Trying to lose weight? Watch what you drink

I'm trying to lose weight. To keep from snacking between meals, I've been drinking lots of juice and milk. But the scale isn't showing much progress. Am I doing something wrong?- John / Washington

Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

You have the right idea. Drinking beverages can satisfy your urge to nibble when you're trying to lose weight. Although juice and milk have many important nutrients, they also contain a lot of calories. A calorie in liquid form is the same as a calorie in solid food, so it's important to keep track of the calories in the beverages you drink.

A balanced diet includes at least two servings from the milk group and two servings from the fruit group daily. In terms of beverages, the suggested serving size is 8 ounces for milk and 6 ounces for fruit juice. If you drink more than the recommended daily servings, you could easily be getting unwanted calories.

To help cut calories, switch to low-fat or fat-free milk and reduced-calorie ("light") juices. Diluting juices with plain or sparkling water can reduce calories, too.

That said, water is still the best bet overall when it comes to satisfying thirst and trying to cut the urge to snack. Water has no calories and is very cheap if taken from the tap. Try adding a twist of lemon or lime for a change of pace, or try sparkling water if you just don't like plain water.

Calories in common beverages
Beverage	Serving size	Average calories*
Water	8 ounces (oz.)	0
Coffee or tea (plain)	8 oz.	2
Tea, hot or cold, brewed with tap water	8 oz.	2
Lipton Brisk iced tea, ready to drink	12 oz.	128
Milk, whole	8 oz.	146
Milk, 2 percent	8 oz.	122
Milk, fat-free	8 oz.	86
Fruit juice, frozen concentrate	8 oz.	114
Fruit drinks	8 oz.	134
Regular soda	12 oz.	152
Diet soda with aspartame	12 oz.	0
Regular beer	12 oz.	153
Light beer	12 oz.	103
Wine	5 oz.	124

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2005

*When calorie values varied among like beverages, the average value was used. Actual calories may vary by brand.