Cut down on liquid calories

You’ve finally decided to lose weight. You’ve got the workout plan in place and are rigorously following through, every single day. You’ve got a diet plan too of course — and you’re keeping steady track of all those calories you consume. But then, there’s that night out with your pals that’s coming up. Drinks are certainly going to be ordered — and had! But you’re just a bit worried. Will that drink set your careful weight loss plan back by a mile?

You’re right to worry. Many people don’t account for all the empty calories they consume when they go out drinking, thinking that their diet and exercise plan will be enough to see them through. But a survey in the UK found that the average individual would consume at least 1,000 calories from their tipple alone on an evening out! Just one evening! Then there are the other ways in which that tipple can interfere with your diet — the loss of control may lead to you bingeing on other goodies, it presses ‘pause’ on your metabolism — even bringing down how much fat you burn in the belly area.

But giving up the good stuff isn’t an option! So what do you do instead? Here are a few pointers:
The key to having alcohol in a weight loss programme is to plan your consumption for your designated “cheat meal”.  

Cut down on your consumption — if you usually have three cocktails, stick to two. Moderation is good.

Cut down on empty calories by avoiding colas as mixers. Instead, stick to water.

Eat before you drink! Having some nutritious food before you take that first sip will prevent the alcohol from being absorbed immediately.

Is that drink a single or a double? You need to know exactly how much of a spirit you are consuming, to keep track of those calories. You may think you had just a glass of rum, but if it was 90 ml instead of 60 ml — it will make a difference to your calorie consumption.

Have a tall glass of water for every drink you have, alternating sips if possible. Stay away from free chakhna and nuts! Plan/order what you’re going to eat post-drink before you
begin drinking — so you minimise post-tipple bingeing.

Generally, a good rule of thumb is that simpler the drink (fewer the ingredients), fewer the calories. So keep that in mind before you order that Long Island Iced Tea!
The writer is a nutritionist at Eat Rite 24x7