Some Drinks are Diet Sabotage

By Avery Hurt

Is what you're drinking sabotaging your weight-loss efforts?

Beverages are the stealth forces of the weight-loss wars. They can sneak in under the calorie radar and sink your battle plan unless you’re armed with the right information. These tips from Susan Aaronson, M.S., R.D., wellness coordinator for the M-Fit Health Promotion Division at the University of Michigan Health System, can help you come out victorious in the campaign against extra pounds.

• Drink one less soda a day and drop 15 pounds in a year. One can of cola contains 9 teaspoons of sugar. Get rid of those empty calories and lose more than a pound a month.
• Trade juice drinks for fruit to cut calories and gain nutrients. Limit yourself to one serving (5 ounces) of juice a day. The rest of your daily servings of fruits and vegetables should come from the actual fruits and vegetables, which contain the fiber your body needs. Also, make sure your juice is 100 percent juice. Some “juices” contain less than 10 percent real juice and about 7 teaspoons of sugar.
• Drink nonfat or low-fat milk to dodge calories. Get three servings of dairy every day to drink in vital nutrients such as calcium, protein, vitamin D, and vitamin A, Aaronson says. But make sure that milk is 1 percent, 1⁄2 percent, or skim—otherwise you’ll be loading up on calories and fat.
• Skip sports drinks unless you’re an endurance athlete. Although they replenish your body with electrolytes that help you retain water and stay hydrated, they also contain sugar—about half as much as soda. “If you plan to exercise for more than one continuous hour, then sports drinks are for you,” Aaronson says. Otherwise, steer clear. Also avoid energy drinks. “They’re not only loaded with calories, but they’ll give you a quick high, followed by an extreme low,” Aaronson says.
• Avoid before-dinner drinks and save the calorie equivalent of a whole meal. It’s not uncommon for a mixed drink to have 300 calories and a decadent frozen drink, such as a daiquiri, to contain 500 or more calories.
• Opt for water whenever possible. “Water is the single most important beverage that we can consume,” Aaronson says. In general, water should comprise 80 percent of a person’s liquid intake. That means the average adult should drink four to six cups of water a day, supplemented with milk and 100 percent juice, to meet total daily liquid requirements.