Alcohol has 7 cals per gram, so it'd be impossible to have a calorie-free drink that is also alcoholic.

jmeez - awesome on ignoring the post-drinking hunger... i am trying reaallly hard to do the same. also, do most drinks we get out have just one ounce do you think or do you think it varies?

I wish I had sage advice or secrets here, but not so much. I can have a light beer or two when I go out, and I have to nurse it all night. It sucks! But I have no self control, so it's a sacrifice i have to make. I'm an emotional and self loathing drunk anyway, so I guess it's for the best!

Oh, I do have one fairly obvious tip- I'll usually be the DD- everyone wins: I can have one drink and one drink only, everyone has a good time and gets home safely, and I get to make fun of the drunks the next day.

I have a REAL problem with alcohol and weight.. alcoholism runs in my family big time, my mother and all 5 of her brothers and sisters drink almost daily.. except for one who was the worst back in the day, and has now been sober for many years.. Ive only heard the stories of him driving on the wrong side of the interstate, being drunk in the morning at work, and worse. I visited my aunt last month and every morning for breakfast she would have a few white russians. My mom never drank growing up, I think because of what she had seen with her siblings and to try and be a good influence on me.. but I started drinking when I was 13.. I found my parent's cabinet that they never really used, and it usually had a couple bottles of liquor in it.. I would fill have a soda bottle with it and bring it to school >_> Now that I am 21, 22 in a few months, my mom drinks a couple times a week now too.. I drink probably 1-2 times a week and BINGE drink 1-4 times a month.. and by binge drinking I mean drinking everyone else under the table..

this past weekend I hosted a party at my house for my boyfriends birthdays and all his buddies from work showed up.. I drank at least 8 cape cods that were 1/4 vodka and 3/4 juice.. at least 5 shots of henessy and hypnotiq.. a couple shots of whiskey, and a few mixed drinks of captain morgan's tatoo and sprite.. I had made a plan before the party that I wasnt going to drink much.. I was going to stop early, and I was going to drink a glass of water for every mixed drink.. especially because I had to work a 9 hr shift at 10 am the next morning.. but I stayed up until 3 am, and ended up calling in the next day..

not only do I get tons of calories when I binge drink like that, but I eat TONS while Im drinking. Even worse is the next morning when I feel a little nauseous, I eat tons more without even thinking of the calories... also after a party usually a handful of us will go out to breakfast.. I cant believe the amount of food I eat the next day after drinking heavily. I also feel really lethargic and unhealthy the next day and I pretty much just lay around the house and do nothing. What makes it extra hard to quit is the fact that people joke about how I drink, I've got more than a couple nicknames involving the word drunken My boyfriend made a comment today that was like "everyone at my work thinks youre awesome" and Im like "really?" and he says "yeah because you drink like a guy".. I guess its cool around here, because its Maine, and no one can find anything else to do.. but I told him I wish I didnt have the GUT of someone who can drink like a guy lol >_>.. It doesnt help that people throw shots in front of me because they want to see how much I really can drink, and after Ive been drinking I just cant ignore a challenge.

Sorry for the big rant, but it did feel good to get that off my chest lol. I've gained 20 pounds a year over the past 3 years, and I feel like a big part of it is the alcohol... I know I cant just stop right now, but I really am going to try and stop with the binge drinking and sticking to low calorie drinks and snacks.. I think my best suggestion is to plan the amount you are going to drink ahead of time, and really focus on pacing yourself.. drink a glass of water for every drink or shot.. alcohol really dehydrates you and you may mistake this for hunger since you have a drink in your hand already! Have low calorie snacks around for the night and the next morning! cheers

Ditto what many above have said about mixing alcohol with zero calorie mixers so that all the calories will be from alcohol. I don't drink juice or sugary stuff without alcohol, so I see no reason to break that rule just because I'm having a drink.

That said, cherry flavored vodka with Diet Coke=yum.

I went out for a few drinks last night, and the calories from my drinks were more than the calories I had eaten. Not only am I hungover, but drinking blew my calorie counts for yesterday.

thank you for you rant rab, and for your suggestions. i need to follow them...

uh... definitely messed up on the whole "eating after drinking" last night! ohh man.. got on the scale and it was down a pound and a half, lol... because i was dehydrated i bet. i need to cut the drinking to ONE day a week... im just telling myself this week i went out more b/c it was the 4th of july week.

When I'm trying to curtail calories but want to drink, I will have a few homemade cocktails of crystal light and vodka - or any sugar free drink - and then stick to wine while I'm out. It helps save cals and money when I pregame it at home!

This weekend was pretty laid back for me. Friday I had a 3 glasses of wine (over about 4 hours) and 1 beer. Didn't eat all crazy either.

Last night was about 2 glasses of wine (we visited a couple of wineries) and 1 beer. Again, no crazy eating habits as well. This is a very good thing!

Right now away from college I don't do much drinking...but I am going to have to have a game plan by august.

Flavoured rum and diet mixers in definetly the way to go...with every other drink being water to slow me down and keep me hydrated. Plus I play sports so I can really only afford to drink 1 night a week if even.

Annd....I do love my dancing when I go out so there's my exercise.

As for post drinking munchies...I actually get the opposite. My friends are all pigging out and I'll be utterly repulsed by food...that night and most of the next day as well. Does this happen to anyone else? I feel like such a freak.

Maybe it depends on how much or what you drink? I don't know, I am almost always hungry but I've noticed it does help to stay hydrated as well. I have certain snacks I'll allow myself if I'm starving (those 1 point WW cakes are perfect!), but I try to wait until I've at least gotten home.

I recently just discovered Margaritas..lolI only drink them on friday which is my cheat day..lol..We named fridays Fat Fridays,and all of the girls in the office love friday snow..I looked up this devilishly yummy drink and say it had 550 calories (11 weight watchers points)

Diet Coke and Captain for me...and Sprite Zero and UV Vodka...

But, drinking always stalls my weight loss efforts. I usually go out once per week...but I am trying to cut it down to once per month!!!

Here in Philadelphia, they do something called Center City Sips every Wednesday during the summer. The best restaurants downtown offer $4 mixed drinks, $3 wine, $2 beer and $1 appetizers. So I try to save up for it, ya know? I'm keeping up with my workouts and I've definitely cut back on the amount I drink when I do go out.

I'm trying to find that balance between weight loss and a lifestyle, ya know?

As a guy I switched from beer to rose wine, does anyone know how many calories are in a large glass of rose, I never get a small glass, everyone pours me a big one