Coffee Energy Drinks... how bad is bad?

Hi everyone!

I'm sort of in maintanance mode, and have been doing pretty well.  However, I'm caving in at the moment and am having a 250 calorie full throttle vanilla coffee energy drink.  250 calories is a LOT, but there isn't a ton of sodium... just a lot of carbs and sugar, and it only puts me at approx 900 cals for the day so far.  So I guess what I'm asking is, anybody know what kind of effect this drink will have on a dieter?

Like... if I have sodium, I gain water weight.  My diet is rich in carbs already so I doubt it will affect me.  I don't eat TOO much sugar in a typical day (Mainly from oatmeal, mini wheats and fruit) so I don't know how the added 45g is going to be...

Any ideas? :)

If it's in your calorie range, enjoy.  If it's not, just be aware of what you're doing.

If your overall nutrition is pretty good then drinking 250 calories in sugar form isn't going to hurt you.  If you're subsituting basic nutrition for sugar it's bad, but if it's an occasional treat it won't do any harm.

Original Post by smwhipple:

If your overall nutrition is pretty good then drinking 250 calories in sugar form isn't going to hurt you.  If you're subsituting basic nutrition for sugar it's bad, but if it's an occasional treat it won't do any harm.

 Overall my nutrition is mostly carbs, plenty of fiber, some protein (not enough... working on that) and fruits.  I tend to eat the same thing every day.  No substituting today, just needed to kick my butt into gear! :)

The source of carbs does matter.  Your body will treat fruit and vegetables which have carbs very differently from donuts or coffee drinks which also have carbs.

As far as protein goes, are you vegetarian?  There are lots of sources, but being a vegetarian can make it a bit trickier to get enough in.

Original Post by smwhipple:

As far as protein goes, are you vegetarian?  There are lots of sources, but being a vegetarian can make it a bit trickier to get enough in.

 'fraid not.  I just can't seem to get enough in my diet.  I get cereals with added protein or that has a lot of soy in it, breads with added protein, cottage cheese... once in a while chicken is tossed in my meal plan.

Hard boiled eggs are a great source.  If you're not vegetarian it's easier to get protein from meat.  I keep a bag of frozen chicken breasts in the freezer and dice one up in a stir fry.