I just read in the April 1^st issue of Family Circle magazine that if you give up one regular 20-ounce soda a day, you’ll save about 91,000 calories a year. Do the math at 3500 calories per pound and that’s equivalent to about 25 pounds you could lose.  That’s huge! Sweetened beverages including juices can pack on the pounds but here are some usable tips to help prevent that gain.

Go for a 50-50 mix. Since juice can be a concentrated source of calories, dilute it with water, sparkling water or club soda. As you adjust to this mixture, try a little less juice and a little more water. Remember that sweetened beverages do not provide you with a feeling of satiety or fullness so you can consume a lot of calories and still be ravenous.

Heads up, many sports drinks and sodas actually contain more than once serving if you check the Nutrition Facts label. When you consume the entire bottle, you need to double or triple the calories depending on the servings in the container. Be a label sleuth.

Are you hungry after you workout? I am. If I’m not careful, I can easily consume more calories rehydrating than I just burned off. Be sure and check the calories of your favorite flavored waters and sports drinks. Some contain upwards of 300 calories.