Statistics show that Americans are getting fatter in spite of their gym memberships and interest in health. Why is this? In my humble opinion, I believe it’s because we don’t really know the facts.

Let’s take your morning cup of coffee for instance. One cup of black coffee has one calorie which is great news to the average dieter. But hold on before you drink up. It's not really the coffee, it is all the things you like to put into it. Like those two teaspoons of sugar: 32 calories. How many more calories you add to this would depend upon your choice of milks and the amount you use. Here are some examples:

¼ of a cup of whole milk is 40 calories
2 tablespoons of evaporated milk is 40
¼ cup of 2% milk is 32.5

So here is an example of how it could add up: One cup of coffee (1 calorie) plus 2 teaspoons of sugar (32 calories) and ¼ cup of 2% milk (32.5) equals 65.5 calories. Now I bet you thought your cup of coffee didn’t count. But your cup of coffee at home is probably the least of your worries.

We often grab a cup while we are out. When someone else is making our coffee, here is where the danger lies. McDonalds and many other coffee shops will make your coffee for you but is that person using a measured amount of sugar? This alone will probably add more calories than you yourself would add.

The specialty coffees like the holiday Pumpkin Spice available at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are special indeed and contain a lot calories that many people are unaware of. This is because many of these coffees contain syrups and fats. (Why else would it taste so good?) You can check the nutrition section on their websites to be sure.

DUNKIN DONUTS-

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Serving Size 10 fl.oz.
Calories 160
Calories from Fat 45

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Serving Size 10 fl.oz
Calories 220
Calories from Fat 50

STARBUCKS-

Pumpkin Latte

Serving Size 12 fl. oz.
Calories 260
Fat Calories 8

Add a little whipped cream and the numbers do change.

Calories 330
Fat Calories 130
Total Fat (g) 14

I love to enjoy life. I would never say never to anything that I really want. But armed with information, I can make an intelligent choice. Instead of having this item every day, it could be an occasional treat or I can make adjustments on other items in my diet in order to include this item more often. You can also doctor your favorites by requesting skim or non fat milk or skipping the whipped cream.

But the bottom line is that what you don’t know can hurt your health or success in achieving a weight loss goal.