Does This Wine Make My Butt Look Big?

I think we have all asked our friends, husbands and significant others the question: "Does this outfit make me look fat?" I know I have.

Usually, it's something like this: "Honey, do these pants make my butt look big?" He always says a resounding, "No!" … and that would be the correct response. But, we have talked about this and it's possible, that while the verbal reaction to my question was "no," the inner monologue is thinking "it's not the outfit that makes your butt look big, it's your 'butt' that makes your butt look big!" (Hopefully you laughed at that) But, seriously can we have our wine and not worry about its size effects? 

With spring now here and summer fast approaching, some of us may be ready to shed our winter coats and don our summer dresses. It's around this time of year we take a good look at what we are eating and drinking and make adjustments so we can feel more confident as we go out and enjoy the beautiful summer days. We will no doubt be attending parties; both indoors and out, so let's take a look at some common cocktail and wine facts that may affect our "bottom" line.

I'll start with alcohol. Alcohol content is a major calorie contributor and weighs in at seven calories per gram; this is more than protein or carbs per gram. But, alcohol does not contain fat, and your body makes metabolizing it a priority because your body can not store alcohol as it normally stores protein and carbs. "Metabolizing priority" sounded good to me, until I did more research. It gets complicated; but in summary, alcohol's effect on your body means that it is forced to store extra unburned fat calories; usually around your middle, so choose your poison wisely.

Logically then, when it comes to hard alcohol, the higher the proof, the more calories. It's not so much the shot of gin or tequila that is the problem though, it's what you mix with it. Most mixers contain a lot of sugar and calories. And be careful of those off the shelf skinny drinks too. The serving size for some of these is a mere 1.5 ounces; basically, a shot glass full. I don't know about you, but most of us will have about 3-5 times that much when making a drink, so be aware of your serving size.

And, what about serving size? How much is a serving anyway? Most information you see about calories in alcoholic drinks is based on these measurements: a 1.5 ounce shot of liquor, a 4 or 5 ounce serving of wine, a 4 ounce mixed drink, or 12 ounces of beer. If you have wine while you are dining out, your pour may be up to 7 ounces!

Here is an approximate breakdown of what's really going on … calorie-wise:

Beer: 12 ounces. Light = 100; Regular = 140-200 with heavy ales and porters at the high end. Remember, the higher the alcohol by volume (ABV), the higher the caloric content.

Hard Alcohol: 1.5 ounces = 115-200 calories. The higher the proof, the more calories.

Liqueurs: 1.5 ounces = 100+ calories. Liqueurs vary greatly, for example schnapps is about 108 calories, Bailey's Irish Cream is 121, and crème de menthe is 186 calories.

Mixed Drinks: 4 ounces and up. These drinks range from 280 calories to … are you ready? … over 800 for some frozen, creamy drinks! Yikes!

Wine: 4 ounces of dry wine = 106, but sweet dessert wine = 226. Usually, the sweeter the wine, the more the calories; however, if it's a wine low in alcohol, this may not be the case.

And my favorite …

Champagne/Sparkling wine: 106 calories per 4 ounces.

Taking a look at this information is eye-opening, but it's not meant to make anyone feel bad about having a few glasses of wine or a couple of cocktails at a party. It's just information to help you plan, in case you want to indulge a bit, yet still look out for your "bottom" line … or top … or middle. Use that inner monologue to guide you. If you have an iPhone and you want to keep track of your drinks, there's an app for that: DrinkFit. If you have a Android, there's an app for that too: AlcoDroid.

I look at my wine choices a little differently now. I would rather have one or two glasses of something really good, then settle for many glasses of something that is just OK. And what is "really good" is what you like and not what someone else says you should like. Trust yourself when it comes to your wine tastes.

Here's to discovering something new about yourself and discovering new wines and friends this spring and summer. Cheers!

A little disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or dietician, nor do I condone imbibing to excess; everyone's health is extremely important. Caloric information and research presented here is from Eat, Drink and Be Gorgeous by Esther Blum, RD and University of Rochester, University Health Services.