At just 14 monthsold, our daughter Ella isn’t always the best at sleeping … almost always sleeping through the night, these days, but occasionally (read: LAST NIGHT) she decided she should wake up at 3 AM and not want to sleep for the next hour before we had to get up for Mohr Results Boot Camp

Sometimes leaving me and Kara woozy … tired doesn’t even scratch the surface.

But we of course need to still function during the day — at 5:30 AM during adventure boot camp and throughout the day.

As I sat drinking a few cups of green tea this morning, Kara drinking her coffee, I thought about one of the most common questions we get — "is it OK to drink coffee?"   For some it’s a savior — what I call a "liquid nap."  But is this drug (yes, caffeine is a drug) a true necessity?  It surely can help keep you alert (particularly with a non sleeping baby at home).

I have to be honest, I would never in a million years get between a person and their coffee.  Of course not everyone is a coffee drinker, but for some it’s a staple.

So if you’re trying to lose weight and you’re paying attention to your calories and all of your food where does coffee fit in?  I have to be honest, I’m fine with you drinking coffee … it’s not coffee itself that’s the "issue" it’s everything most put in it.

Sugar, cream, half and half, or that horrendous artificial, imitation, fat free creamer junk.  

Those things all add up — 100 calories here, 100 calories there — and you’re left wondering why you can’t reach your fat loss goals.

A regular cup of black coffee — no calories — no worries.  In fact, there are some very unique health benefits to drinking coffee — in fact, one study recently came out suggesting a couple cups per day can help post menopausal women keep their memory sharp as a tac!  It’s also a powerful source of antioxidants. 

However, on the downside, a coffee shop latte can pack a wholloping 400-500 calories!

Talk about sabotaging your fat loss efforts!  Particularly when coupled with a scone, muffin, or whatever else you may pick up on the way to the office.

The bottom line is you need to know how many calories you’re truly taking in and how they all fit in your daily routine.  Drink an extra 100 calories each day (which would be just a bit of whole milk and 1 tsp of sugar in a coffee) and you’ll pack on 10 extra lbs at the end of the year.  Couple this with other added calories and that weight can come on pretty quickly.

And if you were to rationalize that you’re going to exercise to "balance" out those added calories, remember that walking or running 1 mile burns just 100 calories.

Therefore, drink a latte and run 5 miles — you’ve essentially stayed the same.

Not that I’m saying walking or running is the best way to burn fat, but you get the point.

Moral of the story?  You need to account for the calories you put in your body … all the calories you put in your body.

3 Things will help you do this:

1. Eat attentively – don’t eat or drink when distracted.  That means NOT in front of the TV, while reading, or in front of your computer.  Doing any of those means you’ll eat more calories, without even "knowing" it.
2. Avoid the extra BLT’s — bites, licks, and tastes — tasting while cooking, finishing off your kids’ drinks or foods, or eating before putting food away (you know, when there’s leftover dinner and you take a few bites before you put it away)
3. Write down what you eat and drink – this increases your awareness and will help you lose fat.

 Oh yeah, and coffee is OK — just watch those added calories.

We had to take Ella to the local Children’s Hospital this morning.

Fortunately not for anything major — no emergency — just a simple ultrasound because she was breech. They like to do an ultrasound of the hips to make sure everything is AOK.

And much to her credit, she behaved REALLY well (just slept through the entire thing) — must have been because she was so exhausted after being up all night last night!

So anyway, we walk into our appointment this morning and saw a dad…with his 2 kids (probably 4 & 7 years old). And EACH one of them had a 7-11 drink in hand! The dad had a SUPER Big Gulp, which is SIXTY FOUR OUNCES (or 2 liters) and the two kids each had their own, 32 oz beverage!

Now I’m not placing judgment — they could have all been filled with purified water for all I know (doubt it, though).

I’m not sure what it feels like to load up your body with 4-8 cups of soda or a Slurpee first thing in the morning, but I don’t think it would be much different than pouring mud down your throat.

Here is my morning routine — whether I am heading to boot camp or not — and also barring any Ella outbursts for a diaper change and/or immediate “hold me” cry.

1. Fill up a large (12 oz) glass with pure water.

2. Heat up some water to brew some green tea.

3. Put together my morning meal to get me started right.

I’d love to hear what you do each day? Click on the comments button above and let us know.