Fluids

Allowed Fluids

You can drink any non-caloric drink without sugar. That means water, herbal tea, black tea, and coffee (no cream) are all allowed. You may sweeten drinks with stevia. Don't use non-dairy creamer or other substitutes.

Sugarless or sugar-free drinks are allowed with caution. These drinks generally use artificial, chemical sweeteners that we discourage on this program. Although many people have no problem with these sweeteners, some do. If you're getting frequent cravings or your weight loss stalls, these sweeteners can sometimes be blamed -- see the Troubleshooting section for more information.

As always, check labels carefully to avoid hidden sugars. See "Allowed Sweeteners" below for more information.

Alcoholic drinks are not allowed in any form.

How Much?

You can drink any of the allowed fluids at any time and in any quantity throughout the day. Be careful with the tea and coffee, however, since caffeine causes your body to lose water and may lead to dehydration if you aren't drinking enough water. In addition to tea and coffee, follow the guidelines below on water intake.

Water Intake

We can hardly stress enough the importance of drinking plenty of water during the Core Phase -- not to mention the rest of your life. We could write an entire book on the importance of water and the many health advantages it provides. Among many other benefits, drinking a consistent amount of water every day will reduce annoying weight fluctuations.

Most recommendations say to drink two liters or eight cups of water per day. Like so many other things, the standard advice on water intake is based on average body sizes and may or may not apply to you.

We recommend the following simple rule:

Drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of weight.

In formula format: Daily Ounces of Water = Your Weight (lbs) / 2

Example: If you weigh 180 pounds, you should aim for 90 ounces a day.

This may seem like a lot, especially since many people aren't drinking enough water to begin with, but do your best and you'll learn how to drink more regularly.

It can be challenging to track your actual water intake, but it's important. We recommend getting a mug with the ounces marked along the side. If there's a cup or container you use to drink from consistently, measure it to see how many ounces it normally holds.

Remember that as you lose weight, your water needs will go down a little. Once a week when you weigh yourself, take a look at your water intake and adjust it as needed