Kimberly Garrison | A Philly tradition is fat free - but calorie rich

WHAT'S A Philadelphia tradition that's sweet and sinfully delicious? The answer - or one answer, anyway - is water ice.

Just thinking about that irresistible, refreshing, fruity seasonal sweetness puts a smile on your face. Nearly everyone has a favorite flavor, and many see water ice as a great alternative to high-fat ice cream and other fattening frozen desserts.

You're going to get all that fruity flavor and not an ounce of fat, right? While it is true that water ice is "fat free," it most certainly is not calorie-free.

There are nearly 300 calories and 17.25 teaspoons of sugar in a typical 12-ounce serving. That's about five teaspoons more sugar than is found in a typical 12-ounce can of soda.

A 150-pound woman would have to walk at a pace of 3 mph for an hour to burn off that treat. If she's pressed for time, she could simply jump rope vigorously for about 30 minutes.

For the record, when my mom was growing up, she recalls that water ice came in a 4-ounce cup. That's half the size of today's kid's cup at local water-ice stands.

To quote a late-'80s song by Public Enemy, "Don't, Don't, Don't, Don't believe the hype" when you see the phrase "Fat Free."

Don't be misled by our national fat-free fixation. Sure, you'll save a few calories because the fat has been removed. But, fat free, I repeat, is not calorie free!

Remember that the next time you order a large water ice. Which, by the way, is nearly 19 ounces and 450 calories. That's a lot of excess calories, and it doesn't even include the "fat-free" pretzel many people get with their water ice.

A typical 4-ounce soft pretzel is about 400 calories.

Yikes, that would mean your virtuous, fat-free treat could set you back a whopping 850 calories. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that would equate to close to 45 percent of your daily calories. And you haven't even had a nutritious meal yet.

The seductive sweetness of sugar has led many dieters and non-dieters alike down a slippery slope. I must admit, I have tried nearly every frozen dessert from full-fat to "fat free," and I pretty much love them all.

The problem, of course, is the addictive nature of sugar. Once you have that sweetness in your mouth, you want more. Sugar simply does not bring satiety.

To make matters worse, when you continuously assault your body with all of that sugar, you not only increase your weight but also set yourself up for a host of preventable diseases.

The good news is that some manufactures are providing so-called "sugar-free" water ice. Don't ask me how you make sugar-free water ice or why "sugar free" water still has a lot of calories. Beats me.

My personal cold treat is the 15-calorie Popsicle. I don't want to waste too many calories on non-nutritional foods.

So, this summer use some common sense and don't fall for the fat-free scam. Sure, you can enjoy all of your summertime favorites. Just be smart and use portion control by ordering only the smallest possible size. *

Kimberly Garrison is a certified personal trainer and owner of One on One Ultimate Fitness in Philadelphia (www.1on1ultimatefitness.com).

E-mail her at kimberly@1on1ultimatefitness.com. Her column appears each Thursday in Yo! Chat with her on her Daily News weblog, the Girlfriends' Locker Room, at www.girlfriendslockerroom.com. Her new podcast, "Philly Fitness and Health," is available for download every Thursday at www.philly.com.