What should I drink to lose weight?

Share with a friend

Calories from beverages make up approximately 20% of the average Americans diet.

High calorie drinks like juice, flavoured coffee, energy drinks, soda and alcohol:

  • Don’t fill us up, liquid passes through us very quickly and without fibre stretching our guts we aren’t left feeling satisfied.
  • Spike our blood sugar, the carbohydrates in sweetened beverages and fruit juice are quickly absorbed and spike our blood glucose levels. Our pancreas reacts by producing insulin. The roller coaster of blood sugar spike and insulin spike followed by blood sugar fall can make us feel shaky, lightheaded and hungry as our body looks for its next sugar hit.
  • Contain very few nutrients, even fruit juice has lost much of its nutrition through processing and storage. In severe cases people can replace so much food with high calorie drinks that they can get develop nutritional deficiency. Some scientists believe micro nutrients play a role in our hunger signals and eating foods with low nutrient density causes us to overeat as our body tries to scavenge for the nutrients it needs. 
  • Damage tooth enamel and cause cavities, the acid in soft drinks and juices erodes tooth enamel exposing the soft (and pain sensitive) dentine below and sugar feeds bacteria trapped in crevices on molars and between our teeth and cause cavities and decay.
  • Drinking sugar sweetened beverages and fruit juices have health impacts independent of weight gain. Drinking sugar sweetened beverages and fruit juices has been associated with weight gain and obesity as well as other illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease cancer,  and gout.
Quiz about what you should and shouldn't drink

If you are one of my coaching clients you will know the answer to this and no it is NOT (e).

No food (or fluid in this case) is completely off limits unless 

1. It is poisonous 

2. You are allergic to it 

3. You will fall ill if you consume it or 

4) it is contaminated or spoiled.

If you enjoy foods and drinks that are not great for your body no one should be forcing you to cut them out completely.

This just creates a deprivation mindset and makes you want them even more and then go down the binge and guilt spiral.

This is what health coaching is, helping you to find a way to enjoy the foods you love which creating a healthy relationship with food and a healthy body at the same time, this looks different for everyone.

Take a look at this infographic from Precision Nutrition. Then ask yourself a few questions:

  1. On the chart below where are YOU now?
  2. What are you willing to do today?
  3. What small step can you take now to improve your health?

Take a moment to see what is to the right of where you are and what is to the left.

To the left maybe you can see the steps you have already taken, well done.

To the right you can see some ideas for where you can go next.

What are you going to try?

Health coach tip: Set a reminder in your calendar and add the link to this page for 1 months time. Come back and reassess and see if you are ready to make the next step.

Struggling to do this on your own? click here to find out which of my programs will help you reach your goals.

**The following graphic is used under licence from Precision Nutrition Inc. and may not be reproduced, transmitted, or otherwise used or reused in any way without the express written permission of the owner. Copyright © 2019 Precision Nutrition Inc. For more information about Precision Nutrition, visit www.precisionnutrition.com.

Infographic showing all different kinds of beverages and their effect on health and weigh loss.