Take a look around you.  Where are you while you are reading this?  Are you supposed to be doing something else?  Do you have you legs crossed at the knee or ankle?  How many times have you blinked while reading this?  You might be able to answer these questions easily, or think that they are silly things to be asking, either way, there is something you could be doing right now to help you start loosing weight.

While I was trying to get pregnant, and trying just about everything, my OBGYN had the audacity to tell me that I was about 20 pounds overweight.  What!  Then she proceeded to discuss with me my daily intake of foods to figure out what might be causing those extra pounds of dreaded fat.  I thought I was eating well and getting a somewhat decent amount of exercise. Then she asked about what I was drinking during the day.  I drink lots of water but definitely enjoy some wine at the end of the day.  That was it – the wine.  It had to go. 

I will admit I blinked back tears.  I really look forward to having a couple glasses of wine at the end of the day, and sometimes a couple could lead to a bottle.  Yes, I know that is a good amount of alcohol, but it tastes good and I enjoy it.  Now, many of you might not be downing a good bottle of Merlot each night, but you could be sipping on a bubbly beverage right now that has the nasty culprit in it – SUGAR!  Soda (or beer) is just as bad as the wine I was drinking, and if you are having a couple cans or bottles of soda or beer a day, you are just as bad as I was.

I did it cold turkey, the wine was banished from my diet and I replaced it with something that has the lowest caloric level I could find – WATER!  I started becoming a grand connoisseur of water of all kinds and found that it kept me satisfied, feeling great, and on my way to loosing weight.

Water is important in many ways, but essential for our health.  Water is also 60% of your body weight and is your main chemical component. It helps to flush out toxins and keeps your body supplied with moisture.  Lack of water leads to dehydration and a loss of energy.  It is suggested to drink 8-10 8-ounce servings of water a day.  You do get water through other things such a fruit and vegetables, but drinking water is the best way to get hydrated and keep your body working well.  You might think that this sounds like a lot of water to drink and your going to feel like you are sloshing about, but you might be surprised.  Water has no calories or sugar.  It is the best thing you can put in your body, and it fills you up!

If you are a soda drinker, think about this- on average a soda has 120 calories.  If you drink 1 8-ounce soda a day (and how many of you really drink just 1soda a day) that adds up to 43,800 calories a year.  3,500 calories is 1 pound, so that adds on 10-12 pounds a year on to your body, just from drinking soda or beer or wine.  This applies to juice also.  Anything that has sugar in it, even natural sugars, creates calories and that adds to unwanted pounds.  So you say you already know this?  Then why are you still drinking soda?

I started drinking glasses of water before each meal and found I didn’t eat as much.  I started ordering mineral water during meals instead of wine or soda.  For an evening cocktail I mixed 1shot of Gin (1 ounce is around 60 calories) with ice, mineral water, and a slice of lemon or lime.  At first, I wasn’t really excited about this concoction, but I got used to it and in time grew to really enjoy my low calorie alcoholic beverage.   Mineral water is my new favorite drink.  I add some ice and a slice of something, and it is really refreshing and has no calories to add to my daily intake.

By simply changing what you are drinking all day, you can start loosing weight right now!  Think of it in reverse – taking away the calories that you are drinking each day will take of weight without even really doing anything.  Loosing 1 soda a day will take off 10-12 pounds a year!  Add in a small amount of exercise, and you could make a big difference!  I am not a big workout person, but I did invest in some nifty weights that are made to wrap around your ankles or wrists, and use them each day.  Sometimes I wrap them around my ankles and walk around my house for a while.  Every little thing helps!

I drank water, mineral water, and tea (plain, no sugar) for 3 months and did light exercise and lost 20 pounds.  I can’t guarantee that you will see the same results, but I do promise that you will feel better and probably sleep better.  It is hard to make changes, but a taking charge of what you put in your body is the best change you can make!