Dieting with Low Calorie Drinks Like Crystal Light vs Water

Question: I just started taking oxyelite pro. I know water is the best but having hard time drinking so much water. Can I also drink something with low calories liks crystal light?
(Asked by shawna)

Best Answer:

Hi Shawna,

Good question. We recommend doing whatever it takes to get a higher amount of water in without the sugar and calories. Crystal Light is a good idea if you are comfortable with aspartame. Soda and fruit juice are not good ideas (stay away from fructose sources that have no fiber – see this awesomely long video when you have a lot of time… the part we mention is between 40 and 50 minutes).

There’s really no true guideline on how much water your body really needs. The “8 cups a day” was basically a made up number forged from a made-up diet plan.

You Need More Water… Not Fructose

But the fact remains, when you’re using a thermogenic like OxyELITE Pro, you should strive to get more fluids than normal. So do what it takes to keep them coming and keep your urine relatively clear. If it’s yellow, then you’re not drinking enough (or you just passed a strong multivitamin!)

The caffeine itself increases the rate of “turnover” in your system, and everything is sped up. When everything is sped up, water is used more (it’s involved in nearly every biochemical reaction inside of you).

Just from an indirect nature, an increase in thermogenisis from an increase in stimulants (by taking Oxy ELITE) warrants you to increase your fluids.

Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose vs. Aspartame

The one thing that is important to realize is that Crystal Light has aspartame, which has been shown to be carcinogenic at levels that the European and US Governments deem safe. We personally like sucralose, the sweetener that is in Splenda. While not as dangerous as aspartame, it is not without its problems either. They’re both unnatural to your body, so “pick your poison”, if you will.

Use whatever works best for you – we believe that both are better than eating gobs of fructose – but sucralose/Splenda-based drinks seem far safer.

Don’t Forget – Water Comes From Fruits and Vegetables

A major reason why it’s so hard for researchers to tell us how much water to get is because our bodies should naturally get much of their water from fruits and vegetables. This is nearly unquantifiable… it’s tough to tell you much a handful of spinach leaves and an orange provides.

But when nobody in the western world is eating fruits and vegetables, the waters get muddied because all of the processed food has no water in it, but has the exact opposite — tons of sodium!

Meanwhile, our bodies can adapt to getting very little water. It’s not ideal, but they do adapt to it. When you’re trying to lose weight and burn fat, you want everything to be as ideal as possible. Don’t let your body struggle to adapt while you’ve just thrown some stimulants at it. If you’re thirsty, drink, and drink some more.

Quick Weight Loss Tip…

While we’re on the subject…

…Don’t confuse thirst for hunger.

Remember in the above paragraph that humans are easily adapted to getting much of their water from fruits and vegetables?

Well, it’s all related. Sometimes, you’re thirsty, but your body sends a “hunger” signal, because it expects to get some water in the fruits/vegetables that it wants (and that you should be eating). The line between hunger and thirst is very confusing.

My point being, make sure your body isn’t really just thirsty before heading for the fridge. If you feel a hunger pang, first drink a tall glass of water, wait 15 minutes, and see what’s what. If you’re still hungry, then it’s a true hunger signal, and you should queue up the good stuff.

Anyway,

See why this turns into such a problem? There are several forces of industrialization and nature that are slightly lined up against you. The solutions are to remove the processed food in lieu of real vegetables and meats, make sure you get enough water, and move!

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