The 9 alcoholic drinks to avoid if you want to cut calories — and what you should order instead

• Alcohol consumption can be a sticking point for people trying to diet.
• Though many dietitians recommend cutting alcohol entirely, there are ways to budget for beverages.
• Using online nutritional data, we've suggested lower-calorie swaps for some popular drinks.

Having fun in the summer sun can make it all too easy for the drinks to slip down.

But enjoying a tipple or two doesn't have to ruin your calorie-cutting efforts.