As you continue to celebrate summer, how can you include and enjoy alcohol without sacrificing your weight loss goals? We’ll give you some tips to enjoy your favorite drinks this summer and still be able to lose weight.
Diets make things worse and just like prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s didn’t stop people from drinking alcohol, diets don’t work. That’s why we at Sweet Life Wellness encourage you to eat and drink selectively and choose to eat and drink anything you want. It’s a matter of how much and how often you have certain foods and drinks. That’s what I discovered for myself after 25 rounds of yoyo dieting over the span of decades and from 11 years of helping adults build a healthy relationship with food to live a happy life at a healthy weight.
The reality is that especially the beverages we drink, alcoholic or not can pack in lots of extra calories without our even noticing what we’re doing. How can you be aware of the calories you are drinking as alcohol and make smart decisions? Let’s take a look at the wide variety of alcoholic and other beverages and how many calories they contain to help you make better choices.
Alcoholic Beverages
| Beverage | Percent Alcohol | Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light beer | 4.2% | 12 oz. | 110 |
| Heavy beer | 9.6% | 12 oz. | 330 |
| Wine | 11.2% | 4 oz. | 100 |
| 8 oz. | 200 | ||
| Spirits | 80 proof (43%) | 1 oz. | 65 |
| Cocktails | Standard | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Margarita | Same | Same | 160 |
| Mai Tai | Same | Same | 290 |
| Name | Percent Alcohol | Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skinny Girl Vodka/Flavors | 30% | 1.5 oz. | 75 |
| Spiked Sparkling Seltzer | 4.5% | 12 oz. | 90 |
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
| Beverage | Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Milk 1% | 8 oz. | 110 |
| Almond milk | 8 oz. | 60 |
| Orange juice | 4 oz. | 55 |
| Coffee (Plain) | 8 oz. | 5 |
| Coffee specialty drink | 16 oz. | 290 |
| Tea (Unsweetened) | 16 oz. | 4 |
| Tea (Sweetened) | 12 oz. | 140 |
| Milk shake, Chocolate | 16 oz. | 760 |
| Protein shakes, 30 g | 11 oz. | 140 |
| Smoothie | 12 oz. | 240-300 |
| Gatorade, Endurance | 12 oz. | 90 |
| Gatorade, Low Sugar | 12 oz. | 30 |
| Water, sparkling, flavored | 12 oz. | 0 |
| Coconut water | 8 oz. | 50 |
| Soft drinks | 12 oz. | 150 |
What beverages will you choose so you can enjoy your summer and what makes it special?
Here are Three Ways to Reduce Your Calories from Alcohol:
- Pay attention to the alcohol content of your favorite alcoholic beverages especially beer.
- Try and bring your own low or no alcoholic beverages to parties.
- Pace yourself. Have a non-alcoholic beverage in between drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Most importantly, keep track of the number of drinks you have and set a limit. There are health hazards associated with drinking alcoholic beverages and some of these are obvious hazards like impaired judgement while driving. There are a number of chronic health conditions associated with drinking alcohol including obesity, high blood pressure, stroke and other diseases, so it’s smarter to become familiar with them. Did you know that drinking alcohol can increase your risk for certain cancers? Click here to learn more.
Alcohol can contribute to weight gain because of the high number of calories so look carefully at alternative beverages. Alcoholic beverages are also dehydrating, and can result in impaired concentration and athletic performance. As a special note, alcoholic beverages can be dangerous when mixed with certain medications. Please be sure to ask your medical provider about the effect of alcohol on medications you are taking.
During the past 11 years, many of my clients have found that drinking alcohol has been a roadblock that has prevented or slowed their weight loss. I myself have found it much easier to lose and maintain my weight when I limit the amount of alcohol I drink to an occasional treat. We encourage you, if you choose to drink alcohol, to drink responsibly and consciously while you enjoy the second half of summer so you can live a happy life at a healthy weight.
Sources:
Alcohol Use and Your Health, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
The Calorie King, Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter, 2021 at ww.calorieking.com
- Click here to watch the Latest Sweet Life Wellness Podcast Episode on How to Enjoy Mindful Eating.
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
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