Every little bit counts in the effort to lose weight and keep the weight off. What most people don’t realize is how big of an impact liquid calories can have on your diet. Soft drinks, juices, coffee, cocktails, frozen beverages, teas, energy drinks, and even sports drinks or waters often have sneaky calories that we don’t factor into our daily calorie consumption.

Our recommendation is to always choose water first. Cravings for salt, sugar, or caffeine are typically our body craving water. Staying hydrated can actually eliminate the need for excessive sugar or caffeine. Next time you are thinking of a coffee, energy, or sports drink, grab the water instead. It is fine to have one of these drinks a day or a few days a week but so many of us start our day with a coffee, grab juice for lunch, have a soda in the afternoon, and finish the day with a cocktail or beer! We could cut back on hundreds of calories a day and thousands per week by exchanging some of these drinks with water which could equal a couple of pounds off your waistline per year!

No matter what choices you make with your liquid consumption, we would highly recommend staying away from the following drinks.

Worst Water: Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water – 150 calories and 33 grams of sugar, equivalent to 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars.

Worst Energy Drink: Rockstar Energy Drink – 280 calories and 62 grams of sugar, equivalent to 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts.

Worst Espresso Drink: Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream – 660 Calories, 22 grams of fat, 95 grams of sugar, equivalent to 8½ scoops Edy’s Slow Churned Rich and Creamy Coffee Ice Cream.

Worst Alcohol Drink: Traditional Red Lobster Lobsterita – 890 calories, 183 g of carbs, equivalent to 7 Almond Joy candy bars.

Worst Beverage in America! Cold Stone PB&C (Gotta Have It size, 24 fl oz) – 2,010 calories, 131 grams of fat, 153 grams of sugar, equivalent to 30 Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies.

Weight loss and weight management can be a challenge but the experts at Thrive Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center have valuable insight and tips to share.

We are hosting a weight loss event on January 26th with our medical weight loss expert, Dr. Amy Bader. Come join us to discuss ways to naturally suppress your appetite, burn fat and restore muscle, improve your metabolism, and get a great boost to your overall health and vitality. Register here or see the event listed on Facebook!