Drink the Pounds Away

Four great beverages to help you slim down and get fit.
By the Editors of Prevention

We need to talk about your drinking problem. Chances are you're not paying enough attention to what goes in your glass during your day. After all, the right beverage at the right time can be a secret weapon — helping you drop pounds and tone your body.

The best drink to... lose weight: V8

It's a funny thing about liquid calories: Our bodies don't always know what to make of them. Some beverages quench our thirst, while others go the extra mile and quench our hunger, too.

"Calories in liquid form sometimes tweak thirst mechanisms, and sometimes affect hunger," says Barbara Rolls, PhD, a Pennsylvania State University professor and co-author of The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan.

Two drinks that do the latter: V8 and smoothies.

In studies, Rolls has found that drinking a glass of either, 15 to 20 minutes before a meal, can reduce the number of calories you eat. The reason is still largely a puzzle, but Rolls says the beverages' viscosity and calorie density may play a role. Just be sure to drink them before a meal — consuming the same liquids during a meal doesn't have the same effect.

Lose weight (but still have fun): Vodka tonic

Every calorie counts when you're counting them, and alcohol ratchets up the total pretty fast.

The best rule of thumb: "The blander the drink, the fewer the calories," says George Delgado, a New York City beverage consultant. That means sticking with clear spirits like vodka or gin — both of which have about 80 to 90 calories per shot — and zero or low-cal mixers like club soda or diet tonic water.

What's the key to losing weight? Knowing what to drink and when to drink it.

Have a great workout: Green Tea

A study published in the Journal of the American Physiological Society found that green tea extract improved exercise endurance up to 24%, while also increasing the amount of fat burned. Japanese researchers monitored the time it took for mice swimming in a pool to exhaust themselves and found that those given the extract tired less easily over a 10-week period and had higher rates of fat oxidation. While more research needs to be done, the study's lead author, Takatoshi Murase, believes that drinking a few cups of green tea before a workout should have a similar effect in humans.

Recover from a workout: Fat-free chocolate milk

It's the smartest thing to drink after your kickboxing class or yoga session. "If you can tolerate it, milk is an excellent recovery food since it has the carb-to-protein ratio you need — around 3 to 4 g of carbs for every gram of protein," says Roberta Anding, RD, a sports nutritionist at Rice University and team dietitian for the NFL's Houston Texans.

Why chocolate milk? Cocoa beans contain anti-oxidants, which help out with muscle repair. If milk is tough to find at your gym, keep your bag packed with ready-to-drink Carnation Instant Breakfast.

You'll get similar benefits with less hassle.

Down a cold one

A German study showed that drinking cold water burns calories. Drinking about 2 cups of cold water — no warmer than 72 degrees — used up roughly 25 calories. About 40% of the burn was for bringing the water from drinking temperature to body temperature. Drink a liter a day and you're losing 5 pounds a year.

source: http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100175885>1=10613

im guessing the V8 they mentioned is the vegetable drinks.

Unfortunately, for us muslims, vodka drink is out of the question (eventhough a fun way to lose weight XD)

Another reason why I should drink cold water (but then my tonsils...)