Worst drinks for weight loss
By Teralee Trommeshauser
Sometimes the biggest culprits for adding unwanted calories to our diet when we’re trying to lose weight are the drinks we’re consuming! Not being very substantial, and often “refreshing”, many high calorie drinks sneak past our health radar, undetected. And before you know it, you just can’t seem to drop that last 5, or 10 lbs. Well I’m onto you saboteurs, and I’m here to spread the word.
Suspect #1: Alcohol
Offenses: Being loaded with calories, and slowing our fat metabolism. Alcoholic beverages are often a little too easy to drink, and are generally not limited in intake. A mere glass of wine has over 100 calories alone, and a shot of hard alcohol has pretty close to the same, not including the pop that is usually added! Try choosing healthier, and lighter, options such as a vodka with soda water (squeeze some lime or lemon into it for flavour!). Also, studies have shown that even just 2 ounces of alcohol can decrease our body’s ability to metabolize fat up to 75% for the next 12-24 hours!
Suspect #2: Juice
Offenses: Being glorified sugar water. Most commercial juices are packed with sugars, and other not-so-healthy ingredients. And if your goal is weight loss, it’s best to avoid all juices, even the freshly squeezed. Consider how many oranges it takes to make one big refreshing glass of orange juice. That’s a lot of excess sugars for your body! Try limiting your juice intake to 100% pure juice only, and if you are going to juice your own, try mixing it up with vegetables such as cucumber, and greens, rather than just the high sugary fruits/veggies.
Suspect #3: Lattes, and other fancy coffee drinks
Offenses: Fully loaded with calories and fat, not to mention that dairy can bog down your digestion, and cause bloating, and coffee diverts your liver’s attention away from metabolizing fats, so it can try to process all that crazy caffeine. If you really must get your coffee fix, opt for a black coffee, or americano over a latte. And if you really need to add things to it, use rice, or almond milk, and stevia to sweeten.
Suspect #4: Diet Soda
Offenses: A nutritionally void, chemical cocktail that may be tricking your brain, and your body! Diet sodas not only have zero calories, but zero nutrition, and the artificial sweeteners (including the ones sweetened with Splenda/Sucralose) wreak havoc on your body’s systems. Studies have shown that they may actually be linked to weight gain! Drinking diet soda may also be causing you to be drinking less of more important beverage, such aswater!
Suspect #5: “Healthy” Fruit Smoothies
Offenses: Pretending to be something it’s not! Yes, fruit is good for you. In moderation, like anything else (excess sugars/carbohydrates that aren’t used for energy get stored as fat!). Often times, the fruit smoothies you buy contain a ton of non-organic fruit, low quality dairy and protein products, and fruit juice syrups, and can contain over 700 calories! Make your own, and limit the fruit to 1-2 servings, leave out the dairy, and try adding some greens to make it a complete meal!
Suspect #6: Blended Drinks
Offenses: Fat filled, sugar filled, and often too delicious to resist. Just say no to blended drinks! A pina colada alone can contain 880 calories, and a blended coffee drink made with 2% milk can contain 800. And this isn’t even to talk about all the saturated fat, and sugar content. Repeat after me: I will not drink blended drinks. If you really want something refreshing, and filling, make your own at home so you know exactly what is going into it. Use low fat, or even preferably non-dairy milk such as rice, or almond, and use stevia to sweeten.
Suspect #7: Sports Drinks
Offenses: Containing a mixture of natural and artificial sweeteners, plus a laundry list unpronounceable additives, and synthetic vitamins and minerals (often unabsorbable by our bodies anyway!). If replenishing electrolytes is your goal, use coconut water, or try this homemade sports drink!
Suspect #8: Soft Drinks/Pop
Offenses: Overloaded with sugar and providing empty calories without satisfying your hunger. Oh, and being the only food that has been shown to have a direct link in causing obesity. Need I say more? If you really aren’t willing to eliminate these bad boys from your diet, try Blue Sky soda, an all natural soda sweetened with stevia.
Suspect #9: Energy Drinks
Offenses: Supplying short-term energy, followed by a big crash. Energy drinks are loaded with a list of chemicals, sugars, fake sugar, synthetic vitamins, minerals, and tons of caffeine. If you find yourself lacking energy, take a closer look at your diet. You should be eating for energy, not crashing mid-day and supplementing an artificial high. Substitute these drinks with energy giving food, as well as green tea, and yerba mate.
Suspect #10: Flavoured Mineral Waters
Offenses: Loaded with sugars, and the “vitamins” may not even be absorbable by your body (often synthetically derived, from plastics. Yuck!). Fill up your own reusable water bottle with water, and try adding some fresh lemon, lime, frozen berries, crushed mint leaves, and a sprinkle of stevia.
Teralee Trommeshauser is a BCRPA certified fitness trainer, and owner of West-Kootenay based business, Natural Edge Health & Fitness Coaching. This article originally appeared on her blog.
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