If you’re trimming your waist by keeping an eye on the calories you eat, that’s a good step. But do you know how many calories you drink?
When a label isn’t at the ready, use the "10-20" rule of thumb: Figure 10 calories per ounce for most "thin" drinks (sodas, juice, milk, etc.) and 20 per ounce for thicker ones (smoothies, shakes, etc.).
Your Calorie CalculatorSugar-free sodas and teas aside, that means a regular 32-ounce Coke from the drive-thru window would have roughly 320 calories according to Brian Wansink, PhD, inventor of the "10-20" rule and author of
Mindless Eating.
(Browse this book online.
) Wansink also advocates adding ice to all your beverages to help you burn off a few of those calories. "Since your body has to use energy to heat up an iced beverage, you actually burn about one calorie for every ice-cold ounce you drink," Wansink writes.
How many calories should you limit yourself to each day to keep your waist from growing? Use this online tool to calculate your daily calorie needs. Beverage of ChoiceOf course, nothing beats a tall glass of ice water when you’re trying to whittle your waist.
Learn how much you could lose just by adding 4 more cups of it to your day.
RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that is low in calories and high in nutrients can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.
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