How to Drink Without Getting a Hangover

Partying is most likely a big aspect of your social life, although it's not fun (or pretty) to be a big ol' drunken mess. Some of the best among us, however, have been there: The night starts with promise and ends with a vow whispered into the toilet to never, ever get that smashed again. Once you know how much you can handle, you can use these tricks to keep from getting totally trashed.

1) Pacing is key. If you drink too much too fast, your self-control will be shot before you know it. So try to linger over your drink. Find out the sexiest drink you can order- according to bartenders. One ploy to cut back your consumption is to begin imbibing later in the evening. Start your night with a glass or two of sparkling water and you'll have less time to toss back the hard stuff. If you have trouble remembering how many drinks you've had, save the bottle caps from your beer or straws from your cocktails to keep track.

2) Another trick is to use "spacers" - alternating a glass of water or seltzer for every alcoholic beverage you have. "I believe in two-fisted drinking," says Marc Siegel, MD, associate professor of medicine at New York University. "Have a glass of alcohol in one hand and a glass of water in the other."
Besides helping to keep you sober, downing nonalcoholic drinks, particularly water, can lessen your morning-after pain since dehydration is one of the major causes of hangovers.

3) It's also best to steer clear of drinks with mystery ingredients. They could have more-potent grain alcohol, like Everclear, which at 190 proof (versus typical 80 proof) will knock you on your ass before you know what hit you. Or they could even be spiked with date-rape drugs, like roofies (Rohypnol).
It could also lead to what experts are calling "gray rape." Stay on the safe side by mixing up your own drinks with one of these classic Cosmo recipes.

While it might seem like a little too much concentration to make sure you're a "good drinker," consider this: Would you rather go easy on the hooch and avoid humiliation of sending a drunk-text, a killer hangover, or getting yourself into a bad situation or drink like there's no tomorrow and pay the price? That's what we thought. Cheers!

Are you going out drinking this weekend? Make sure you don't hurt your rep or your health by following these tips.

Get more from Cosmopolitan.com!

Body Language Decoder

50 Guy Phrases Translated

How to Get Hit on All the Time

Cleavage Wars

"The Beauty Product That Changed My Life"

Become a fan of Cosmo on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

Know a Single Guy? He could win $10,000!!

Want More Sex & Love Advice? Subscribe to Cosmo & Save up to 71%!

Become a fan of Cosmo on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.