Top 5 Weight Loss Drinks

the trainer’s toolbox

Part of what makes Fit Family so special is that we stick to what we know.  We don’t sell you stuff and promise it will solve all your problems.  But when we know something works, we want to tell you about it.  So let me save you the confusion: diet drinks, pills, powders and potions are a waste of money and a risk to your health. They are untested, unproven and unregulated. Nature has created its own “diet drinks” and, unlike the potions they’re hawking at your gym, these drinks are scientifically proven to work!

1. water. It had to top the list, of course, as it is not even a drink but an essential component of life itself.  Dehydration slows your metabolism, dampens your thinking and can ultimately lead to serious illness and death.  There has long been a rumour that water “flushes” the fat from your body and now it has been proven.  Regular water consumption throughout the day does, indeed, speed your metabolism to make you burn more calories.  Plus it keeps your mouth busy.  So drink up!

2. milk. In our #2 spot is the oft-slandered, very controversial milk (bovine, that is).  Whether you take it no fat, low fat, organic or whatever’s on sale, milk does a body good.  Dieters who consume more servings of low-fat dairy per day have been consistently proven to burn more fat than dieters who consume little or no dairy but follow the same program otherwise.  If you can’t or won’t drink milk, the same benefits can be derived from eating yoghurt, cheese, cottage cheese and other low fat dairy products.

3. coffee. Okay, okay, it’s third on the list because I’m personally a bit partial to it but coffee is an antioxidant and metabolic powerhouse.  It contains a fair amount of caffeine, of course, and drinking it before a workout has been proven to have a positive effect on strength and endurance performance.   Since caffeine has a short-term effect on your metabolism, a couple of cups of coffee over the course of the day will give you a bit of a calorie burning edge for much less than the cost of an energy drink.

4. green tea. As much as we love coffee, we would all do well to give it up entirely and switch to green tea.  Green tea, cup for cup, outmatches coffee in the antioxidant department and has a unique and incredible ability to spike your metabolism with each cup.  Compounds in green tea called catechin polyphenols work with other compounds in your body to optimize fat burning.  About 3 cups per day is necessary to achieve the desired effect.

5. red wine. It might seem a bit strange to put booze on a healthy drink list but red wine is a natural, delicious and figure-friendly way to get your antioxidants if you watch your portion sizes.  In addition to its well-publicized antioxidant effects, red wine contains resveratrol, a chemical proven to help control blood sugar.  Stable blood sugar levels help control fat storage.  Since red wine comes in at about 120 calories per glass, consuming more than a glass can put a wrench into your weight loss plans.   But one planned, sipped, savoured glass is good for the heart and the hips!

Jon & Kate Plus a Tummy Tuck

what’s in the news

No matter what you think of them – whether you are a fan, used to be a fan, or have never seen the show and don’t know what all the fuss is about – they are a couple with a family and they are obviously undergoing some major changes if not completely falling apart.  So why do we need to talk about Kate’s tummy tuck?  I was reading a mom blog online and there were photos of Kate Gosselin on the beach with her kids (for prying eyes who want to see the results of her surgery, I assume).  The worst part?  They were interspersed with ads for diet supplements!  Why are we so hard on ourselves?  It’s wrong to stay fat.  It’s wrong to get too skinny.  It’s wrong to have plastic surgery.  Or is it?

I have had clients who have undergone plastic surgery.  One client had both a breast augmentation and tummy tuck a few years after having her son.  She had anorexic tendencies and I was sorrowed to hear she was planning the tummy tuck after seeing her go through the frustrations of a boob job. 

Another client, whom I currently see, is considering some mini-liposuction.  She works extremely hard, trains with me weekly (and has for 3 years) and exercises on her own an additional 4-5 times/week.  She takes great care of herself, takes pride in her appearance and, at 52, is considering having a plastic surgeon do what exercise, diet and genetics won’t do.  If she decides to have the procedure, I will support her decision.  I think she is a great candidate for plastic surgery as she is dedicated to taking care of her body and is at an age where she has the confidence and maturity to make the decision rationally and expect realistic results.

I would not have liposuction.  I would not have a boob job.  Someone suggested to me a few years ago (before I had my first kid) that I was a good candidate for early Botox because I had the beginnings of lines on my forehead.  I didn’t know whether to hit her or laugh.  Now I have some REAL beginnings of lines and I still can’t imagine having Botox.  But I would never judge a woman who does.  Several of my clients have Botox regularly.  It’s just not for me.  Or not yet, anyway…

The jury is still out on the tummy tuck.  I gained A LOT of weight with my first baby.  With my current pregnancy I’m on my way to a much saner weight gain and I expect to have no problem taking it off after delivering.  Postpartum weight loss (like every other kind of weight loss) is really just a combination of diligence and patience.  Plus it’s my job to lose the weight!  But the skin… the skin does not go away.  So maybe I won’t rule out a tummy tuck just yet.

Back to Kate Gosselin.  Why should we care that she has had a tummy tuck?  Besides, the woman has had 8 children – 6 of them in one shot!  Doesn’t this woman deserve a tummy tuck?  I think she deserves a congressional medal of honour.  If she’s willing to settle for $75,000 a week and a free tummy tuck, what do I care?

But people do care.  Maybe you care.  Do you care?  Is there something wrong with a woman having a tummy tuck?  Is a tummy tuck different from other types of plastic surgery; is it more forgivable?  Have you had plastic surgery?  Would you?