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Just Remember...
There ARE Calories in Alcohol!

umbrella drink cartoon

Most Common Weight Loss Mistakes
Not Taking Into Account Calories In Alcohol

When it comes to weight loss, calories matter. All calories...both solid and liquid.

You might not realize alcohol has calories, because there's usually no nutrition label on your bottle of wine or 6 pack of beer.

Or maybe you don't count the calories in alcohol because you feel you "don't drink that much"...

..."never more than a couple of drinks"...

..."never more than a few times a week"....

Alcohol itself isn't necessarily something "bad" that must be avoided. In fact, when it comes to weight loss...

...there are no "bad" foods or beverages...only bad patterns.

So even if you "only" drink "a couple glasses of wine a few days a week," that pattern is really the equivalent of 1 1/2 bottles/week. That's 78 bottles/year or the calorie equivalent of 12 pounds!

Kind of like compound interest...it adds up over time.

So if you enjoy alcoholic beverages more often than "only at weddings," take some time to get familiar with how the calories in alcohol stack up:

Alcoholic Drink Standard Serving Calories
     
Champagne, dry 5 oz. 85
Wine 6 oz. 120
Light Beer 12 oz. 100
Regular Beer 12 oz. 150
Liquor, 80 proof 1.5 oz. (1 jigger) 100
Liquor, 100 proof 1.5 oz. 125
Wine Cooler 12 oz. 200-275 (depends on flavor)

If you drink hard liquor, chances are you mix it with something that has calories too:

Mixer Amount Calories
     
Club Soda Any 0
Seltzer Any 0
Tomato Juice 4 oz. 20
Bloody Mary Mix 4 oz. 25
Orange Juice 4 oz. 60
Cream 1/4 cup 80
Cranberry Juice 4 oz. 70
Ginger Ale 8 oz. 80
Tonic 8 oz. 80
Regular Cola 8 oz. 100

Here's a list of common mixed drinks:

Drink Size Calories
     
Bloody Mary Standard recipe 125
Long Island Iced Tea Standard recipe 230
Manhattan Standard recipe 130
Martini Standard recipe 140
Pina Colada 5 oz (you probably drink more!) 245
Daiquiri 2.1 oz (you definitely drink more!) 112
Margarita Standard recipe 157

Are you making any more of the most common weight loss mistakes?

Avoid Getting TOO Hungry
Consider Alcohol Calories
Eat Sloooooowly
Eat Plenty of Fruits
Eat Enough Vegetables
Exercise FOR REAL
Get Enough Water
Kick "Quick" Weight Loss
Know What's On Your Plate
Quit Eating Haphazardly
Practice Portion Control

Don't see your favorite cocktail here? Go to Calorie King to look up more calories in alcohol. And remember...

Every bartender is different, and drinks are often made bigger than what used to be considered standard!

More information at Are alcohol calories sneaking up on you?

More on beer calories and wine calories.

Contact me for 1:1 weight loss counseling.

The weight loss section.

Back to Personal Nutrition Guide Home.



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