Updated on May 1, 2024.
There are several things to think about if you are trying to lose weight. You may need to be more active or get more exercise. Making sure you are getting at least seven hours of sleep each night is also important.
You will also probably need to make changes to your diet. This includes how you eat and the types of food you eat. It also includes what you drink.
Choosing drinks with less or no sugar can make a big difference. Regular sodas, juices, and other sweet drinks contain a lot of sugar. They are often very high in calories.
One 12-ounce can of soda or fruit punch has about 150 calories. Most of those calories come from sugar. If you drink one can of soda every day for a year you will be having 32 pounds of sugar. Sodas and many other sugary drinks usually don’t have any vitamins or other nutrients. And they don’t help you feel full. These things can lead to weight gain.
This can happen to adults and children. Many kids are obese because they eat too much fast food and have too many sugary drinks. Weight gain can lead to serious health problems, including:
- Obesity. This occurs when someone has too much body fat.
- Diabetes. This is a lasting health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. It occurs when the amount of sugar in your blood is too high.
- Heart blockages, or different types of heart problems.
You can replace sugary drinks with other beverages that have few or no calories. Making this switch can help you gain fewer pounds. It could also help you lose extra weight. And kids tend to copy what their parents do. If you have children, choosing drinks without a lot of sugar will help them be healthier, too.
Some drinks with little or no sugar you might like to try, including:
- Water
- Seltzer
- Coffee (without sugar)
- Unsweetened teas. These can be made hot or cold. And they come in a variety of flavors. Tea also contains powerful plant nutrients that may even help you lose weight.
Diet soda does not contain sugar. But it contains other added ingredients that may be risky for your health. So, you should limit how much diet soda you drink. Water is healthier.
Other tips to help you cut back on sugary drinks:
- Start slowly. Drink just a little bit less at first. Try replacing soda or juice at one meal each day. Then cut back even more over time.
- Read the labels on your drinks. The label includes information about what is in your drink. This includes how much sugar it contains. It also tells you how many calories are in it.
- You can add flavor to water by adding a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber.
