If you knew the nutritional and caloric content of your favorite alcohol of choice; would it prevent you from drinking it? Would you drink less of it?
If you are watching your weight or trying lose weight and can't figure out why you're having trouble; don't forget that alcohol beverages, including beer and wine, are empty calories that really do add up in the long run.
Mixed drinks with soda or juice contain more calories and more sugar.
All those frozen tropical drinks are LOADED with sugar and calories so reserve those for special occasions only.
A 12-oz bottle of Budweiser contains 145 calories and 10.5 grams of carbs. Triple or quadruple that several nights a week and it could explain your issues with weight.
A bottle of average red wine contains about 635 calories. If you're polishing off a bottle at dinner or even sharing it between two people; this also could be the cause of excess weight gain.
Personally, I don't drink often, but when I do, it's Grey Goose on the rocks with a twist of lime. 70 calories. No sugar. No carbs. And I have a limit of two drinks only. After that, it's seltzer with lime for the rest of the night. I am content to do this and it also keeps me from packing on pounds from a bunch of empty calories. I know everyone can't drink straight liquor, but this seems to work best for me. Occasionally I will have white wine. A glass of white wine contains about 100 calories. Again, my limit is two glasses of wine only. And if I am drinking, I pay attention to what I am eating. No repeated trips to buffet table or camping out by the chips and dip. All that stuff adds up!
Something to also keep in mind is this: drinking can increase cravings for crappy carbs, fried foods and other unhealthy food choices. Think about it. What do we go for after a night of too much drinking? Fast Food. Pizza. Greasy french fries. Cheeseburgers. Big breakfast platters at the local diner. This is all in addition to the dinner we ate several hours ago. If we do this often enough, we will definitely start gaining weight.
Try to limit your alcohol and make better choices when you do choose to drink. Overall, it's better for your waist-line and so much better for your health.
FYI: here is great calculator to estimate the caloric content of your favorite drink. Multiply that by how much you consume at any given time to get an idea of how many empty calories you are adding to your diet.
Alcohol Calorie Counter
