Let me first start off by saying that this is not your ticket to drinking alcohol like an asshole. This is a quick guide on how to drink alcohol like a responsible human being so you can still lose weight and stay in shape.
Many “Fitness Influencers” make you believe that drinking alcohol will make you lose all of your gains. They make you think that all of your muscle turns into a flabby beer gut. Well, I am here to say that is complete bullshit. You can still drink moderate amounts of alcohol and stay in shape.
Besides, who doesn’t love enjoying a few drinks? It can have a positive impact on making you feel good, having a good time, allowing you to relax, and socialize. Maybe you’re the type of person that likes to drink a glass of wine or whiskey on a Friday night to relax from the long work week you had.
Then again, is drinking alcohol for everyone? No, of course not. Just like running a marathon or participating in CrossFit is not for everyone.
Just like anything else that has addictive properties, alcohol can have serious negative effects as well. It can give you anxiety and depression when drunk chronically. It can also lead to bad decision making because it throws your perception way off. (I think you know what I am getting at….wink. wink.) And, you can become addicted to it real quick.
That said, I am pro drinking if you don’t have any drinking or health issues. I think that it adds a positive element to your social life and health and lets you decompress, loosen up, and socialize.
To clarify, I am not encouraging drinking by any means. All I know is that you probably like to enjoy a few drinks a week and would like to know how you can drink alcohol and stay in shape. Or else, you wouldn’t be reading this article.
To conclude, if you are a healthy individual and are a responsible adult who won’t go off the deep end, a few drinks a week won’t hurt you or your fat loss progress. Be sure to read until the end because I give you the best alcohol drink options to as well as a step by step guide on how to drink alcohol and stay in shape.
A Closer Look at Alcohol
I figured why not start with how alcohol is made. Even though I may find this interesting, I completely understand if you don’t feel the same way. With that said, feel free to skip forward.
To start, ethanol is the type of alcohol found in drinks that is made from the fermentation of the yeast bacteria, starches, and other sources of sugar. It is a depressant, meaning that it slows down your brain activity.
Oddly enough, alcohol is the 4th macronutrient. It does not get as much attention as the other three (carbs, fats, and protein) but it still matters and has feelings too. Ok, probably not as that would be weird, but you get the point. It still matters and needs attention.
Specifically, alcohol is in anything ranging from beer, wine, liquor, to kombucha drinks. As you can imagine, alcohol has an important role in society. We drink alcohol for celebrations, the taste, socializing, and to be honest, you probably love the way it makes you feel and let your inner wild sefl out of its cage.
While alcohol makes you feel more relaxed, less on edge, and more outgoing, it can also make your decision making a little iffy. You are more likely to make poor choices. Can I get an AMEN?
Let’s take a closer look on how alcohol affects your body.
Alcohol’s Effect on the Body
When you drink alcohol, it goes from your stomach, to your intestines, and then to the liver to be processed. Your liver is basically the filtration system to dispose of the alcohol since your body views it as a toxin and wants to get rid of it.
The only problem here is that your liver can only process so much alcohol every hour. This is where the drunk feeling comes from. When your liver is too occupied, the rest of the alcohol goes into your blood and other tissues until it can be processed later.
A few things that play a role in this are:
- How quickly and how much you are drinking (why shots get the job done early)
- The amount of food in your stomach (if you have a lot of food in your stomach, it absorbs some of the alcohol)
- Your tolerance to alcohol, age, weight, and so on.
- If you joined a fraternity in college or not
One of the main and dreadful things alcohol does is that it dehydrates you. This is why you may actually look leaner the next day. There are times you will wake up and be like “oh shit, I look good” However, do not let this fool you.
Despite looking leaner, this is why you feel like garbage the next day and swear to yourself you will never drink that much again (we will see how long that lasts). This is the dreaded hangover. It is a result of being severely dehydrated and probably tired as hell from staying up late in the night.
Therefore, drinking water is a good idea if you want to drink alcohol and stay in shape. If you are hungover, you probably will stay in bed and therefore, miss out on your daily movement and workout.
How Much Alcohol is Safe to Drink To Stay in Shape?
