How to Have Alcohol and Lose Weight
Plus some alcohol free alternatives!
Alcohol. It's everywhere. From happy hours to date night to paint and sip. Bowling, ball games, weddings, funerals. My hair salon recently started serving wine!
I’m not going to tell you that you have to avoid it if you don’t want to. When you have alcohol, plan it into your day first.
This ensures two things:
1. That you have room for the alcohol in your day
AND more importantly
2. That you are in control. Not the alcohol
Remember: It's your choice what you eat and drink. You never NEED to drink alcohol. You can say no. It might feel difficult, but it can also be very empowering!
What Happens When I Drink?:
Alcohol acts like a toxin in the body. When you drink alcohol the body stops processing any other food and only focuses on eliminating the alcohol.
This causes the body to either store anything it is currently processing straight to fat “I’ll deal with this later” until the alcohol has been taken care of.
This means that the burger and fries you've might have eaten at the same time aren't being used as an energy source and instead are being stored as fat.
Alcohol reduces your body's ability to build lean muscle by blocking the absorption of many important nutrients from your food needed for muscle to grow, contract and relax. This effect seems more pronounced in men than women, and really is a factor only when you have 2 drinks or more.
Studies have shown that as little as one alcoholic beverage in the hours leading up to bedtime can negatively impact your body’s ability to get to sleep, stay asleep, overall quality of sleep, and daytime alertness the next day. And then you sleep poorly, your hunger the next day is more fierce.
What are my healthiest alcohol options?
When you do imbibe, I recommend wine, light beer, seltzers like Whiteclaw, and hard alcohol with a calorie free mixer (like a rum and diet coke).
Cocktails are harder to track with their combination, and craft beers and ciders have 2-3 times the calories compared with the lighter options!!
I have noticed that red wine seems to cause more digestive issues when compared to white wine. So if you notice bloating, try sticking with white wine instead.
Have a glass of water for every glass of alcohol to help with dehydration and prevent hangovers!
Beware drinks like margaritas! They can have way more sugar and calories than you intend. Get a scratch or skinny margarita instead, which leave out the sugary mix.
image credit: AMP Fitness Boston
Alcohol Alternatives:
Having some tasty options available in place of alcohol can help when you want to have that relaxed feeling or socialization without alcohol!
Don’t forget a good decaf coffee or tea - great for a relaxing few minutes on a weeknight
Here are a few more ideas for you, use a wine glass to drink out of - seems silly but it really changes the mindset somehow!
1. Kombucha:
A fermented black or green tea, and has the benefits of being good for your digestion with probiotics.
Be aware, there is still a very small amount of alcohol in kombucha, up to 0.5% alcohol by volume. It also contains some caffeine.
Kombucha has a nice fizz and tart taste which many people like in an alcohol substitute.
2. Water flavorings:
Lime, lemon, cucumber, berries and more can all be used to make a fun infused water!
Use sparkling or flat water depending on what you like.
Try True Lime or True Lemon, freeze dried and ground, they are concentrated in flavor! Found near the crystal light in your local grocer.
Crystal Light and Mio are also popular water additives.
3. Bottled Options:
These are great to take with you to someone else’s home or grab from your fridge!
La Croix, Bubly and other flavored sparkling waters.
Diet Soda - ask for a garnish at the bar and no one will know it isn't a rum/coke!
Ginger Beer - also available in diet!
Non alcoholic beer
4. Non Alcoholic Spirits:
Mocktails are becoming more and more popular. You can find drinks on many restaurant menus, and in most alcohol stores.
I’ve liked Seedlip best so far - it can be used in place of your favorite spirit in a cocktail.
Shirley temples are always fun - ginger beer or lemon lime soda and grenadine with a cherry on top!
You can also look on my Pinterest board for mocktail ideas that don’t require a special substitute
PS: Click here for my taco guide, and here for my road trip tips!
