Whether you need to lose weight to reach a healthy weight goal or if it is a condition of your treatment of a certain medical diagnosis, losing weight is easier said than done. Many people are reluctant to diet in order to lose weight because they believe they have to give up their favorite foods, and it is typically necessary to limit your intake of certain foods or beverages. However, with some planning and evaluation of your diet, you may not have to eliminate favorites like chocolate milk.
Weight Loss
In order to lose weight, one of two things must occur: First, you must change your diet to accommodate less unhealthy foods and thereby less calories. Or, you must burn more calories than you consume. However, both are usually required at some point. It is important to monitor the foods you eat as well as the activities in your exercise regimen to yield weight loss results.
Caloric Value of Chocolate Milk
It's important to understand the caloric value of chocolate milk to understand whether it fits into your weight loss goals. An 8-oz. serving of chocolate milk contains 220 calories. On average, a healthy adult consumes 2,000 calories. One serving of chocolate milk accounts for 11 percent of your daily caloric intake. This is moderate when you are looking to lose weight.
Fat Content of Chocolate Milk
In addition to increasing your intake of beneficial nutrients, it is also important to decrease your intake of elements such as fat, because it could challenge your weight loss goals. One 8-oz. serving of chocolate milk has 8 g of total fat and 5 g of saturated fat. These amounts should not be ignored. For example, on a 2,000-calorie diet, you should not eat more than 44 to 78 g of total fat and 15 g of saturated fat. This serving of chocolate milk accounts for 10 to 17 percent of the total fat intake and 33 percent of the saturated fat intake. Drinking chocolate milk regularly or in quantities higher than the recommended serving will not help with losing weight.
Sugar in Chocolate Milk
Of great concern is the amount of sugar in chocolate milk. For example, the American Heart Association recommends that men limit their intake of sugar to 45 g of sugar each day and that women limit their sugar intake to 30 g per day. An 8-oz. serving of chocolate milk has 26 g of sugar, accounting for 58 percent of men's sugar intake and 87 percent of women's daily sugar intake.
Chocolate Milk and Weight Loss
If you don't want to completely eliminate chocolate milk from your diet and still want to lose weight, it is possible to fit it into your weight loss plan. This can be accomplished by making your own chocolate milk at home and adjusting the ingredients. By using 8 oz. of skim milk and 2 tbsp. of sugar free chocolate syrup, you can reduce a serving of chocolate milk to 95 calories, 0.5 of total fat, 0.3 of saturated fat and 11 of sugar.
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