ALCOHOL

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.
«13

Replies

  • needles85365
    needles85365 Posts: 491 Member
    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
    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
    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: 3,749 Member
    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
    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: 3,749 Member
    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
    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: 900 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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

    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:
  • SamanthaClarexo
    SamanthaClarexo Posts: 353 Member
    Single Vodka + diet coke = 56cals.

    I normally have around 8 on a night out, which is just under 500cals. When I know I'm going out, I burn 500 cals at the gym, and don't eat it back.
  • Technoboggan
    Technoboggan Posts: 6
    I found this interesting comparison chart of the calories in alcohol. My drink of choice, when I am dieting, is Rum and Diet Coke, which is between 100 and 125 calories for a single (1.5 ounces of alcohol and none for the diet soda). Unfortunately, I've got a reputation as an expert jello and pudding shot maker in our party crowd, and those are way more caloric.
  • FranksRumHam
    FranksRumHam Posts: 198 Member
    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.

    so you'll make a "wine spritzer" over having a full glass of wine?
    wine's like 100-120 cals per serving...you can't cut 60 cals from your day to afford the other half glass?

    lol wine and sprite, welcome to 8th grade.
  • carlom18
    carlom18 Posts: 174 Member
    low calorie: vodka, tequila, any hard liquors on own or mixed with diet sodas/ SF mixers.

    soda water is low cal (i think zero actually), tonic water has cals,
  • MissHolidayGolightly
    MissHolidayGolightly Posts: 857 Member
    Wine should have NO calories. It has nothing to do with food, it should be free. In a perfect world.

    LOL sometimes I really don't think it does have any calories :-) wishful thinking I guess.
  • lbigham1
    lbigham1 Posts: 132
    Drinking out is usually a problem for me because I LOVE margaritas and most restaruants do not have a low-cal substitute. I have learned to limit myself to 2 dirnks AND get an extra burn in when I know something like that is on the horizon.

    When I drink at home, I have a few go-to low or now cal mixers i use with vodka. Brings the calories down quite a bit.

    Vodka and Rasberry Green Tea Crystal Light or Appletini Crystal Light is my new fave.
  • neecie5
    neecie5 Posts: 9 Member
    A couple of weeks ago I was on a trip to CA to gather with friends and family for a reunion of sorts. I ended up enjoying everything, including alcohol, and just made sure to be aware of what I was doing (i.e. 2 cosmos=1,000 calories, but this is a very occasional thing). With wine in mind (I adore red), I'd say a 5 oz. glass every 2-3 days is fine, as long as you make sure you have healthy snack foods on hand, as alcohol lowers your inhibitions/judgment, so reach for the pop chips and veggies/fruit tray instead of the icecream and Cheetos. Hope this is helpful.
  • KetoDebbie912
    KetoDebbie912 Posts: 105 Member
    Hello there!

    Great question! I have a pretty active social life and love to have a drink or two. Here is what works for me.

    1. I do not drink during the week. If I attend an event or go to dinner and want a glass of wine I skip my fruit for the day.
    2. Drink an EXTRA glass of water for each drink you consume.
    3. My skinny drink is blueberry vokda with crystal light lemonade. I now take it with me to BYOB events and have to make extra to share :) It's low carb and low calorie!
    4. I substite alcohol in place of fruit or I cut back on calories for the day.
    5. Not sure if reward is the right word but I do enjoy having it and always plan ahead.
    6. I would rather be healthy and eat clean but there is a time and place for everything, so with that being said, sometimes I do replace a snack or have a light meal so that I can indulge and not worry! Plus I drink a TON of water.

    Hope this helps!



    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?
  • dfonte
    dfonte Posts: 263 Member
    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:

    You must be ripped eating bear every night. Ha.

    Really, hard alcohol is still filled with calories but it takes you less to get drunk. Use calorie free mixers, or at least try to be healthy.
    For a quick drink, I use Fresca. Fresca somehow manages to mask any alcohol. Crystal light is good too.

    In the summer, I build food into my alcohol. I use about 7 frozen strawberries, 2 packs of sweet and low, 2 shots tequilla, 1 cup water. This is about 200 calories - but I'm getting fresh fruit. AND I most likely won't be downing these. If I do I'll fall asleep before I can drink too many anyways.
  • sgv0918
    sgv0918 Posts: 851 Member
    If you do drink, what do you drink? Not often and sometimes whatever I want. Other times either a nice glass of moscato wine or captain and diet coke. Neither have too many calories

    Is there such thing as a low calorie drink? Yes the most of the calories are in the mixers

    Do you substitute alcohol for something else? no

    Do you reward yourself with alcohol? no

    Would you rather drink the calories than eat them? I always rather eat my calories but I'll "set some aside" if I know I'm having a night out

Categories