Drinking - my alcohol tips

Tonight a couple of friends are coming out from Denver to go to the bars. I just recently turned 21 almost 2 months ago and I find it difficult, with no restrictions, to stick to my diet when I go out drinking. Being a college student, there is always alcohol around, friends telling you to go out with them, and always temptations. From being on Jenny Craig I have learned a few tricks of the trade. When I know that I am going out, I change my whole day of eating around.

My day usually looks something like this:
Breakfast- I have my Jenny Craig breakfasts and my fruit (these meals are low in calories and high in protein and fiber)
Lunch- I either make a salad or go to my favorite salad place, Mad Greens. When making a salad I load up on free vegetables and stick to a dietetic, fat-free dressing. Today I had a spinach salad with tomatoes, red bell peppers, artichoke hearts, onions, light feta, 3 oz of grilled chicken, and fat-free balsamic dressing.
I skip my additional fruit.
Dinner-I have a Jenny Craig lunch instead of dinner and load up on the veggies. Remember, vegetables are free so it's always good to have them accessible.
I skip my snack of the day (my snacks are provided from Jenny Craig, but if you usually sneak in a granola bar, cut that out for the day).

MY HINTS:
When drinking, try and stick to drinks that are low in sugar. I personally like gin and tonics or vodka tonics and I ask for diet tonic if it is available. Stay away from energy drinks like a vodka red bull or anything with juice in it. If you want a rum and coke, make it diet! When mixing drinks with soda always choose the diet option. Overall, it is best to stick to wine and beer. 
If you're not looking to go out and party and just want a drink with your meal, you can cut back on the fat. In other words, instead of having ranch on your salad that day, use lemon, vinegar, or balsamic. Instead of having the extra butter on your toast, take away the butter and use the glass of wine or can of beer as a substitute. So for every drink, just tweak your meals a little more. That will make a more equal distribution of your day. 

And most importantly have fun :) Losing weight isn't easy and you never want to deprive yourself. It's just making little tweaks that can make a huge difference. 

Here are The Nine Healthiest Alcoholic Drinks. . . I had no idea that some of these drinks are the healthier choices! This article is very interesting and gives great ideas on what you can have when you're going out!
http://us.gizmodo.com/5925820/the-nine-healthiest-alcoholic-drinks