From breakfast to dinner, the food you eat plays a major role in the way your body looks and feels. While food has never been excluded from the discussion of weight gain, the drinks you consume can also affect the scale greatly.
Nourishing your body with liquids is often encouraged to prevent dehydration. However, truth be told, there are many drinks that could harm your health more than do you good. So, we’ve put together a list of beverages that is probably making it harder for you to achieve your weight loss goals.
#1 Flavoured coffee
It is well known that caffeine appears to increase your energy as well as reduce hunger pangs. Plus, the majority of us are definitely accustomed to drinking a cup or two every morning. However, don’t be surprised to see your waistline expanding, especially if you prefer flavoured coffee over black.
Coffee alone does not make you gain weight, but pairing black coffee with added sugar, creamer or flavoured syrup does promote weight gain. Apart from that, there’s also the blended beverages that are made using milk, sugar, syrups and sweet toppings.
So, do yourself a favour and stay far away from such drinks, especially if you don’t want to put on the extra kilogrammes.
#2 Overdoing it with alcohol
Alcohol is generally presented as a weight-gain trap. There are several links between alcohol and weight gain which are:
- It is high in calories.
- Alcohol is packed with sugar.
- It stops your body from burning fats.
- Makes you feel hungry, which then leads to poor food choices.
Additionally, drinking alcohol in excessive amounts can also lead to other health issues such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke, liver disease and certain types of cancer such as breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon.
So, if you’re someone who consumes alcohol regularly, remember to monitor your alcohol consumption regardless of whether or not you’re managing your weight.
#3 Energy drink
Some might proclaim that energy drinks help you lose weight, powers you through the day and some may even prefer this option as an energy booster as compared to coffee. If you are one of the many people who are guilty of this, then it’s time to find an alternative because there’s something you need to be concerned about.
In actual fact, these drinks are often packed with a high number of calories and sugar. If you’re already eating the right number of calories according to your body weight, then adding energy drinks into your diet plan without cutting off some calories elsewhere, will result in weight gain. This usually happens when you consume more calories than you burn off. Plus, these sugar laden energy drinks might lead you on the road to diabetes if consumed frequently.
#4 Downing soft drinks
Soft drinks do seem to have a soft spot in mostly every individual’s diet. They often find their way into floats, mixed drinks, mocktail punches and it pairs well with fast-food. A study by R. Hirschmann on the frequency of consuming soft drinks in Malaysia, showed that 20 percent of respondents stated that they consumed soft drinks several times a week or month, while six percent of the respondents said they consumed soft drinks several times a day as of June 2019.
Despite being readily available, soft drinks are far from a healthy beverage. In actual fact, soft drinks along with other sugary beverages are one of the leading causes of obesity, especially if consumed on a regular basis. Plus, it conditions your taste buds and makes you feel entitled to eat more.
Drinks you can drink all day, everyday
In order to help you stay healthy and cut down on the beverages mentioned, here are a few drinks you can consume that does little to no effect to the scale.
- Cucumber juice
A refreshing juice that aids weight loss.
- Beetroot juice
Beetroot is rich in healthy nutrients and contains both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre that helps to reduce body fat as it sustains proper bowel function.
- Lemon infused water
It is a great source of vitamin C, helps with digestion and it might even help you lose weight accompanied with a balanced diet.
- Sparkling water
A refreshing beverage and a great alternative for those who need to cut down on soft drinks but still wants the carbonated effect.
We hope this will help to change your drink decision and opt for some healthier beverages.
Sources: Livestrong, Healthline, Statista, Lifehack
