Is It Possible to Drink Alcohol and Yet Lose Weight?

Alcohol for weight loss

Whether you like an occasional drink, or whether you often take a sip from your favorite glass of alcohol, if you are trying to lose weight or want to manage your weight better, it is important that you first understand the relationship between alcohol for weight loss.

In this article, we will take a look at whether or not alcohol can be a part of your diet during your weight loss journey, how consuming alcohol can affect your weight, and what is the relation between alcohol and weight loss.

Which alcohol is good for weight loss?

When we talk about alcohol for weight loss, we are in no way saying that consuming alcohol will make you lose weight. What we are trying to refer to here is the fact that, if you do want to consume alcohol and if you are also on a weight loss journey and want to know about some alcohol for weight loss, then you can try having the following types of alcohol, as these, as compared to other types of alcohol, are thought to cause a lesser amount of weight gain than the others.

1. Whatever your alcohol is, have it on the rocks

• Whether you are interested in having vodka, whiskey, tequila, gin, or anything, the best way to do it, if you have to have it, is to have it on the rocks.
• This means that, if you are having alcohol for weight loss, have the alcohol straight up with just the ice cubes and avoid adding anything else as a topper to the alcohol.
• Most types of alcohol will have about 100 calories in a 44ml serving size.
• So, if you add any other mixer to the alcohol, such as soda, coke, any other high-calorie mix, or anything else that is sugary, you will end up taking these 100 calories to anything between 300 and 400 calories in that one glass.

2. Red wine

• You may have heard that a glass of red wine every night with your dinner will do your heart and health a host of good.
• The truth is, red wine is alcohol too, and there is nothing great or unique about having red wine for your heart health or overall health that you cannot get from a healthy meal.
• Till now, there is no specific study or research on the Indian population that has been done over a span of decades to understand whether or not having red wine on a regular or even daily basis will improve the health of your heart. 
• That being said, if you want to have some alcohol for weight loss you can have a glass of red wine now and then.
• If you do want to have red wine, go for the cabernet sauvignon version or the Syrah variant, as these have the lowest amount of calories as compared to the other types of wines. 
• A 44ml serving of red wine will have about 105 calories.

3. Toast the champagne

• If you are at a social gathering or a festive event that calls for a toast, then you can choose a glass of bubbly, or champagne, instead of reaching out for other high-calorie alcoholic beverages.
• A 118 ml serving of champagne will have about 85 calories, which is less when you compare it with other alcoholic beverages. 
• When you have sparkling water or bubbly instead of sweetened wine or any other alcoholic drink, there are also chances that you may start to feel full faster as compared to any other alcoholic drink.
• This could also help you say no to a second serving of alcohol and therefore keep your calorie intake low and aid your weight loss efforts. 

4. Light type of beer

• If you are one of those who love beer, go for light beer instead of the harder ones or the stout types.
• Light beer has lesser calories as compared to the other types of beer. 
• You will save anywhere between 40 to 55 calories in each serving of an approximately 350 ml serving of beer, as compared to when you have a regular beer. 

Is alcohol good for weight loss?

If some studies are to be believed, consuming alcohol is not a great idea when you are trying to lose weight, or are trying to maintain your weight within a given range. 

• As per a study, those who regularly consume alcohol make poor food and eating choices. Also, alcohol in itself is high in calories as 1 gm of alcohol has 7 calories.  [1] 
• This often means that, once you consume alcohol, you may end up eating foods that you would otherwise be careful not to eat, or not to eat much of, and may often eat up over-eating or eating them even when you are not hungry.
• Also, when you consume alcohol for weight loss, you may end up feeling dehydrated and may end up craving foods that are either high in salt content or high in fat or carbohydrate content. 
• As a result, even if you were planning to have alcohol for weight loss, the other choices that you make along with consuming alcohol will not be such a great combination for your weight loss journey. 

How alcohol affects weight loss?

Alcohol is not a good choice when you are planning to have alcohol for weight loss and are trying to lose weight.

• Alcohol is high in the number of calories it contains. When you are trying to lose weight, you should aim to have a smaller amount of calories and burn more calories than what you are consuming. Alcoholic beverages like beer and wine also contain carbohydrates and therefore can increase your daily calorie intake. 
• The second point is that when you are having alcohol, you will often reach out for unhealthy snacks and food items which are usually high in salt, fat, and carbohydrate content. Such foods will interfere with your weight loss plans and may delay the rate at which you could otherwise lose weight, or instead, make you gain more weight.

Tips to safely drink alcohol for weight loss 

If you still do wish to have alcohol for weight loss and enjoy a sip or two, keep the following in mind:

1. How much is enough?

It is recommended that women have no more than 1 drink each day, while men should not have more than 2 servings of alcohol in a day.

2. Check what is going on in your drink

Often, you end up adding more calories to your drink by adding toppers to the alcoholic beverage. Have it only with plain ice or water, instead of mixing in any sugary drinks.

3. Go for smaller glasses

If you want to enjoy alcohol more often while you are also trying to lose weight, you can start by having alcohol in a smaller size glass and reducing the portion of the drink.

4. Drink after eating something

Try and have your drinks after you have had something to eat, maybe some salad or grilled meats or grilled vegetables. This way, you will already be somewhat full and will not tend to drink too much. 

5. Keep alternating your sips with sips of plain water

While you are having your drink, keep a glass of water with you and alternately keep sipping on plain water. This will prevent you from getting dehydrated and will also make you feel full so that you do not drink too much.  

Please remember that we are in no way saying that it is a good idea to have alcohol for weight loss, or that it is a good idea to have alcohol in general.

But if you are going to have alcohol, keep these few tips in mind to make sure that you get as less calories as you can and that you end up consuming a lesser amount of alcohol than you would do otherwise.

Also, take care of your safety, be alert and aware of where you are and who you are with when you are drinking,  and drink responsibly so that you do not miss out on your medications if you are taking any, and please do not drink and drive. 

Fittertake

While trying to create a healthy diet for yourself by choosing food groups or food items that help in weight loss is great! It is important to know that weight loss is a comprehensive process and requires consistent effort.

You need to cover other aspects of your life apart from diets, such as exercise, stress, and sleep management. The Fitterfly Weightloss Program is the 1st of its kind doctor-designed weight loss plan for stubborn weight. Rooted in intensive behavior therapy it helps you lose weight safely and sustainably. To know more reach us at 022 4897 1077