First let’s talk about why we’re even addressing this topic.
If this is possible for you, great.
There’s no shortage of articles (such as this one) on how alcohol physiologically hurts your efforts.
But weight loss isn’t just about physiology.
Instead, it may* better to intelligentlyintegrate these occasional treatinto your weight loss program.
*There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as clinical alcoholism.
We’ll discuss this in “next steps” section at the end.
What the Research Says
Consuming alcohol isn’t automatically bad.
In fact, it has a myriad of health benefits at low-to-moderate doses.
Not only in healthy folks, but also in
throw in 2 diabetes
.
This can be mainly attributed to a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease.
The list goes on and on.
Still, alcohol physiologically decreases fat loss, so it should impede your results, right?
The two groups drinkers and non-drinkers had identical amounts of physical activity.
So, logically, you’d think that the drinkers packed on some pounds.
Both groups had the same body-mass index, despite all those excess calories for the drinkers.
This study wasn’t just a fluke.
The other group got 10 percent from grape juice.
There are two exceptions to this:
First, you might be completely happy abstaining from alcohol.
The second exception is those who are true addicts in the clinical sense.
When it comes to consuming things in moderation, alcohol is very different from food.
Unlike with food, regrettably when a relapse does happen, it’s usually a dramatic event.
If you feel like you truly have issues with alcohol, seek help and abstain altogether.
Otherwise, follow the rules below.
you might do this one of two ways.
you’re able to use ExRx’s calculator
here
.
For best accuracy, calculate this by body fat percentage.
Reduce your calorie intake by 20% of your maintenance calories.
How much protein should you be eating on a caloric deficit?
Nutritionist Alan Aragon recommends figuring out your target body weight and getting that amount in grams.
For example, a glass of red wine would count as 10g fat, 3g carbs.
A serving of whiskey would only be 10g of fat (it contains no carbohydrates).
Limit carbs to 1.5 g/kg body weight.
Get all carbs from veggies and the tag-along carbs in some protein sources.
You’ll also want to limit carbohydrate-rich alcohol sources such as drinks made with fruit juices and beer.
Sweet wines are much higher at 4-6 g per glass.
Cognac, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka and whiskey are all basically zero carbs.
Dry wines and spirits is what you should be drinking, ideally.
Take them straight or mixed with diet soda.
(No need to be super-neurotic about this stuff.
Drinks should be enjoyed after all.
Just be aware that there are better and worse choices out there).
Eat as much protein as you want.
Yes, that’s right.
The mindset of free drinking days should bedamage mitigation for the day, rather than ensuring a caloric deficit.
(Protip: Don’t.)
Images byNegovura(Shutterstock),Roark(Pixabay),Elvert Barnes, andLoving Earth.
communicate with the author at[email protected].
