Coffee, Energy and Extra Fat

Coffee: The Busy Mom's Energy Drink of Choice

The Coffee habit is hard to break for many moms who are in search of the energy boosts needed to start the day and keep the day going. Unfortunately this habit becomes one obstacle in the quest to lose the baby fat and get your Fit Yummy Mummy body back. The extra calories from sugar and fat quickly add up to stall any fat loss efforts.

I spent many a morning and afternoon in my Favorite coffee shop, Starbucks. If I had known what I know now, my ability to lose that extra belly fat might not have been so difficult.

Here are some Shocking Calorie Facts about what your favorite energy drink may contain:

• Dairy Queen Mocha MooLatte: 590 calories
• DQ's French Vanilla MooLatte: 570 cals
• Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Coolatta: 350 cals
• Dunkin' Donuts Caramel Swirl Latte: 230 cals
• Dunkin' Donuts Iced Mocha Swirl Latte: 240 cals
• Starbucks Venti Vanilla Creme: 520 cals
• Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino, 430 calories
• Starbucks Venti Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino: 750 cals

If you are consuming these hard-to-resist treats on a daily basis, you're likely to notice the numbers on your bathroom scale creeping upwards. Hopefully, now that you know you the nutritional information you might think twice about your next coffee run.

Now a gourmet coffee every once in a while is perfectly fine. Life without yummy treats like this would be boring and it's a proven fact that deprivation does not make for a nutrition plan that works long term.

If you must drink coffee on a daily basis, you can make healthier choices. Go for black or control the amount of sugar by requesting non-sweetened drinks, or add your own sugar or artificial sweetener if you prefer.

I do enjoy my caffiene every morning too, but I do so with a large cup of freshly brewed green tea. I save my trips to Starbucks for those "once-in-a-while" occassions when I treat myself, which usually accompanies a trip to the mall or to the salon.