Is Alcohol Sabotaging Your Fat Loss Goals?

Alright, let’s get to the white elephant in the room and chat about ALCOHOL! Specifically, the negative impact alcohol can have on fat loss. One of the questions I am asked most often is, “Can I still drink alcohol in the FASTer Way?” The basic answer is YES.

Alright, let’s get to the white elephant in the room and chat about ALCOHOL! Specifically, the negative impact alcohol

BUTTTTTT …

It really depends on your goals. If you are committed to an active pursuit of fat loss, I highly encourage you to limit or eliminate your alcohol intake as much as possible.

Alcohol is not a carb, a fat, or a protein. We think of it as a 4^th macro because your body will use that for fuel before any other macro. Alcohol is categorized as a “TOXIN” (a poison). By looking at the content of carbs in an alcoholic beverage you cannot calculate the damage or disruption it will cause your weight loss progress. Because it is a toxin your body prioritizes metabolizing it OVER metabolizing and burning fat for up to 24 hours after consuming it.

The body works hard to get the alcohol out of your system. This means it can stop or at least stall your progress. Having just one drink can stop all the fat burning your body would normally be doing for days. If you have a glass or two of wine every night, it’s possible your body is never able to tap into those fat stores because it is busy using the alcohol first. 

Not only does alcohol interrupt or stall prioritizing fat burning, there are other risks associated with drinking alcohol. Drinking excessively is linked to very real health concerns, including being overweight.

• Alcohol is empty calories. Alcohol does not have any nutritional value. While the alcohol itself has calories, common mixers like juices or sodas also have loads of calories as well as sugar and carbs. You may be eating a healthy diet, but if you’re not seeing results, it may be because of your alcohol intake.
• Lower Inhibitions: There are other indirect reasons that alcohol and losing weight don’t go together. For example, when you drink, it lowers your inhibitions. You may find yourself craving or reaching for food you wouldn’t normally consume such as pizza or salty processed snacks. You pay less attention to what you’re eating and how much you’re eating.
• The day after syndrome: You don’t feel well so you will be less active and less likely to exercise and jump back on track with your nutritional goals.
• Lowers testosterone: When you drink, your body lowers the hormone testosterone in your body, which affects weight loss and gaining lean muscle.
• Munchies: Not only does alcohol lower your inhibitions about the food you crave, but it is also known for increasing your appetite.
• Negatively affects sleep: Alcohol can lead to increased periods of wakefulness during sleep cycles causing you to feel less rested the following day.

Tracking alcohol:

As always, you need to be sure you are tracking your alcohol AND making sure you are tracking it correctly. Recall carbs and protein have 4 calories/gram. Fat has 9 calories/gram. Alcohol has 7 calories/gram. You can track your alcohol as carbs or as fat or as a combination of the two. You can also use an app called WAG that will help you identify and track the total grams of carbs or fat, or both, you are consuming.

See the graphic below:

The bottom line when it comes to alcohol while on a diet is “Don’t Do It” if you are committed to burning fat. However, that said, you shouldn’t be afraid to enjoy a drink (and no more than two on occasion). After all, we are trying to create a sustainable, practical lifestyle! If you have met your fat loss goals or are insistent on having a cocktail while working towards fat loss, my recommendations would be:

• Enjoy a drink as your treat on Saturday after your leg day workout. I would choose an alcohol beverage that is low in calories such as white wine, a spritzer, skinny margarita, or vodka with seltzer and lime. Avoid carbohydrates mixers or bar syrups.

• Space out your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water, one for one. Don’t eat carbohydrate snacks with alcohol of any kind. Eat protein snacks like nuts, sliders, charcuterie.

• Limit your number of drinks per social event to two. This would be two half full wine glasses, or two mixed drinks with one jigger of alcohol each.