It’s not just about what you eat. What you drink also affects your health and weight. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness about Weight Loss Drinks.
Today, obesity is one of the biggest problems. It is caused by unhealthy eating and drinking habits. It has been confirmed by a study published by the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC). In the United States, 71.6% of adults aged 20 and older are overweight or obese, according to the CDC survey. Certainly not good news.
What’s our biggest challenge then? How do we regain a healthy weight? Unfortunately, there are no easy shortcuts to losing weight. Yet, there are easy ways to lose weight if only you put them into practice.
To achieve the right weight, you must change your lifestyle. To do this, you must change your eating and drinking habits and increase your physical activity.
Experts say managing diet and increasing physical activity are key to weight loss.
There are so many drinks that can cause you to gain weight. It is important to know what drinks you should avoid. At the same time, you should know which drinks can help you lose weight.
Table of Contents
Weight Loss Drinks
What exactly are weight loss drinks? Let’s take a closer look. There are a lot of options. Listed below are some of the more popular ones. Make sure you include these drinks in your daily diet and drink them regularly. If you follow them correctly, you’ll be pleased with the results. This is not just about weight loss, but also about a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Before we continue with a list of weight loss drinks, let me say a few words about weight loss. Weight loss occurs when we reduce the number of calories we consume each day. Limiting intake of high-calorie foods and beverages.
Losing weight is easier if you reduce your calorie intake. When you don’t have enough energy (calories), your body begins searching for them. It covert the stored fats in your body into energy. Energy consumed goes against your body’s natural functions and physical activities. This results in fat loss and weight loss.
You can use our BMR calculator to determine whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.
Let’s now move on to the top weight-loss drinks that work.
1. The prime Weight Loss Drink – Water
We place water at the top of our list. Water is one of the essential ingredients for all the normal functions of our entire body. However, you might wonder how water could help you lose weight.
Basically, water is just water. There are no calories in it. So, whenever you are thirsty, drink water. Don’t drink soft drinks or anything similar. There are a lot of calories in soft drinks. They contain simple carbohydrates, which are unhealthy. Our bodies accumulate fat when we drink soft drinks.
You feel full after drinking water. But it’s more than that. Benefits include physiologic processes, metabolic processes, and detoxification of toxins.
The CDC recommends drinking plenty of water and avoiding caloric beverages.
As an example, if you add up your daily intake of:
- a medium cafe latte – to start your day (265 calories)
- a non-diet coco-cola – with a lunchtime combo meal (227 calories)
- a sweetened lemon iced tea – for an afternoon break from a vending machine (180 calories)
- a glass of non-diet ginger ale – along with dinner (124 calories)
Altogether, it contains 796 calories. Imagine how many calories you could reduce simply by replacing all or part of that with water.
A study was conducted on 73 overweight premenopausal women, aged between 25 to 50 years for 12 months. Results were so positive on weight loss. The relative increase in water consumption resulted in women losing weight and fat.
The main reasons why water helps you lose weight are:
- it is a natural appetite suppressant
- promotes calorie burning
- removes waste from the body
- restricts fluids calorie intake
- water is a necessity to burn fat in the body
- supports physical activities such as exercises
How much water should you drink a day?
One cannot lay down a clear-cut formula for how much water to consume every day. Consuming plenty of water is always beneficial. Drink a decent amount of water at intervals during the day.
Here are the recommendations from the National Institute of Medicine regarding how much water you should drink.
Women: 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of water, total in all forms including beverages and foods in a day
Men: 3.7 liters (125 ounces) of water, total in all forms including beverages and foods in a day
So, drink water, feel full, feel healthy, lose weight, and be happy that you are now into a healthy lifestyle.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Drink
The health benefits of apple cider vinegar are no secret. It also plays a good role as a weight loss drink.
Apple Cider Vinegar aids in weight loss according to a study published in the Journal of Foundation Foods. As compared to people without apple cider vinegar, those who took it lost more weight. There was also a significant drop in the amount of bad cholesterol in their blood.
The key component is the acetic acid of ACV that made the difference. Acetic acid is effective in (1, 2):
- improving metabolism
- balancing insulin levels in the blood
- suppressing appetite for food
- burning fat
Further studies have shown that apple cider vinegar slows digestion. The stomach takes longer to empty after eating apple cider vinegar. The result is that you feel full in the stomach for a longer period of time. Because of this, you tend to eat less. It helps you lose weight.
