Going Out Without Letting Out…Your Pants

Cute dresses are great, but not when you are wearing one because those tight jeans don’t fit anymore. From calorie filled margaritas to that 2 am chili dog you just can’t resist, here are some tips for going out and having a good time without packing on the pounds.

Now we all know if we didn’t go out on the town, took a 5 mile run, had salad, lean meat, and a glass of water instead we’d all be better off. That’s not the goal here. The goal is to give you some tools to have a fun night out and still be friends with your bathroom scale in the morning.

First things first, eat before you go. If you had a salad at 5 pm and plan on going out until the early morning hours, how likely do you think it is you will be able to avoid the 2 am chili dog? Yeah, no point in salad if you are just going to eat that right before bed! The general rule is to not eat for three hrs before bed time, so there’s nothing wrong with having a little later than normal dinner or a snack before you leave. It will help you avoid the chili dog and absorb some of what you may or may not be drinking later!

What are you typically drinking when you go out? Here are some calorie facts for the 5 WORST drinks you can have:

1. Margarita in a pint glass -550 calories
2. Mudslide - 417 calories
3. Long Island Ice Tea - 380 calories
4. White Russian - 320 calories
5. Piña Colada- 293 calories

Remember that 290 calorie microwave meal you had for lunch? These drinks are like having another meal during the day! After having breakfast, lunch, and dinner, would you ever make a full meal at 11:30 at night? Probably not. So just think about it – three margaritas = three extra meals for the day. Let’s stay away from these and find some better alternatives!

Here are the 5 best drinks you can have (calorie for calorie):

1. Rum and Diet Coke - 65 calories
Tip: Use diet sodas as mixers, such as gin and diet tonic, diet 7Up and Seagrams 7, diet ginger ale and Jack Daniels, and so on.
2. Vodka and Soda - 65 calories
Tip: Try this with flavored vodka, such as raspberry, vanilla, or mandarin.
3. White Wine Spritzer (4 oz. white wine topped with club soda) - 80 calories
4. Bloody Mary - 90 calories
5. Light Beer - 100 calories

There are a lot of different varieties you can play with in the vodka, rum, gin, and Jack categories. On the “tip” above you will notice the term “diet”. Using regular sodas and seltzers can add up to 300 calories per drink. Also try drinking white or red wine where you at least get the health benefit (between 70 and 100 calories depending on the chart). Just keep in mind the difference between three rum and diets @ 195 calories vs. three margaritas @ 1,650 calories! Your favorite fitting jeans will thank you later! Also, try having a glass of water after every drink. This will not only keep you hydrated and feeling better later, but keep you full.

If you must take shots remember that clear usually has the least amount of sugar and therefore the least amount of calories. In general, the sweeter the mixer, the more calories you are adding. (refer back to that alternating with water thing)

Remember while you are out to get off that bar stool and dance. Dancing burns 306 calories/hr on average. Dance for an hour of your evening and you have more than burned off those 195 calories from the three rum and diets!

Now on to that chili dog… I fully realize you probably did not eat your late, yet healthy dinner before you left to tide you over for the evening. I also fully realize that at 2am the effects of your night’s refreshments are impairing your food judgment, and I’m also guessing you did not alternate drinks with water. (I personally don’t remember ever having cheese fries in day light hours...) There are so many ways to cut down on the calories you are about to inhale though.

I always like to jokingly say “sharing is caring”, but whatever you are about to put in your mouth, sharing with a friend will instantly cut the calories in half. Going for Mexican? Have a soft shelled taco WITH OUT the sour cream. Drive through? What about a grilled chicken snack wrap or McDonalds low fat ice cream cones. No matter where you wind up I’m sure, if you take a moment to think, you can find a way to easily cut down either the size or substance of what you are about to eat. And if you can handle the smell of fried food without gobbling it down, try some nice, refreshing, good for you, and FREE, W-A-T-E-R. Lets face it…it’s 2am and you could use a few glasses anyway.

Be safe. Be smart. Wake up the next day less likely to have a hangover.

Never forget that your life is your choice. Only you get to decide what you will and will not tolerate. Click here to purchase Hear my Heels bracelets to remember to keep going towards the life you deserve. Please forward this information to all the women you care about.

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