Once you’re in a routine with your OPTIFAST weight loss plan, it’s only natural to question if there are other drinks you can enjoy alongside the OPTIFAST Shakes. The answer is yes!
OPTIFAST Shakes are the primary drink for all the OPTIFAST weight loss plans, and you can also enjoy any of our OPTIFAST Soups as a savoury, warming drink simply by preparing it in a mug rather than a bowl.
However, these are meal replacement products, so what else can you drink while following an OPTIFAST weight loss plan, without impacting your goals? Is coffee allowed? What about fruit juices? Should you avoid fizzy drinks? Let’s take a look.
Most of us know that consuming too much caffeine can affect the quality of your sleep. But did you know this can also impact your eating habits?
Research suggests that when you don’t get enough sleep, either in quality or duration, you’ll be more likely to make unhealthy choices the next day. Therefore, if you drink a lot of tea or coffee as a way to keep you going through the day, you may not be getting enough sleep and might want to consider cutting back.
If you like to add milk or sugar to your tea and coffee, when you begin an OPTIFAST diet plan, you should start to use a calorie-free sweetener instead of sugar and use skimmed milk rather than semi-skimmed or whole milk. This will help to reduce the extra calories you’re consuming just in your drinks.
Other ways you can still enjoy low-calorie, sugar-free daily tea or coffee breaks are by switching to green tea or fruit teas. These types of tea are usually unsweetened or without added sugars and typically don’t require milk, meaning you won’t be consuming hidden calories.
And if you’re someone that needs a coffee hit in the morning, try our filling Coffee Shakes and tasty Cappuccino Bars, which will not only satisfy your coffee craving, but also make a quick, easy, go-to breakfast option.
Although many people think fresh fruit juice is a healthy choice, it often contains hidden sugar, both natural and added, which increases the overall calorie count. Instead of drinking fresh fruit juice, switch to drinking squash that contains no added sugar.
Ultimately, water should be your drink of choice when following a diet plan to help keep your body as hydrated as possible. If you don’t enjoy the taste of water, you could add a slice or lemon or cucumber or even some fresh mint leaves to your glass to add some extra refreshing flavour to your drink.
Fizzy drinks can contain a significant amount of sugar, often several teaspoons per can. This means that consuming just one fizzy drink each day will likely push you significantly over your recommended daily sugar intake.
If you do want a fizzy drink, make sure it’s zero-sugar and zero-calorie, and bear in mind that drinking too many can leave you feeling bloated and far from your best. Try to limit your fizzy drink consumption as much as possible to keep yourself feeling as motivated as possible.
Long-term weight loss is all about making good choices and getting back on track.
