Did you know that the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories?
A single shot of vodka has about 65 calories for 80-proof. 100 proof vodka (which is 50% alcohol) has about 82 calories.
Add mixes to make it a sweet dessert type drink and it is loaded with calories. Have a mud-pie type dessert cocktail and you’re chugging down over 1000 calories for one drink. Better to have the real mudpie dessert and split it with a friend.
A diet trick many flight crew members will do is to order a plain diet soda, or soda water in between alcoholic cocktails. Everyone else is satisfied that you have a drink sitting in front of you and not left out, and you will feel better than your table-mates because you are hydrating yourself throughout the night…and becoming less drunk.
Ask the bartender to make your drink using diet soda, sugar free syrup, lemon or lime juice, sugar free mixers, light cranberry juice or diet tonic. Or skip the mix and order infused vodkas that have flavors like peach, peppermint, etc, but not the sugars. Dilute your drinks with club soda and it will last longer, you save on calories, and save on cha-ching ($).
Know before you go. How many drinks (and the corresponding calories) will you tolerate in the outing. Which drinks will you order, and which non-alcoholic drink will you have in between.
Here are some suggestions with calorie counts to help you get started with your game plan.
Alcohol free wine- (5oz) 30 calories
Mimosa (4 oz) 75
Mike’s Hard Lemonade (11 oz) 98
Light Beer (12 oz) 95-130
Wine Spritzer (5 oz) 100
Bloody Mary (5 oz) 120
Red Wine (5 oz) 120 (white wine is the same)
Rum and Diet Coke(8oz) 100
Spiced Cider with Rum (8oz) 150
Gin or Vodka Tonics (8oz) 200
Margarita (8 oz) 280
Drinks over 300 calories:
Chocolate liqueurs, Hot buttered Rums. Long Island Teas(wow- 790!), White Russians, Mai Tais.
Get your pre-departure drinking plan together ahead of time and know how many drinks you will have, what to order non-alcoholic when someone tries to force you to have another drink, you will avoid making weak decisions after you start to feel an alcoholic buzz.
You will also feel better about taking better care of yourself and sticking to your goal of losing weight. You can do this!
Here are other Slim Sipping ideas.
