Drinking and Diet

CBolliger

I am a fan of beer, and not this ultra-lite no flavor beer, but hoppy, robust, kick-*kitten* beer. The problem is, as I am sure you know, that one of these lovely beers has several hundred calories per bottle! So, in an effort to help my weight loss, I have decided to switch to other types of drinks. You might say, "you would be healthier and loose more weight if you didn’t drink alcohol" or "Alcohol is full of empty calories and sugar" to which I would reply "yes, indeed, now pass me that bottle opener". So, please don't take this the wrong way, but if your only helpful advice is abstinence, then this thread is not for you. I am looking for some tricks of the trade, other options, tasty beverages that are a little on the lighter side and just some good ole' drinking dialog. Let’s lose weight and celebrate!

carolina822

I switched to wine. For one thing, I can drink my weight in beer if I'm not careful, and who's careful after the first couple of drinks? Also, it does a number on my tummy. I started cutting my glass of wine with seltzer water or club soda. Since I buy super el cheapo wine, it doesn't really affect the taste, and you can have twice as much sippage for the same calories.

salcha76

I'm with ya...I enjoy my REAL beer & happily scan the bar code & log my calories and enjoy every sip. I would rather drink a good beer & make the calories worth it then waste the calories on that crappy lite beer, blach! I do try to tamper off my drinking to only a few times a month rather then a few times a week. Only because drinking beer makes me really wanna eat pizza....and my give a damn is sometimes not working properly after a few tall ones:)

spanglish

It's helped me to trade the after work beer for a club soda with lime. It's something fizzy and refreshing, but light. On the weekends I still treat myself to good beer, but after a couple rounds (when taste becomes less important anyway) I switch to vodka soda.

tooltula

I also enjoy my cocktails and beer. But since I couldn't drink beer and lose weight I switched to Vodka. I also like cranberry juice so I buy diet cran and add that. You can mix with anything you like, problem is I can only drink 2. I fill in with water.

AngelaKelly02

Bacardi with tonic water and lime. Wine mixed with soda water is okay too depending on the wine.

I miss whiskey and dry ginger-ale.

cwolfman13

I used to be a big time craft beer drinker. I've taken to more red wine and vodka & diet tonics or club soda as my go to drinks. I probably only have maybe 3 beers per week these days, when I used to have 3 or 4 nightly. I'm actually trying to cut back even more and I have at least 2 "dry" nights per week now...will be bumping that to 3 next week and 4-5 nights in a couple more weeks. For me, it's more habit than anything. Friday and Saturday nights are mine though, and I don't see that changing anytime soon...

MamaFunky

I totally could have written this post! My hubby and I both love beer so I totally understand where you are coming from! I like the idea of adding some seltzer water to some wine! That is a great way to still have a cocktail and cut the calories! looking forward to reading more ideas!

jenbit

Stick to single mixed drinks or shots. Long island ice teas and such are huge calorie bombs. Personally I like vokda with crystal light (at home) or rum and diet coke.... Shots work great too!

Ecce_Signum

Beer is my Bacon!

Only had 1 Fried Breakfast in 3 months and got grumpy when totally off beer (first 15 days of January). I think I drink more responsibly now and look forward to a couple most nights. I used to trade my exercise calories for beer but not been running for a while through injury and that has stemmed my weightloss and can put up with that (for ma while).

alexbusnello

I love Vodka and hard drinks

norm1539

Try Guinness one 20oz can is only 155 calories. Besides the fact that Stout's are just good beers.

Ailorn

Exercise and drink the beer you like Calories in is Calories out.

amy32lynn

Stick to single mixed drinks or shots. Long island ice teas and such are huge calorie bombs. Personally I like vokda with crystal light (at home) or rum and diet coke.... Shots work great too!

love crystal light and vodka .....about 85 cals per drink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tracymat

Vodka and DIET tonic with a few limes... beware, regular tonic has just as many calories as REGULAR SODA!!

girlnumber57

I love beer also, now it's a special treat - twice a month maybe. I drink a ton more red wine now. I drink a glass a night to be honest, sometimes two. I also drink gin and tonic's, but I have to limit those as I will go overboard on that if given a chance. Wine seems to be the safest bet.

