The million dollar question: “Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?”
Right now you’re faced with a bit of a predicament, aren’t you?
You’re trying to lose weight and finally get in shape, but you want to be able to drink alcohol in the process.
You’re wondering how alcohol impacts weight loss and whether you can even consume it at all while dropping body fat.
Listen, I get it. Alcohol can be a big part of our social lives. So giving it up cold turkey is easier said than done.
In a perfect world, you want to be able to find a way to incorporate it into your life while still losing fat.
Well boy am I glad you found this article.
Because I’m about to break down, in detail, exactly how alcohol affects weight loss and answer the important question: “Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?”
HOW WE LOSE FAT
Before diving into the specifics of alcohol’s effects on weight loss, I first need to briefly touch on how we actually lose weight to begin with.
If you’ve read any of my other articles, you are well aware by now that the only way to lose fat is by being in a calorie deficit.
Fat loss comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn.
For example, if you maintain your weight off of 2,000 calories a day and choose to eat 1,500 calories a day, you’re in a 500 calorie deficit.
In this example, you’ll lose fat even if you include alcohol within those 1,500 calories.
So, when you zoom out and look at things from a 30,000 foot view, it’s not like alcohol in and of itself is completely preventing weight loss.
Some people say it does.
But what they’re referring to is that while your body metabolizes alcohol, it’s focusing on removing those toxins from your body (because alcohol is a toxin).
While that’s happening, fat loss stalls. But it’s temporary.
Once the alcohol is out of your system, fat loss can resume.
Which means that as long as you’re consistently eating in a calorie deficit over the course of days, weeks, and months, you’ll lose weight.
Even if you’re drinking alcohol on occasion.
“Can You Drink Alcohol And Still Lose Weight?”: Alcohol Has Calories
But, here’s the caveat to fitting alcohol into your calories: despite what you might want to believe, alcohol has calories.
Shocker, I know.
Some people don’t think about it that way because it’s a liquid. But alcohol is actually *very* calorically dense.
In fact, it’s even more calorie dense than carbs and protein!
In total, calories are made up of four macronutrients: carbs, protein, fats, and alcohol.
Here’s the breakdown:
- carbs: 4 cals/gram
- protein: 4 cals/gram
- alcohol: 7 cals/gram
- fat: 9 cals/gram
As you can see, alcohol has an even greater impact on total calories than carbs and protein all else equal.
And it’s almost as calorically dense as fat which is insane!
What This Looks Like in Practice
Let’s say it’s Saturday night and you get invited over to your friend’s house for a dinner party.
You get there, and you have a couple glasses of white wine while you’re snacking on a charcuterie board and socializing.
Then you have a glass of red wine with dinner.
Here’s what all that looks like calorie-wise.
Assuming your friend pours you a 5oz. glass of wine, that’s roughly 120 calories per glass.
Although, let’s be honest. People tend to be more generous than that with wine pouring.
But, for the sake of simplicity, let’s say it’s 5 ounces per glass.
That’s 360 calories just from alcohol.
That’s not even taking into account other drinks you have or all of the food you eat that night. After all, it is a dinner party.
Using the example we already started of your calorie goal being 1,500, the wine alone is around 25% of your total calorie goal for the day!
Isn’t that crazy?!
And, by the way, we’re just talking about a simple glass of wine here.
We’re not even taking into account all of the super high calorie drinks like margaritas that people tend to order at restaurants.
As you can very clearly see, calories from alcohol add up QUICK!
“Can You Drink Alcohol And Still Lose Weight?”: The Role Food Plays
And here’s what adds insult to injury: very rarely are you just consuming calories from alcohol in isolation.
There’s almost always food to go along with it.
Not to mention that your inhibitions go down when you drink so you’re less likely to make good decisions around food.
What was the last time you drank alcohol WITHOUT also eating food at the same time?
Maybe once in a while you have a beer or a glass of wine at night without food when you get home from work.
But, let’s be honest. The majority of the situations you find yourself in involving alcohol also have food available.
Whether it’s a dinner party at a friend’s house, a meal at a restaurant, a family event, something like a wedding, etc.
And, here’s something else to consider.
When you eat food while drinking, are you opting for carrots and celery? Absolutely not.
It’s usually high calorie snacks, appetizers, and meals that add even more calories to the equation.
Now, look. I know it sounds like I’m being Debbie Downer here.
I’m not your mom. I’m not gonna tell you that you can’t drink. You’re an adult and you can make your own decisions.
But, I will say this.
If you’re struggling to lose wight (which most people are), AND you drink multiple alcoholic beverages throughout the week, it’s worth taking a look at the fact that alcohol is likely having a negative impact on your progress.
And it could be the smoking gun as to why you’re not losing weight.
“Can You Drink Alcohol And Still Lose Weight?”: One More Thing
Before we dive into the tips on how to incorporate alcohol while still losing weight, there’s one more thing I’d like to briefly cover.
Putting alcohol aside, most people, maybe even you reading this right now, already have enough pitfalls as it is surrounding food and weight loss in general.
Things like controlling your calorie intake, minimizing hunger, not giving into cravings, reducing fast food intake, etc.
If you choose to drink alcohol on a regular basis on top of all of that, you’re adding yet another variable to worry about.
On top of everything else that already makes weight loss hard enough as it is.
Just something to think about.
I can tell you from my experience speaking to clients over the years, most people consume alcohol on a regular basis without even realizing it.
It’s not like they *need* it.
But they end up consuming it on autopilot, then wonder why they’re struggling to lose weight.
Again, just food for thought.
Remember, there’s no amount of alcohol that’s actually good for you.
Of course consuming it in moderation is fine just like many other things, but I challenge you to be honest with yourself about whether you’re *actually* drinking in moderation or not.
Only you can answer that.
“Can You Drink Alcohol And Still Lose Weight?”: 4 Tips
Now, if you do decide to drink on a regular basis while trying to lose weight, here are four tips that you need to start implementing so you can stay within the parameters of a lifestyle conducive to losing weight.
By the way, these tips are *mostly* applicable to individuals who drink multiple times a week.
If you have like 1-2 drinks a month, I say enjoy them and move on with your life.
But if you’re having 2-3+ drinks a week, these tips are going to help you out a lot.
1. Stick to Low Calorie Drinks
I already sort of alluded to this earlier, but if you’re going to drink, it’s best to avoid the high calorie sugary options like margaritas or any other drinks with high calorie sugary mixers.
If you’re dinking socially, the whole point is to have fun and enjoy yourself with friends and family.
That doesn’t require you to have a 350 calorie margarita in your hand at all times.
Stick to options where alcohol is the only source of calories in that drink.
- tequila with soda water
- vodka with soda water
- a glass of wine
- a light beer
- a hard seltzer
Most of these are only around 100-150 calories per drink.
2. Before Going Out, Set Guidelines For How Many Drinks You’re Going to Have That Night
This is one of those tips that helps a ton, yet almost no one utilizes.
It’s not the one tequila soda that you’re drinking that’s preventing weight loss.
It’s the two tequila sodas and the margarita and the beer.
Too often when people go into social situations that involve drinking, they drink mindlessly and before they know it, they’re five drinks deep.
Don’t be that person.
Before the night even starts, set a game plan for yourself.
Tell yourself, “I’m allowed to drink tonight, but it has to be two drinks max and both of them have to be lower calorie options.”
Just like the ones I mentioned above.
This strategy allows you to stick to a reasonable amount of calories.
Plus, if you keep the drinks to a minimum, it’s super easy to track and account for those calories. Win win situation.
3. Minimize Drunk Calories From Food
Like I touched on earlier, the more you drink the more your inhibitions go down.
It’s not the two drinks that you’re having on occasion that’s hindering fat loss. It’s the Taco Bell that you pick up on the drive home or the chips and cookies that you inhale from your pantry when you get home at 1am.
If you want to minimize the impact that alcohol has on fat loss, minimize the high calorie foods surrounding it.
Be hyper-aware that those foods are around you.
The more aware you are, the less likely you are to let them control you.
This applies to eating out at restaurants too.
It’s not the two glasses of wine at the restaurant that hampers fat loss. It’s the 1,300 calorie pasta that you order with it.
If you want more help on how you to handle eating out while losing weight, check out this super detailed guide right here.
4. Load up on Protein and Fiber
That leads us right into tip number four.
The more filling your meals are earlier in the day the less likely you are to allow alcohol to cause you to overeat at night.
Have a breakfast and lunch you’re proud of.
- For breakfast this could be 3 egg whites and 2 whole eggs with spinach and a bowl of oatmeal and berries on the side.
- For lunch this can be a BIG salad using a spring mix, cut up veggies, shredded chicken, and a low calorie dressing (my personal favorite is fat free Italian dressing).
Prioritizing healthy meals earlier in the day will establish positive momentum that you won’t want to break when you go out at night.
Closing Things Out
Well, there you have it!
Hope you got a ton of value from this article and that you now have a few more tools in your “weight loss toolbox” to be able to utilize while losing fat.
Remember, if you decide to drink on a regular basis, the tips mentioned here are non-negotiables for being able to see progress on your weight loss journey.
Feel free to reach out with any additional questions you may have and we’ll chat soon!
