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Save Calories, Save Dough
Two things we Americans are obsessed with: our money and our weight. I have a tip that tackles both at the same time. Are you ready for this? It's a very novel idea:
Drink water.
Sounds simple, no? How many times have we grabbed a soda out of habit? Or maybe it just looks good? Or maybe we're so used to it that we don't think about it any more? Perhaps it's not a soda. Maybe it's one of those flavored waters or canned/bottled teas. Hah, you think, I drink diet sodas.
Here's a tip on the diet sodas: studies show that they increase your weight also. They do this by getting you to acquire a taste for sweet foods. Then, without thinking, you grab something sweet even if your body doesn't really want it, your taste buds do.
In every case you are spending money you don't need to. How many sodas do you drink a day? Multiply that time 365 and look how much money you've poured down your throat and at the same time enlarged your waist. An average soda has 150 calories per serving. Drink two servings a day (roughly a half liter bottle) and you've added over 26 lbs to your belly in a year.
Before you pour a drink, think about what your body really wants. Don't think about what looks or tastes good as it may not satisfy and then you're still thirsty for more after you finish. I may sometimes go weeks without a soft drink without really wanting one. Then I indulge with a combo meal. All of a sudden I want that soft drink with every meal. I didn't want it during the weeks before, but suddenly I'm addicted.
Unsweetened or slightly sweetened iced tea is a good replacement for sodas. You get the benefit of anti-oxidants, much lower cost (if you brew it yourself) and much fewer calories. You only burn so many calories in a day, why fatten yourself up with the beverages you drink when you are trying to control your weight?
Above all, think about what your body really wants. If it is really thirsty, cool water is the most satisfying. It also has zero calories and it's free! :-)
Tea and Soda
Sometimes when we really crave a soda, my dad will get the tea-pot out and brew some tea! It's a good sub.
This is a great post. I
This is a great post. I kicked caffiene out of my diet when I got pregnant and have stayed with it since my daughter has been born. I used to not be able to drink much water, but now I crave it. Even though I spend a little more money and buy bottled water it is still much healthier. Another route I go sometimes, since I am on the go a lot, is to buy a jug of water and a nice water bottle to take with me on the go.
Thanks For Mentioning That
I left the comment out on the water. Yes, if the water in your area is not trustworthy in terms of cleanliness, that's the way to go. Buy a 5 gallon jug and dispense it into smaller bottles. There is definitely a volume discount when it comes to water sales. If you are always buying small bottles, the cost is usually no different than buying soda (but you do save the calories).
One other thing about saving calories and why water is the best. Think about health care. Think about how much is wasted because we don't eat (nor drink) right. In the long run, water is an even better deal than the short run. With all the obesity related health problems out there, why add calories when your body would rather have water any way? Listen to your body, not your taste buds, which are easily manipulated by habit and marketing. :-)