ALCOHOL

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laurajcrampton
laurajcrampton Posts: 71
in Food and Nutrition
So... Alcohol has a load of calories *cries* and isn't great for your skin, or body in general... However, alcohol is alcohol and I'm sure there is a time, whether it's after a long or bad day at work, or at a party/ occasion, that you want to enjoy yourself...

So here are my questions:

If you do drink, what do you drink?
Is there such thing as a low calorie drink?
Do you substitute alcohol for something else?
Do you reward yourself with alcohol?
Would you rather drink the calories than eat them?


I like a glass of wine, but I'm trying to avoid wine due to the calories. I'm not an alcoholic, I am a student and can't afford alcohol so I don't really buy it! And if I don't buy it, I can't drink it! I like spirits, but tonic water doesn't taste the same without gin in it! If I have a good burn week, I would treat myself at the weekend.
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Replies

  • needles85365
    needles85365 Posts: 491 Member
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    I don't drink very much and when I want one I take one. If it puts me over my calories..oh well. I always drink extra water when I drink though.
  • katedevall
    katedevall Posts: 240 Member
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    Honestly, I have a drink every weekend. My downfall is daquaris and margarita. Normally I only drink a small amount of it then give it away. I get my little "fix" and don't ingest the massive amount of calories I would normally get from them.. Also they have "skinny" varities of most drinks.. I'm not a wine drinker so I don't know much about it
  • Yecats1990
    Yecats1990 Posts: 18 Member
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    I am a serious Malibu drinker. In fact at work my name on the till that gets printed on customer recipts :/ is Malibu Stacey lol (we all have nicknames) I drink mine with coke. It's all I drink But I have a friend that says some quote about gin makes you slim, she has lost a lot of weight recently but she drinks gin and tonic / lemonade. I guess moderation is the key but I think spirits are less calorific that beers and wines? Don't quote me on that lol x
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    Your topic got my attention LOL.

    I love my wine and just recently I discovered that when I drink too much of it -- more than two glasses -- that it seriously effects my sleep at night. With that said while I know I should completely eliminate it from my diet but . . . I'm not. Cut down? Yes. Now with that said when I do imbibe during the week days I try and make sure that the booze I drink fits within my calories even if I tap into my exercise calories I'm ok with that (the weekend is another story though LOL). So as far as preferring to "drink" my calories than eat them again I make sure that it fits within my daily calories (typically I go over on the weekend but that also has a lot to do with the food I eat as well).

    As for a "low calorie" drink the only thing that I can honestly think of that would have very minimal calories would be vodka and soda water because soda water has zero calories. Tonic water has some calories and IMO is NASTY! I used to think I hated vodka but it was the tonic water that I hated so I switched to soda water. Also malibu and soda water is good too but I don't know how many calories are in that.

    I don't "reward" myself with alcohol per-say but I do like relaxing with some wine in the evenings and when my husband and I go out we imbibe.
  • MissHolidayGolightly
    MissHolidayGolightly Posts: 857 Member
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    I just drink in moderation. Usually limited to weekends or with dinner if I feel like having a glass of something. I used to drink more in college because we were always going out. Since I'm out and have a full time job, I have cut back quite a bit. I don't go out and get wild much anymore :-) Especially since I've become more mindful of my health, food intake, and exercise, I am less likely to drink a lot at the risk of being hungover the next day.

    But.. I love my wine.. and bourbon... and frangelico...
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    I am a serious Malibu drinker. In fact at work my name on the till that gets printed on customer recipts :/ is Malibu Stacey lol (we all have nicknames) I drink mine with coke. It's all I drink But I have a friend that says some quote about gin makes you slim, she has lost a lot of weight recently but she drinks gin and tonic / lemonade. I guess moderation is the key but I think spirits are less calorific that beers and wines? Don't quote me on that lol x

    Try Malibu and soda water. Sounds odd but it's really good.
  • vikkistarr89
    vikkistarr89 Posts: 122 Member
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    Im 23 and from UK and drinking is the main reason I am overweight to begin with, and in London i'm sure most people my age would agree there is a massive drinking/drugs culture

    Before:
    If you do drink, what do you drink? Wine, between Thursday and Saturday I easily got through 4/5 a week
    Would you rather drink the calories than eat them? I used to skip eating to drink, but once or twice end up in the chip shop

    So, i have realised in order to lose it, I need to severely curb my drinking. It's not even the calories in it, its the amount of sugar that prevents weight loss for several days after I have consumed them.

    So now, the advice i've been given is to drink either Gin and Slimline Tonic, or Vodka and Cranberry Juice.

    G and T is the lowest calorie alcoholic drink I have so far yet to find. And I was told by one of the instructors at my gym that vodka and cranberry juice is good for burning stomach fat.

    Calories in Gin & Slimline Tonic: Single 56 , Double 112
    Vodka and Cranberry Juice: Single 160, Double 212
    Calories in white Wine: medium (250ml) 260 calories
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    I stay away from sugary mixers because they add a lot of calories to an already calorie dense drink.

    I stick to darker beers like Guinness. Yes, Guinness actually is relatively low in calories compared to the "lighter" American beers. Also, it takes longer to drink, so you are less likely to overconsume.
  • MissHolidayGolightly
    MissHolidayGolightly Posts: 857 Member
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    Some liquors I enjoy on the rocks but when mixing cocktails, I use soda water, diet sodas/tonic, almond milk in lieu of heavy cream in dairy drinks, add citrus like lemon and lime, etc. I also don't put a lot of alcohol in.

    Sometimes people will say this is silly because you're already drinking alcohol which is caloric but it still cuts back on the excess calories and sugar.
  • SStrauss79
    SStrauss79 Posts: 124 Member
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    I don't usually drink...however last night with dinner I order Blue Moon on tap...228 calories for that one dang beer. Not worth it to me.
  • cacklingcat
    cacklingcat Posts: 150 Member
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    I have a bear almost every night while making dinner. It fits fine into my caller's for the day the only thing I mainly ever go red in is sugar but that's mainly fruit and not processed.:drinker:
  • rav52
    rav52 Posts: 495
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    You should really try the Skinny Girl line by Bethany Frankel. She has alot to choose from and calories are not too high. I love them especially her margarita brand. If im in the mood for beer , I coose MJD 64. Only 64 calories however the down fall is......it makes you pee alot lol
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    Wine should have NO calories. It has nothing to do with food, it should be free. In a perfect world.
  • Amazon_Who
    Amazon_Who Posts: 1,092 Member
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    I drink sporadically. Last night I had Pimm's with diet Ginger-ale and some Bushmill's Honey. Love wine, especially red. I fit it within my calorie goal.
  • lisamarie327
    lisamarie327 Posts: 77 Member
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    i drink a glass of wine every once in a while. I usually cut it with sprite zero to lessen the sugar content and calories.
  • jamiem1102
    jamiem1102 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    If you do drink, what do you drink? I will either drink a Vodka Soda with an orange slice - and squeeze the juice into the drink (trust me, if you can get used to it, it'll become your favorite drink. Gotta be an orange though... a lime is hit or miss) or a glass or two of red wine.

    Is there such thing as a low calorie drink? The drink i mentioned about is roughly 60 cals.

    Do you substitute alcohol for something else? If I want alcohol, why would I drink something else? But I'm also not a heavy drinker. Vodka's the best for calories in my opinion.

    Do you reward yourself with alcohol? Uh... no. i drink alcohol when I want to. I think alcohol as a reward is similar to using food as a reward.

    Would you rather drink the calories than eat them? I'd like to have both. :)
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
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    If you do drink, what do you drink?
    Is there such thing as a low calorie drink?
    Do you substitute alcohol for something else?
    Do you reward yourself with alcohol?
    Would you rather drink the calories than eat them?

    Vodka n diet soda- or full sugar soda (diet mountain dew = yum)
    straight alcohol+ diet soda's about as much bang for low cal as you can get(or just take shots lol)
    Nope- there is no substituting going on.
    Nope not rewarding myself with alcohol
    Generally I'd rather eat my calories, but alcohol is the exception AND I'm usually dancing or up n moving around while drinking so it doesn't really cut into my calories(I just stay below maintenance-or try to) on days that I'm drinking(usually once a week or every other week)
  • Jess830409
    Jess830409 Posts: 285 Member
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    My fall back is Captain and Diet - roughly 75 calories per drink (single)

    The problem I have noticed is that I will definitely be bloated for a couple days after I drink unless I chug water while drinking as well

    Sometimes, its just not worth the couple days it takes to even my body back out BUT I know a lifestyle without having a drink now and then is not realistic either
  • mrook2009
    mrook2009 Posts: 64 Member
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    When I drink, I usually drink vodka and diet cranberry juice. The diet cranberry juice only has 5 calories for 8 oz, and it's pretty yummy. :)
  • PopCorn_Said
    PopCorn_Said Posts: 119
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    If you do drink, what do you drink?
    Is there such thing as a low calorie drink?
    Do you substitute alcohol for something else?
    Do you reward yourself with alcohol?
    Would you rather drink the calories than eat them?

    I do drink, I wouldn't give up my occasional beer for anything. Nope, not even my target weight.
    I think vodka has the lowest calories, but i could be wrong...
    Na ha.
    I do. After a hard day, I come home and have one drink. Whatever is handy.
    I do mind my calories when I am eating them, if I have a few left for the day I often just have a sweet or something I wouldn't normally eat. But I don't have a drink every time I have some spare calories...

    Overall, I do not think the random drink will set you back... :drinker:

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