Honestly, I didn’t think this would work.
I’d already tried “just drink less,” then “only on weekends,” then that whole sad phase where I pretended club soda with lime was basically a margarita. I felt ridiculous for hoping again. But I was tired of feeling like every drink erased a week of effort. So I started messing with low calorie alcoholic drinks. Not because I’m disciplined. Because I was frustrated. And a little desperate.
Not gonna lie… the first month was messy. I messed this up at first. A lot.
But something did shift. Not overnight. Not cleanly. Still… different.
Why I Even Tried This (And What I Thought It Would Fix)
Here’s the embarrassing truth: I didn’t want to quit drinking.
I wanted the vibe of a drink without the “why did I do that to myself” feeling the next morning. The bloating. The guilt. The weird shame of pretending it didn’t matter.
What I thought would happen:
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I’d swap in lighter drinks
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The calories would drop
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Everything else would magically stay the same
Yeah… that’s not how it went.
What actually pushed me over the edge was noticing patterns:
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Every time I had 2–3 heavy cocktails, I ate like a raccoon later
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The hangovers hit harder when sugar + alcohol teamed up
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“Just one drink” almost always turned into four when the drinks were sweet
So the idea wasn’t “be perfect.”
It was “stop sabotaging myself on easy mode.”
The First Stuff I Tried (That Low-Key Failed)
I went straight for the obvious “skinny” versions of everything.
Here’s what didn’t work for me at first:
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Skinny margaritas
Sounded great. Tasted like regret. Still sugary. Still sneaky calories. Still made me want snacks. -
Wine every night (but just one glass)
I told myself it was “controlled.” It wasn’t. One glass turned into refills. The bottle stared at me. I stared back. We both knew what was happening. -
Beer swaps
I moved from craft beer to light beer and thought I cracked the code.
Nope. I just drank more of it. The calories added up anyway. The bloat didn’t care that it was “light.”
This honestly surprised me:
It wasn’t just the calories. It was how certain drinks messed with my hunger, sleep, and decision-making.
What Finally Started Working (Slowly… but For Real)
I stopped trying to be clever and started being boring.
The boring stuff worked better.
Here’s what stuck:
1. Spirits + Zero-Cal Mixers (But With Rules)
Vodka soda. Tequila + lime + soda. Gin + diet tonic.
But I had to make rules for myself:
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No syrups
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No juices
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No “just a splash” of sugary stuff
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One glass of water between drinks
The calorie difference wasn’t the whole win.
The pace changed.
These drinks didn’t slide down like dessert. I sipped. I slowed down. I noticed when I’d had enough.
2. Dry Wine (Not My Favorite, But…)
I switched from sweet wine to dry wine.
Not because I loved it.
Because sweet wine made me want to keep drinking.
Dry wine:
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Didn’t spike cravings as hard
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Felt “done” after one glass
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Didn’t mess with my sleep as badly
Would I choose this for fun?
Eh. Sometimes.
But for damage control? Yeah, it helped.
3. Actually Counting the “Invisible” Calories (This Hurt My Feelings)
Not gonna lie… this part stung.
I realized:
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Cocktails can be 300–500 calories
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“Just two drinks” could quietly be half a meal
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Sugary mixers were the real villains
Once I saw the numbers, I couldn’t unsee them.
Annoying. But useful.
The Stuff No One Warned Me About
This is where the fantasy cracked.
Your Tolerance Changes (And It’s Weird)
When you stop drinking sugar bombs, alcohol hits differently.
Sometimes faster. Sometimes harsher.
I had a few nights where I thought:
“Wow, I’m being so healthy with these low calorie drinks.”
…and then felt buzzed way quicker than expected.
Not dangerous.
Just humbling.
You Might Feel a Little… Boring at First
Socially, this messed with my head.
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Friends ordered fancy cocktails
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I ordered vodka soda
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I felt like I’d downgraded my personality
That passed. Mostly.
But yeah, there was an awkward phase.
Hunger Can Still Show Up
Low calorie doesn’t mean “no consequences.”
Alcohol still lowers willpower.
So even with lighter drinks, I still had nights where I ate stuff I didn’t plan to.
This works better when:
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You’ve eaten beforehand
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You’re hydrated
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You’re not drinking out of pure stress
Ask me how I know.
