Get Drunk/Stay Thin.

{guest post by Dan}

It's ninety-degrees and you're sitting poolside. What better an occasion for an ice cold Pina Colada or Frozen Margarita? Or maybe an ice cold beer? While a drink or two here and there isn't going to put us on the fast track to Type 2 Diabetes or the Liposuction Line, heavy alcohol consumption can definitely hit us where it hurts (or shows). I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you're watching your caloric intake (ladies!), you may want to avert your eyes:

A twelve-ounce Pina Colada is going to run you about six-hundred calories

A ten-ounce Margarita, five-fifty

and for those still reading, A nine-ounce Mai Tai goes for six-twenty.

I'll be the first person to tell you that calories don't mean everything. Without them we'd wither away to nothing, but here's a little perspective for you: A Big Mac has five 540 cals and a Wendy's double cheeseburger has 620. Of course, the calories are coming from different sources (sugars vs. fats), but alcohol provides the double whammy by slowing down our metabolisms. That means that we can't burn off the calories as quickly, and they turn into fat (hello beer bellies!)

Are we going to stop drinking? Nope, but calories do burn quicker the more sober you are, meaning it might be in your best interest to start with your higher caloric drinks, like thick Pina Coladas and Margaritas, and finish off your night with lighter drinks. A glass of Chardonnay is only ninety calories, a Vodka Tonic? Between 70-80. A rum and diet coke can have as little as 60 calories. If you're a beer drinker, a Michelob Ultra will cost you under 100, too. 

So even though they might be worth the taste, think twice before indulging in an entire bucket of frozen Margarita! The creamier the drinks, the higher the CFF, or calories-from-fat count, so be wary! If you're now concerned about your favorite drink, a few clicks around Google can be your best friend.