Control Booze to Slim Down

Are your nights filled with social and business commitments?  Business dinner Tuesday night. Drinks after work Wednesday night with the girls.  Match.com date Thursday night. Dinner (and drinks) with another date Saturday night. Brunch with a mimosa or two on Sunday. What do all these events have in common? Alcohol! You’re careful with what you eat and TRY to exercise on a regular basis. But these sneaky liquid calories are packing in the pounds.  Read on to learn some tips to put the brakes on booze.

Most socializing in NYC involves alcohol in some manner. Now I’m certainly not saying everyone drinks (or has to drink to have fun), however the majority of my NYC clients spend at least several nights a week out. Whether it is dinner, a date, a movie or brunch, there is often one or more drinks involved.

Alcohol misconceptions
– The calories in alcohol seem harmless enough. After all, you keep running to the bathroom, so the calories must be going right through you – right?  WRONG   In reality, wine contains 25 calories per ounce and hard liquor contains 70 calories per oz.

– Clear alcohol such as vodka contains fewer carbs and are therefore less likely to pack on the pounds WRONG. 

– Keep in mind “one drink”  is not necessarily one drink! A serving of alcohol is:
12 ounces of a beer or wine cooler
8-ounces of malt liquor
5 ounces of table wine
1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits such as gin, vodka, whiskey, etc.

– Calorie shockers: 
8 oz martini at Smith & Wollensky’s = 5 drinks ( 560 cal)
8 glass of wine =  1 1/2  drinks (200 cal)
4 oz martini  = 2 1/2  drinks (280 cal)
vodka and club soda (2 oz vodka) = 1.3 drinks (150 cal)
small sake (5.5 oz) = ? drinks = (180 -240 cal)
(pic is of bartender at Smith & Wollensky’s)

Tips to put the brakes on booze:
1. Drink slow! No one will even notice. This is my most important tip. The slower you drink, the less alcohol you’ll consume.

2. Set limits on how many drinks you will allow yourself a week. Perhaps your goal is five. That means if you want to indulge with your Match.com date  (who to your surprise actually looks like his picture …and not 10 years older and 3 inches shorter), then no drinks with your girlfriends at dinner on Friday night. (Pic is of Esther enjoying a martini)

3. When meeting friends for drinks/dinner, try to arrive a little late. This way you can skip the martini’s at the bar before dinner.

4. Drink a kind of drink you don’t drink as fast. For example, I tend to drink red wine more slowly than white wine. If I wanted to drink really slow, I would order a scotch…

5. Business dinners can be troublesome. As soon as you turn your head, the waiter is ready to fill your glass. The more $100 bottles of wine he sells, the more tips for him! Remain on high alert and subtely cover your glass so it doesn’t get refilled.

6. Pay for the first round of drinks. That way  you won’t feel obligated to keep up with the crowd to get the next round.

7. Alternate your glass of wine or drink  with a club soda.

8. If you are out with a group, subtly tell the bartender/waiter that you always want your “drink” to be club soda with a twist. None of your friends will even know. That you can avoid being hassled if you are with a drinking crowd.

9. At home, use smaller wine glasses. You will think you are drinking more than you are!

10. Visualize the scenario before heading out to meet your friends. Set your goal as to how many drinks you will have before going out. Stay focused throughout the night.


Bottom line,
I’m not against drinking alcohol by any means, as I happen to love wine and sake myself! However, I find that alcohol is a culprit for many of my clients struggling with their weight – whether they want to lose 5 pounds or 50.  So try some of my tips and let us know if they help!

Do you have any tips that have worked for you?

RELATED POSTS

MEET MARTHA

I especially love problem-solving, whether it’s helping women defeat issues plaguing them for years, helping a busy executive find practical ways to get heart healthy, or providing tips to help you reverse diabetes. That’s why I’m on a constant quest to expand my knowledge by staying on top of the latest research.

  • Martha's Nutrition Page

    Looking for up to date information on nutrition?  Follow my nutrition page!

  • PCOS Nutrition

    Interested in the latest PCOS nutrition news?  Follow my PCOS page!

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • Pinterest

Leave a Comment





sushiandsticks

20 Ways To Eat Out 550 Calories or Less!

No time to cook? We’ve got you covered. Here are 20 healthy meals from a variety of cuisines that won’t pack on the pounds. Most of them also have less than 30 grams of carbs.

Subscribe to my newsletter and get this free download.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.