Party Healthy

Focus on having fun instead of filling up — and you’ll be able to stick to your diet. Stressing about the calorie content of cocktails and canapes? Don’t feel too guilty if you overeat at a party. Overeating in a day does not make you overweight. When you do it frequently, that’s when you gain weight.

Try a variety of food at the buffet table. Don’t forget to start with vegetables and fruits. They are lesser in calories and make you feel full because these are rich in fiber.

The more color you have in your diet, the better. But if it’s a stir fry or tempura, that doesn’t necessarily help.

Know what to avoid

Watch out for food with transfatty acids, like the seemingly healthy “party mixes” made from pretzels, chps, and nuts. Transfatty acids are fats from animals, which can clog the arteries. If you can’t avoid them, watch how much you consume. It may seem like it’s a little., but 1/3 cup of peanuts (about a handful) is already 199 calories.

Beware the salad trap

You might be eating greens, but your dressing should be fat-filled — Caesar salad dressing has more fat that vinaigrette so opt for the latter instead.

Skip the salt

This may only make you drink even more. Keep in mind that the only fluid without any hidden calories is water, so even if you tend to avoid sugary drinks, you may still be unconsciously guzzling down calorie after calorie because of the sodium found in most soda or artifically flavored drinks.

Bottom Line

Having started on your diet, you know what’s good and what’s bad for you — it’s just a matter of making the right choices. When at a party, remember the reason for the celebration! Focus on having fun rather than filling up, and you should be just fine.

Sinful Cocktails. Before you quaff that drink, check these facts first:

• Champagne: One flute = 163 calories. That’s about 4 pieces of medium-cooked bacon, or a whole large bran muffin!
• Vodka, rum, tequila or gin: A 1.5 ounce shot, 80 proof = 100 calories; 100 proof = 124 calories. Remember, the higher the proof, the higher the calorie count!
• Beer: 12-ounce beer = 150 calories; 12-ounce light beer = 100 calories. As a rule of thumb, remember that the darker the color of the brew, the higher the calorie count.
• Wine: One 6-ounce glass of white wine = 120 calories; 6 ounces of red = 128 calories. That’s about 4 cups of light microwave popcorn!
• Martini: One cocktail glass = 143 calories. That’s about the same amount of calories in a slice of cheese pizza, also equivalent to 30 minutes of non-stop low-impact aerobics.
• Cosmopolitan: One glass = 151 calories. You would have to walk 4.5 miles per hour for 30 minutes just to burn this off.