The Best and Worst Drinks for Weight Loss
When you are trying to lose weight, you have got to track how much of which food you are eating and how many calories it contains.
You have to be like a police state, tracking the intake of food every day at all times. But here is where many people still make mistakes.
They do track their food intake diligently, but when it comes to drinks they are either lenient with it or they don’t track the calories at all.
Not tracking liquid calories can be one of your biggest mistakes which can hinder your weight loss progress.
That’s why in this article I want to give you a rough idea of which drinks are good for weight loss and which ones you should limit or avoid completely. Let’s start with the best ones first.
Best Drinks For Weight Loss
Teas
Any tea that does not contain any calories is great for weight loss. I don’t care what you prefer, green tea, hibiscus tea, moringa tea, take your pick.
As long as you are drinking them in their natural form, they are perfectly okay for weight loss.
Because these teas are virtually devoid of any calories, all they have is some micronutrients such as antioxidants which doesn’t impact your weight loss efforts.
Water
Plain water is actually the most weight-loss-friendly drink. Because, yes, it doesn’t have any calories, that’s one.
But if you drink a glass of water at the right time, like say 10 minutes before you are going to eat your meal, it can potentially trick your brain into thinking that you are actually receiving food which will lead it to suppress your hunger levels, so come mealtime, you will actually be less hungry and that will avoid you overeating without you having to put a conscious effort into portion control.
When your hunger levels are naturally suppressed you don’t have to struggle to stop yourself from eating more because your appetite would have diminished.
Green Vegetable Juices
Think about any green vegetables that you like eating, whether it is spinach, kale, or broccoli, you can take all of that and make a juice out of it.
Because these vegetables do not contain any sugar, or at least not in the quantities to do any damage to your weight loss goals.
So, the overall effect of these juices is pretty neutral. And again, if you drink it at the right time, you could lower your appetite and eat less at meal times.
Protein Shakes
When you are on a caloric deficit diet, you will lose weight, but when I mean weight, I actually mean the excess fat storage.
Because your weight is made up of bones, muscles, water, and fat.
So out of these, the goal should be to lose unnecessary weight such as fat and hold onto the muscles.
So to hold on to your muscles or to build more, you have to do two things, some form of weight training and have an adequate protein intake.
Here is where protein shakes will help you out with that.
These shakes have nothing but protein in a concentrated form which is also partially broken down so your body will have an easier time quickly digesting and absorbing it and sending it to your muscles.
Plus, protein intake also helps keep you fuller throughout the day.
Also Read: High Protein Meals For Weight Loss
Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV’s benefit again lies in suppressing your appetite.
Some studies show that the acetic acid in vinegar can slow down the time in which your stomach empties food and goes to the small intestine, so the slower the food moves through your body the fuller you could potentially feel.
So, you could use it to drink it 30 minutes before your meal and use the appetite suppression benefit to not eat too much at mealtime.
Also Read: Best Time To Drink Apple Cider Vinegar For Weight Loss
Worst Drinks For Weight Loss
Alcohol
Alcohol is high in empty calories, meaning it adds calories to your diet without providing any nutrients.
These extra calories can quickly add up and make it harder to create the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
Alcohol can slow down your metabolism, making it harder for your body to burn fat.
Not to mention when you drink alcohol, your body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over burning fat, which is further no bueno for weight loss
Alcohol also tends to lower inhibitions and increase appetite, leading to overeating or making poor food choices that can sabotage your weight loss efforts.
Finally, drinking alcohol can interfere with sleep quality and poor sleep has been linked to weight gain.
All these factors combined make alcohol a poor choice for anyone trying to lose weight.
Soda
Soda is not good for weight loss because it’s packed with sugar and empty calories, meaning it provides energy but no essential nutrients like vitamins or minerals.
When you drink soda, the high sugar content quickly raises your blood sugar levels, causing your body to release insulin to process the sugar.
This can lead to a rapid drop in blood sugar, making you feel hungry again shortly after drinking it.
As a result, you might end up consuming more calories overall. Additionally, the extra calories from the soda can add up quickly, leading to weight gain rather than weight loss.
Drinking soda also doesn’t fill you up, so you may still feel hungry and eat more food, further increasing your calorie intake.
Lastly, regularly consuming sugary drinks like soda can lead to long-term health issues such as diabetes and heart disease, which can make managing your weight even more challenging.
Fruit Juice
Drinking fruit juice might seem like a healthy choice, but it’s not the best idea if you’re trying to lose weight.
Let me tell you why, in simple words: Fruit juice is squeezed out of fruits, which means it has a lot of the sugar from the fruit, but not much else.
It’s like taking the sweet part of the fruit and leaving behind the good stuff that fills you up, like fiber.
Fiber is important because it helps you feel full, so without it, you might end up feeling hungry again really quickly.
And because juice is pretty easy to drink, you might not realize how much sugar you’re actually having.
This can lead to eating more calories than you need, which can make you gain weight instead of losing it.
Also, when you have a lot of sugar, your body has to work hard to deal with it, and that can mess with the way your body handles energy.
So, even though fruit juice has vitamins and can be part of a healthy diet sometimes, it’s better to eat whole fruits if you’re looking to lose weight.
That way, you get all the good stuff without too much sugar.
Also Read: Why Sugar Is Bad For Weight Loss?
Speciality Coffee
These drinks often have a lot of extra stuff added to them, like sugar, syrup, whipped cream, and milk, which can add a lot of calories. It’s kind of like having a dessert in a cup.
Even though coffee itself doesn’t have many calories, all the extra toppings and sweeteners can turn it into something more like a treat than a regular drink.
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to watch how many calories you’re eating and drinking, because to lose weight, you need to use up more calories than you take in.
Drinking these high-calorie coffee drinks can make it harder to stay in that calorie ‘losing zone’ because they can be as filling as a whole meal but don’t give you the same nutrition or lasting energy.
So, if you love your coffee, it’s better to stick to the simpler kinds, like black coffee or those with just a little milk or a sugar substitute, to help you on your weight loss journey.
Also Read: Best Time To Drink Coffee For Weight Loss
Conclusion
What you drink is just as important as what you eat. Drinks like soda, specialty coffees, and alcoholic beverages can really slow down your progress because they’re high in calories and sugar.
They might taste good, but they can make you gain weight instead of losing it. On the other hand, drinks like water, and unsweetened teas, are great because they don’t add extra calories and can even help you feel full.
So, if you’re trying to shed some pounds, it’s best to stick with the good drinks and say no to the ones that can make it harder for you to reach your goal.