Thirsty? How to Stay Hydrated Without Gaining Weight

Keeping hydrated this summer will ease the heat, but drinkable calories can add up. Say you guzzle a glass of OJ with breakfast, then stop for an iced latte. For a mid-morning refresher, you have a flavored iced tea, then a soda with lunch, another at 3 p.m., and two beers after work. A typical day, and you've chugged as many as 1,068 calories, or half a day's worth, in liquid alone.

"Ideally, you should receive no calories from beverages," says Cynthia Sass of the American Dietetic Association. (Milk and 100% fruit juice count as food servings.) That advice may be hard to swallow when you're parched. So limit your drinks to 10% of total calories (about 200), says Sass. Opt for unsweetened iced tea, diet soda or water with a splash of lemon, lime or orange juice.