Happy Hour...How To Stick To Your Diet

This is on of my favorite times to get together with friends BUT I have to be careful of a few things. Alcohol and food. No one wants to drink too much. For me a glass or two of wine is great, or a martini. For food, I am trying so hard to be good BUT it's hard. Weight gain is a difficult one for me. I gain 5 pounds just looking at a big slice of cheesecake so I monitor what I eat and ration it. Like so many people, the end of the day, especially the end of the week is a time to unwind and prepare for the weekend. Happy hour is a post workday tradition for many Americans, but oh those fun calories can add up quickly if you aren't careful. Hey, we all fall off the diet wagon from time to time, and when friends go out especially after work hours, it can be even more difficult. What is one to do? Consider these options for sticking to your diet when visiting a bar or opting for other alternatives for the after work get-together. Here are a few tips for healthier eating and drinking.

Nutritious Bar Foods

1. Select soy. That's right, you heard me....Edamame and veggie burgers can turn happy hour into a low calorie early dinner. You'll get plenty of good quality protein and vitamins. With the rest of the evening free, you can even take a run when you get home.

2. Opt for seafood. Oysters and shrimp may be high in cholesterol, but they're also good sources of low fat protein. Just watch out for the high sodium cocktail sauces. Mussels are another smart choice if you skip the French fries on the side.

3. Nibble on olives and other vegetables. Olives are high in fat but it's the monounsaturated version that's good for your heart. Cut vegetables make an excellent snack as long as you avoid the breaded and fried varieties.

4. Order the hummus platter. Hummus can also be the center of a balanced meal. Just remember pita chips may be just as fattening as potato chips.

5. Indulge in pizza. Pizza is fine for an occasional treat. Plain slices or vegetable toppings are better for your waistline than pepperoni or sausage. Plus multi-grain crust is a whole lot more wholesome than white crust.

6. Have some nuts. Portion control makes nuts a great snack. An ounce of almonds or walnuts has less than 200 calories.

Drinking Wisely

1. Drink in moderation. Moderate drinking is considered one drink per day for women and two for men. Keep in mind that many bar drinks contain more than one serving of alcohol, which is about 12 grams. That's equivalent to 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor.

2. Recognize the highest-calorie cocktails. White Russians and Long Island ice teas have as many calories as a whole meal. Think twice about any drink with cream or extra alcohol.

3. Pick slimmer cocktails. Rum and diet coke has less than 100 calories. Bloody Mary's are only about 120 calories and you'll get some vitamin C!

4. Drink light beer or wine. Red wine and white wine both have only about 100 calories a glass. Most light beers are about the same.

5. Switch to non-alcoholic beverages. You can always enjoy hanging out while you stick to water or diet soda. Drinking plenty of water may also help you resist the temptation to eat more.

Additional Suggestions

1. Suggest alternative activities. Focus on spending time with your colleagues and unwinding after work rather than on drinking alcohol. You could go out for frozen yogurt or take in an early movie or concert. Local gyms or yoga studios will likely give you a discount if you ask about bringing in a group.

2. Enlist your employer. Studies show that positive relationships at work can improve productivity and worker satisfaction. Talk with your boss about coordinating after-work events. Many organizations offer free guest speakers on topics like wellness or financial management. You might also use the conference room to watch a movie or the parking lot to serve up a taco bar.

3. Avoid drinking and driving. It's always best to drink in moderation but it's even more important when you're planning to drive. If you think there's any chance that you will drink to excess, pick a designated driver or make other transportation arrangements in advance. 

Happy hour is really great way to boost morale among co-workers and switch gears between the office and home while you sit out the rush hour traffic. Order carefully at the bar if you're watching calories or try some new activities for your next after work get-together. Life is good, enjoy it.

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What is Happy Hour?

It's funny you know,...how two words can take a terrible day into a whole new world of intrigue. What are those magical words? "HAPPY HOUR!"Some of us hate our hair, our looks, our lives, our jobs...and some of us love life and all that surrounds it in general. Our lives consist of waking up early, often going to bed late, or barely sleeping at all because you feel like you are always at work....you're changing diapers, packing lunches, cleaning the house, having the car serviced, writing reports, grocery shopping and having your weekly board meeting with your team. Most of us if you are like myself, look forward to the end of the day or the end of the week.....or that one particular time frame during the week where you go somewhere to escape the madness and have a cocktail with friends, family or loved ones....the place where you can unwind, smile, and breathe while ordering the cocktail or beer of your choice at a "special" price.

I used to be able to tell you where every happy hour was in town, before you ask why, Yup, sure could, but hey,....let me explain...I was a single mom raising two kids and then put them through college myself. Yhey did more drinking than I did...I was the workaholic that helped provide them with their educations. I gave up what I had to in order to be the best mom that I could be and most of that meant giving up my social time, and fun freedom. Everything cost too much when you have the budget I did. I'm not one to sit around and enjoyed being with my friends....so I found every single place in town that remotely had a happy hour and the girls had somewhere to go every night if we wanted to. Hi, I'm Shelly and I'm a "Happy Hourholic!"Ahhhhhh finally, life is good! Why go out and spend a fortune on booze and food when business want "your business?" They are willing to provide you with great food and appetizers not to mention great drink specials for sooooo much less during regular business hours.....so "why the hell not?"

What I have often wonder is What is Happy Hour? "Where does this concept of Happy Hour originate?" Curious? I certainly was.....this is what I discovered while I was doing some research.

Here is a little "tid'bit" for the day.......

The Navy used the term happy hour as the two hour period of entertainment before dinner on their ships during the 1920’s. The Volstead Act was passed and paved the way for this trend when civilians held cocktail hours in their homes and meetings within the ranks. Post prohibition, small cocktail lounges continued the pre-dinner drinks tradition when, in, 1960, happy hour became a fully fledged term after articles were published in many newspapers throughout England. The term refers to the state of how happy people are when having consumed alcohol and it soon became known as more of an after work ritual for this reason. The 1980’s saw rules surrounding happy hour defined further by bar staff, when food had to be introduced as mandatory during the period of cheap drinks because of serious drink driving cases. The military took on a strict stance in regards to tightening drink driving laws seen through US General John A. Wickham’s move to abolish happy hours from all military based clubs.

However, that didn’t stop other venues and patrons. Since then, happy hour has been a custom embraced right around the world. Almost every bar, pub and club has some form of it and our only job is to make the most of it. Our wallets will be happier as well! My question is what time is happy hour? Various bars and restaurants have specific times....I, like most of you always thought that happy hour began when the "madness of your work day ended!" 

Meet your friends, family or coworkers and enjoy the good food and cheap drink specials...just remember to plan ahead, drink in moderation, and do not drink and drive! Some people might suggest that happy hour is at 5:00......

There is really no set rule .....I say it's happy hour somewhere!

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