Surviving Happy Hour
By Mike Bruno | 10/7/2005

You and the rest of your department got that report in by the skin of your teeth. Everyone pulled together and made it happen — a job well-done. Time to celebrate! Someone sends around an e-mail with the details — everyone is getting together at a nearby bar after work to toast your success.

Of course you want to go. You're social. You like the people you work with (well, most of them, anyway). But you also know that free-flowing drinks aren't the best thing for those of us watching our weight. Alcohol is just fermented sugar, and that means empty calories that are easily converted into triglycerides and stored as fat.

Fortunately, even on your most calorie-conscious days you can celebrate freedom from the nine-to-five by sharing libations with colleagues, so long as you plan ahead.

The First Rule: Eat
Never drink on an empty stomach. There are two reasons for this. First, without any food in your stomach to help your body absorb the alcohol, you will feel the effects very quickly. Seeing as better judgment is one of the first things to go when you get tipsy, that could easily lead to overindulgence on chicken wings or an unconscious attempt to empty out the bowl of peanuts.

Second, drinking lowers your blood sugar, which makes your body crave food to replenish it, so a little advance snacking, such as carrot sticks or some low-fat cheese and crackers, can help curb that urge.

"If you have the luxury of knowing ahead of time that you're going out for happy hour, plan to have some food right before you leave," said Ruth Kava, PhD, RD, Director of Nutrition at the American Council on Science and Health. "That makes it a little less likely that that you'll get tipsy and go for broke once a platter of food you really like gets passed around."

What to Drink
Usually, the calorie culprit is not the alcohol itself, but what you mix with your booze. A good rule of thumb is to avoid very sweet or very creamy drinks. Creamy means fat-rich dairy, and sweet means calorie-laden sugar.

A pina colada, for example, is made with pineapple juice and coconut milk, and an unce glass can have as many as 450 calories and 18 grams of fat. A rum and Coke has about 260 calories, and a gin and tonic has about 200, though at least those are fat-free.

"Liquor only has about 100 calories per serving, depending on proof, but if you mix that with something like ginger ale, [the ginger ale] will bring calories of its own," Kava says. "If you do order a drink with a high-calorie mixer added, I'd suggest having it put in a tall glass with plenty of ice, and sipping it slowly."

Try Something New
Another possibility is to try a low- or no-calorie mixer. One simple option is to mix the liquor with soda water instead of tonic, saving 100 calories (soda water has zero calories). Combine soda with vodka or with scotch for a classic and elegant drink. Having a rum and Diet Coke (instead of Coke), saves you 160 calories. There's even diet cranberry and diet tonic water on the market, though you might not be at a bar that stocks it.

If you'd rather opt for an unadulterated drink, here's how some popular choices break down:

* 12 ounces of regular beer: 150 calories
* 12 ounces of light beer: 100 calories
* 5 ounces of wine: 100 calories
* 1.5 ounces (a "shot") of 80 proof distilled spirits: 100 calories


Of course the easiest strategy of all is to join your friends at the pub and skip the booze. Have the bartender put your diet soda or sparkling water in a glass with a straw and a wedge of lime, and unless someone sniffs your drink, your teetotaling will go unnoticed. Your abstinence might also come in handy when it comes time for a ride home.