Everyone likes to hang out at Spokane Bars and with friends and family to party this time of year. And most of the time, we totally ignore the calories in the drinks we are consuming. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Many of our favorite holiday drinks have more calories and most meals we are eating at the same time! Here are a few slightly healthier alternatives to those holiday favorites, and what the traditional stand-by’s are doing to our waist lines.

Egg Nog

Egg Nog is rich, creamy, and oh-so-yummy. And like most things that fall into that decadent category, it is LOADED with calories. One cup of Egg Nog can set you back 343 calories and 19 g of fat, and that’s without the booze. Add a shot of rum, that number jumps to well over 400 calories per cup. Add whipped cream and more rum, and its caloric content sky rockets.

Light egg nog is better but only slightly. A cup has 280 calories and 4 g of fat.

Ginger Snap Latte

Many of our favorite Spokane coffee bars offer tons of delicious holiday treats, like Spokane Starbucks Ginger Snap Latte. (formerly Gingerbread Latte). Warm, spicy and sweet, it’s the perfect pick-me-up on a dreary winter day. But a grande Gingersnap Latte with whipped cream will run you 340 calories and 13 g of fat.

Want to slice a few numbers off that count? Order yours with non-fat milk (2% is the default) and no whip. Even then, you’re still looking at 220 calories, but you’re saving yourself 120 calories, which can really add up over time.

Hot Buttered Rum

Anything with butter and rum can’t be all that great for you. There are 500 calories in a half-cup serving! If you have a full cup, you have half your daily caloric intake in a single drink. With so many other hot drinks out there that aren’t so high in calories, add this one to your “never gonna drink it!” list.

Mulled Wine

Wine is usually a healthier alcoholic choice in general. So wouldn’t a warmed up version with a few spices added be just as good? Sorry, but no. A glass of mulled wine can have 356 calories an 40 g of carbs.

What makes the difference? Sugar. And lots of it. So stick to standard wine, and avoid the sugar and added calories.

Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is soooo yummy. As soon as the temperature drops, and we are out side skiing, sledding, chopping down our own Spokane Christmas tree, or any of the other wonderful things to do in the cold weather, hot chocolate is on the top of the list for a quick warm-me-up. The calories. A large hot chocolate from your Spokane Dunkin Donuts has 480 calories, 18 g of fat and an astounding 61 g of sugar. To give you an idea of just how much that is, consider this: A Spokane McDonald’s cheeseburger has 330 calories.

So basically, if you don’t want to gain weight over the holidays, it would actually be best to just skip these holiday favorites. And if you can’t avoid them, make sure to work out extra hard with Zach Hunt, from Physzique Personal Fitness!

When trying to lose weight and get in shape, you should attack your Spokane fitness goal from every angle. Not only should you be working out roughly three times a week, you should also be watching your food intake pretty closely. And all of the fast food joints around our places of employment don’t really help with that. So what is the best way to eat a healthy diet while at work and play? Pack your own lunch.

What does a home lunch do for my Spokane fitness?

Not only will bringing your mid-shift meal from home save you about $2,000 a year, it also helps you keep an eye on exactly what you are eating to help with your Spokane fitness. The so-called “healthy meal choices” at fast food joints are no where near as healthy as the food you can make on your own and bring from home. As an example, lets take a look at the calories from one Spokane McDonalds meal:

Double Quater Pounder with Cheese: 770 Calroies (430 from fat)

Super Size French Fry: 610 (260 from fat)

16 Oz M&M McFlurry: 910 (300 from fat)

The double quarter pounder with cheese, super sized French fries and M&M McFlurry come to a total caloric intake of 2290 calories. That is more than one person should be eating in an entire day! You can pack a home lunch of a salad with dressing, fruit as a side, and water to drink for a fraction of the calories! Not to mention the above meal from your Spokane McDonalds would cost you around $12 and your home lunch would cost around that much for several days worth of food! So save your self about $2,000 a year and pack a lunch. And don’t forget to make that visit to Zach Hunt with Physzique personal fitness!

Spokane weight loss camps and Spokane Fitness Boot Camps have become fairly popular recently, but it isn’t a realistic approach to weight loss and changing your mind set to stay healthy. Why would you go away to lose weight? You aren’t at home, and while the setting is ideal to make changes, then when you do return home, life hits you in the face full force and your local Spokane McDonalds, Spokane Burger King, Spokane Dairy Queen, Spokane Cold Stone Creamery, and Spokane Kentucky Fried Chicken’s are right around the corner and you are too tired to make lunch or dinner. In addition, those camps can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $9,000 depending on your length of stay. Why spend the money to go away when you can learn to battle your vices right here in Spokane for between $175 and $500 a month and use a Spokane personal trainer who can customize your workout, help you learn how to eat better and have stronger muscles AND will power?

How can a Spokane personal trainer be better than a Spokane weight loss camp or Spokane fitness bootcamp?

Zach Hunt with Physzique personal training can help you sculpt your body to be lean, fit, and strong. All without going away to a weight loss camp that takes you out of your real life and away from your real temptations. (Not to mention a hefty chunk out of your wallet for only a short time!) By using resistance training combined with cardio work outs, you can lose up to 7 pounds of fat a month, and learn to eat a healthy diet right in your own home. He helps to hold you accountable in your food choices and guides you through the best work out of your life.

Use a Spokane Personal Trainer to turn your life around.

Making the choice to change your life doesn’t mean you have to leave your life to make that change. In fact, it will very likely make it all that much more difficult to keep your life changes in place when you are back at home down the street from junk food, ice cream, and the Spokane movie theater with it’s extra buttered popcorn and 48 ounce Coke’s. Change you life one day at a time, one step at a time in right here with Spokane’s personal Trainer, Zach Hunt.