STEFANIE ARIAS: Calories add up whether you are sipping cosmos or Shiner

How do you incorporate a “Sex and the City” theme into a personal column about trying to lose weight, especially when your lifestyle couldn’t be more opposite than the lifestyles of the characters on the show?

Carrie Bradshaw’s nightlife includes a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels and a Cosmopolitan at some fancy club, art gallery or celebrity party. In countrified contrast, my nightlife features a pair of Reef flip-flops and a Shiner at a dive bar with live Texas music. Hmm ..... this could be why I’m still single. Good thing I don’t write that column, huh?

The one thing Carrie and I seem to have in common is we both like to drink when we go out. This poses the question: Who is drinking “healthier,” Carrie or me?

The foodnetwork.com recipe for a Cosmo calls for 1.5 fluid ounces of lemon-flavored vodka, 1 fluid ounce of Cointreau (other recipes are not specific on the brand of triple sec), 1 fluid ounce of cranberry juice and 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lime juice. One such drink contains 200 calories, 13 grams of carbs and 12 grams of sugar, according to The Food Processor SQL program by Esha Research.

But we all know that one drink is probably not going to cut it, so let’s say that Carrie has three Cosmos during her night out. That’s 600 calories.

A bottle of Shiner Bock, according to Shiner.com, contains 142 calories and 12.9 grams of carbs. No sugar is added, but they do say that their beer contains natural sugars produced from the starches during the mashing process. If I have three bottles during my night out, I’m drinking 426 calories.

It looks like I win the calorie contest as far as drinks go. Carrie and her fellow New Yorkers likely win when it comes to food, though, since they don’t know anything about Tex-Mex or my dad’s brisket.

New Yorkers also have the edge when it comes to being active. My friend Sam lives in Manhattan and estimates he walks between 2 and 3 miles a day just going to and from work. And that doesn’t even count the 3 miles he runs every day at the gym. (Sam is hard core.)

Carrie opts to take cabs as much as possible, so her average daily distance might not be quite as impressive. Either way, it’s probably still more than me.

Whether in New York or San Antonio, trying to stay in shape without sacrificing an enjoyable night out takes balance. Carrie can drink the higher-calorie cocktail and not feel too guilty about it because she’s probably going to walk some of those calories right off. My brew might have fewer calories, but I have to work extra hard to counteract those calories with time on the treadmill.

Finding that balance will help maintain weight, but factors need to be manipulated to lose weight.

It boils down to a choice: Fewer beers, or a longer workout?

Eh, I could use an extra half hour of exercise, anyway.