Rethink Your Drink Celebration That Respects Your Waistline

Debbie wanted to celebrate. She’d just won a job promotion she’d been working on for months. She called her friends and they agreed to meet at their favorite club downtown. Debbie was looking forward to loosening up and having some laughs. But as she slipped on her new dress—the one she was so proud to wear after losing thirty pounds—she wondered: would a few cocktails ruin her diet?

Drinks Carry “Empty” Calories

            Calories in drinks add up quickly because we tend not to think about them. Drinking doesn’t make us feel “full” like eating does, so we can down 2-4 cocktails or more and barely feel it—at least in terms of satiety. According to nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, R.D., “The reason you gain weight from alcohol is that you don't compensate by eating less later. You still eat the same amount, regardless of whether you had the drink." (“Cocktails and Calories: Beer, Wine, and Liquor Calories Can Really Add Up.” Shape, Jan 2002.)

            Worse, because alcohol is a diuretic, it tends to take anything of nutritional value right out of your system. So if you think you’re compensating by having a little orange juice with your vodka, think again, as the vodka will most likely take the juice straight out of your body, before your cells have a chance to absorb any of the nutrients.

The Bad News About Mixed Drinks

            Unfortunately, like most things that taste good, mixed drinks carry a lot of calories. According to Keecha Harris, Ph.D., writing for Men’s Health (“Counting Cocktail Calories,” www.health.msn.com), one shot or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits contain 100 calories, liqueurs vary and can have 100 calories or more per ounce, 12 ounces of regular beer contains 150 calories, and five ounces of wine contains 100.

Anything that contains extra juice (calorie-loaded) or cream (heavy with fat) does more to ruin your diet. Look up some of your favorite mixers on CalorieKing.com and you’ll find one margarita contains 150 calories, a pina colada without the cherry is 245 (with 12% of your daily saturated fat), a 4-ounce cosmopolitan without the orange peel is 213, a vodka tonic with no lemon or lime wedge is 169, and a Tequila sunrise is 200. To put it in perspective, it takes about 55 minutes of walking or 23 minutes of jogging to burn off those 200 calories—and that’s just for one drink.

Lightweight Partying

            Of course, there’s nothing wrong with indulging now and then, but if you want to keep the calories low, there are a few things you can do while still enjoying a night out. First, you can stop at just one drink (and reap the health benefits without going overboard on the alcohol). If you’re going for a couple more, Fitsugar.com offers a few suggestions. For those who like fruit-based cocktails, ask for half the juice and make up the difference with calorie-free sparkling water. Try low-calorie mixers with diet tonic water. Go for sugar-free margaritas and other similar drinks, as well. (Ask your bartender for options.) As a general rule, avoid the heavy cream and ask for two-percent milk or fat-free half and half.

            Everydayhealth.com writer Madeline Vann, MPH (“Can Alcohol Derail Your Diet?”), suggests choosing a wine spritzer instead of wine, and light beer instead of regular. Drink water or another low-calorie drink (sparkling water or diet soda) between cocktails, and consider your glass—studies have shown that people pour more into short, wide glasses than tall, thin glasses. Finally, here are some lower-calorie options, all running about 65 calories: rum and diet Coke, vodka and diet Sprite, and whiskey and soda.