Calories in Alcohol

While it may be a normal part of your social life, the calories in alcohol can wreak havoc on your waistline. You may not realize it, but your happy hour drinks may add up to an entire meal or more.

Alcohol is Part of Life

Every year, over six billion gallons of beer are produced in the United States. The average consumption is 33 gallons per person in the U.S. Alcohol is prevalent at many social functions and is accepted as a normal part of many celebrations.

The Calories in Alcohol

Whether you know it or not, the alcohol you drink on a Saturday night with your friends has a huge impact on your diet. It wouldn't be so bad if you just drank one drink, but typically when the brew starts flowing, one isn't enough. Additionally, studies have proven that weight gained as a result of the calories in alcohol consumption tends to collect on the abdomen.

Beer Belly

According to the labels, beer has a lot of calories. For instance, one 12 ounce serving of Budweiser beer contains 145 calories. Coors Light contains 102 calories, and Corona has 148 calories. One bottle of Michelob contains 155 calories. So, if you just have one beer, it's really not too bad. However, if you consume four, you have nearly 600 calories in your system from just drinking.

Don't be a Whiner

Wine has gotten really good attention lately for containing a high level of antioxidants. It's been linked to preventing heart disease and some kinds of cancers and helping to deter strokes. Despite all of the good press it's been receiving, wine still packs a lot of calories. The recommended serving size for wine is one four ounce glass. Most wines contain nearly 100 calories per serving. Sauvignon Blanc contains 80 calories. Merlot adds 95 calories to your intake. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon both contain 90 calories.

Liquor is Quicker

Liquor contains a lot of calories for such a small amount of liquid. The higher the proof, the higher the calorie content. A typical serving size is one and a half ounces. If the proof of the alcohol is 100 proof, it contains around 124 calories. 80 proof Liquor has 97 calories. One Gin and Tonic contains 200 calories. A single Long Island Iced Tea can add up to 750 calories to your daily caloric intake. A Margarita contributes up to 500 calories to your diet. A little bit of liquor goes a long way where calories are concerned.

What to Do?

It's hard to go out and about socially if you completely cut out alcohol because of your diet. However, there are ways to drink socially, but still control the calorie content. One key thing is to not snack while you're drinking. It's part of the social atmosphere, but typically as you're drinking, you're not as aware of how much you eat, and you fail to stop eating when you're no longer hungry.

Another solution is to reduce the number of nights you drink. Instead of drinking a beer every evening when you get home from work, just do it a night or two. Instead of going out drinking with friends on both nights of the weekend, just drink on one night. By reducing the amount of times you drink, you're going to drastically decrease your calorie intake.

If you don't want to reduce your time spent drinking, you can choose to exercise more. To burn 150 calories spend 15 minutes jogging, 30 minutes bicycling or 35 minutes walking.

Life in Moderation

They say that everything should be taken in moderation. Even gaining awareness that the alcoholic beverages that seem to be a necessary part of your Saturday night festivities are hindering your diet counts for a lot. Knowing how much of an impact they have on your waistline, you can plan accordingly when you know you're going to be in a social setting where alcohol is consumed.