Drinks To Avoid That Can Hijack Your Weight Loss! Part 1 of 2

You already know the bad guys, right? The milkshakes, margaritas, unnecessary sports drinks, and super-sized Cokes. If you're trying to lose weight, it's pretty obvious that you've got to cross these off your list of go-to bevvies.

But that's not all that's screwing over your big plans to get in shape. Even some seemingly-innocent sips can set you back.

"You can literally guzzle down hundreds of calories without even realizing it," says Karen Ansel, R.D.N., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging: Stay Younger, Live Longer. That's because our brains don't register feelings of fullness from liquids the same way they do from solids, she says.

Obviously, if you're trying to lose weight, you're way better off getting your calories from actual food rather than drinks because they'll help you feel full longer, she says. But something tells us that you're also a human and drinking water 24/7 isn't super thrilling at 4 p.m. when your brain hurts.

From your first cup of coffee in the morning to that afternoon iced tea, we compiled a list of the drinks you should avoid—or at least drink in moderation.

    COFFEE DRINKS

Those flavored fraps, mochas, and lattes you crave first thing in the morning aren't going to help you get to your weight-loss goal any quicker. But that doesn't mean you have to quit your caffeine addiction, you've just got to modify it a smidge, says Ansel.

Instead of ordering something made with cream, half-and-half, or even flavored soymilk (more on that later), order a black coffee, straight up. Then add a little splash of whole milk to your cup, she says. That will cut loads of calories from the creamy brews you normally get or that flavored half-and-half in your fridge.

If you're not a fan of plain coffee, it's fine to add a pack of sugar to your brew, says Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. But adding any more than that will definitely stunt your weight-loss goals, she says. "If you're a three-cup-a-day drinker with three packets each, the calories will add up."

If you've got a serious sweet tooth, a better option for anyone trying to lose weight is an artificial sweetener that has zero calories, Gans says.

The bottom line is that the further you stray from that straight-up cup, the more likely you are to screw with your pounds-dropping plans.

    SKIM MILK

"Observational research rather consistently shows that consumers of fat-free or 1 percent milk tend to gain more weight over time than those who consume whole, unsweetened milk," says Ludwig.

In addition to avoiding skim milks, he also recommends avoiding milk substitutes with added sugars, like almond milk or rice milk, especially if you prefer the flavored kinds.

If you can’t handle dairy, or the gastro struggles that come with it, an unflavored, unsweetened nut milk is your best bet. One cup of plain almond milk, for example, only has 40 calories, two carbs and less than a gram of sugar, and it has half of the calcium you need in a day.

When you're trying to drop pounds, stick with 2 percent or whole milk. These are a great source of calcium, which helps you burn fat more efficiently, says Ansel. "And it's a top source of muscle-building protein, so it's a double win," she says. 


Part 2

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