When it comes to your weight-loss plan, you're a pro at loading up your plate with tons of veggies, packing in lean protein, and making sure your calories are coming from healthy foods. But there's one place you're probably losing focus: the bar.
(Blend the best drinks for a weight-loss treat with the recipes from Simple Green Smoothies, available at the Prevention Shop!)
Next time you're sizing up the drink menu, the number one thing to keep in mind is the mixer, says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. "Almost all shots of alcohol are about the same nutritionally—it's what we have with it that makes a difference in the drink," she says. That's right, there's really not a huge difference between vodka and gin (or whiskey, rum, bourbon, scotch, and tequila).
For better boozing habits, follow three main rules. First, keep it simple: If you can take your gin neat with a squeeze of fresh lime, your waistline will be better off than if you went for the standard, sugar-loaded G&T; (yeah, there's sugar in that tonic water). Second, stay away from mixed drinks that include more than one alcohol. "Once you start using more than one type of booze, your calories really start to get up there," says Gans. "A Long Island Iced Tea? Forget it." Finally, stay far away from frozen drinks—they're total sugar bombs. "Do not have a frozen drink if you're watching your weight," she says.
To give you an idea of what your drink might mean for your diet, check out the most popular spirits and choose your mixers wisely.
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Vodka
One shot contains: 97 calories, (0 sugar, 0 carbs)
Best drink: Vodka soda
Zero calorie seltzer might be basic but it also helps you stay within your calorie budget. Add a squeeze of fresh fruit for a little more pizazz.
Worst drink: Sex on the beach
In general, stay away from juice mixers, says Gans. They can up your sugar count fast. (That means no vodka cranberries or vodka lemonades). The peach schnapps in a sex on the beach will really put your vodka over the edge with roughly 336 calories and 32 grams of carbs and sugar. Ouch.
Rum
One shot contains: 97 calories (0 carbs, 0 sugar)
Best drink: Rum and Diet Coke
Rather than your go-to rum and Coke, make it a diet to cut calories.
Worst drink: Pina colada
The sugar-laced coconut-pineapple concoction turns a regular rum into a diet saboteur. The average cocktail packs 245 calories, 32 grams of carbs, and 31 grams of sugar. No bueno.
Check out the best drink to help you de-bloat:
Whiskey/Bourbon/Scotch
One shot contains: 105 calories (.03 grams of carbs per ounce, .03 grams of sugar per ounce)
Best drink: Manhattan
Don Draper was on to something. If you don't want to drink your whiskey straight, order a classic Manhattan (whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters), which keeps calories, carbs, and sugars low.
Worst drink: Whiskey sour
Get fancy with a with a whiskey sour and you'll run into trouble thanks to the simple syrup. One cocktail rings in at 240 calories, 24 grams of carbs, and 23 grams of sugar.
Gin
One shot contains: 110 calories (0 carbs, 0 sugar)
Best drink: Gin martini
Channeling your inner Bond girl will serve you well if you're watching the scale. A gin martini with two olives is under 200 calories and contains no sugar or carbs. Hollah!
Worst drink: Gin and tonic
A classic gin and tonic is also pretty low calorie, but tonic water is laced with a surprising amount of sugar. One serving will add 21 grams to your daily diet, which just about the 25 gram per day limit suggested by the World Health Organization. If you can't break with tradition, go for diet tonic.
MORE: 6 Simple Grocery Swaps You Should Make To Lose Weight—And Save $60 Per Month
Tequila
One shot contains: 105 calories (0 carbs, 0 sugar)
Best drink: Paloma
The tangy pink drink, made with grapefruit and lime juice, is like a margarita without the extra calories. However, it is juice-based, so don't go overboard with your grapefruit juice mixer. Opt for the fresh-squeezed stuff if you can.
Worst drink: Margarita
If you're trying to tone up, you might want to toss marg night. Margaritas, whether frozen or on the rocks are loaded with enough sodium and sugar to tip the scales against you even if you skipped the guac. A typical frozen marg can weigh in at over 600 calories and over 80 grams of sugar. Yikes.
The article This Is The Best Alcohol To Drink If You Want To Lose Weight originally appeared on Women's Health.