Apple cider vinegar has been used for weight loss in North African culture for generations. As well, bodybuilders follow the same technique when they want to reduce their weight (3).
Precautions: Apple cider should be consumed with caution. The acidity of apple cider can cause teeth erosion. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your mouth after drinking apple cider vinegar (3).
3. Weight Loss Drinking Green Tea
Green tea has been used for centuries for its health benefits. Antioxidants and nutrients are abundant in this tea. It’s also regarded as a weight-loss beverage.
A large number of studies support the claim that drinking green tea can help you lose weight. The benefits of drinking green tea include reducing body fat and body weight.
It is important to choose the right green tea. It should be rich in catechins and antioxidants in order to lose weight as effectively as possible. Catechins and antioxidants boost metabolism. Consequently, fat is burned faster (4).
According to PubMed, matcha green tea powder has higher health benefits. This is the tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies. In a study, catechins in green tea are found to be effective in reducing body weight (5,6).
The general recommendation is to drink matcha tea moderately. The same rule applies, anything over the limit is not good. Same for matcha green tea.
Here are two ways to make matcha green tea. You can make it thinner or more concentrated depending on your preference:
Thinner matcha tea – add half a teaspoon of matcha tea powder into 4 ounces of hot water.
Concentrated matcha tea – add 2 teaspoons of matcha tea powder into one ounce of hot water.
4. Weight Loss by Drinking Coffee
People in the corporate world regard coffee as magic because of its powerful effects. In addition to boosting people’s energy levels, it makes them feel at home, at work, and on vacations.
Caffeine is responsible for this magic. It is the main stimulant in coffee. It acts as a tonic to provide energy. This is one-way caffeine indirectly aids in weight loss. The caffeine effect reduces the need for more food intake. Thus, calories are not consumed as much.
In addition to that, caffeine also affects the nervous system. As a result, it stimulates the nervous system and directs signals to fat cells in our bodies. The fat is broken down and converted into energy. Our bodies use this energy for their normal functions and physical activities.
You lose weight through this process of burning fat. A study was conducted in 2010. Caffeine was administered to 10 healthy volunteers to see how it affected them. There was significant fat oxidation in those 10 people.
The downside is that people may become tolerant of caffeine over time. Thus, drinking coffee may not have much impact on weight loss in the long run (7).
Consider drinking coffee instead of other sugar-rich (high-calorie) drinks. It will prevent you from gaining weight. It is best to drink plain or black coffee. Only 2 calories are contained in one cup of black coffee. It contains no fat at all.
Moderate consumption of coffee is healthy. Intake of 400 milligrams or less of coffee per day is considered safe (8).
5. Ginger Tea for Weight Loss
Ginger is a low-calorie super spice with many health benefits. It is rich in bioactive compounds and powerful nutrients. Traditional medicine uses ginger to treat conditions like arthritis, nausea, and the common cold.
There are fat-burning properties in this spice. This spice also lowers cholesterol and blood pressure (9).
There is a correlation between ginger and the thermal effect of food (TEF). It has high relevance to weight management (10).
In a study, ginger intake was associated with an increase in thermogenesis. Reducing one’s desire to consume more food and possibly assisting with weight loss.
How to prepare Weight Loss Ginger Tea
It is very easy to prepare a ginger tea drink to support weight loss. All you need is:
- 2-inch long ginger root
- a glass of water (250 ml)
- little honey
Peel the ginger and grate it into tiny pieces. Add the grated ginger to the boiling water. Simmer it for about 5 minutes. After that strain the solution and add little honey for taste. Drink ginger tea when it is warm.
Always drink ginger tea in moderation and do not go overboard. This helps in avoiding unnecessary side effects such as heartburn, gas, and diarrhea.
High Protein Shakes for Weight Loss
Protein Shakes are being discussed so much when it comes to weight loss. It is because they are high in protein and contain very few carbohydrates and fats.
Bodybuilders and athletes primarily consume Protein Shakes post-workout. Protein shakes replenish the calories lost during exercise. The protein gives you back the energy you lost.
Carbs (simple carbs) drinks also make you feel energized. However, it may create fat in your body, which can lead to weight gain.
It is best to replace your drinks with protein shakes if you are overweight or obese. Over time, your system begins to break down fat in your body and convert it into energy. Protein-rich beverages also make you feel full and reduce your appetite to eat more (11).
Protein Shakes Powders
Protein shakes powders are made from protein-rich foods such as whey, milk, casein, soy, egg, oat, and rice. The most common protein powders are made from whey and casein. Interestingly casein and whey are produced from the milk.
