You are losing weight, but you do enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage, especially around the holidays. Most likely why you ended up reading this blog, but I want to let you know that you are not alone.
You can still enjoy a drink without hindering all of your progress, but first we really need to understand that it can have on your body and when it comes to losing weight if we are going to enjoying any kind of drink.
How Alcohol Effects your Weight Loss
1. It is often "empty" calories
It is referred as this due to it not really having any nutritional benefits. It mostly just provides you with extra calories.
Then if you add mixers, soda or juice you are adding even more calories.
2. Alcohol can contribute to excess belly fat
The "beer gut" is true and not a myth.
Excess sugars and calories that adds up over time and stored in the body as fat.
Even though we can't decide where all of the fat would go, it often ends up in the abdominal area.
3. It affects your decisions with food
Or I should say... not having the best decisions with food.
Even if you are 100% compliant with your diet, drinking alcohol makes it that much harder to not give in to tempting foods.
4. Alcohol is used as a primary source of fuel
When consumed, it is used up first as fuel by the body.
So when being used everything else like glucose and lipids are put on the back burner.
When you are not burning enough calories at the end of the day to make up for this, the left over glucose and lipids after the calories from the alcohol is used will be stored as fat.
5. Alcohol can effect your digestion and nutrient absorption
Whenever you eat food or drink calories, your digestive track goes through a process to break everything down into macronutrients and micronutrients to be absorbed in the body.
Alcohol intake on all levels can lead to digestion and absorption to be impaired by affecting the metabolism of healthy weight management.
So what are the best Alcoholic drinks for weight loss?
While it may sound like alcohol is ruining your chances of losing weight and achieving that dream bod, I do want to share some options with you that can help.
1. Vodka
Calories: 100 calories in 1.5 ounces of distilled 80-proof
2. Whiskey
Calories: 100 calories in 1.5 of distilled 86-proof
3. Gin
Calories: 115 calories in 1.5 ounces of 90-proof
4. Tequila
Calories: 100 calories in 1.5 ounces of tequila
5. Brandy
Calories: 100 calories in 1.5 ounces of brandy
6. Seltzer
Calories: 100 calories in 1 can of seltzer like White Claws
7. Red Wine
Calories: 100 calories in 4 ounces of red wine
Things you can add to avoid adding tons of extra calories:
- Fresh juice whenever possible rather than premade mixes
- Use soda water for fizz rather than tonic water or soda
- Mio flavorings instead of syrups
At the end of the day
Cutting all alcohol out is not the only way to lose weight. There are many improvements that we can make on your health journey that will greatly impact your results.
As with many things, moderation is key!
Do you need help having a plan to fit you and what your nutrition should look like to lose weight?
We can create your own customized nutrition and fitness plan for you!
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