Q: So what are your thoughts on alcohol? Does it slow down the getting-fit process? I have a weakness for beer and wine. Is drinking wine better? Or should alcohol be completely cut out?”
A: Ah yes, the age-old question!
I understand where you’re coming from; I’m a beer and whiskey fan myself. As Americans our views on alcohol consists of either extreme love or extreme hate. The conservative approach is that it’s a drug that’s no different than heroin or cocaine; it ruins lives and destroys relationships. The liberal view is that it helps us “let loose” and become more social, not to mention it’s helped many of us get laid (and born). If you were to ask this question on Google or any other search engine the answers will go both ways, some will say “yes” and some will say “no”.
Let’s look at what we do know about alcohol.
We know that in other cultures alcohol such as wine is served during family dinners and other feasts and that some of those cultures even allow children to partake.
We know that people who drink excessively many times a week often gain weight in the form of a “beer gut” and once those same people slow-down on the booze it’s as if they’ve dropped pounds overnight.
We know that alcohol is a popular social tool. It’s used at parties, celebrations, ceremonies, etc.
We know that we feel the effects of liquor and wine much faster than beer.
We know that alcohol is often abused in the form of binge-drinking and alcoholism. You can barely read the newspaper without seeing a story about people being hurt or killed in alcohol-related fights, car accidents, alcohol poisonings, etc.
Love it or hate it, alcohol is here to stay.
Here’s my take on it.
I view alcohol the same way I view soda or juice... as calories. So if I eat a meal that’s 600 calories and I wash it down with two 150 calorie servings of beer (300), I’ve just consumed 900 calories. I could have saved myself 300 calories by choosing water. But if I’m still in a caloric deficit (because my goal is weight loss) I should be fine.
This gets more complicated if you’re out with friends because no one consumes only two drinks when they’re kickin’ it at da club with their homeboys and/or homegirls. You can easily add an extra 1,200 or more calories to your daily intake at the bar, not to mention the calories you consume after ordering late-night pizza or Jimmy Johns. And let’s not even think about what can be consumed if we attend an “after-hours” party! You’re also more likely to skip your workouts if you’re hung-over.
Here’s what you should do. I want you to record EXACTLY how many servings of alcohol you drink each day. Then perform a Google search for the amount of calories in each serving, do this for one week and record the total. That total is the number of extra calories you’re consuming. If you don’t like the number, ask yourself some questions. Do I have to consume this much booze every Wednesday at Douche's Bar because it's "Ladies Night"? Can I have 6 drinks instead of 12? Can’t I have a good time without getting shit-faced?
When I started exercising and losing weight I still went out almost every night. At first this wasn’t a problem because I was still losing weight. I eventually hit a plateau. Sure, I would lose a pound here and there but it wasn’t happening as quickly as I wanted. I eventually stopped going-out as much and if I did go out I drink slowly and moderately and the weight started melting off again.
Should you completely stop drinking alcohol? No, just drink less. You can drink without getting drunk.
Is beer or wine better? No, drink whatever you like. Just remember that each type of alcohol affects us differently.
The following link contains a list of alcoholic drinks and their calories. If you can’t click it, paste the link in your browser.
http://getdrunknotfat.com/
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