Water, alcohol and fat

The best weight loss drink is free!

To lose a pound of fat per week, which is a good healthy rate of weight loss, all you need is a 500-calorie deficit per day, This can be achieved by exercising more, reducing calories, or preferably, a combination of both. Instead of a diet, choose a healthy lifestyle, one that is easy to stick to.

The first easy strategy to reduce calories without giving up the pleasures of eating is to drink water rather than alcohol.

Alcohol contains around 7 calories per gram. We all know about the drink driving and embarrassment that can result from excessive alcohol consumption. But even moderate amounts of alcohol can lower your self-control when it comes to food.

Limit your alcohol intake and your body will thank you. Save it for a post-meal indulgence, rather than drinking it before or with food. Studies show that alcohol lowers inhibitions and self-control when it comes to eating. So people who drink before meals eat more than those who wait to drink after finishing a meal.

Drinking water throughout the day, before, and during meals helps curb your appetite. Often when people think they are hungry they are actually thirsty. Thirst of course indicates dehydration.

Dehydration can slow metabolism, but the process of drinking water and the body warming it up to body temperature involves energy and burns calories. Plus, if you are well hydrated your body will have least 10 minutes more energy for exercise (according to a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine).