You are super-cautious about calories and think thrice before biting into a slice of pizza or a chunk of chocolate. But what about the pints of beer or the pegs of whisky that you can’t stop yourself from downing during your regular night-outs?

The result of all those liquid calories might not be as obvious and immediate as food fat, but they sure can play havoc with your weight-loss plans.

Take heart. Diet drinking is not mission impossible, assure bar experts. “Sip carefully for a healthy lifestyle,” says mixologist Irfan Ahmed.

GoodLife shows you how to manage your drink, measure for measure.

Drinking right — both how and what — is the secret. Here go some tipple tips:

Know your drink. “The key to calorie check while drinking is educating oneself about the drink — the alcohol percentage, the contents and more. Magazines or the Net will help you out,” says Sovan Mukherjee, manager of Shisha.

Both Irfan and Sovan prescribe a “not-empty stomach” while drinking. “Beverage consumption is more on an empty stomach. Plus, if you have had something to eat before drinking, the food lines the stomach and the spirits don’t attack your insides directly. The acids inside the stomach are toned down by the food, ” explains Irfan.

For regular drinkers, Irfan recommends a spoon of yoghurt or milk before a drink. If asking for yoghurt or milk in a nightclub or a bar is a bit of a bother, “grab a juice, carrot or spinach”.

You like your Scotch on the rocks and a water-diluted solution is hardly welcome. The trick: Sip on some water (at least half a glass) after each drink.

Time it right and nurse your drink to ensure less intake. According to Irfan, 30 ml of Scotch should be nursed for at least 20 minutes.

so, space out your beer binge. “Switch from big beer bottles to pints. You end up drinking less at a time,” he adds.

Another diet trick from Irfan: “Add a dash of lemon to your beer. It not only tones down the calories, but also slows down your drinking speed.”

Choose your shots and cocktails with care. Here are some guidelines from Irfan and Sovan:

Shots/cocktails high in liqueur content mean more calories.

Aerated and creamy drinks are a complete no-no.

Popular concoctions like vodka with cranberry juice can be replaced by vodka with natural juices. Order a Jack Daniel-Diet Coke instead of Jack Daniel-Coke. A Vodka Martini is better than vodka with an aerated drink.

Stick to dry (less sweet) variations. Avoid syrup bases.

“If you have partied hard for a month and been on high, lay off for a week,” cautions Irfan.

He also recommends complimenting drinking with exercises — a walk in the morning, climbing the office stairs, meditation and gymming.

To be high on the fitness scale, Irfan suggests “two glasses of warm water every morning”.

According to the men behind the bar, finger foods or accompaniments with a drink are the wickedest source of calories. These need to be balanced carefully. For a start, chips, cashews and peanuts can be given a miss.

“Food with your drink can revolve around proteins and fibres,” says restaurateur Naveen Pai. If you go for proteins, skip the deep-fried variety; opt for the pan-fried starters.

“Anything that is cooked in the tandoor, baked or poached is fine,” says Irfan. Munch on canapés, carrots, cucumber slices or even fresh fruit like strawberries.

Pep up the palate with yoghurt-based dips. Mediterranean food is low on oil content and can be the right choice for a drink-and-dinner date.