Q: I love to drink and party but I also want a really flat tummy. Can’t I drink a little and still get myself into shape?
Thanks, Kelly B. TN

A:  This is the truth about the calories your drinks have in them and the effect it will have on your body.

Cosmo 2.5-ounce has 150 calories.
Margarita 6-ounces has 350 calories.
Long Island iced tea 8-ounce 600 calories.
Beer and wine aren’t exactly low-cal either.      One nightly glass of wine adds an extra 700 calories to your diet every week, adding more than 10 pounds of potential flab a year.
    One drink won’t be the end of the world but it does take a toll on our body. Liquor also dehydrates and robs you of electrolytes, both of which can cripple your exercise performance. It’s not going to help you feel good and you are for sure not going to look that good either. Calories from alcohol usually settle in the belly. In other words, put down the six-pack if you want six-pack abs. I think the biggest thing you have to ask yourself is do I want that drink more than I want a flat tummy? Got to fight for what you really want.

Q: Should I cut fat out of my diet. 
I try to eat all low fat or no fat products and foods. Regards, Melissa N. FL.

A: Great question. The primary risks associated with very low-fat diets are becoming ‘fat starved’. If the body senses that it is ‘fat starved,’ it may actually attempt to store any fat that is taken in (an important survival mechanism if one is to go a long time without food). In this manner, the body actually holds on to is fat making fat loss very difficult. The second risk is when athletes undergo heavy training. Taking in very low-fat diets (less than 10 % of calories from fat) may make it difficult to take in enough calories to offset calories burned in training. IFPA recommends that the average person in training aim for approximately 15% of their total caloric intake be derived from fat. 5% of total intake from saturated fat sources. No more than 30% and no less than 5% from fat.

Remember, fat is a nutrient and is needed by the body.

Q: I only drink when I’m thirsty and don’t always bring water with me to the gym. How much should I drink and should I just wait until I’m thirsty to drink water? Thanz, Bobby S. CT.

A: This question is one I wish more people would ask. Most people you know are walking around dehydrated and don’t even know it. Water is involved in many of the biochemical reactions that occur in the body. Most molecules cannot be split without water being present. Carbohydrates cannot be stored without adequate water. Water is important in blood to help transport glucose and carry away metabolic by products, in the urine to eliminate metabolic waste products, and in sweat to help dissipate heat through the skin. Without adequate water intake these processes can be in habited, decreasing performance or even jeopardizing an individual’s health. Often one will not become thirsty until after one is already dehydrated.  Make sure you drink, drink and drink your water. Make sure you drink at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water every day.

Q: I’m never hungry in the morning. So I skip breakfast. My mom is all over me about having my breakfast but I don’t see why I need to eat when I’m not hungry. Help please. Emily H. CA.

A: I understand how you feel. Most mornings I am not hungry either but this don’t mean we shouldn’t have something to eat. Here is the truth about breakfast. Your metabolism is highest early in the day. Denied food in the morning will only serve to slow down your metabolism. Translation: if you skip breakfast or wait too long between meals, your body will store more of the calories that it takes in during the next meal. If you have to have a meal replacement shake in the morning and you can blend up do that. That works best for me on the go or when my tummy can’t handle a cooled meal. Please make sure you eat breakfast. Do not go more than 5 hours without eating. Metabolism drops doing that too.