Wa- Ter You Drinking?

Back to the scale, and back to the drawing board. Well, not quite. I did lose one pound this week. A little disappointing, but not so bad when you consider that it could have been a pound gained instead of lost. Sweet husband and I had to go out of town for a couple of days unexpectedly, and that meant eating in restaurants again.

One thing I did differently this time was to avoid having sugary beverages with my food. I'm not a frequent soda drinker and I don't drink alcohol, but when I'm in a restaurant it feels natural to have something fizzy or at least a lemonade. Why? I don't know, because at home I mainly drink water.

We hear often that soda, or pop as we say in the Midwest, is a major contributor to obesity and diabetes. And a glass of lemonade can have even more calories than a regular soda. Diet drinks aren’t a lot better, raising the risk of stroke and heart attack significantly amid evidence that they aren’t really effective for weight loss (For one discussion of this, see “Diet Soda a Day Linked With Higher Risk of Stroke, Heart Attack.” Huffingtonpost.com. February 1, 2012).  

Okay, so what’s on the beverage menu? A large glass of real juice packs in the calories, but a small juice occasionally is one option. Water is always a good choice, and there are sometimes fizzy or low-calorie flavored options. Although the diet jury seems to be out on how seltzer water affects the bones, the occasional drink while out is surely healthier than a sugar- or aspartame-sweetened beverage. In nicer restaurants, my husband orders San Pellegrino sparkling water, and plain water with a slice of lemon in other eateries when possible. Guess it’s time for me to get used to doing that, too.