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!