A Burn the Fat Blog Archives Classic. Originally published August 28th, 2008.
QUESTION: Dear Tom: If I was going to go out and have a drink or two with friends, which is the best alcoholic drink when dieting on a fat loss program like your Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle? Would it be vodka mixed with soda or dry white wine? Is champagne worse than the other two?
ANSWER: The first thing I would suggest is that you ask a better question! The answers you get are only as good as the quality of questions you ask. “Which alcohol is best?” is not a very good question when your goal is to get leaner.
“Which alcohol is best” contains the presupposition that:
A. You ARE going to drink and
B. A “good” choice exists.
What if ALL alcohol is a bad choice? what then?
If you asked, “How much damage would I do to my body and how much would I slow down my results if I drank drinking during my fat burning program?” you might get a different feeling towards alcohol. This type of question presupposes that there WILL be a down side, it’s only a question of how bad it will be.
If you focus on the consequences of drinking, (like getting a beer gut), instead of how you can best “get away with it,” it may change your attitude. Then if you shift focus to the abs and lean body you want, and change your question to what is the best way to get great abs and a lean body, it will change your attitude and motivation even more.
I get asked about alcohol and fat loss a lot. Almost every time, I have a sneaking suspicion that the person asking the question is really just looking for me to give them “permission” to drink.
I’m not going to do that. Well, not exactly. But I do have 4 major guidelines I’d suggest you consider if you’re thinking about drinking:
1. On fat loss programs, I don’t recommend drinking alcohol at all because alcohol suppresses fat oxidation and adds unnecessary calories to your diet, which either displaces nutritious calories or erases your caloric deficit.
2. For lifelong maintenance, I recommend that if you choose to drink, that’s fine, but only if you do so in moderation (1-2 drinks a day is considered moderation according to most health authorities).
3. I do not recommend daily drinking as part of a fitness lifestyle, because daily drinking can become habit forming. My recommendation is limit drinking to weekends, holidays and or special occasions. You might even enjoy it more that way, and without feeling guilty.
4. I recommend ALWAYS being cognizant of the calories that are added to your diet through alcohol and above all else know how many calories are in your drinks.
If someone really MUST know which alcohol is worst on a fat burning program, then it would be the one with the most calories. Conversely, the lesser of evils would be the drinks with fewer calories.
For example, that would mean choosing light beers over regular beers. Bass ale and Sam Adams lager both contain 160 calories per bottle. Guinness extra Stout packs 176 calories per bottle. (a bartender at an Irish pub once told me with a totally straight face that there were 1,000 calories in a Guinness… he really had me going for a minute).
By comparison, Amstel light contains only 99 calories, Michelob Ultra has 95 calories and Beck’s Premier Light has 64 calories (Beck’s pulled off that feat simply by lowering the alcohol content… I’ve never tried it, but yes, I bet it tastes pretty watered down).
If you’re a beer aficionado, I’m not saying you can “NEVER” have regular beers, but you’d better remember to count those calories. And again, remember, if you were on a fat loss program, you just knocked OUT calories that contained micronutrients, protein, fiber and so on.
On a tangent, I think it’s a sin that light beers are marketed as low carb and advertised with diet and fitness images… but that will have to be a rant for another day…
Champagne has about 96 calories per 4 oz glass. White wine such as chardonnay has about the same caloric content as champagne.
Any pure distilled liquor will contain about 65 calories per fluid ounce at 80 proof. When mixed with other calorie containing liquids, the calorie count goes up. A 6 ounce screwdriver will give you about 130 calories. A whiskey sour about 169 calories. Rum and coke – 180 calories
Naturally, mixed drinks may contain even more calories due to the sugar in the drink mixes. A margarita is one of the worst, with an 8-ouncer packing about 500 calories and a huge dollop of sugar!
A couple of those with your cheese Nachos and enchiladas, refried beans, sour cream and guacaomole, and you’ve just knocked back about two days worth of calories in one meal. Calorie bomb city!
Fat loss is foremost a matter of calories in vs calories out, so the calorie counts are what you look at first.
If you wanted other criteria to judge the “best” alcoholic drink, you could also look at whether there is any health value, as there is with moderate amounts of red wine, or whether there are any nutrients in the drink, such as what you might find in the vegetable juice of a bloody mary or the orange juice in a screwdriver.
However, I think that’s a pretty moot point when you consider the far superior way to get those same nutrients: eat whole vegetables and oranges.
The fact is, you can certainly get leaner while drinking, as long as you stay in a caloric deficit, but that doesn’t mean it’s the smartest thing to do for your body and your health.
-Tom Venuto,
Author of Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
Founder of Burn the Fat Inner Circle
About Tom Venuto, The No-BS Fat Loss Coach
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert. He is also a recipe creator specializing in fat-burning, muscle-building cooking. Tom is a former competitive bodybuilder and today works as a full-time fitness coach, writer, blogger, and author. In his spare time, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and backpacker. His book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is an international bestseller, first as an ebook and now as a hardcover and audiobook. The Body Fat Solution, Tom’s book about emotional eating and long-term weight maintenance, was an Oprah Magazine and Men’s Fitness Magazine pick. Tom is also the founder of Burn The Fat Inner Circle – a fitness support community with over 52,000 members worldwide since 2006. Click here for membership details
drinking while at cutting phase is a suicide mission.Unless you are one of those super genetic freak, no matter what you eat, it turns into muscle…you got no business to drink while loose fat…social environment, social pressures, let you to drinking…but a real man doesn’t need to drink to have fun…or be confident..Just simply say, I prefer water..instead….of beer..wine..etc…the waitress usually ask you, “why you drinking water at friday/saturday night?” You simply tell her that, “I am on a mission to get six-pack, or I just enter a fitness contest…I decided not drink anymore…”Your date, or waitress, will be impressed with your answer…. maybe start to drink water themselves…Keep your mind focus on the “six pack” not the booth…DjCrazySexy.
Tom, I love you.I just wanted to tell you that you are helping. Please keep it up :o)This was the second email from you that I’ve read this week, and I have to say that for the first time I am starting to understand some stuff.That is a big step! PLEASE don’t tire of answering the obvious questions once more.Some of us have been SO confused and bounced around over time that we need to be told the truth once again.I thought I would never understand how other people do it. I have to say that I am starting to feel like its possible :o)THANK YOU :o)~Gio.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!I was hoping that would be your answer. I quit drinking alcohol completely a year ago for this very reason (among others). There’s just no way to be healthy and obtain the fitness results you want while drinking alcohol. You have to make a choice. One or the other because both just aren’t going to happen. It’s just alot of horribly high empty calories and bad carbs. And you know that most people aren’t going to stop at “just one”. Plus, it makes you un-motivated to work out too, just makes you feel…bad, with hangovers or what have you. I don’t see what the attraction is really. Maybe because “everyone” seems to be doing it. I can have as good a time out without it, plus I can drive home afterward without endangering myself or anyone else.I feel so much better now that I have cut alcohol out of my life. So much more alert, more energy, and just overall well being. And I am FINALLY getting the fitness results I’ve been wanting for so long. Thank you for another excellent blog/post. Keep up the great work! I LOVE YOU!KimR
Hi Tom — Although I knew how you were going to answer this question, reading your answer and the specific caloric content of drinks was an excellent reminder. Thanks. Some of us need to be smacked along side the head periodically. — Al K
Sadly for those of use who got fit later in life and had a drinking background, alcohol is an issue. It really is a challenge to stop drinking when you are used to it.I could not agree more that daily drinking cannot be part of a fitness lifestyle and I chose to stop drinking altogether when I chose to get fit, years ago now. Like smoking, alcohol is such a terribly powerful drug, encouraged and pushed on us by society at large.I would like to add to your list that drinking a glass of 1/2 wine and water (fizzy or flat) will halve the calories in a glass of wine. (taking a glass down to 35-40 calories).Thanks for your email TomRosie Peters
WOW, great response.Thank you
Great response!
Tom,I agree with the rant, and tip my hat to you on being one of the very few who acknowledge the only true solution- Burn more than you take in!!. But if you wanna get em’ off your back on this one, I can recommend a simple mix of a shot of whiskey mixed with soda water and a dash of diet coke and lotsa ice. Minimal calories, not a ton of alcohol, only a hair of diet soda chemical crap. Works for me (41 yrs old, recently tested 8.7% body fat) when I want a touch before the weekend. I also keep the beer drinking to the weekends, and refuse to drink anything but REAL beer!Pat
I feel compelled to respond and maybe you can pass this on to Eric!I have always enjoyed drinking red wine. Even daily. And it will always have a place somewhere in my diet. However!A year ago when I got serious about getting rid of excess fat I gave up drinking during the week. And while it certainly helped, often, by Monday morning when I was back to my training schedule I would often ‘feel’ that a lot more damage had been done that I suspected. I would feel slightly more lethargic and often the scales would show a small increase in weight – now whether that was directly linked to the alcohol or the eating that went with it or both – it didn’t matter – it made me depressed about wasting the efforts of the previous weeks training!I then gave up drinking for weeks at a time to improve my progress, and ‘hey presto’ I was able to drop a few more kilos.The bottom line is – if you are serious about fat loss – you don’t drink.I have just returned from a 2 month holiday (yeah, I know – how lucky am I!) and although I trekked through Sth America for the first part – the second part included red wine and pasta in Italy, and a fairly typical Irish wedding in Tralee, Ireland – LOTS of Irish Whisky and Guinness! (Try saying ‘No’ to an Irishman handing you a Guinness!)Since arriving back home to improve my mental approach to training I have embarked on a self imposed 21 day alcohol ban. That includes weekends. In 12 days I have already noticed an incredible difference in my body. I’m really looking forward to the next nine days and seeing the gains I will make.At the end of the 21 days I intend to enjoy a couple of glasses of good red with dinner. But the next day I will commence my next 21 day mission.If Eric is wondering why he’s not making amazing progress – I’ll bet it is all because of alcohol.He needs not only good self-discipline, but a solid desire to shed fat, and importantly for his friends to be supportive.You might be amazed to hear that on nearly every night of my current ban I have been inside a pub. Usually for dinner, as my house is being renovated and I don’t have a kitchen. Now while you might think there are better places to eat – my pub does the best juiciest 200 gram sirloin which I have only with salad for only ten Aussie dollars. For you guys that would be about $8.50 right now. So when I’m not eating sashimi at the Japanese place next door, I’m eating lean red meat and salad at the pub.I also have a lot of friends who travel and when they come to Sydney they all want to go for a drink. And that’s fine with me. Because with the right mental approach and good supportive friends you can still go out and enjoy mineral water (avoid the soda!) while everyone else drinks beer – volunteer to be the designated driver – your friends will love your for it.Focus on the goal, Eric. When you’re around alcohol close your eyes and think of your abs.BrendanSydney, Australia
To be successful in any endeavor, you need three things: desire, knowledge and effort.”Effort” has two parts to it.First, you must do whatever you must do to accomplish your goal.Second, you must give up whatever you must give up to accomplish your goal.If you are unwilling to do that, the goal you CLAIM to have isn’t really your goal. Therefore, to be honest with yourself (and others) you must either change your goal or change your behavior.AdamAdam Adrian Crown,
Adam. Brilliantly said. thank youtom v
I love your response. I stopped consuming all alcohol 12 years ago. At 55 I am in the best shape of my life. It is fun being able to work at the level of my son who just returned from a deployment in Iraq. Alcohol is a toxic addictive substance period. Can you get away with it? For a while if you are lucky, but sooner or later the addiction kicks in. Genetics just says how much and how long it will take. That aside, ingesting toxins just doesn’t fit with trying to live healthy.Jon
It always seems all the men write in…i am a 43 year old woman who was blessed with good genes but when i turned 39 my life changed dramatically and i got depressed for a while and Nachos became my mantra. My wonderful no maintenance body developed a fat roll on my hips…i did not even notice until it was bathing suit season. Too late!Ever since than i have been trying to lose it..thinking it will just go away by doing 1/2 hour of cardio every other day and weight training 2x per week.I get a ton of unsolicited compliments at the gym from men and woman BUT i still have that little fat roll. Your emails are making me aware that i am sabotaging my diet with Margaritas and desserts. Not to mention French Red wines…sure i drank upwards of a 1/2 bottle a day at one time.I am finally getting focused and thinking about what i am putting in my mouth before i start my 8pm sugery ritual of home baked brownies and chocolate chip cookies!At 5’5″ and 120 pounds, i have to lose about 5 pounds of fat and replace it with muscle….thanks for the tips!
I am going to regret wadding in here, but I will answer the question.First, remove the sweet stuff. No Manhattans. No rum and cokes. No pina colada. Zip. Zilch. Nada.Second, if you must have a mixer, then use either club soda, DIET tonic water, or water. I much prefer a soda back rather than a mixed drink. Regardless of type of alcohol (i.e., gin, rum, etc), you can find one worthy of drinking straight.Third, decide if you really like the taste of liquor. Most people mask the flavor by relying on sourpy sugary concoctions poured by someone who knows nothing about mixing a drink other than what TGI Friday’s corporate headquarters told them to do. If you do like the taste of liquor, you will find that most bar liquor taste like industrial alcohol. That’s because it is industrial alcohol. Good tasting alcohol relies on less industrial alcohol for its base. On the other hand, it cost more.Fourth, put down the wine glass. Those grapes pack extra calories.Fifth, understand your choices and the consequences of your choices. If I choose to have a drink or two at dinner, then I skip appetizer, and dessert. I order the side salad or extra vegetables instead of a starch-based side such as rice, potato, or corn that is most common at restaurants. Finally, I will also order either a fish or a chicken instead of a beef dish.Sixth, eat something high in protein before you go out. This will reduce your desire to munch on those free chips or bread baskets at dinner.Enjoy your night out with your friends. Remember, as an adult, you have a choice to make and that choice carries consequences.
HAHAHAHAHAHA.What a stupid question to ask. “What is the best alcohol to drink while trying to lose fat”?Come on everyone who is serious about fat loss knows thats not the way to do it. I’m about 40lbs over weight and i found that losing the alcohol and eating a healthy balanced diet helps enormously. I have lost 10lbs already wooooohoooo (feeling better already) I also do strength training too which i never find to be boring i always try to mix my routines up a bit so i don’t lose motivation too.I also suggest that you eat closer to the source of where the food comes from, i’m talking organic here, i never eat food that has been over proccessed or even eat anything that has not been prepared by myself. I like going to the organic section of the grocery store ans buying the food that not only looks better but also tastes better too. I also get support from other people my husband, and my friends and family.
I really have to laugh at these questions about drinking these deadly drinks.I have just one suggestion if people insist they need a good high all the time let me offer you: Jesus. he’s good for the soul(eternally) and it’s a high you’ll never experience in drinking those man made highs.Besides the high’s never last long,you feel like crap in the morning and it doesn’t solve those problems.Get real folks besides what i just said drinking and body health don’t mix fo course this is what Tom’s been trying to tell you for a long time now—-DUGH! Have a great day everyone——-Greg
Hi Tom,I agree with your response, and that sometimes we look for permission as you say, to do what we really want to do, but know we shouldn’t.For me the hardest part about avoiding alcohol during my cut was the peer pressure aspect. My husband and I have a fair amount of friends that associate getting together and having a good time with alcohol. So for us to stick to water when getting together, was hard for them to comprehend.I’ve noticed that people get a little weirded out sometimes if you chose not to drink, while they are, almost as if you are judging them. So, in those instances, that is when I elicit the fake drink technique. Head up to the bar solo, away from the group, ask for your non-alcoholic beverage of choice in a bar glass, with lime and presto – everyone is happy. It’s sad that you’ve got to play games like this, but weight loss is a sensitive thing, and sometimes people just don’t understand. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to reach your goals, and when others don’t have the same goals as you, of course they want you to partake in the “fun” because if you don’t, then that insinuates to them that something that they are doing is wrong.Sheilahttp://www.livewell360.com
Tom, I agree 100% and want to thank you for your straight up /straight forward advice and encouragment. I’ve been into nutrition and strength training most of my life but being a single mom of four boys I have to train myself so it’s nice to have some ‘matter of fact’ reminders. It helps keep me on my toes and has gotten my boys interested so now I’m trainging them how to use weights properly and they’ve become very self consicous of what is healthy! Too cool. Thanks again!Kris Atlanta-GA
Hi TomAs someone who has dieted in the past with and without alcohol, I would like to point out a personal problem which may also affect others – THE MUNCHIES – after one or two drinks I tend to feel like a little (or lot!!) of something or other to eat.Usually there’s nothing readily available that fits the diet, so immediately the diet goes out of the window. Add to that the ‘just a little won’t hurt’ followed by ‘what the heck, I’ve bust the diet anyway’ type of thinking that goes hand in hand with this scenario and hey presto, you’ve undone all your good work so far, you feel low and a failure and the next day you have all the symptoms of polluting your up to now healthier system with all the addictive empty calories you’ve been cutting out.From a common sense point of view, it just makes it all so much harder to do – think about how good you feel fuelling your body the right way, weigh the choices – the answer is easy.If you approach it with the right mindset, choosing not to drink alcohol is easy – and if you stay sober and see how others behave when they’ve had one or two too many – well that’s a sobering (lol) experience all of its own!Be Well, Be HappyLynne
I disagree with the answer on the question about which alcohol is best. In fact, red wine has been shown to be high in the anti-oxidant, resveretrol, as well as many other chemicals that care beneficial for cardiovascular health- as many medical studies have demonstrated. It also helps to increase HDL (good) cholesterol. It is part of the “mediteranean diet, which is a low carb diet that is considered in the medical communical to be the healthiest diet known. It is recommended that patients drink 1-2 glasses of RED wine daily for optimal benefits, which would equal 100-200 calories/day. Thank you, please share this with your readers.
” studies” funded by the wine industry? Nobody cares, if you like to get a buzz onk go ahead.. no need to ‘justify ‘ it will the ‘health claims’. Grapes, or grape juice, have higher concentration of Resveratrol, without the alcohol. And costs much less, unless were talking ‘2-buck Chuck’s
leah, thank you for your opinion. I did mention that red wine had health benefits. But personally, for antioxidants, i prefer blueberries and other fruits and vegetables. There are also plenty of ways to improve HDL cholesterol and cardiovascular health that dont invole alcohol. if someone doesnt drink, there is no reason for them to start. If someone is having trouble with fat loss, there is no reason to waste even 100-200 calories on alcohol, even red wine. Of course, that’s just MY opinion; take it or leave it.best regards
I don’t think anyone is giving the original question and asker of the question, a break. Some of you guys are so judgmental! He just didn’t clarify his question. He should have asked, “I know alcohol isn’t the best way to try and lose fat, however, if I were to indulge what would hurt me the least? Tom answered that question quite well. I would also like to add, in a rare occasion you do decide to drink a little, purchase a couple (I get one for me and my husband) Hansen’s diet mandarin-lime sodas which I ask the bartender to blend with a little Petrone and ice. It tastes really good, and is a very good replacement for a margarita. The bartenders don’t seem to mind at all. Hansen’s is sweetened with Splenda, so it is marginally better than the aspartame sweetened diet sodas. I only do this a couple of times a year at the most. It takes care of the rare instances where I feel like joining my friends for a margarita. Thanks for listening.
Excellent tips, tomPlusI think that alcohol is bad for your jointsJoe
Tom, love the way you put that into perspective. I stopped drinking when I started caring about myself. Mark
Ciao Tom,That’s a brilliant answer and makes you think about any question you might ask.Thanks for the tips.Claire, Dublin, Ireland.
Let’s get real here people.The reason people have a hard time losing weight and keeping it off is simple. It’s not that they don’t know what to eat or how to exercise. It’s that the can’t stand constantly denying themselves.Instead of chastising this guy for wanting to have an occasional drink, howabout encouraging him for asking a reasonable question. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a few drinks with some friends in moderation. I can attest to the fact that I lost 80 lbs and kept it off, and still managed to have fun and have some alcohol here and there.You don’t need to live a monastic life of chastity to get fit and in shape. What you need to do is make better decisions, exercise moderation and self discipline, and most importantly, stay in good spirits.Most people fail because they’re sick of being miserable and constantly denying themselves. Instead, learn to incorporate the things you enjoy in a healthier way.Me, I think the occasional whiskey on the rocks is a good choice as far as getting bang for your caloric buck.
You imply that using alcohol is ‘necessary’ in order to have fun..I disagree, but to each his own.
Billy, thanks for your comment. Below is an excert from an article I wrote for my inner circle members at http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.comBalance and moderation In conclusion, alcohol is not stored directly as fat in the literal sense (its oxidized first), although it does provide totally usable calories that count. Whether or not you gain weight as a result of drinking depends on whether you are in a caloric deficit or a caloric surplus. Alcohol contributes to caloric surplus, suppresses fat oxidation, stimulates appetite, decreases testosterone, increases cortisol, stimulates abdominal fat buildup and provides little in the way of nutritional value.Beyond the one or two drinks that most people consider as moderation, alcohol is toxic and not beneficial in any way. As Andrew Prentice of Cambridge wrote in his much cited paper, Alcohol and Obesity: “Alcohol is essentially a poison which must be detoxified as soon as possible.” Needless to say, binge drinking and getting drunk never has a place in a fitness lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).Although you could drink and “get away with it” if you diligently maintained your calorie deficit, drinking does not help with your fat loss quest. For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to dine in restaurants. Moderate drinking, including daily, has been associated with cardiovascular health benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong habits. Just a quick reminder, in case anyone forgot: Habits can be hard to break and habitual drinking can lead to alcoholism. Even with moderate use, there have also been some concerns over breast cancer and high blood pressure.The bottom line on drinking and fat loss For all these reasons, your optimal strategy is to avoid alcohol while on a fat loss program. After reaching your goal and shifting back to maintenance, (when you’re lean and you have a larger calorie allowance to work with), you can drink in moderation if that’s your choice.Although there are plenty of “nutrition Nazi’s” and “food cops” out there who might advise otherwise, (I should know because I used to be one), I now believe that if you are a wine or beer lover, it’s better to go ahead and enjoy your drink in moderation, taking into account everything you’ve learned in this article. For some people, attempts at forced total abstinence may lead to binges, make long term dietary compliance more difficult and sabotage weight maintenance efforts altogether. I also believe that for long-term success, it’s important that your’re happy and that your eating program is socially acceptable.For people who currently do not drink, I suggest that you do not start merely because you heard about alcohol’s reputed cardio-protective effects. Although the current consensus in the scientific community is that small amounts of alcohol, particularly red wine, provide causally-proven heart health benefits, there are countless alternatives to gain similar or greater benefits, both from exercise as well as the intake of other foods such as fruits and vegetables; foods which coincidentally, are low in the diets of most heavy drinkers, and which are well-spent calories that help your fat loss efforts, not hurt them.Last but not least, if you choose to drink, then don’t beat yourself up afterwards. Just drink moderately, sensibly and responsibly, and plan it carefully into your calorie budget as part of a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, essential fats and other nutrients… then you can enjoy it without guilt! In the long run, it’s all about energy balance, nutrition and moderation.http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/360.cfm
I have just retired from a 40-year career in the wine trade and have been a fitness enthusiast all of my adult life as well, preparing for my personal trainer certification as this is written. Perhaps I can help with the alcohol/weight question.First understand that with regards to alcohol-related weight management, there are no “good” alcoholic beverages. A 5 oz glass of wine, a 12 oz beer, and a prepared cocktail each have the same approximate amount of alcohol. A gram of alcohol, regardless of its drink source, has the same 7 calories and little nutritional value.But there are “bad” alcoholic beverages weight-wise. And – surprise-surprise – they’re the same kinds of drinks that if they were in solid food form rather than liquid form you would instantly recognize them as such. I’m talking about sweet drinks, either as a result of how the product itself is made, or due to other ingredients that you add to them to “create” the drink. If it’s sweet in an alcoholic beverage, it’s no different than sweetness in any other form of ingestible food or drink.And speaking of added ingredients, carbs are carbs, no matter the nature of the product to which they have been added. So, if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t drink it. And if you’re concerned about too many carbs, beer certaintly should not be your beverage of choice, at least not on a regular basis.Another issue: Drinking alcoholic beverages relaxes inhibitions. Everyone is much more likely to snack on the muncies while drinking an alcoholic beverage than when not, or eatng with greater abandon than they normally would.Then too, drinking enthusiastically at night is more likely to result in skipping your workout in the morning, which speaks for itself.Personally, I love good wine and beer, and I do partake of both. But, if you’re looking for vindication or validation to drink without regard for how alcohol can add some pounds, forget it.If weight is a real issue, you have three options: (1) don’t drink; (b) drink in genuine moderation, both with regards to quantity and frequency; or (c) wait until you die and hope to come back as one of those naturally thin ectomorphs who can seemingly eat and drink anything without gaining weight.On a final point, wine (not sweet wine) and wiskey (bourbon, scotch, gin, vodka, Irish, etc.), taken either “straight” or with plain water is “less bad” than beer and sweet drinks. And leave the wings alone.Hope this helps.Barry
Problem with alcohol is that it interferes with an efficient metabolism. The alcohol that is least offensive to one’s metabolism varies by blood type. For some, it is white wine, for some red, for some beer. Stout actually produces the smallest metabolic effect for most, and is full of nutrients. Pregnant women used to drink it successfully to add weight in the 3rd trimester and delay birth to a natural conclusion instead of delivering prematurely. These children had normal brains etc (no FAS). I know because one is my father.Spirits are only to be consumed at festival times, not as a daily event. More than once every month, in even the smallest quantity, the metabolism is disrupted to imbalance. The gut takes so long to recover that the body cannot be fed.Culturally we are engaged to drink. Personally we have to be responsible for our engagement.Sugar and fat are our enemies when we want to be lean. The 3rd culprit is the things that disturb our guts, so that they cannot use our good fuels, the proteins, the vitamins, and minerals that we need to keep our metabolisms working at an efficient leve. Do not mistake calories or carbs or fats for other factors that disturb one’s ability to assimilate nutrition. Malnutrition can be a result of an inability to absorb, as opposed to an inability to find nutritious foo.America has an epidemic of obesity because processed food is full of indigestible materials that create inflammation in the body and (eventually) shut down the immune system. For any individual, there is a possibility that one food or substance produces a feedback loop that interferes with metabolism.Spirits affect everyone. Beer, and white and red wine are selective. Moderation is still the key.If you would like a backgrounder, I can provide a scientific resource for this info.
I just have a question for all of you who are out there drinking … why not be the hero and CHOOSE to be the designated driver instead! My comment to my friends and the waitress (or whoever) is “someone’s got to drive home” … nobody ever gives you a hard time about that one! And if someone out there is giving you a hard time for not drinking then you should know that they are not your friend.
It’s amazing how many people try to look for a way to drink alcohol and get the best weight-loss results. It’s like asking about the best kind of ice-cream to eat for weight loss.I think Tom did a great job providing some guidelines if you insist upon drinking alcohol on a regular basis.