Tips for Holiday Sips

The holiday season brings family gatherings and festive events.  It also brings extra calories in the form of food and drink.  Adding alcohol to the equation makes it difficult if you’re trying to maintain your weight over the holiday season.

One gram of alcohol is approximately seven calories.  It’s more than carbs and fat (4 calories) but less than fat (9 calories).  The issue with alcohol is that our bodies don’t burn calories while metabolizing it as we do with carbs, fat, and protein.

Alcohol is easy to absorb, so it enters our bloodstream without burning any extra calories.  It’s seen as a toxin, so our liver metabolizes before anything else.  Our liver can only metabolize about one ounce of alcohol per hour, which is why we get tipsy if we drink too fast.

If you’re looking to indulge over the holiday season, here are a few tips that may help:

Pour half as much

If you’re drinking wine, pour 3 to 4 ounces at a time instead of 6 to 9 ounces.  With liquor, opt for a smaller shot in a tall glass with a lot of ice.

Avoid higher-calorie mixed drinks

Eggnog is usually the go-to for many holiday parties, but one 8-ounce pour can be over 350 calories!  Opt for lower-calorie options like:

• Red or white wine: 5 ounces | Calories; 125, Carbohydrate: 4g

• Light beer: 12 ounces | Calories: 100; Carbohydrate: 5g

• Champagne: 5 ounces | Calories: 100; Carbohydrate: 1g

• Vodka, whiskey, rum, or gin: 1.5 ounces | Calories: 96; Carbohydrate: 0g

Alternate between alcohol and water

Drinking water in-between each glass of alcohol will help you stay hydrated, and you’ll drink less.

Sip Slowly

Enjoy that beverage!  Drinking slowly will allow you to savor the taste, and you will also drink less.

If you’d like to read more, check out my “How to Booze Guide” below.