Trying to Lose Weight? Watch What You Drink

Coffee drinks. Blended coffee drinks are essentially milkshakes under a different name. A large coffee drink made with whole milk can contain 300 calories or more. Even regular coffee could be a problem if you add lots of sugar and cream to it. One study showed that adding just a teaspoon of sugar to a cup of coffee each day led to excess weight gain over a four-year period.

Fruit juice. While a glass of orange juice does supply you with vitamin C, each cup also contains 122 calories and a whopping 21 grams of sugar. Just one serving a day of 100% fruit juice is linked to weight gain in adults and children.

Section summary

• Drinks like fruit juice, soda, and milkshakes are high in sugar and calories that can make you put on excess weight.
• Coffee drinks made with sweeteners and cream are sneaky sources of fat, sugar, and calories. 
• One 12-ounce soda contains as much, or more, sugar than most people should consume in an entire day.

Alcohol Puts on Pounds

Whether you drink wine, beer, or spirits, consuming too much alcohol over a long period of time could lead to health risks like heart disease, liver disease, and cancer. Excess weight gain is another concern with these beverages. Some alcoholic drinks have as many calories as an entire meal, minus the nutrition. A 12-ounce regular beer contains 150 calories. A 6-ounce glass of wine has around 150 calories. And a margarita or other frozen drink will add more than 300 calories to your meal.

Alcohol is not only high in calories. It slows your digestion and makes it harder to absorb nutrients. It reduces your metabolism because your body must break it down before it breaks down any of the food you've eaten. And it impairs your judgment. That's why you might crave junk foods like pizza or burgers after a night of drinking.

If you are going to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. That means no more than one drink a day for people AFAB and no more than two drinks daily for those AMAB. When you do drink alcohol, choose lower-calorie beverages like light beer or dry wine. Add low-calorie mixers like tonic water to gin and other hard liquor to dilute it.

Are Zero-Calorie Drinks Better?

Since sugar adds to weight gain, it might seem like artificially sweetened, zero-calorie drinks would be a better option. Not necessarily, say scientists. Some studies have shown that substituting low- or no-calorie sweeteners for sugar leads to a little bit of weight loss. But others have found that people who use these sweeteners actually gain weight.

If you're a soda drinker, cutting back on your consumption and swapping out diet versions does make sense. But you're better off drinking water or other unsweetened beverages instead.

Low-Calorie Beverage Alternatives

These drinks won't add much, if anything, to your daily calorie count. And they're much better for you than soda or sports drinks.

Water. At zero calories and zero sugar, water could be the perfect diet drink. Swapping it for soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages may prevent weight gain or help you lose weight. Drinking a glass of water before meals helps to fill you up so you eat less. If you find the taste of plain water boring, squeeze in fresh lemon or lime juice, or add a few sprigs of mint.

Black coffee. A healthy way to get your daily java jolt is to order your coffee black. Add a packet of no-calorie sweetener and low-fat milk if black coffee is too bitter for you.

Unsweetened tea. On its own, tea is full of antioxidants and other health-promoting substances. Instead of pouring in cream or honey, add a dash of cinnamon, vanilla, or fat-free soy milk for flavor.

Low-fat or fat-free milk. Skim milk is fat-free and gives you 8 grams of fat and 250 milligrams of calcium per cup. One percent milk is acceptable, too. Though it contains 2.5 grams of fat per cup, it also offers 10 grams of protein and 401 milligrams of calcium. If you don't eat dairy, unsweetened soy or oat milk are good alternatives.

Vegetable juice. You don't have to avoid juice entirely. But instead of drinking fruit juice, which is high in sugar, drink 100% vegetable juice. It contains 50 calories and no fat per 8-ounce glass, and it's loaded with nutrients. Because some vegetable juice brands are high in sodium, look for low-sodium or sodium-free varieties.

Recap

• Soda, fruit juice, energy drinks, sports drinks, and other sweetened beverages contain empty calories. They're high in sugar and calories but low in nutrition.
• Blended coffee drinks, milkshakes, and sodas are some of the worst drinks if you're trying to lose weight.
• Water, unsweetened tea and coffee, and vegetable juice are healthier options that are less likely to cause weight gain.