Alcohol should be drunk in moderation—up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men—and only by persons of legal drinking age. Moderate alcohol use may be included into the calorie restrictions of most healthy eating patterns for people who prefer to drink. Calories from alcohol actually count toward your daily limit if you are following a weight-loss plan that includes calories as part of their message. For women, this means no more than one alcoholic beverage a day, which is defined as 1 oz of wine, 12 oz of beer or 8 oz of liquor. If you are trying to lose weight, avoid alcohol altogether as it serves only to make food craving stronger. Women who want to maintain their weight will need fewer calories overall if they drink alcohol, so it's okay to have a glass of wine or a small amount of liquor once in a while. The American Cancer Society recommends that women limit themselves to one alcoholic beverage a day, which is one ounce of wine, twelve ounces of beer or eight ounces of liquor. This is equivalent to one shot of whiskey, three glasses of wine, or four beers. Women who are trying to lose weight should avoid alcohol altogether because it serves only to make eating cookies and other high-calorie treats even more appealing!