Have you tried to lose weight, but just can’t seem to do it? You can probably eliminate a good 100-250 calories from your diet just by changing what you drink. The accumulation of these small changes will result in weight loss over time.

Fall in love with water. If your tap water isn’t yummy, use a Brita Filter to vastly improve the quality of taste. Try different brands of bottled waters (they really do vary in taste), and consider alkalized water, which has a unique taste. If you cut up limes, lemons, or cucumbers and put the slices in your water, you’ll find the taste to be more palatable.

Wean yourself off sweetener in your tea and coffee. Sugar, agave nectar, and honey all provide nothing but empty calories. Start out by reducing how much sweetener you allow yourself in each beverage. Remember: studies are showing that artificial sweeteners are also linked to weight gain, so don’t turn to this crutch. Just work towards taking your tea or coffee without any sweetener at all.

There are several teas and coffees that are good without any sweetener at all. You may fall in love with Good Earth Original Blend tea, which is spicy and sweet, or perhaps you’ll find a flavored coffee you’ll enjoy. You may find yourself prefering nonsweetened beverages after experimenting.

Refuse to drink soft drinks of any kind. Sugar sodas deliver approximately 140 calories of sugar per every 12-ounce serving. Diet sodas are linked to weight gain, to the mystery of most dietitians. It’s been theorized that artificial sweeteners either disrupt your body’s metabolism or increase cravings for more sugar. You may find seltzer water reduces your cravings for sodas.

Phase out juice. You may be fooled into thinking juice is a great way to get your servings of fruit and vegetables, but the truth is juices are high in calories and sugar. Even juice supplemented with artificial sweeteners is still high in calories, and you already know the artificial sweeteners are questionable in value. Limit juice consumption, treating it as you would a dessert.

By changing what you drink, you can cut calories and increase your overall wellness.

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