For those out there who drink (alcohol)

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12/1/12 5:19 P

I hear you! I'm 28 and it seems like there are a lot of social functions in my life that just plain involve alcohol. A drink after work with coworkers, drinks to celebrate a friend's promotion, the Friday night "who wants to grab dinner and a beer" and so on.

For me, the first thing is that I try not to drink at ALL the drink-y occasions. If that's the main part of going out (ie, "we're all going out for a quick drink after work") then yeah, I will.. but if it's a casual/non-major event dinner with friends or something, I'll go with water or unsweetened iced tea.

Otherwise, I'll drink wine, or like others, craft beer. Sometimes I'll do a gin and tonic, or a dirty martini, which is actually not too bad on calories.Oonce in a looong while if I'm treating myself, I'll have one of the fancy margarita drinks or whatever.
I usually keep it to one drink, and it fits into my nutrition plan. But yeah, it's tough.. gotta stay on top of it!

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11/30/12 7:59 P

I drink occasionally. I find a glass of white wine can fit into my plan. I try to avoid sugary cocktails and mixers because I find they add too many calories. They are special occasion drinks!

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11/30/12 1:24 P

i like this website - http://getdrunknotfat.com/ it tells you the calories-alcohol ratio!

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11/29/12 4:25 P

When I'm out drinking during a social occasion, I try to stick to beer, usually Coors Light, but at home I hit the high-calorie liquors like rum, whiskey and tequila. I try not to indulge too much - a couple of drinks once or twice a week. It's also the only time I drink soda, so I have made a rule: no soda unless there's alcohol in it!

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11/29/12 3:45 P

Thanks to everyone out there for posting some great ideas for drink choices (I clearly am drinking the higher calorie alcoholic beverages...with the exception of my vino). And thanks for that great link! It was very helpful.

Cheers!

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11/29/12 3:39 P

If I'm out at a bar, I'll get a vodka soda (it's extra good w/ cherry vodka but that adds to the calories) w/ a slice of lime, or occasionally a beer (do that more in summer). If I'm out to dinner at a nicer restaurant I will always have a glass of red wine.

At home I don't drink much but if I do, I like diet cherry 7-up and vodka. I rarely open wine at home anymore, because I can't drink a whole bottle before it goes bad, and BF doesn't drink wine. If people are over I'll open a bottle though.

Edited by: YOJULEZ at: 11/29/2012 (15:39)

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11/29/12 11:57 A

My drink of choice is wine. Usually chardonnay. Sometimes Merlot. I find that at times red wine gives me a headache. (even a small amount) I have a glass of wine almost every night with dinner. The size of the glass matters. I had to go from what I was used to (a nice size glass) and now I drink from what I call a "thimble". It is a 5 ounce glass and it helps me know how much I am having.

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11/29/12 10:15 A

If I'm making a drink at home, I'll usually do plain vodka mixed with water and crystal light mix. If I'm going out, all bets are off, but on most nights I'll try to stick with vodka soda with a splash of cranberry and a few limes.

One tip...I used to try to compensate for the calories I knew I'd be drinking that night by skipping or having a very small dinner. SUCH A BAD IDEA! Holy hangover central.

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11/29/12 9:24 A

Thanks for the link, Coach_Tanya...helps me out this Friday night :)

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11/29/12 9:22 A

All drinks are not created equal on the dieting scale and some choices are better than others. Here's a short guide to the calorie contents of different types of alcohol. Use it as a quick resource so you can make the best alcohol choices while sticking to your dietary goals.

Diet-Friendly Alcohol Choices
Choose Wisely to Stay On Track
www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_art
icles.asp?id=893

Coach Tanya

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11/29/12 12:21 A

Definitely agree with what the others have said! If I have all the options available to me, I'll typically go with white wine. I can tell you I spent two weeks in France drinking wine all day and eating lots of bread and cheese, and when I came back to the U.S. I was afraid I gained a ton of weight from indulging so much. I was shocked when I weighed in and hadn't gained a single pound. That experience helped me realize that a little wine here or there will not completely wreck my progress, so I've continued to have a glass or two a few nights a week since then. :)

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11/28/12 11:53 P

I used to always resort to lite beers, however I ended up drinking more of them because I was never satisfied. I too, opt for water unless I can enjoy a good craft beer. I will allow myself 2 max on a weekend and order it with water so I can slow down and enjoy it. I think its like everything - the fake/diet stuff doesn't satisfy and can lead to binges on the good stuff. All in moderation.

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11/28/12 11:26 P

I drink a glass of white wine a few times a week with dinner. If I'm at a bar or something I drink vodka, seltzer and a splash of cranberry. I'm a super duper lightweight (a blessing in disguise) so I'm done after one or two drinks!

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11/28/12 11:21 P

Both my boyfriend an I are social drinkers and I used to have a beer in the evening when I got home from work and then wine with dinner, cocktails when we went out. I've just cut down: the beer is nearly completely cut out, and if I have it, it's all I have. But it's a real craft beer - if the choice is between a lite beer and water, I'll take the water!

I still have a glass or two of wine almost every evening with dinner. I just make room for it in my calories, it's not that many carbs. Again, it's quality over quantity. I've also switched to mostly white wine as reds don't keep as well once they're open. That way I don't feel the need to have a full half bottle so that I drink it all before it's 'off'. (I'm not always the best at this - it's Beaujolais Nouveau season right now! How can I resist???)

When I go out, I've cut out cocktails and stick to straight alcohol drinks (wine or scotch in my case). I space them out with glasses of water to limit my intake to something somewhat reasonable (when you start with Friday happy hour and go out until 1 or 2 in the morning one drink every couple hours adds up!)

Oh! edited to add: Think about weighing your glass of wine when you're at home- a serving is 3.5 ounces and that is a surprisingly little amount when you're used to drinking 'a' glass of wine out of a giant balloon glass... I found that my regular glass of wine was closer to two!

Edited by: LITTLE_NIKKE at: 11/28/2012 (23:28)

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11/28/12 10:58 P

I really want to lose weight...I'm making some progress with healthy lifestyle changes (even drinking 8 glasses of water a day is a big progression for me right now). However, I will still continue to drink while trying to be "sensible" about my alcohol intake. For those out there who are losing weight but have continued to drink on occasion...what do you drink? Is it wine, and if so, how much per week? Is it alcoholic beverages, and if so, what type are best to try to keep our carb/sugar/calorie intakes inline?

Thanks in advance for any help (and preferably a lack of "judgment" as we are not all perfect in our approaches to lifestyle changes...as the saying goes..."progress, not perfection").