Image via Complex Original
January is the month to start walking the walk like you talked the talk in December, back when you made all those New Year's resolutions about going to the gym regularly, eating better, and not binge drinking five days a week. But a few weeks of putting in work at the gym and passing on the beer and burgers can drive just about anyone to drink. The problem is, how do you booze like a boss without letting your other resolutions fall by the wayside? It's not easy, but it can be done. Use these ten pointers to help you get plowed without getting plump. Now that's a New Year's resolution we can all get behind.
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10. Wine is fine.
An average glass of wine, white or red, has fewer calories than your average light beer, and, obviously, it's classier, too. It's a no-brainer that the drier the wine, the less sugar it contains. That's good news for your burgeoning six-pack. If you can't decide whether to go for a glass of white or red, don't forget that red wine contains reservatrol, a chemical which is said to promote coronary health (in moderation, so stop guzzling that ish like it's grape juice, chief).
9. Lay a base so you won't stuff your face.
Eating something healthy and filling before drinking (lean protein and a salad, anyone?) makes it less likely that you'll seek out something unhealthy and filling (what's poppin', cheese fries?) after you're drunk. And laying a base enables you to hold your likker better, so it'll be harder to get to that dark, cheese-fry-craving place to begin with.
8. Working out is a good thing no matter what time you do it.
Studies show that the amount of sleep you get and the amount of weight you lose are related. So, if you've been drinking the night before, there's no need to force yourself to the gym at the ass-crack of dawn. At the same time, don't skip workouts in the name of sleeping in. Instead, finagle a way to hit the gym after work. And, if you know you're going out boozing at night, make sure you get your morning workout in before. Make trade-offs with yourself: a vodka-fueled Wednesday means hitting the gym on the weekend. Choose wisely, scotch shinobi.
7. Try a liquid lunch.
No matter how conservatively you drink, alcohol means calories—anywhere from 75-85 calories for a glass of champagne to 200-plus for a sugary cocktail. If you really want to drink at lunch, something's got to give. And that something is—the food? Now, a three-martini lunch may make you fall asleep at the conference table for those afternoon meetings (or send you to the hospital, since today's bigger martini glasses mean you could be drinking more than a pound of gin and vodka in a sitting). But slipping a little booze into a nutritious smoothie helps you get your drink on, get your vitamins in, and save calories.
6. Infuse it (your booze, that is) to lose it (weight, that is).
Infused spirits add flavor without adding calories the way juices or liqueurs do. And the best part? Making your own infused spirits is practically idiot-proof. Essentially, you're sticking your favorite fruits, veggies, candies, etc. into your favorite booze, and waiting a week or two for the flavors to, well, infuse. Only problem is, it's not always convenient to wait a week to have blueberry-infused gin or pineapple-infused rum. Thankfully, hipster bars have long been infusing their own booze, and there are even some bottled infused spirits (no, chemical-laden commercial brands don't really count). Infused vodkas are most popular, but infused whiskeys and rums are showing up more in bars nowadays. So, really, you have no reason to be sucking down that rum with calorie-laden coke.
5. Love on the rocks.
To an uneducated mixologist, the ice that goes in a cocktail can be almost an afterthought. Who knows how long those cubes have been sitting in your freezer? When did you last wash the ice cube tray? And who cares? Well, you should. Ice is a crucial ingredient in cocktails, not only for chilling your drink, but for diluting it. Stripping spirits of their alcoholic burn and helps the booze and the mixers to blend harmoniously. When you're trying to slim down, ice can be your best friend, taking up space in your glass that would otherwise be occupied by caloric hooch. And who wants a warm cocktail, anyway?
4. Steer clear of sweet cocktails.
Sweet equals more sugar equals more calories equals your new white tee fitting you like sausage casing. Cocktails with fresh squeezed fruit juices and little or no added sugars trump drinks made with sickly-sweet bottled mixers and liqueurs any day. A "good" cocktail is a daiquiri, made with light rum, fresh squeezed lime juice, and just a wee bit of sugar. A "bad" cocktail? Try (or rather, don't try) the Cosmopolitan, which features sugary cranberry juice and even more sugary triple sec. And if you're going to go with a martini, for God's sake, just get it straight. We're not against girly drinks on principle, but your fledgling abdominal muscles definitely are.
3. Drink as much water as you do booze.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which is why you don't buy beer, you rent it. Avoid dehydration by drinking water before, during, and after drinking the other stuff. Water also helps to take up the space in your stomach that might otherwise be filled by greasy nachos at the end of a bender. And, of course, staying hydrated can prevent hangovers, which makes the odds of your going to the gym in the morning that much better. Studies show that hydration alone won't necessarily prevent you from feeling like garbage the morning after, but hey, it can't hurt.
2. Lose the liqueurs.
What's not to love about Grand Marnier or Bailey's? You know, aside from the fact that they contain enough sugar to kill a small canine. Liqueurs are the worst of all boozy worlds, since in addition to all that sugar, many also have a low alcohol content compared to "regular" spirits. Take Kahlua—at 40 proof, it's got half as much alcohol as a typical tequila. But at 91 calories for a 1 ounce serving (compared to less than 64 for a 1 ounce pour of tequila), it's almost 50% more caloric. Stick with liqueurs and you won't just be dealing with a hangover from all that sugar—you'll be dealing with your gut hanging over your belt, too. Also watch out for cocktails like margaritas, which use liqueur as a mixer.
1. Bubbles are better.
The bubbles in champagne may go straight to your head, but they won't go straight to your gut. Champagne is low-calorie compared to most spirits; for example, a glass of champagne contains almost 20 calories less than a shot of vodka. If you're not feeling the champers love, or you just don't have a bottle of Dom chilling in the fridge, diluting your booze with fizzy low-cal mixers like club soda or tonic saves calories as well.