| The holidays are a time of year when many of | | | | nose of your bottle of Port against your |
| us have to loosen our belt buckles just a bit, | | | | bathroom scale and repeatedly telling it "No" is |
| attempting to satisfy our expanding waistlines. It's | | | | unwarranted. It's not the consumption of wine |
| not our fault; the pumpkin pie, the chocolate | | | | that adds pounds, it's the consumption of wine |
| fudge, and the buttered yams all sit smugly on | | | | without cutting back on food. Wine, like other |
| the dinner table, daring us to take a bite: yes, we | | | | liquids, doesn't have the ability to curb our |
| are practically being force fed. Even so, the | | | | appetite. Thus, many of us start to drink wine |
| calories still add up, not just one crumb at a time | | | | without taking into consideration the extra calories |
| but also one sip at a time. | | | | and we consume our regular caloric intake through |
| In moderation or in abundance, the calories of | | | | food. When the calories of wine are added to our |
| wine can make a difference in weight. Drinking a | | | | regular intake, additional calories are consumed. |
| few servings a day gives you a few hundred | | | | Still, these additional calories are often better for |
| more calories, giving you a few more pounds | | | | you than additional calories from other alcoholic |
| over time. For this reason, it's important to | | | | sources. |
| account for the calories consumed whenever you | | | | When compared to other alcohol, wine has a slight |
| raise your glass. | | | | edge. Beer, particularly light beer, may be less |
| As a general rule, a glass of wine contains about | | | | caloric than wine, as a 12 ounce light beer typically |
| 80 calories, when the term "glass" is comparable | | | | has 100 calories, but beer doesn't possess the |
| to 4 ounces and not comparable to a 7-11 Big | | | | health benefits of wine; it doesn't have the |
| Gulp. Fortified wine is typically higher in calories and | | | | antioxidants. When compared to mixed drinks and |
| wines with higher alcohol content - because alcohol | | | | straight shots, wine wins bottles down. Mixed |
| is where the majority of the calories are | | | | drinks, especially when mixed with sugary sodas, |
| generated - may pack a better punch, but they | | | | and shots of hard alcohol are very caloric and |
| will also pack on more pounds. To put this in | | | | contain no health benefit. They have nothing to |
| perspective, the US Department of Agriculture | | | | offer but calories and they know it, leaving them |
| states that 100 grams of wine with a 12.2 alcohol | | | | to sometimes throw themselves down the drain |
| content have roughly 85 calories; 100 grams of | | | | when the bartender is not looking. |
| wine with a 18.8 alcohol content have 135 calories. | | | | Drinking wine doesn't have to equal increased |
| The sugar in wine also plays as much a dramatic | | | | pounds. One way to have your wine and drink it |
| role as the alcohol; the higher the sugar content, | | | | too is to simply adopt physical activity as a |
| the more calories it will have. For this reason, | | | | means to make up for the additional calories - |
| some dieters prefer to consume dry wines with | | | | instead of driving to the bar, walk there; instead |
| lower alcohol content. | | | | of pushing a cart through a liquor store, carry |
| Even when the above is taken into consideration, | | | | your supplies; instead of drunk dialing your |
| many wines contain a similar amount of calories | | | | ex-lovers, jog to their house and speak to them. |
| or only differ by a small number. Cabernet | | | | You can also keep from gaining weight by cutting |
| Sauvignon, Red Burgundy, White Burgundy, | | | | back on the calories consumed through other |
| Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Chianti, Merlot, Sauvignon | | | | means - eat less candy during the day; have a |
| Blanc , Champagne , and White or Red Zinfandel | | | | banana for a snack instead of a muffin; eat a |
| all contain between 90 and 100 calories per | | | | salad instead of a steak. Adopting a few of these |
| serving. To tip the scales, Madeira, Muscatel, Ruby | | | | habits will make room for the wine calories you |
| Port , White Port , and Tokay all contain between | | | | consume. If, for some reason, these habits don't |
| 160 and 180 calories per serving. | | | | quite work, getting rid of wine is not the answer. |
| No matter the type of wine consumed, people | | | | Instead, simply remember two little words: liquid |
| who drink do run the risk of gaining weight, but | | | | diet. |
| the wine itself is not the problem: rubbing the | | | | |