Common Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Repeat Them)
If you’re gonna try this, please don’t copy my dumb phase:
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Thinking low calorie = unlimited
Nope. It’s still alcohol. Limits still matter. -
Drinking on an empty stomach
Rookie move. Everything hits harder. Judgment goes offline. -
Choosing drinks you hate
You’ll rebel later. Pick stuff you can actually tolerate. -
Using this to avoid bigger lifestyle stuff
This is a tool. Not a personality transplant.
How Long Did It Take to Notice a Difference?
This part’s boring. Sorry.
For me:
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1–2 weeks: less bloating
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3–4 weeks: fewer hangovers
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About a month: I stopped feeling like I “ruined” progress every time I drank
The emotional shift came before the physical one.
I felt:
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Less guilt
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More control
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Less of that “what’s the point” spiral
That alone was huge.
Is This Actually Worth It?
Short answer?
Yeah. For me, it was worth it.
Longer answer:
It didn’t fix everything.
It didn’t make me magically disciplined.
It didn’t turn alcohol into a health food.
But it did:
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Reduce the damage
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Make my choices feel intentional
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Stop the cycle of “drink → regret → punish myself”
That loop was exhausting. This softened it.
Objections I Had (And What I’d Say Now)
“Low calorie drinks are boring.”
Yeah, sometimes.
So is feeling like trash the next day. Pick your boring.
“This feels like diet culture nonsense.”
Fair.
But for me, this wasn’t about shrinking myself. It was about not feeling wrecked after social nights.
“I’d rather just not drink.”
Cool. Honestly, that might be better for some people.
This isn’t for everyone.
Who Should Probably Avoid This Approach
From what I’ve seen (and messed up myself), this isn’t great for:
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People who struggle with controlling alcohol intake
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Anyone using this as a way to justify drinking more
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People who find tracking calories triggering
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Anyone in early recovery
If alcohol is already a problem, lighter drinks won’t fix that.
That’s a different conversation. A more serious one.
Reality Check (The Part That Doesn’t Get Clicks)
Low calorie alcoholic drinks don’t make drinking healthy.
They just make it less heavy on your system.
You can still:
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Overdo it
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Make dumb choices
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Wake up tired
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Stall progress
This is harm reduction.
Not transformation.
And sometimes progress is just… less damage than last time.
That counts. At least to me.
Quick FAQ (The Stuff People Always Ask)
Are low calorie alcoholic drinks actually better?
They’re lower in calories and sugar. That helps some people feel less bloated and more in control. They’re not “healthy,” just lighter.
What are the lowest calorie options?
From what I’ve stuck with:
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Vodka + soda + lime
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Tequila + soda
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Gin + diet tonic
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Dry wine
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Light beer (if you can stop at one)
Will this help with weight loss?
It can reduce one source of excess calories.
It won’t override everything else you do.
Do they still cause hangovers?
Yep. But for me, sugar-heavy drinks were worse.
Is this sustainable?
If you actually like what you’re drinking and don’t feel deprived, yeah.
If you hate it, you’ll quit.
Practical Takeaways (No Fairy Tales)
If you’re gonna try this, here’s the real version:
Do this:
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Pick 1–2 low calorie drinks you genuinely don’t hate
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Drink water between rounds
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Eat before you drink
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Notice how your body reacts (sleep, hunger, mood)
Avoid this:
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Turning “low calorie” into “limitless”
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Forcing drinks you hate
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Using this as punishment
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Expecting instant results
What to expect emotionally:
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A weird adjustment phase
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Some social awkwardness
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A quiet sense of control returning
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Occasional slip-ups (normal)
What patience looks like:
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Subtle changes first
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Fewer regret spirals
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More neutral mornings
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Less “I blew it” energy
No guarantees.
Just… less chaos.
I’m not gonna pretend this solved my relationship with alcohol.
It didn’t. I still have nights where I overdo it. I still have moments where I think, “why am I like this.”
But switching to low calorie alcoholic drinks took the edge off the damage.
It gave me a middle ground when I wasn’t ready for extremes.
So no — this isn’t magic.
But for me? It stopped feeling impossible.
And that was enough to keep going 🙂
