As we were discussing carbs vs. protein yesterday, one Girlfriend asked:

ELLEN: Where does beer fit into this? I’m at home listening to Christmas Carols. All this talk about I gave up the hard stuff in Kansas City. In heaven, there ain’t no beer, that’s why we drink it here. And might I remind the Girlfriends that Jack Daniels is the Daily News drink of choice? How many carbs in 3 ounces of that stuff? I can gain five pounds just thinking about it.

Heather’s a fan of Grey Goose. Hello, Heather? Somehow I think with all her athletic activity she doesn’t worry much about carb-protein values. Oh to be 30 again!

JULIE: No beer, too much carbs. Switch to Cosmo's like I did. Even wine has less carbs.

APRIL: Spirits have no carbs ladies! One of the most popular party drinks right now is a Tangueray and diet tonic. It's low-cal and no-carb. During the holidays, I personally go with wine. Beer fills me up too quickly, and when my mom serves a nine-course Christmas Eve fish dinner, the last thing I need is to be full beforehand!

YVONNE: Sorry, April, but wine has a lot of calories. Two glasses is 400 calories. Or even one big glass is costly. when I drink I limit myself to two drinks all night because between those and the food I know I'm throwing back up to 1,000 calories.

THERESA: Only if you're drinking wine by the tumbler, Yvonne. Wine has fewer calories per ounce than beer or spirits and I like wine better, though sometimes after a long run on a hot day, an icy cold beer really hits the spot.

It does get a little confusing to worry about calories and carbs and which we're supposed to avoid the most. I don't count carbs as I go through the day, and I try not to obsess about calories either. I just try not to have eat too many carbs in relation to protein, and to take in a balance of healthy foods every day. Along with a drink now and then, I admit . I also agree with Julie; I love Cosmo's-- I was knocking those back at the company Christmas party the other night, as some of you more sober Girlfriends may remember... FYI, a 16-ounce can of Yuengling Lager has 162 calories, 12 grams carbohydrates. A four-ounce glass of wine has about 90 calories, 2 grams of carbs. And Ellen, that Jack Daniels is 72 calories per ounce, even without any carbs. (By the way, my beer consumption has plummeted since I moved to Pennsylvania, where I have to buy it a case at a time and haul it up the stairs to my apartment. I'd rather do my weight-lifting at the gym. )

LAURIE:What about champagne?

THERESA: Champagne is the same as wine, about 90 calories per 4-ounce glass, and 2 grams carbohydrates. Something to avoid at all costs is eggnog, spiked or not. Check out the calories and carbs in that! Upwards of 340 calories in a cup, without spirits!

JENICE: Is there any truth to the saying that alcohol slows down your metabolism?

THERESA: Apparently not. Here's what the website of the American Fitness Professionals & Associates has to say: "Although alcohol has a relatively high caloric value, alcohol consumption does not necessarily result in increased body weight. An analysis of data collected from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that although drinkers had significantly higher intakes of total calories than nondrinkers, drinkers were not more obese than nondrinkers. In fact, women drinkers had significantly lower body weight than nondrinkers. As alcohol intake among men increased, their body weight decreased. An analysis of data from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and other large national studies found similar results for women, although the relationship between drinking and body weight for men is inconsistent. Although moderate doses of alcohol added to the diets of lean men and women do not seem to lead to weight gain, some studies have reported weight gain when alcohol is added to the diets of overweight persons."

ELLEN: So I’m off to the gym. How long do I exercise to earn two beers? I’m doing weights today.

THERESA: Figuring you're drinking 12-ounce cans, you'll need to lift weights about an hour or so to work off those calories, depending on your weight and how intensive your workout.

ELLEN: Since I left weights in a program for the infirm, I better look toward Light Beer.