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A Woman’s View | summer 2003

Trying to Lose Weight? Watch What You Drink!

Cookies, pizza, pasta—you’re cutting back on all of them to shed pounds. But if your scale isn’t showing the progress you’d expect, take a peek at what you drink.

Extra-large beverage servings can add hundreds of calories to your diet. And consuming too many calories—whether liquid or solid—can sabotage weight loss efforts. It could even lead to weight gain.

The key to beverage control is to keep track of calories and monitor servings—just as you would food. For example, three to four glasses of milk can provide women with the recommended daily amount of calcium. But the suggested serving size of a glass of milk is only 8 ounces. Anything larger just supplies extra calories.

These simple strategies also can help you put a cap on liquid calories:

  • Have some fruit juice before meals to temper your appetite. But don’t overdo it—12 ounces of juice a day is plenty. If you want a larger serving, dilute your juice with plain or carbonated water.
  • Check the labels of flavored waters for added sweeteners. These can increase calories. A better idea: Jazz up plain water with a twist of lemon or lime. Or try mineral or sparkling water.
  • Stick to diet sodas if you drink soft drinks. But don’t exclude other, healthier drinks.
  • Drink a thick shake to keep hunger at bay. Go for a low-cal version made with nonfat, artificially sweetened frozen yogurt, fruit, and juice.

The editorial content of this online publication is taken from the print version of A Woman’s View published by St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center.

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