If you’re following me on Snapchat, you would know how ecstatic I am for losing weight especially during my last weigh-in at The Aivee Clinic last Saturday (I lost 3 more pounds!!!)
One of the biggest change I did when I started my weight-loss diet was I drank lots of water before and after meals and added healthy drinks to my diet. It’s simple and effective that all you need to do is to JUST DO IT!
Here are my to 5 drinks that helped me lose weight:
1. Breakfast smoothie – I believe that one of the biggest factors for my weight loss was swapping my usual breakfast with a healthy protein smoothie. Not just any power shake but Dr. Oz’s Breakfast Smoothie that is part of his Two-Week Rapid Weight-Loss Plan. Like what I blogged before, I didn’t really follow his diet plan but I did try his protein smoothie. I just tweaked the recipe and drank it for the first two weeks to jumpstart my diet. You can find the recipe here.
I love the taste (and weight-loss result too) so much that it is now part of my new healthy habit (check my daily meal schedule here). I’ve been drinking this smoothie consistently (at least 5x a week) as a meal replacement for four months now.
2. Lemon green tea – Green tea has tons of health benefits. It also aids in digestion that is helpful when trying to lose weight. I started drinking lemon green tea since last year and I make it in big batches for convenience. Check how I make my iced-lemon green tea here.
3. “Swimsuit Water” or Strawberry Water
Strawberry water is not only good for your health but also a natural aid for weight loss and detox. Strawberries have great diuretic, purifying, and antioxidant powers. They have anti-inflammatory properties, which is why they help you when you have muscular properties or any bone diseases. I started drinking this last week before and after lunch or dinner time and no more constipation haha! #TMI
I got this is a recipe from Dr. Oz’s “The May Diet: Lose 10 Pounds Before Memorial Day”: 1 cup water, 1 cup strawberries (I just use frozen strawberries as they are practical and affordable), 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, fresh juice from 1 lime (I use lemon). Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!!!
4. Barley tea – Aryanna and I tried barley tea in one of the Japanese restaurants in the city and fell in love with it! Roasted barley tea is a healthy herbal tea that has a slight smoky scent and a rich taste. We did some research about it and found amazing health benefits! It is rich in antioxidants, primarily quercetin, which has been associated with a number of health benefits. It’s also low in calories so perfect for dieting.
You can buy roasted barley teas in Korean and Japanese convenient stores. I got the tea bags but I think I’ll buy the roasted grains next time and brew them myself.
Tip: We like our barley tea cold so we make them into ice cubes. This way, we can have iced-barley tea without diluting the drink.
5. Water – Increasing my water intake greatly affected my weight-loss! Drinking water increases the amount of calories you burn, which is known as resting energy expenditure. Water is the most convenient, practical, affordable and healthiest beverage for dieting.
Drink up and lose weight!
Read about my weight-loss journey here: The Most Important Thing About Losing Weight