Diet coke is my drink! I very very rarely drink. I went out the other day and decided to have a drink (it turned into two) that is a total of 3 drinks for me since I started this at the beginning of Feburary. And that is a lot of drinks for me!

It is full of empty calories. I had two screwdrivers when I was out, I figured I might as well get the benifit from orange juice if I was going to drink. When I came home and put it in my fitday I was like 400 calories for two SMALL drinks? What a waste! I have never been a drinker so not drinking is no problem for me.

I know how hard it is for young people to not drink. A lot of my friends dont even ask me out anymore becasue, I don't want to go the bar. I am only 20 (almost 21) and have been dealing with this for years. Why is it so hard for people to accept that I do not drink or do not want to drink.

I have just as much fun when I don't drink, given that I might not do something totally stupid and crazy, but I still have fun. I really wish kids today would realize that you don't need to drink to have a good time. It is so hard to see all the people I graduated with drinking their faces off - they are killing themselves.

Anyway, enuf! If you really have to have a drink just try and limit it to one or two. Or don't make it an every weekend thing, I think it should be a treat, like once a month. Other wise, I say cut it out - its not needed. IMO

Every tuesday I go out with my friends for a margarita night...and I drink 2 margaritas....I never gain weight because I balance the rest of my day and leave most of my calories for the drinks....I also drink 2 margaritas over the weekend usually...and I haven't gained any weight...i guess it depends on your portion and how much you ate before you go out...

Yes, that's the key. Alcohol calories count too.

That's where many people make their mistake - they eat their alotted daily calories and then drink on top of that.

Calories are calories, regardless of where they come from and they all count.

I'm 24 and I still deal with this crap. I stopped drinking in August '05 and by stopped drinking I mean I stopped having my 3 girly (margarita) drinks per year. I wasn't a big drinker before or as a friend puts it - a drinker at all, but I still get looks when I want to go out to a bar but I don't want to drink. One of my friends would ask me to hang out with her friends but she would always cancel at the last minute because she knew I didn't like to drink and thought I would feel left out I guess. Anyway, I don't think you need to drink to have a good time. I've never really liked the bitter taste of alcohol but like everyone else has said do what's best for you - they've given excellent ideas about how to disguise your "drink" I suggest you go along with it and test alcohol's effect on your weight when you're in maintenance and you're less likely to get depressed about a gain if it happens.

Alcohol is total & completely empty calories. But if you really feel like imbibing, light beer or wine is the least calories per serving. Drink no more than 2 per day.

I gave up frozen margaritas and mudslides (VERY HARD to do when lying on the beach all summer!) and only allow myself a couple of light beers on Sunday afternoon. I lost three pounds just by doing that.

I love good wine... so I simply factor the calories into my total for the day. I don't drink every night, but probably have a glass or two of wine with dinner three or four nights a week. If I know I'm going to have a special evening, I "bank" enough calories during the day to cover it.

In August my sweetheart and I will be touring Northern California wine country (Napa/Sonoma) and I plan to get up early everyday and do run/walk intervals to offset what I know will be a killer week for calories (we also have reservations for dinner at some very good restaurants). Being a foodie who counts calories isn't easy, but it can be done...