Sip on this...

With the holidays in full swing, we often find ourselves surrounded by not only tasty food choices but fun drink options. It’s a fantastic time of year, right? But all the eggnog and chocolate martinis can undo weeks and even months of eating salads, veggies, lean protein and hard work at the gym. So here’s a list of some of the most calorie-laden drinks and, of course, some good options if you plan to toast the night away. Please note that the drinks listed are frequently served at a higher volume than the suggested servings, so watch your portion size.

Sip this…Champagne (100 calories per 5 oz)

Spit out that…Eggnog (214 calories per 5 oz)

Sip this…Bloody Mary (125 calories per 5 oz)

Spit out that…Martini (306 calories per 5 oz)

Sip on this…Kailua and coffee (150 calories per 5 oz)

Spit out that…Chocolate Martini (376 calories per 5 oz)

Sip on this…Light beer (56-100 calories per 12 oz)

Spit out that…regular beer (150-200 calories per 12 oz)

Sip on this…wine (100 calories per 5 oz)

Spit out that…amaretto sour (350 calories per 5 oz)

And what about mixers? Well here’s the deal: a mixer can double (or triple) your calories pretty darn fast. A 1.5 oz shot (jigger) of distilled liquor such as vodka, gin or rum contains about 100 calories. Add that to 12 oz of your favorite soda and you’ve just make that little shot into a 250 calorie drink. Think tonic water and juice is safe? Think again; 124 calories per 12 oz of tonic water and about 200 per 12 oz pour for your favorite juice. Yikes! So what’s a party person to do? Use diet sodas, diet tonic water and club soda as mixers.

Other sneaky ways to have a good time without breaking the calorie bank with beverages:

• Start with two large glasses of water before you sip even one alcoholic drink. This will cause you to drink slowly since you are no longer thirsty and your stomach is fuller
• Drink one-on-one: before you grab another glass of wine, drink a glass of water. Keep alternating your favorite drink with water and you will drink less and stay hydrated
• Give your friends a ride. Offer to drive friends to and from the party...sober. How easy is that…no calories from alcohol! Just be careful not to drink other calorie heavy drinks. Stick to diet soda and water.

Did you eat or drink too much at that last holiday party or friendly get together at your favorite bar? No problem. Get to the gym and get back on track with your healthy eating. Too busy to go to the gym? Again, no problem, there are ways to burn extra calories during holiday and New Year’s celebrating. Check out how many calories you can burn doing the following typical holiday activities for 60 minutes*:

• Dancing the night away: 300 calories
• Cleaning house before guests arrive: 205 calories
• Shoveling snow off your driveway/sidewalk or raking leftover leaves: 409 calories
• Shopping for the perfect gifts: 175 calories
• Ice Skating: 477 calories
• Helping kiddos play with their new toys: 225 calories

All of these activities are great because they work the entire body AND are things you might have been planning to do anyway! So lend a hand doing the dishes, helping with a neighbor's yard or  playing with your nieces and nephews and become healthier and happier as a result!

*calorie burn is based on a 150 lb person