Sipping Shockers

This article from the Weight Watchers website does a great job of summarizing what we talked about in the meeting room on Saturday, August 18, 2012.
Sip Smarter
When the mercury rises, there’s nothing like a chilled, refreshing beverage to quench your thirst and cool you down. Whether you sip ‘em, slurp ‘em, or slug ‘em, if you're not mindful, drinks can pile up PointsPlus® values pretty quickly. According to the USDA, the number of calories per day that Americans consume as beverages is 400! But now you know...it doesn't have to be! Discover smart sipping strategies, suprising PointsPlus value sappers and great substitutions for everything from your favorite cocktails to your morning cup‘o Joe.

4 Smart Sipping Strategies
1. Never come to happy hour hungry
"Skipping lunch to compensate for the calories you plan to drink is not a good idea," says Molly Gee, RD, a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Alcohol does not satisfy hunger."

2. Be mindful of mixers
Hard liquor runs 100-200 calories per shot, but add a sugary or creamy mixer and you'll double or triple the calories, says Lisa Drayer, a New York City-based dietician. Her tip: Order what you love, just make it lighter — a rum and Coke using diet cola, a gin and tonic using low-calorie tonic. Or, skip mixers altogether and sip a light beer (one-third the calories of regular) or a glass of red wine (just over 100 calories).

3. Make the cocktail your dessert
Dining out with friends and can't resist a piña colada or daiquiri? Savor the mega-calorie libation and skip dessert. "Negotiate with yourself." But exercise moderation. "If you drank a piña colada or any 500-calorie drink every day in excess of what your body needs to maintain your current weight, you'd gain a pound a week," says Drayer.

4. Enjoy alcohol every other round
Alternate each alcoholic beverage with seltzer or water. It'll cut down on calories and help you keep count of how much you're drinking. And because alcohol has a diuretic effect, the water will hydrate you, says Drayer.

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Be sure to check out the cocktail cheat sheet available on e-tools- compare the values of your favorite drinks so that you will be more aware the next time you get invited out for happy hour!

Here is a collected list of PointsPlus values for common alcoholic drinks:

COCKTAIL LIST
• Cosmopolitan (3.5 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Martini (2 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Bay Breeze (5 ½ fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Bellini (6 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Black Russian ( 3 fl oz) 8 PointsPlus values
• Bloody Mary (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Brandy Alexander (3 fl oz) 9 PointsPlus values
• Daiquiri (3 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Gin & Tonic (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Gin Gimlet (2 ½ fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Long Island iced tea (8 fl oz) 15 PointsPlus values
• Manhattan, dry (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Manhattan, perfect (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Manhattan, scotch (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Margarita (6 fl oz) 14 PointsPlus values
• Martini (2 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Martini, sour apple (3 fl oz) 8 PointsPlus values
• Mimosa (6 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Mojito (12 fl oz) 7 PointsPlus values
• Old Fashioned (8 fl oz) 23 PointsPlus values
• Piña Colada (6 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Piña Colada, canned (1 can - 6.8 fl oz) 12 PointsPlus values
• Rob Roy (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Saketini (3 fl oz) 7 PointsPlus values
• Screwdriver (6 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Singapore Sling (6 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Tom Collins (6 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Vodka Gimlet (3 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Whiskey Sour (4 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Whiskey Sour, prepared from dry mix with water & whiskey (3.5 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• White Russian (3 fl oz) 8 PointsPlus values

NEW COCKTAILS
• Kamikazi (4.5 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Sex on the Beach (6 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Jack & Cola (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Rum & Cola (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Frozen Chocolate Mudslide (12 fl oz) 29 PointsPlus values
• Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri (7 fl oz) 9 PointsPlus values
• Vodka Cranberry (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Vodka Tonic (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Mai Tai (3.5 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Highball (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Vanilla Vodka Soda (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Citrus Vodka Soda (5 fl oz) 3 PointsPlus values
• Flavored vodka soda, any type (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Rum & diet cola (5fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Jack & diet cola (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Gin & diet tonic (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Vodka & diet soda (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values

Beers with 2 PointsPlus values
Miller Genuine Draft Light 64 (MGD 64)
Select55

Beers with 3 PointsPlus values
Budweiser Select
Busch Light
Michelob Ultra
Miller Lite
Milwaukee's Best Light