Those who are vegan should avoid protein shakes made from whey and casein. Instead, choose a soy-based protein shake powder. Soy is 100 percent protein.
Today, you can buy ready-made protein shakes in the supermarket in liquid form. GNC and Shark Tank are popular manufacturers of protein shakes. But, whatever! Be sure to read the labels before buying protein shakes. Make sure they have no harmful ingredients or excessive amounts of sugar.
Protein Enrichment of Meal Replacements
In 2008, a trial and study investigated the protein enrichment of meal replacements. It resulted in significant weight loss. Protein shakes as meal replacements are an effective strategy against obesity. This is primarily due to their simplicity and ease of use (12).
A total of 100 obese men and women took part in the study. They have been put on High Protein (HP) and standard protein (SP) diets for 12 weeks. Following 12 weeks, both groups’ BMI decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the HP group lost more fat weight than the SP group. A notable reduction in cholesterol was also observed in the HP group when compared to the SP group (13).
Remember to moderate your intake of protein shakes. Make sure you do not consume more protein than you need to maintain your energy levels. It can affect weight loss expectations.
Vegetable Juice effect on Weight Loss
By increasing vegetable juice consumption, you can contribute to weight loss as well. Fruit juice is healthy, but because it is high in sugar, it can make you gain weight. Therefore, people who are overweight and obese should drink more vegetable juice in order to lose weight (14). Vegetables are also high in fiber and really good for your digestive health.
The main goal of any weight loss program is to reduce carb intake. One of the study groups was given a low-sodium vegetable juice diet. Eventually, this made the intake of carbs minimal. It turned out that they lost more weight than the other groups.
Focus on consuming low-calorie vegetable juices. It will increase your intake of vegetable juices, which will lead to weight loss.
Drinks to Avoid
The calories in caloric beverages do not make you feel full and make you want to drink more. The Beverages Panel discourages the consumption of caloric beverages.
Sweetened Soft Drinks
These foods are high in calories but low in nutrients. Drinking sweetened soft drinks is detrimental to your health because they contain simple carbohydrates.
As an example, 12 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail, orange soda, orange juice, and cola all contain 10 teaspoons of sugar or more.
Energy Drinks
Energy drinks contain a lot of calories. Their sole purpose is to consume more calories. When it comes to weight loss, energy drinks ought to be avoided.
12 ounces of energy and sports drinks contain between 5 and 14 teaspoons of sugar.
Fruit juices and smoothies
Fruit juices are considered to be a healthy beverage for most people. Taking fruit juice regularly is good for your health. However, it is not recommended for weight loss.
Juices and smoothies containing fruit have high sugar content. In most cases, these drinks are sweetened with sugar. Orange juice, for instance, contains 10 teaspoons of sugar.
Avoid Alcohol Drinks
Those who are trying to lose weight better avoid alcoholic drinks. There are many reasons for this:
- Alcoholic drinks are calorie-dense drinks. A 5-ounce glass of white wine has about 100 calories. A 12-ounce bottle of beer has about 150 calories.
- The alcoholic drinks were always mixed with other sweetened drinks, such as orange juice or soda. This further adds calories.
- Alcohol drinkers tend to eat junk food high in calories and not healthy.
- Drinking alcohol adversely affects your metabolism and makes you lose weight more difficult.
So, avoid taking alcohol if you considering weight loss.
Laxative for Weight Loss
We wish to mention here this is related to weight loss. Laxatives are being used by young people in today’s society to lose weight quickly. Actually, the purpose of using laxatives is different. Laxatives are usually prescribed to treat constipation and digestive disorders. It is not recommended to use laxatives for weight loss because they can have other health complications. Here is a detailed article about laxatives for weight loss.
Takeaway
Drinking weight loss drinks can be extremely beneficial to losing weight. It does not mean weight loss drinks alone can help you lose weight.
Taking a weight loss drink immediately stops you from gaining weight. The best way to lose weight is to replace sugary drinks with low- or no-carb drinks.
You will have no choice but to change your lifestyle if you want to lose weight. Though it seems difficult, it is actually quite simple. Using weight loss drinks is an effective way to curb weight gain and then lose weight.
If you want to lose weight, you should also check the calories in your meals. Using this approach will make it easier for you to lose weight.
Look nowhere else! Here is the best of 6 weight loss drinks recipes for you.
Last but not least take note of the drinks that should be avoided to be serious about weight loss.
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