Mary8751

Vodka and water with some Mio in it, it's not beer but that's what I have been drinking.

victoriannsays

I used to drink wine 2-3 times a week - and also drink once during the weekend out with friends. I have cut this number down to one night a week. I don't believe in cutting anything out of your diet totally.

Moderation. If I know I'm gonna go out with friends, I'll work a little harder each day during the week to "make room" for all of the alcoholic calories I'll be drinking. This works for me as I count my calories on a weekly vs. daily basis.

Queen_Adrock

Jack Daniels on the rocks. Used to love Jack and Cokes until I realized how much sugar and empty calories it was! So, just cut out that unhealthy soda and I'm left with uber-healthy whiskey. That's how it works, right?

alliepee11

I scaled the awesome beer to special occasions only (I don't have the ability to only have one) and try to keep it at two or three. as far as the harder stuff goes, I find thawhen I can't abstain, a vodka diet seven is always good, but I sure do miss captain and coke

carolina822

A couple of summers ago, I got hooked on Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. That stuff is DANGEROUS! lol

Anyway, I discovered you can make your own by putting a few teabags into a mason jar of regular (read: cheap) vodka for an hour or two, then add your sweetener of choice or mix with crystal light lemonade for a John Daly.

Anthonydaman

Ok, here is some advice from a professional;
Spiced rum with Diet Dr.pepper or Diet grape fruit soda is a great choice at 112 cals.
You can make your own spiced rum by adding a split vanilla bean and several cinnamon sticks to a bottle of amber rum. Takes about two weeks to steep.
If you like fruity stuff, flavored vodka (I prefer watermelon) with lime and club soda 146 cals.
Add a couple drops of Angostura bitters to either drink to open up all the flavors.
With either drink add 2 oz of booze then top it off with your mixer.
Good times...

PhearlessPhreaks

I know it's a love or hate thing, but Guinness is a fairly low-cal beer. 126 calories per 12 oz… I'm also a fan of tasty beer, my faves are Spaten Dunkel, Sam Winter Lager, and LPPB's '76 Frostbite Ale. However, Guinness is my winter favorite. Iin the summer, my go-to drink is Ketel One and club soda, sans fruit. If you're not into vodka, wine spritzers made with club are pretty reasonable in the calorie dept.

kellyscomeback

I indulge once a week in an IPA or homebrew. It's all in moderation.

millabird

I am a hard cider drinker. My current favorite is FoxBarrel pear cider (a true perry made from pears), which is only 130 cals a bottle. Crispin hard apple cider (original) is 150 cals a bottle. In general, alcohol has become more of a rare special treat since I started my weight loss program, and I suppose that's a good thing!

rachaelgifford

I drink Vodka lime and soda if I am on a night out, or the odd glass of wine at home.

WBB55

I drink homemade "shandies" instead of straight up beer at home. 1/2 lemon crystal light, 1/2 pilsner or wheat beer... some artificial sweetener there if you're sensitive to that, but it's really refreshing and you still get the taste of the beer

ryblueeyes

savings this for later!

Sonriendo

Oh god am Addicted to Smirnoff Vodka and all it's many flavors...... :drinker: hahaha but am on this diet / eating clean plan that doesn't allow me to drink any alcohol... and so far it has worked as I've lost 16lbs in 19 days.... and no am not starving my self nor killing my body with crazy exercises ......

saxmaniac

<--- Dry martini.

Or, I'll start drinking one or two quality beers and switch to lighter beer for the rest of the evening. Corona light is pretty good compared to other mass brews.

Jack Daniels on the rocks.

Don't like Jack, but, you can cut it with a bit of sweet vermouth, add a drop of bitters, and you've got a Manhattan.

Capt_Apollo

the best trick for me is just to limit myself. like when you started learning how to have less portions at dinner, and driving past a McDonalds or whatever, you have to stop having 2-3 beers in a row.

some tricks might be to just keep 1-2 in the fridge at a time, that way you can only enjoy the cold ones.