DrinkThe Best and Worst Booze to Drink if You Want to Lose WeightAlcohol can either give you a beer belly or help you uncover your abs. After all, while one Archives of Internal Medicine study shows that people who put back one or two drinks a day are less likely to gain weight, research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that men consume an extra 433 calories on days they have just a couple of drinks.While lowered inhibitions and drink-fueled munchies have something to do with it, 61 percent of the caloric increase comes from the alcohol itself. So, if you're trying to lose weight while still enjoying the occasional drink, you'd better be wise about which drinks you choose. Here are the best and worst booze you can order.Red or white, you can expect to consume roughly 100 to 120 calories per glass. (That's assuming, however, that you're drinking a standardized 5-ounce glass. Research from Iowa State and Cornell shows that people tend to over-pour by 12 percent.)However, there are some considerations to make when picking grapes: White wine typically contains fewer carbohydrates than does red wine, which makes a small difference in terms of calories, says Caroline Cederquist, M.D., author of The MD Factor and creator of bistroMD.

Meanwhile, red wine is richer in antioxidants, and a 2014 study in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, red wine's ellargic acids delay the growth of fat cells while slowing the development of new ones."best wine recipe everA fortified wine with higher alcohol content and infused spices and herbs, vermouth is a calorie saver if you have it by itself—as it's commonly served in Europe," says Georgie Fear, R.D., author ofLean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss. new world wine competitionA 1.5-ounce serving contains a mere 64 calories, and typically contains about 15 to 18 percent alcohol, she says. best dry white wine under 10Plus, research out of Budapest shows that it's jam-packed with polyphenol compounds, which may promote healthy weight loss.buy wine bottle box

Still, remember that if you mix it into a Manhattan or martini, you're probably going to be consuming far more calories and sugar, Fear says.When it comes to getting the most alcohol for the fewest calories, shots and straight booze on the rocks are the way to go. where can i buy a wine station"There isn't much of a difference between 80-proof hard liquors," Cederquist says. best wine tour champagne"They all have around the same amount of calories and carbohydrates." what is a cheap dry red wineAnd as calories increase along with alcohol content, the difference isn't huge. best michigan made wineFor instance, a shot of 86-proof whiskey contains 105 calories and a shot of 80-proof vodka contains 97.However, you also need to keep in mind that the sweeter the liquor, the more calories it typically contains, she says. dry red wine suggestions

"If you're looking for a lower calorie alternative, avoid the flavored vodkas and spiced rums and go for the original or 'plain' option offered," she says. "If you are looking for a flavor boost, try low-calorie mixers like a flavored seltzer or fresh squeezed lemon or lime. This will provide the taste without the calories."With fewer calories and carbs, these are the best brewskis for weight loss, Cederquist says. Many light beers contain 90 to 100 calories per 12 ounces, while extra-light beers pack about 55 to 65.However, just don't use that as an excuse to have more beers than you typically would, or you'll undo all benefits. Hey, they generally pack less alcohol, right? Well, yeah, but they actually tend to have a higher percentage of their calories coming from alcohol compared to standard brews. Budweiser Select 55 for example derives 88.2 percent of its calories from alcohol, compared to Bud Light at 74.1 percent, and regular Budweiser at 66.9 percent calories, Fear says.Sugar-Packed Cocktails"Margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas can set you back more calories than a large order of McDonald's French Fries," Fear says.

Even worse, calories from sugar-laden drinks come as a sneak attack. When you drink a marg, your body is so overwhelmed with the alcohol content that your body doesn't properly metabolize the sugar. Instead, it stores the sweet stuff as fat.There is never a good excuse to drink these and other sugar-filled cocktails especially if you are trying to lose weight or not develop diabetes, she says. Now, if you've got a skilled mixologist behind your bar, you're probably calorically safe ordering a cocktail. After all, he'd never serve up one of these artless offenses.High-Alcohol Craft Beers"The last five years have seen an explosion of craft breweries creating high-alcohol varieties, which pack more calories per bottle than you may realize," Fear says. Remember, more alcohol means more calories. Every gram of the good stuff contains seven calories.For instance, Flying Dog Horn Dog, which contains 10.2 percent alcohol by volume, also contains 314 calories per bottle, and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA boasts 18 percent alcohol by volume, but also packs 450 calories into each bottle.

That's a meal in a glass. Unfortunately, though, all that alcohol can wind up making you hungrier.16 Wines For Weight Loss By Dana Leigh Smith From drowning out rowdy barflys to cutting loose with friends, there are tons of reasons to sip some wine this weekend. Why wine, you ask? Because many other alcoholic beverages are simply subpar. Party cocktails are typically calorie-laden crapshoots and beer can make even the slimmest person uncomfortably bloated. Wine, on the other hand, is reliable. You always know what you’re going to get when you order a glass of red, white or bubbly. (Still prefer stout to sauvignon? Check out our exlcusive list of The Best & Worst Beers for Weight Loss.) While we do love wine, as you’ve likely just gathered, we are also big proponents of drinking in moderation. If you’re not careful, those innocent glasses can add up quickly! To help you stay slim through 2015, we’ve put together a list of 16 wines—nearly all of which are well under 120 calories per glass.

And the good news keeps on coming: In addition to being waist-friendly, they're all easy on the wallet and widely available, so you won't have to search far and wide to find them. Sparkling Wines and Champagne A glass of bubbly is festive, light and effervescent. Stock up on a few bottles to get through all of your celebratory affairs. Everyone looks classier with a champagne flute and appreciates a bottle as a gift! Low Alcohol (below 11% ABV) Yellowglen Sparkling Pink 65 Soft Rosé (Per 5 fl. oz: 65 calories, 6% ABV)Blossom Hill Sparkling Moscato (Per 5 fl. oz: 115 calories, 6.5% ABV) High Alcohol (above 11% ABV)` Lunetta Prosecco (Per 5 fl oz: 110 calories, 11.5% ABV)Laurent-Perrier NV Ultra Brut Champagne (Per 5 fl oz: 98 calories, 12% ABV) Need another reason to enjoy a glass of cabernet? A Journal of Biological Chemistry study found that a compound found in red wine can actually block the growth of fat cells. The drink also has high levels of resveratrol, a polyphenol that helps lower blood pressure and “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Light Alcohol (under 13.5% ABV) Cupcake Vineyards Chianti (Per 5 fl. oz: 111 calories, 12% ABV)Blossom Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Per 5 fl. oz: 114 calories, 13% ABV) High Alcohol (over 13.5% ABV) Cavit Cabernet Sauvignon (Per 5 fl. oz: 112 calories, 15.4% ABV)Yellow Tail Shiraz (Per 5 fl. oz: 120 calories, 13.5% ABV) Everyone loves a light and refreshing sweet white; they make great hostess gifts for those who aren’t big fans of reds, especially for those who have a lot of white carpeting. Light Alcohol (under 9% ABV) The Skinny Vine Thin Zin (Per 5 fl. oz: 89 calories, 7.3% ABV)Yellow Tail Moscato (Per 5 fl. oz: 114 calories, 7.5% ABV) High Alcohol (over 9% ABV) Cavit Riesling (Per 5 fl. oz: 120 calories, 11.6% ABV)Sutter Home Riesling (Per 5 fl. oz: 130 calories, 12.5% ABV) If sweet whites give you a sugar rush, buy a few bottles of the dryer varieties. All of our picks come in under 112 calories a glass. It doesn’t get much better than that!