How To Enjoy Your Drinks While Losing Weight

It’s officially summer! That means BBQs, happy hours, weddings, terrasses, and beach days. All of these situations can cause anxiety in those trying to lose weight, not only because of the abundance of food at these events, but also because of the non-stop flowing alcoholic beverages. I get it, we’re on vacation, it’s hot, we’re thirsty and that cold glass of white wine is soooo refreshing. However (here comes the party pooper dietitian talking), the liquid calories can easily add up.

So here are 4 tips to help you enjoy the drinks guilt-free.

Go tall and slim

Which line is longer?

 

 

 

 

This vertical-horizontal illusion has us thinking the vertical line is longer even if they’re the same length. Similarly, if we compare a short and wide glass vs a tall and slim glass, we would think the tall and slim glass holds more liquid. However, the short and wide one usually contains more! So when drinking an alcoholic beverage, choose a tall and slim glass!

Keep it simple

Mixed drinks made with soft drinks, juice or that come already prepared (think margarita or sangria mix) are loaded with sugar, thereby increasing calories. So opt for diet soft drinks and only add half of the sugar in recipes. You can also muddle some berries (for taste and sweetness) and add them to rum, mint, soda water, and lime juice to get a berry mojito!

Drink while or after you eat

Turns out that drinking alcohol just before a meal boosts short-term appetite and food consumption. It may also temporarily impair your body’s ability to feel full. And the more you drink, the less inhibition you have, making you order that plate of nachos you didn’t really want.

Alternate alcoholic beverages with water

When you choose to drink alcohol, alternate alcoholic drinks with lower calorie options such as water, sparkling water with lime, or cranberry juice with club soda. The extra liquids will make you feel full, making it difficult to drink more. It’ll also force you to drink slowly. 

Bonus tips to drink less:

Have pregnant friends? Hang out with them as you probably don’t want to be the only one drinking (joking/not joking). This way, you can experiment with alcohol-free versions of your favorite cocktails!

But more importantly (and seriously), plan activities that don’t revolve around drinking. This is the easiest way to resist the urge to drink. If it’s not around you, you won’t even think about it.