The Worst Drinks For Weight Loss

People tend to focus on what foods they should and shouldn’t eat when trying to lose weight, however, studies suggest that liquid calories may be the biggest culprit.

In fact, cutting liquid calories is 5 times more effective for weight loss than cutting calories from solid foods according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

And it’s not just soda! Juice, gourmet coffees and alcohol are just a few calorie laden drinks that can pack on the pounds.

The best way to combat this is to eliminate most of, if not all, liquid calories from your diet.  Drink water (add some lemon for taste), tea and coffee, minus the high calories extras.

However, it’s not always that easy to completely ditch your favorite drinks.  So, here’s a list of some of the worst drinks for weight loss and some healthier, lower calorie alternatives.

• A 20 oz bottle of Snapple Lemon Iced Tea contains 250 calories and 58 grams sugar
  Instead drink Honest Tea Honey Green Tea, which contains only 70 calories 18 grams of sugar

• Sunkist Soda contains 325 calories per bottle and 88 grams of sugar
  Instead drink Vitamin Water 10, which is citrus flavored, but has only 35 calories and 7 grams sugar

• Sam Adams Light Beer contains 124 calories per bottle
  Instead drink Becks light, which contains half at 64 calories

• A 20 oz Minute Maid Lemonade contains 250 calories
  Instead drink 16 oz Crystal Light Pink lemonade, which contains only 10 calories

• Rockstar energy drink (16 oz) can contains 280 calories
  Instead drink Monster lo-carb (16 oz), which contains only 20 calories. Or try 5 Hour Energy at only 5 calories

• Arizona Kiwi Strawberry Juice contains 360 calories per can and 84 grams sugar
  Instead drink Snapple Kiwi Pear Juice, which contains only 33 calories and 4.5 grams sugar

• Starbucks Venti 2% Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha contains 660 calories and 95 grams sugar
  Instead drink Grande Skinny Cinnamon Dolce latte (16oz), which contains only 130 calories and 17 grams sugar

• Coldstone Creamery PB&C Shake Gotta Have It Size contains a whopping 2,010 calories and 153 grams sugar
  Instead try Peanut Butter Ice Cream - Like It Size, which contains only 370 calories and 28 grams sugar

As you can see, being mindful of your caloric intake and making simple substitutions like the one’s above, you can literally cut back on hundred’s, and in some cases thousands of calories per day! Just remember, when you do consume liquid calories, make sure they are accounted for and be sure you’re replacing food with them  and not just adding them to your usual food intake!

Sources:

Prevention Magazine

MensHealth.com