Help With Happy Hour

You LOVE your red wine, and you can knock back tequila shots with the best of them. But those things should be enjoyed once you're in maintenance mode, not while you're trying to lose weight. If you must give in to temptation, do so with extreme caution. If you are going to drink, best recommendation is wine — particularly organic wine. If wine isn't your thing, you might occasionally go with clear alcohols. They’re not as good a choice as wine, but you should rather choose them than dark-colored alcohols. Have a vodka and soda water with lime, or a tequila shot (careful, don't go nuts with these!). Be creative. But ladies: BEWARE the fruity Barbie drinks! Piña coladas, frozen margaritas, apple-pineapple-strawberry-mango-whatevertinis, and so on. They can add up to 1,000 calories each — and only pansies drink that stuff, anyway. Whatever you do, remember the golden rule: Watch your calories. Count the alcohol you consume in your daily calorie allowance, and try not to have more than one drink a day or four drinks a week.