When you drink an alcoholic beverage, the body will use the alcohol for energy, ignoring any existing stores of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Therefore, drinking alcoholic drinks when on a diet is not optimal, as it interferes with the fat-burning process. Furthermore, the calories from alcohol are "empty calories" that provide energy but are void of nutrients. However, some types of alcoholic drinks will not sabotage weight loss efforts as much as others.
Wines
A serving of wine consists of 5 oz., according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A glass of red table wine has around 125 calories, and white table wine has around 5 calories less per glass. Volume can be added to wine by adding sparkling or soda water to make a spritzer.
Spirits
Alcoholic drinks that are produced by a refinement process known as distillation are classed as spirits. Spirits include whiskey, rum, vodka and gin. One serving of spirits contains 1.5 oz. A 1.5-oz. jigger of 80 proof whiskey, rum, vodka or gin has 97 calories; a serving of a 100 proof spirit has 124 calories. As spirits are often served with a mixer, the total calorie intake can be considerably more; a 100 proof whiskey served with 6 oz. of ginger ale would contain around 200 calories. You can keep the calorie count down by choosing to mix the spirit with water or diet tonic.
Beers
A serving of beer consists of 12 oz. Beer is brewed from malted barley and flavored with hops. There are many different types of beer and the calorie count is usually influenced by the alcohol content of the beer. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. A serving of a regular beer, such as Budweiser, provides 146 calories. Light beers typically contain less; Michelob Ultra has 96 calories per serving.
Cocktails
Cocktails are generally high in calories due to the sweet liqueurs often used in recipes and also the sweetened fruit juices that may be added. A 4.5 oz. serving of Pina Colada has 245 calories and a 6.8 oz. can of tequila sunrise has around 230.
Optimal Choices
When on a diet, it is best to choose an alcoholic drink that has a low ABV, or alcohol by volume; or to increase the volume of a drink by adding a calorie-free mixer. Although one serving of regular beer is higher in calories than a serving of wine, it also has more volume, and therefore may take you longer to drink. Specialty beers such as Guinness or Sam Adams Cream Stout can also be a smart choice, as although they are higher in calories than light beer, it is less likely you will drink many glasses of these heavy brews.
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