Can drinking heavy amounts of alcohol have a negative effect on your results and health? You bet your ass it can.
There is plenty of evidence that moderate drinking may be ok while heavy drinking is not for health and weight loss. Moderate consumption of alcohol has been shown to have a preventative benefit against diseases such as but not limited to metabolic syndrome, cancer, depression/anxiety, and Alzheimer’s disease.
With this in mind, try not to get drunk too often. The best thing to do is to see how little you can drink while still feeling the side effects.
The recommended upper limit is to drink 20-30 grams/day for men and 10-20 grams/day or about half for women. This averages out to 1-2 drinks per day. (up to 2 for men and 1 for women)
It is a fine line to walk here. If you can’t drink moderately, then you probably should not be drinking at all. Once that first drink goes down, it can be difficult to keep track of what and how much you’re actually drinking, especially if you are at a party or out with a few friends.
In fact, alcohol does contain calories. Liquid calories still count too and can take you out of a calorie deficit in the blink of an eye and make drinking alcohol and staying in shape near impossible.
To Stay In Shape, You Must Remember Alcohol Has Calories Too
The first thing to remember is that alcohol contains 7 calories per gram which is relatively high compared to the other macronutrients.
- Carbs: 4 Cal/g
- Protein: 4 Cal/g
- Fat: 9 Cal/g
- Alcohol: 7 Cal/g
However, alcohol also has a high thermogenic effect. This means it burns a few more calories to digest it than other food and nutrients, which is nice. This does not give you an excuse to guzzle down beer as a pre or post workout to burn calories.
Another thing to keep in mind is that other alcoholic beverages like beer and wine contain more ingredients than just alcohol. The same is true for other mixed drinks like daiquiris, margaritas, mojitos, etc.
Usually, these drinks are packed with sugar and hundreds of calories. They are more like a desert that makes you feel good than anything else. Therefore, they are very easy to over drink because let’s be honest, they taste so damn good and make you feel some type of way.
Having said all of that, I would recommend staying away from them if you know you are going to be drinking more than one drink so you can continue to drink alcohol and stay in shape.
Most importantly, keep in mind that alcohol contains calories too.
Alcohol’s Effect on Weight Loss and Fitness
Finally, onto the main point of how you can drink alcohol and stay in shape.
I believe that in order to have a successful weight loss journey, you need to do things you enjoy and drinking alcohol while trying to stay in shape may be that thing for you.
Would you rather stick to your guns so you can get your so called “dream bod” or have a slightly higher body fat so you can enjoy a few drinks out with the guys or gals?
Obviously, there is no right or wrong answer. That said, I’ve been on both sides and am telling you from personal experience that it is fucking miserable to sacrifice drinking and having a good time for a six pack. (Ps. You can still have a six pack and drink if that is your goal)
So all of those people out there telling you that drinking alcohol will ruin all of your gains can f*ck off.
Think of going to a party while everyone is drinking, having a good ass time, while you sit on the couch and play video games on your phone or make a Tik Tok. Yeah, that does not sound fun does it?
So where does this notion that alcohol makes you fat come from? Well, there is a thought that the calories from alcohol are converted to fat easier. This is not true and very misleading. Here is how people gain weight from drinking alcohol.
How Drinking Alcohol Can Makes Staying In Shape Hard:
A calorie surplus is where you eat/drink more calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. As a result, you gain fat/weight and won’t be able to stay in shape and drink alcohol.
So here’s what usually happens when you drink…
You drink the alcohol. Cool, so what’s the problem? Well, you also mindlessly eat fatty, greasy, and sugary food too. As a result, you are now in a calories surplus, and the fat starts to pack on.
Alcohol tricks your brain into wanting to eat more which can lead to weight gain. Ever had those late night alcohol munchies where you can slam down a whole pizza? Yea, same here. That shit adds up real quick though.
Here is the thing, your body turns off fat burning until it can clear out all of the alcohol from your blood. While alcohol technically can’t itself turn directly into fat, it can stop your body from burning fat, and instead make it store fat faster and easier.
Therefore, it is not necessarily the alcohol calories that is making you gain weight (unless you drink a lot during the week), but rather all of the food you eat when you drink.
How to Drink Alcohol and Lose Weight:
Luckily, there is a bright line.
Drinking alcohol in a calorie deficit or at maintenance has no effect on fat loss. Nada. It is the law of thermodynamics. Can’t really argue with physics.
Technically, you could drink only alcohol and be in a deficit and lose weight. Now, that would be stupid and not something you should ever do, but hopefully you get the point.
Simply replace some of your daily food calories with the alcohol calories. To do this, figure out how much you are going to drink in calories (a simple google search will do the trick), and subtract that amount from the food you eat in a day.
Here’s an example.
- John: Eats between 2,000-2,500 calories per day to lose weight since his maintenance is 2,500 calories.
- Therefore, he can eat/drink up to 2,500 calories without any effects.
- John knows he will drink 3 beers, each containing 100 calories.
- So, he then subtracts 300 calories from his daily calories and now can only eat between 1,700-2,200 calories from food that day.
Hopefully that makes sense.
Effects of Alcohol on Training and Recovery:
Just like alcohol’s effects on weight loss and weight gain, the effects of alcohol on your training depends on how much you drink.
That said, drinking light to moderate amounts per week does not seem to have any negative or positive effects on building muscle, gaining strength, and recovering between workouts. Just don’t use alcohol as a pre or post workout.
Surely, drinking heavy amounts will likely affect your recovery in between workouts and could decrease testosterone which is a very important hormone for building muscle,strength, and staying in shape while drinking alcohol.
Top Alcohol Drinks To Stay in Shape
Alrighty, onto the juicy part you have been waiting for. Below, I am going to go over a few of the best drinks for your diet that you can still drink and not ruin your progress. Keep in mind, I am not an alcohol expert but these will surely be your best bet in terms of calories and ones that can still get you that feeling you are chasing.
Beer/Seltzers
If you are anything like me, you have a soft spot for beer. Beer is made from a mixture of barley, hops, water, and yeast. These ingredients are prepared, brewed, fermented, and eventually turned into beer.
I personally love a good craft beer, especially an IPA. The only problem is that they are packed with tons of calories (usually around 180-200 calories) and alcohol contents that usually range from 6-10% (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Plus, it can lead to some unwanted bloating.
Keep in mind, beer has been shown to more likely increase weight gain over time probably because it contains extra carbs and calories that can add up especially if you drink heavier beers like craft beers.
Some craft beers can be as high as 300-400 calories! That is more than a candy bar. Luckily, they now make low calorie IPAs that are only 100 calories and 3-4% alcohol if this is something you are interested in.
That said, your best bet is to stick to low calorie domestic beers like Miller Lite, Corona Premiere, and Michelob Ultra. Basically, any type of beer that has the word “light” in it should be fine. For 12 ounces, they range from 90-110 calories, with 4-5% alc.
But what if you do not like the bitter grainy taste of beer? Well, seltzer’s have come onto the scene over the past few years and are a great low calorie option if you are not a fan of beer. I am sure you have heard of Whitelaw’s, but every company now has their own Seltzer.
I would place them in the same class as light domestic beers as they basically contain the same amount of calories and alcohol content.
Wines
There’s nothing more classier than sipping on a glass of wine. Personally I have never gotten into wine drinking as it is way out of my price range and I just love beer too much.
Wines are made from crushed grapes, which makes them into a grape juice, and then fermented with yeast to create the alcohol.
As a general rule, the dryer the wine, the lower in calories it will be. This is because dry wine has very little sugar content. Some good options of dry wine include: Chardonnay, champagne, Merlot, and Pinot Noir.
Oh, and don’t forget about serving sizes when it comes to drinks. A serving size of wine is 5 oz., which fills up about ⅓ of a standard wine glass – not a whole glass. So if you pour a whole glass of wine, you are likely drinking 3x more alcohol and calories than you think.
For 5 ounces, both red and white generally are around the 120-125 calorie mark at around 15-16g of alc.
Liquors
Liquor will be the best bang for your buck in terms of alcohol and low calorie content. They are basically pure alcohol and a little water.
There are many different types of liquors ranging from Brandy, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, Whiskey.
