nursing, healing, and now being a busy mom feeding our kids smoothies each morning, smoothies have been an essential piece.

This is a loose recipe so you can add anything else you want. Just make sure you have your protein source, your favorite veggies (hello phytonutrients), fiber sources and healthy fat. 

** Tip: put all the ingredients (EXCEPT the liquid) in the blender the night before! This tip has helped for years.

🥬GREEN ME UP SMOOTHIE🥬

• Handful of organic greens
• 1-2 cups organic celery (vitamins A, K, C, hydrating, supports digestion)
• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice (makes it thick, extra fiber)
• 1 Brazil nut (gives daily selenium, which is important for fertility)
• 1/4 of an avocado
• 1/4 cup wild blueberries
• 1 tsp organic spirulina @nowfoodsofficial 
• 1/4-1/2 ceylon cinnamon (helps regulate blood sugar, antioxidant)
• 1 scoop @paleovalley bone broth powder
• 1 scoop whey - I like isolate and @nowfoodsofficial has a good one
• Creatine @nowfoodsofficial (fav supplement for 10+ yrs)
• 6-8 oz of unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1 scoop of @beeyawellness for topping, optional 

Other options I rotate in: ginger root, basil & chia seeds, psyllium husk powder, lemon (vitamin C), herbs like cilantro & mint, dandelion greens (great source of vitamin K).

1. Place everything in a HIGH-speed blender (yes this is important. Otherwise you’ll get salad texture). Blend for about 1 min. Enjoy!
Happy 2nd birthday to this special girl who I’m Happy 2nd birthday to this special girl who I’m utterly positive is a true magical fairy princess. We did a purple bday theme to match her cast. We just love watching you shine and embrace your world! 
You bring such joy and laughter to us Aubyn and may your birthday be as extraordinary as you are, sweet one. 💜🎂💜
Your kids are always listening. Always watching. A Your kids are always listening. Always watching. Always paying attention to your every move. They want to be. just. like. you. Healthy habits start young! Glad to see these two at 23 months & 6 yrs old lifting all on their own. 💪🏻

Recently Asher rushed home from school and said “I’m working out for 10 mins to get strong.” Followed by “then I can break free from all the hugs.” We learned that apparently 3 girls at recess hug Asher nonstop and he wants to get strong to “get away from all the girls.” 😳 Never a dull moment.
Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Manage Your Health Better With This Guide
  • 5 Reasons to Start a Food Truck
  • Why Food Should be the First Thing You Plan Around When Traveling
  • Bone Broth: What You Need To Know
  • Naked Collagen: All You Need To Know

Fitness and Meals

Popular Posts

Salad with kale, chickpeas, and butternut squash.
Chocolate chip zucchini muffins with figs.

About

Hi! I'm Monica Nelson and I'm thrilled that you're here. As a healthy chef, personal trainer & fitness expert, competitive athlete & sports model, I love helping people look & feel great! Try a recipe or read a wellness blog and tell me what you think.

Popular Posts

Salad with kale, chickpeas, and butternut squash.
Chocolate chip zucchini muffins with figs.

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress