Holiday Drinks: Paying the Price in Pounds

'Tis the season of giving, especially when it comes to passing out the calories. Whether you're being invited out to the Glenn Loch or "celebrating" at an office holiday party, it can be hard to keep away from holiday drinks and keep off the extra pounds.

December can also be an especially stressful time of year, catching up on work before end-of-the-year deadlines, preparing to visit families, or sending out annual greeting cards. To deal with the added stress, many restaurants and stores are pushing a wide range of comfort products, many of which add padding to the stress.

According to one guide to holiday calories, drinks like eggnog, buttered rum, and peppermint hot chocolate can contain up to 300 calories. They're part of a health category MSNBC calls DDD — decadent desserts in disguise. A Starbucks 16-ounce eggnog latte may not look much different from a typical cup of coffee, but it packs twice as many calories (500!) as a regular Snickers bar,

according to Eating Well Magazine, which says a cup of rich hot chocolate is the calorie equivalent of 13 Hershey’s Kisses.

"Our bodies don't register liquids in terms of fullness," says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., a nutritionist and author of The Origin Diet (Henry Holt, 2001), quoted in an article from Shape Magazine in January of 2002. "The reason you gain weight from alcohol is that you don't compensate by eating less later. You still eat the same amount, regardless of whether you had the drink."

Here's a summary of Shape Magazine's calorie breakdown of the typical drinks you can find at the bar during any celebration.

• 6-ounce glass of white has 1.4 carb grams and 120 calories
• 6-ounce glass of red wine has 3 carb grams and 128 calories
• 6.5-ounce flute of champagne has 6.5 carb grams and 163 calories
• one Vodka Cranberry has 18 carb grams and 172 calories
• one Rum and Coke has 13 carb grams and 182 calories
• one Long Island Iced Tea has 4 carb grams and 275 calories
• one Gin and Tonic has 21 carb grams and 178 calories
• one Whiskey Sour has 17 carb grams and 175 calories
• 12-ounce beer has 13 carb grams 150 calories
• 12-ounce light beer has 5 carb grams and 100 calories

One thing to keep in mind is that the darker the beer or alcohol, the higher the calorie count because of additives. The same goes for mixed drinks which contain juices that have high amounts of corn syrup, rich in calories. But even if you have a low calorie drink, the alcohol itself has a negative effect on the body.

"Alcohol is not an essential nutrient," says Somer. "It has a diuretic effect on the body. Even if you mix it with orange or cranberry juice, you are more likely to flush the nutrients out of your system."

While out celebrating the holidays, you can take a few steps to prepare yourself by making some smart choices to cut down the calories and still feel good about yourself:

1. If you know you're going out for a drink later on, you can cut out on a snack or dessert during lunch to save on calories earlier in the day. (But don't drink an alcoholic beverage on an empty stomach.)


2. While out at a holiday happy hour, people often feel like they have to have a glass in hand. Instead of giving in to peer pressure, come prepared with an alternative game plan:

• Start with club soda or water to quench your thirst.
• Set a number of drinks you plan to consume.
• Ask for low-calorie chasers or diet sodas.

Since there are many versions of the same drink that taste similar, try a recipe that has fewer frills. Remember: the fewer rich ingredients, the fewer nutritional complications later on.