For 1.5 ounces, or one shot of liquor, there is around 90-100 calories, with around 40% alcohol content.
Drinking any of these straight up on the rocks will always be a good option. First, it slows down your drinking, and second it is the lowest in calories.
You can easily mix other zero calorie liquids with these drinks such as club soda or a diet version of a drink like coke zero that are zero calories and will help keep you hydrated at the same time.
The Best Plan to Drink Alcohol and Stay in Shape
As shown above, fitting alcohol into your diet is as simple as replacing the alcohol calories with your daily calories so you can stay in a calorie deficit or at your maintenance calories.
Here are a few other things to consider when you are going to drink to set you up for success.
1. Stay hydrated.
Being dehydrated plays a big role in the hangover that hits you like a semi truck the next day. Drink plenty of water before you drink, between each drink, and before you go to bed or else you will feel like complete garbage in the morning.
A good rule to follow while drinking is to drink one drink, then drink a glass of water, and repeat the cycle. As a bonus, this will help you slow down your drinking so that you do not get wasted.
2. Focus on sleep.
If you get your 7-9 hours of sleep, you will feel golden. Other than being dehydrated, a reason you feel like crap after you drink is because of your lack of sleep.
Not getting enough sleep and being dehydrated is a brutal combination.
3. Try to stick to 1 day of drinking per week.
I understand that you may like to drink an alcoholic beverage with dinner or before bed. If you do, try to limit it to 1-2 drinks at most per day.
Preferably, sticking to drinking 1 day a week to limit the negative effects it can have on your body will be your best option.
4. Track your alcohol calories beforehand.
Alcohol has calories too. So, you should keep track of your alcohol if you want to stay in shape. This is important for two reasons:
One, it allows you to plan the rest of the day around your alcohol calories. Two, it gives you a rule that you can only drink as much as you tracked.
One way to do this is through replacing either carbs or fat. If you ate a lot of carbs, substitute your fat intake with alcohol. If you ate a lot of fat, substitute your carbs with alcohol.
Also, it is a good idea to track how much you are going to drink so you have a set of rules to follow for yourself and also so you can fit your total alcohol calories into your daily calorie limit.
Equally important, stay far away from the sugary drinks and high calorie beers. They are fine to have once in a while. But having them the majority of the time will destroy your progress.
5. Eat beforehand (Protein is king)
Eat a shit load of protein that day to help keep you full and so you can, you know, keep your gains.
Do your best to not splurge on food when drinking even though it will be tempting, especially fatty greasy food. This is the food that, when eaten in a surplus, will store as body fat easier while drinking alcohol.
Stick to protein and small amounts of carbs if you are going to eat when drinking alcohol for weight loss.
6. Give yourself a rule of how much you are going to drink.
This is self explanatory as it helps you not go overboard and drink like an asshole. Set a limit for yourself.
7. Slow down.
Try the water trick I mentioned above and focus on drinks that are harder and don’t taste as good like liquor on the rocks.
8. Use zero calorie alternatives for mixers.
Seltzer and diet versions of drinks which are both basically zero calories. For example, vodka and sprite zero, or a rum and coke zero. This will save you hundreds of calories, especially if you are going to have multiple drinks.
As a bonus, they make your drinks taste better and help keep you hydrated.
9. Enjoy it, be smart, and have fun.
This one is one of the most important points. It is ok to enjoy a few drinks if you are healthy otherwise. It should be fun and it won’t ruin your progress if you follow the tips from this article.
Final Thoughts
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this article on drinking alcohol for fat loss and found it helpful. Remember, you do not have to drink. It is always a good idea to play it safe and speak to your doctor beforehand if you are concerned.
That said, if you want to drink in moderation in terms of staying in shape, it won’t ruin your fat loss progress. Those extra few hundred calories do not matter in the grand scheme of things. The whole point of a healthy life is to still fit things that you enjoy into your diet and this is one of them.
If you have any questions, leave them down below.
If you are interested in how exactly to get in shape and build a strong, toned, lean, and confident body, let’s chat about one on one online coaching to see if it is a good option for you.
Take care and I am always here to help!
-Bob