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7/24/08

How to have a drink without screwing up your diet

As a diet and fitness junkie, I am a bit of a calorie snob. Alcohol is one of the worst ways to rack up excess calories. It is also delicious. Over my few years of dealing with both dieting and drinking, I have found a few things that helped me be able to drink alcohol AND lose weight. Here are my tips:
  • Beer is the least calorie dense alcohol you can have. A light beer typically has between 100 and 150 calories in a 12 ounce serving. Most domestic beer makers now produce smaller cans of their products, so that you can have a taste of your favorite beverage without overdoing it. The Miller Light 8 ounce can has only 64 calories in it.
  • If you do have a mixed drink, remember to watch the portion of alcohol. Most liquors have about the same amount of calories - 90 to 100 a shot. It is also VERY important to remember what you mix it with. Avoid juice, syrups of any kind, regular soda and (for God's sake) ice cream or cream. Any diet soda is great in a mixer.
  • Never EVER drink to get drunk. Not only will you be slamming glass after calorie-laden glass of alcohol, but drunkenness can also open the door to overdoing it with food. You won't be fully aware of stuffing your face, but the deed will already be done.
  • Lastly, it's worth mentioning that it would be better if you consumed no more than one serving of alcohol per day...Possibly less than that. Alcohol does have antioxidants that can help you be heart healthy, but too much is decidedly bad for you.

1 comment:

brian said...

here's my tip...have more than one beer...even if you do end up getting drunk and doing something silly like eating a greasy pork sandwich at 2am, you really won't want to eat anything the next day anyway.