Keep Calm And Rage On

Now that you’ve finally made it to the weekend it’s time to party! It’s been a long week, and all you want is a drink (or like ten). You are so ready to put on your party dress and heels and head downtown for a wild night of drinking and dancing. Maybe you’re going bar hopping with sorority sisters or out to the biggest rager in town, but regardless of your destination, you are ready to let loose and have some fun. Before putting on makeup and examining your closet for the perfect outfit, you head to the kitchen to pour yourself a nice glass of wine . . . and that’s when you remember you’re on a diet. Oh shit, you think. How many calories are even in a glass of wine? You quickly get out your phone or laptop and search for an answer on Google only to find that an average glass of pinot grigio contains about 175 calories! You click on multiple links provided by your Google search, hoping to find that this is wrong, but all the sites seem to agree, and on top of that, this so called “glass” of wine containing 175 calories is only 1 cup (8 fluid oz.). Your jaw drops in utter disbelief as you realize that the average “glass” of wine you pour yourself has at least two cups of wine in it and maybe more! So that glass of wine you were about to enjoy while debating between a Michael Kors mini dress and a Haute Hippie python sequin skirt and crop top would probably contain about 350 calories! Now you’re wondering how many calories are in a beer, a vodka cranberry, or your favorite strawberry margarita, and your answers are really putting a damper on your mood. This newfound knowledge that alcohol if packed full of calories is giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “fail Friday.” But don’t freak out just yet! Your weekend plans are not ruined; there are many ways around this dilemma.

            First of all, it is important to know how many calories are in your favorite drinks. At the end of this post I have listed some of the most common alcoholic beverages and the calories they contain. Familiarizing yourself with this information will help you make better decisions when you’re out partying (in terms of choosing drinks that is). If you’re like me, you always pregame before heading out for the night (or even pregame the pregame). Instead of that large glass of wine, mix yourself up a nice low-cal vodka soda. When taking shots, always be sure to chase with diet soda or a freshly cut piece of lime. It is so easy to rack up calories without even realizing it when chasing shot after shot with soda or juice. When you arrive at a bar or club, it is crucial to avoid sugary, fruity cocktails like Sex on the Beach or cranberry-vodka. Try a rum and coke with diet coke, or instead of a cranberry-vodka, order a vodka-soda with lime. It is best to avoid beer as much as possible, but sometimes you find yourself without other options. In these situations, if you do not want to bring along a flask filled with vodka or another low-calorie liquor, stick to light beer. Light beers contain about 100 calories on average as opposed to non-light beers that contain on average about 150 calories. This may not seem like that much of a difference, but after five Coronas you would have consumed a total of 750 calories while if you had stuck to Corona Light, you would have consumed 500 calories instead.

            But even low-calorie drinks can add up the calories quickly, especially if you are a party animal. This is where planning ahead comes into play. It is crucial to eat food before you start raging, but if you can eat fewer calories than usual at breakfast and lunch and skip a snack or dessert, you can save some extra calories for drinking. Another strategy may be to exercise longer on days when you have party plans later. Try running a couple extra miles or doing an extra thirty minutes on the elliptical machine. Burning off more calories can help you balance out the extra calories you are probably going to consume later. Also, keep in mind that because you have been dieting and eating less calories each day than you used to, you are going to feel the alcohol much quicker. While you used to be able to take five shots and only feel slightly buzzed, you may now feel pretty tipsy on five shots. While you need to remember to be careful now that you are a bit more of a lightweight (no offense meant), this will actually work in your benefit as you will not have to consume as many calories as you used to in order to feel drunk or to get on whatever level it is that you’re trying to reach.

While many diet plans and nutritionists say alcohol is a no-no if you are trying to lose weight, I say fuck that! When I decided to go on a diet during my freshman year of college, there was no way I was going to stay in on a Thursday night while all my friends were raging just because alcohol contained calories. I solved the dilemma by figuring out ways to accommodate my drinking into my diet, and I hope the advice I’ve shared with you in this post will help you to continue partying and living it up. We are hot and young, and we only live once, and there is no way we are going to end the party because of a diet. Yes, it can be difficult at times, but you just need to be smart about what you are drinking and how you are making up for extra calories during the day. So to all you betches in the gym, keep calm, stay strong, and rage on.

Know Your Alcohol:

Here are the calorie counts for some of your favorite drinks. If you can’t find a drink here, you can search the nutrition facts online.

Vodka (1 oz.): 64 calories

Rum (1 oz.): 64 calories

Whiskey (1 oz.): 64 calories

Gin (1 oz.): 64 calories

Tequila (1 oz.):64 calories

Rum and Diet Coke (1.5 oz. rum): 96 calories

Vodka-soda (1.5 oz. vodka): 96 calories

Vodka-Tonic (1.5 oz. vodka and 1 cup or 8 oz. tonic water): 186 calories

Rum and Coke: 196 calories

Bud Light: 110 calories

Corona Light: 100 calories

Corona: 150 calories

Mimosa (Standard sized champagne flue): 150 calories

Cranberry-Vodka (made with 1 cup or 8 fl oz. cranberry juice, 1.5 oz. vodka): 166 calories

Irish Car Bonb (average 12 oz.): 237

Daiquiri (1.5 oz. liquor and 5 oz. mix): 364 calories

Long Island Iced Tea: 520 calories

Margarita (average 12 oz.): 540 calories

Pina Colada (12 oz.): 588 calories