Spare the sauce

Now that the summer parties are winding down, we tend to think that beer drinking also fades with the shorter days. However, with Thanksgiving, Halloween parties, and eventually Christmas, enjoying a casual drink may end up being more of a regular event than initially thought. In an earlier blog, I discussed the calories in drinks and how they can add up to play a bigger role in weight gain than we may think. Here are some concrete ways to drink fewer alcoholic beverages all year round:

1. You will drink much faster if you are thirsty, so have a non-alcoholic drink to quench your thirst before you start drinking alcohol.

2. Use standard drinks. Monitor how much alcohol you drink. By converting what you drink into standard drinks, it is easier to keep track.

3. Drink slowly. Take sips and not gulps. Put your glass down between sips.

4. Eat before or while you are drinking. Eating slows your drinking pace and fills you up. If you have a full stomach, alcohol will be absorbed more slowly.

5. Avoid salty snacks. Salty food like chips or nuts makes you thirsty, so you drink more.

6. Don't get involved in rounds. Drink at your own pace — not someone else's. If you do get stuck, buy a non-alcoholic drink when it's your turn.

7. Have one drink at a time. Don't let people top up your drinks. It is hard to keep track of how much alcohol you have drunk.

8. Pace yourself. Try having a ‘spacer’, a non-alcoholic drink, every second or third drink. Take sips of water between sips of alcohol.

9. Stay busy. If you have something to do, you tend to drink less. Play pool or dance — don't just sit and drink.

10. Try the low-alcohol alternative. A wide range of light beers are available. Low-alcohol or non-alcoholic wines are also becoming more available. Most places that serve cocktails also serve non-alcoholic versions. There are non-alcoholic cocktails or even non-alcoholic wine. If you are hosting a barbecue, you can always serve plain orange juice mixed with sparkling water. Instead of normal beer, you can opt for light beer. Check the label of the can to find out the calories

11. Have alcohol-free days. Have at least 2 days a week when you don't drink at all.

12. Keep a diary. Write down how much you drink each day. This can make you more aware of exactly how much you drink.

13. Just say no. Little white lies are great in situations like this. Put some strategies in place. If you are out with friends at bar or pub, you may find it hard not to drink. Be prepared to be firm if you do not want to drink. Here are some of the reasons (or excuse) you can use:
o I am on antibiotics. Doctor asked me not to drink.
o I am driving today.
o I am on tight budget this month.
o I just drank last night. I want to go light today.
o I just don’t want one.
o I’ll just stick to water, thanks.

Getting into the spirits of the season

Too often food has been to blame for the pounds put on over the holidays, when in fact alcohol can contribute quite a bit. It is a little known fact that alcohol itself contains calories- more calories than carbs or protein per gram! Pure alcohol contains 7 calories per gram whereas carbs and protein each contain 4 cal per gram. That means that although those vodka sodas may be lower in calories than gin & tonic, it still contains calories.



Here is a fun down of the calories found in popular drinks:

Regular beer (12oz): ~150cal

Light beer (12oz): ~100cal

Red, white or rose wine (5oz): ~100cal

Vodka, rum, whiskey, gin (1oz): 65cal

Baileys (1oz): 100cal



One or even two simple drinks on occasion does not add up to be many calories in the long run however, pair a few drinks (~400cal) with an average holiday meal of 1000cal and you can easily consume a days worth of calories in one evening.


One easy way to lower the impact of drinks on your health is to drink smaller quantities. This can be done by either using smaller glasses or diluting drinks with low calorie mixers such as club soda.
Pairing each drink with a glass of sparkling water not only allows you to hold on to something while mingling, but also fills you up.
Also, if you are thirsty it is best to quench it first with water before diving into the egg nog. Often we forget about how much water we need when the hot days of summer are long gone.

Canadian recommendations for drinks containing alcohol are 0-1 per day (Max 9 drinks per week) for women and 1-2 per day (max 14 drinks per week) for men. Most other countries have similar recommendations however, their serving sizes do vary. Of course, over the holidays we tend to indulge more than usual, but keep in mind the calories can add up quickly with all the parties this time of year.

Calories = Satiation + Energy

Imagine your body as a car…
What allows the car to run? Gas.
What allows our body to run? Calories.
Calories essentially are energy for our body. We find calories in carbohydrates, protein and fat. Vitamins, minerals, water and fiber have NO calories and therefore are used NOT to provide us with energy but for other functions.

Carbohydrates and protein contain the same number of calories per gram. You may have heard that carbohydrate rich foods are fattening but in fact they are not any more fattening than protein rich foods! 4 calories per gram means that if you eat 30g of carbohydrate (ex. 2 slices of bread) or 30g of protein (ex. 4oz fillet of sole) you will consume 120 calories.

Fat are higher in calories per gram- 9cal per 1 gram. Therefore, 5g or 1 tsp of margarine will contain 45 calories.

True hunger is our body is telling us that it has burnt all the calories consumed last meal or snack and that is requires more nourishing. We should not be afraid of experiencing hunger-rather embrace it as a signal that it is time to eat again.

The hardest part of listening to your hunger is being able to determine if it is “true” or “fake” hunger. Sometimes we can mistake other feelings for hunger so it is important to reflect before eating if you are unsure if you are hungry with your eyes versus hungry with your stomach. How long ago was the last time you ate? When is the next meal scheduled? These answers will determine how big of a snack will be appropriate.

The fact that we are hungry when all the calories we last ate have been “burnt” for energy, means that the more calories we eat, the longer we can wait between meals/snacks. So, if we are looking for a snack at 10am to hold us over until 1pm lunch, a mere 35cal yogurt may not be enough. This snack will be “burnt” and possibly leave us hungry by 10:35.

Knowing how many calories your body needs in one day is important in helping you lose weight. It can help keep snack and meal sizes adequate- not too big and not too small. It is important to spread the calories throughout the day to avoid being hungry and boost metabolism.

Keeping a food journal that tracts calories can help you be honest about how much you are eating. It can help to point out where the excess calories are coming from as well as any large gaps between meals.

Eating too many calories one day does not necessarily mean weight gain. Gaining weight requires more than one day of excess. Don’t despair if you get off track one day or one meal- make fresh start the next opportunity you get!