"I'll just have a little..."
If you are not careful, this little phrase can be an absolute
killer for your weight loss plans during this holiday season.
And I'm not just talking about the food.
The hidden danger is in all the alcoholic drinks and cocktails
that's being offered to you. Yes, those party drinks can do more
harm other than just getting you intoxicated and embarassingly
uninhibited!
Did you know that these drinks contain an incredible number of
calories?
In fact, alcohol is the number two most energy-dense food,
losing out only to fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, and alcohol
comes in a close second at a whopping 7 calories per gram.
What this means is that each alcoholic drink you consume will
cause you to take in an alarmingly high number of calories.
Here's a sample of some of the more popular drinks, together
with their calorie counts...
1 glass of Bailey's lrish Cream - 468 calories 1 glass of
Margarita - 453 calories 1 glass of Martini - 413 calories 1
glass of Pina Colada - 297 calories 1 glass of Vodka Cranberry -
250 calories 1 glass of Rum & cola - 240 calories 1 glass of
Screwdriver - 200 calories 1 mug of beer - 150 calories 1 glass
of white wine - 120 calories 1 tequila shot - 100 calories
To put those calorie counts into perspective, I'd like to just
point out that 2 glasses of Margaritas would have given you
about _half_ of your daily calories requirements. Yes, 50% from
just 2 drinks.
And we have not even included the calories from the food, nuts
and snacks yet! Once we add those in, can you see how easy it is
for you to go over the daily calorie requirements, and start
piling on the pounds?
Now, this doesn't mean that you should stay away from the
alcoholic drinks. It's just that when you drink, you should keep
in mind the huge amount of calories in the drinks.
I want you to have fun this holiday. So, if you are the sort
that enjoys a drink of two at your parties, I want to leave you
with a couple of useful tips to help to reduce the "guilt
factor".
- Fill up your glass with lots of ice cubes. You'll not only get
a nice cold drink, the water from the melted ice has zero
calories too.
- Use soda water to dilute your drink. This helps to fill you up
quicker, and it means you won't get tipsy too quickly.
- And probably the most important tip... Do not use the
alcoholic drinks to quench your thirst. Remember, you should be
drinking these party drinks for fun. After the heavy meal or
when you had too much salty snacks, go drink a big glass of
water first to quench your thirst. Water works better for this,
and it has zero calories!
I hope you have loads of fun... and Happy Holidays!
Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee
About the author:
Tracy Lee is the owner of the "Weight Loss for Women Over 40"
site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks & your FREE Special
Report "9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women
Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear":
http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/
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