Liquor and Diet

My husbands birthday is this Saturday and I know I will be drinking. I can't really find any nutrition facts on alcohol, but should I just avoid it and not drink because of my diet?

Replies

  • Dagoth
    Dagoth Posts: 172
    Nah, just drink. Enjoy yourself. Live a little. Everything in moderation, yadda yadda.
  • bonkalkady
    bonkalkady Posts: 7 Member
    You can still drink, just choose wisely!

    Vodka + diet mixer
    Vodka + Lime + Soda
    Rum/Bourbon/Scotch + coke zero
    all = approx 60 cals. So you can definately enjoy a few drinks!

    Generally A bottle of wine = 500-600 cals.
    6 low carb beers = 600 cals

    Avoid pre-mixed drinks and you'll be fine!
    Have fun!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Have a few drinks and enjoy. Good choices from a calorie perspective are champagne, wine and hard liquor with no-cal mixers. But I would not get too caught up in the calories - go out and enjoy yourself.
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
    It's what you do the majority of the time that matters - one night off for a celebration really won't make that much difference. It is a special occasion, you and your husband should enjoy yourself.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Do you intend to give up drinking permanently? If not, then you need to find way to fit it into your lifestyle - both practically and psychologically. Even if you plan on not having it very often, I would think your husband's birthday would count as a special enough occasion. Don't let "dieting" get in the way of enjoying your life. (Not saying you have to drink to enjoy life...)
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    As far as calories go hard liquor has the least as it is just alcohol - no carbs or anything else - and you generally don't drink as much volume of it. But don't make a celebratory drink choice based on calories. Those choices should be made based on what you enjoy drinking. If you like beer, have a couple of beers. It's one day and it's a special occassion. If it makes you feel better maybe get in an extra workout to make some room in your calorie budget for what you want to drink but don't worry too much about it. Enjoy the evening. Get back on track the next day.

    One day of living it up a little every once in a while doesn't have to mean the end of the changes you've made.

    Life happens. Enjoy it.
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    grain alcohol
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Alcohol is 7 calories a gram but that doesn't mean you cannot have some on a special occasion within a healthy diet. Lowest calorie are dry white wine spritzers with sparkling water, clear spirits with sugar free mixers or grapefruit juice, red wine supplies healthy antioxidants. Also be aware that alcohol messes with your blood sugar and reduces inhibitions, so you may get cravings for carbohydrates or junk food. Be sure to eat a low glycaemic index meal - more protein, fat and fibre than starchy carbs, limit sugar, processed wheat and potatoes. Pint of water beside your bed before you go out, have something easy, healthy and tasty in the house for breakfast so you don't end up craving more junk.
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    Your biggest calorie enemy is the pre-made mixers. A lot of them have a ton of sugar. Enough as been said about the alcohol itself.

    Sprite Zero goes great with a lot of the clear liquors.

    JM
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    By all means, enjoy a couple drinks. I tend to stick to champagne and wine because I lost my tolerance for alcohol when I stopped drinking (for the most part). If you haven't been drinking for a while, that's usually the killer. You probably won't be able to drink that much. Another great trick I use is the club soda with lime. It looks like an alcoholic beverage, has almost no calories, and you don't get drunk on them. If you don't want to drink a lot or want to space things out, then mix those in.
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
    35ekk1.jpg
  • edennew
    edennew Posts: 231 Member
    My new philosophy on drinking (and i drink red wine when I do) is to pour a smaller portion (like 4 oz.) and keep a pint of water beside my drink. I try to have at least three or four sips of water between sips of wine. That way, i am hydrated and drink less automatically. I also adjust my calories on a day i know i will drink- still trying to get adequate nutrition but cutting out extras.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    Lots of beers have their nutritional info here, plus you can find info on just about any type of alcohol, just not by brand-name, necessarily.

    Generally speaking, it's the mixers that get you, not the alcohol. Have some drinks! Just limit the beer, and watch what sort of mixers get put into things. You could easily have 3-4 drinks and not be too far over your goals.

    Typically when I drink, my weight goes up the next day (probably a water retention thing), but assuming I drink lots of water I see it go back down in another day or so. You know, I wouldn't advocate drinking all the time, but don't let your dieting get in the way of some occasional celebration. Have fun!