Can you drink alcohol and stay fit? Is moderate alcohol consumption healthy?

In my practice this topic is discussed often as I observed many people seem to struggle with alcohol consumption. They are coming to see me to lose weight but they don’t want to give up drinking alcohol.

Last week CBC reported completely new view on alcohol intake.  Previous studies have suggested that drinking a glass of wine a day can cut the risk of heart disease. The most current research reported that alcohol does not protect us from these health issues. I think we will be still reading more reports on this important topic.

I also know that many of us will not eliminate alcohol from occasional consumption. Therefore, in this article I will discuss the way how we should drink alcohol mostly to prevent the accumulation of unwanted pounds around the middle line section.

Here are my tips that have helped many of my clients to lose weight or stay lean while have a drink a few times a week

TIP 1. Be ready for a party

Before you go to a party where alcohol is served and you plan to drink, I recommend that you perform a high intensity full body workout. Your metabolism will increase and your body will be able to process calories much faster.

Try also to get some sort of exercise in the morning after your night out. This may not be your best workout in terms of energy, but it can help your body moving and get back to a good state of homeostasis (balance).

TIP 2.  Be aware of food combining while drinking alcohol

Alcohol has 7 empty calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for carbs and proteins, and 9 calories per gram for fats. However unlike ingesting carbs, protein, or healthy fats from a healthy food source, drinking alcohol gives you lots of calories with very little nutrients.

On New Year’s Eve or other parties that you know there will be alcohol, make sure that your dinner is based only on protein and vegetables. You're going to take in some amounts of empty calories in form of alcohol, so eating a good portion of protein along with nutrient-rich vegetables can help to control your appetite and give your body the nutrients it needs.

I always teach my clients this simple formula:  Carbs + alcohol equal a perfect ‘beer belly’.

TIP 3. Be aware how to replace high sugar content drinks

If you want to protect your body from adding layers of fat, stay away from syrupy, fruity drinks. They are always loaded with sugar. Fruity drinks such as margarita or other tropical fruity drinks can have 500-600 calories per serving or 70-100 grams of sugar!

A better option is tequila mixed with fresh squeezed lime juice.

Any drink that uses soda pop as the mixer is always loaded with sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Avoid this!

A better option is a clear alcohol mixed with club soda but NOT tonic and a squeeze of lime or lemon.  Club soda has no calories at all. It's clearly the lowest calorie way to drink.

This is my best choice I can recommend to you.

Remember:  Soda Pop or Tonic Water mixers equal mountains of sugar.

TIP 4. Be alert of beer consumption

If you're going to drink beer, you should choose 1 or 2 dark beers rather than 5 or 6 light beers.  Sure, dark beers have more calories than light beers, but dark beers also have more B vitamins and antioxidants than light beers, so you actually get more nutrients from the dark beer. 

In addition, it also takes a little longer to drink a good dark beer compared to a watery light beer.

Remember: As long as you have just 1 or 2 dark beers, you may still stay within 150-300 calories.

TIP 6. Choose your wine wisely

Wine is one of the healthiest drink choices, at least we thought so far. If you must have a drink,  you might as well choose wine to get a good dose of antioxidant, called resveratrol. Red wine is known for this antioxidant content, however white wines contain almost none antioxidants.

TIP 7. Watch your total caloric intake while drinking

If you are watching your weight you should remember to include the calories from alcohol so you still stay within your daily caloric maintenance.

TIP 8. Avoid the late night snacking after a party! This is important!

This is where most people do the biggest damage to their waistlines. The worst thing for your body is loading up on pizza, ice cream or other carbs-rich junk after a night out party.

If you are truly hungry, eat only some lean protein and vegetables available at home. It is smart to have cooked chicken breasts and some veggie sticks in the fridge to satisfy your late night post-party appetite with lean protein instead of carbohydrates. 

My take - Remember it’s all about balance in your life and not everything has to be perfect in order for you still acquire the body and health that you desire. You will discourage yourself if you want to be perfect.

Enjoy the party in a smart way. Now you know how!

Do you wish to lose weight? If yes, please contact me and I will be happy to help you.

If you like this article, please share these tips with your family or friends.

To your health and healthy weight!

Maria Pawlicka  M.Sc., BAA, CNP

Certified and Registered Nutritionist