By the time that 2015 is upon us, three quarters of U.S. adults are expected to be obese or overweight. Beyond an issue of physical looks, being overweight contributes to many health related dangers, issues which will only get bigger as more and more of us do.

This fattening epidemic is to be expected when you realize that we consume between 150-300 more calories per day than we did just 30 years ago. There are a variety of reasons why this has happened – Fast foods, processed and prepared meals, constantly increasing portion sizes, too few good fats and too many bad ones, not to mention an unfortunate and regularly expanding choice of high calorie drinks.

Our tastes these days have become accustomed to calories in liquid form, like coffee drinks, smoothies, energy drinks and flavored waters. The problem is that all those liquid calories aren’t so easy to keep track of. Liquid calories simply don’t satisfy your hunger in the same way as solid food, and many of the liquids we drink without thinking today lack any nutritional value.

Experts have discovered that the mechanism of drinking calories, not having to chew or take steps to prepare as you would with a normal meal, allow these calories slip under the counting radar with ease.

Removing those calories that offer the least amount of nutrition will help in your weight loss efforts. Cut out the least satisfying, and least nutritious, calories first, and then look at the rest of your diet.

When reading your drink labels, the most important thing to look at is calorie count – forget the list of ingredients for the time being. Even drinks labelled ‘healthy’, that are thought to be a better option for weight loss, often contribute additional calories as well. In the end, it’s the number of calories that really counts.

So, if your objective is to lose weight, you’re best off drinking just calorie free, natural water. If you don’t feel ready to make the switch to sugar free drinks right away, try flavored water until you get used to a less sweet taste.