The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Whether you're planning a Super bowl party, watching the figure skating competitions, or tuned in to Hockey Night in Canada, eating and drinking alcohol can be tricky for television viewers who are trying to lose weight. To carry you through this season's sports, WeightWatchers.ca has put together a game plan! Just follow these four simple game rules and you can enjoy whatever you're watching without gaining weight. Game rule #1: Don't drink & growl Drinking on an empty stomach could easily lead to overindulgence. Drinking also lowers your blood sugar, which makes your body crave food to replenish it. A little advance snacking, such as carrot sticks or some low-fat cheese and crackers, can help curb that urge. Game rule #2: Sip cautiously The calorie culprit is usually not the alcohol itself, but what you mix with your booze. A good rule of thumb is to avoid very sweet or creamy drinks. A Pina Colada, for example, is made with coconut milk, so an 8-ounce glass can have as many as 450 calories and 18 grams of fat! Alternately, rum & Coke or gin & tonic have half the amount of calories and are entirely fat-free. Game rule #3: Go light There's no question that the creamy dips, fat-laden chips, fried finger foods and colossal sandwiches usually served at such events are high in calories and fat. T avoid wreaking havoc on your diet, WeightWatchers.ca has put together some diet-friendly finger foods and snacks recipes. For classic crowd pleasers stick to Nachos Grande, Chicken Finger with BBQ Sauce, Seven-Layer Mexican Dip, to Fried Mozzarella Sticks. To score a touchdown with guests, try Basil, Arugula and Goat Cheese Pizza, Black Bean Salsa with Chili-Baked Chips, Gourmet Pretzel Sticks, and Zucchini Sticks with Honey-Mustard Mayo. Game rule #4: Keep score! If you decide to go the traditional sports-lover route, remember to keep track of your intake. These scores are just in: 12 ounces of regular beer: 150 calories 12 ounces of light beer: 100 calories 5 ounces of wine: 100 calories 1.5 ounces (a "shot") of 80 proof distilled spirits: 100 calories WeightWatchers.ca is working in advance to deliver healthy recipes as well as nutrition, wellness and fitness articles to Canadians.
