Alcohol

ArtemisRuns

This is so funny to me. I have friends coming over and all I can think of is, "Should I drink coffee first so I don't fall asleep after my 2nd glass of wine?" LOL

heybales

Outside of cutting back and just not reaching old levels, here's the routine you need to do.
The kicker will be holding to advice when not thinking straight, or what is available to eat.

http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

How to lose fat or prevent fat gain when drinking

Now that you understand the effect of alcohol on substrate metabolism, it's time for me to reveal how you can make alcohol work for fat loss. Alternatively, how you can drink on a regular basis without any fat gain. Without having to count calories and while drinking as much as you want.

Apply this method exactly as I have laid it out. If you've paid attention, you'll understand the rationale behind it. I've tested this on myself and on numerous clients. Rest assured that I'm not testing out some large-scale bizarre experiment here.

The rules are as follows:

* For this day, restrict your intake of dietary fat to 0.3 g/kg body weight (or as close to this figure as possible).

* Limit carbs to 1.5 g/kg body weight. Get all carbs from veggies and the tag-along carbs in some protein sources. You'll also want to limit carbohydrate-rich alcohol sources such as drinks made with fruit juices and beer. A 33 cl/12 fl oz of beer contains about 12 g carbs, while a regular Cosmopolitan is about 13 g.

* Good choices of alcohol include dry wines which are very low carb, clocking in at about 0.5-1 g per glass (4 fl oz/115ml). Sweet wines are much higher at 4-6 g per glass. Cognac, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka and whiskey are all basically zero carbs. Dry wines and spirits is what you should be drinking, ideally. Take them straight or mixed with diet soda. (No need to be super-neurotic about this stuff. Drinks should be enjoyed after all. Just be aware that there are better and worse choices out there).

* Eat as much protein as you want. Yes, that's right. Ad libitum. Due to the limit on dietary fat, you need to get your protein from lean sources. Protein sources such as low fat cottage cheese, protein powder, chicken, turkey, tuna, pork and egg whites are good sources of protein this day.

* For effective fat loss, this should be limited to one evening per week. Apply the protocol and you will lose fat on a weekly basis as long as your diet is on point for the rest of the week.

Basically, the nutritional strategy I have outlined here is all about focusing on substrates that are least likely to cause net synthesis of fat during hypercaloric conditions. Alcohol and protein, your main macronutrients this day, are extremely poor precursors for de novo lipogenesis. Alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but by depriving yourself of dietary fat during alcohol consumption, you won't be storing anything. Nor will protein cause any measurable de novo lipogenesis. High protein intake will also compensate for the weak effect of alcohol on satiety and make you less likely to blow your diet when you're drinking.

By the way, a nice bonus after a night of drinking is that it effectively rids you of water retention. You may experience the "whoosh"-effect, which I've talked about in my two-part series about water retention. That in itself can be motivating for folks who've been experiencing a plateau in their weight loss.

Apply this with good judgement and don't go out and do something stupid now. Remember, this a short-term strategy for those that want to be able to drink freely* without significantly impacting fat loss progress or causing unwanted fat gain. It's not something I encourage people to do on a daily basis, but it's one of the strategies that I apply for maintaining low body fat for myself and my clients.

stackhead

Just enjoy your night. I'm having a night out on Saturday, i allocate 1000 calories and then enjoy myself. On a good week i'll pull back my calories to accomodate the overspend, otherwise I just let it go and try and convince myself that the 3/4 hours of dancing make up for it!

cwolfman13

So tomorrow night I have a few friends coming over that I haven't seen in a while and they will be expecting to drink lots of alcohol and get totally **** faced and they will be expecting me to live up to my old drinking reputation - drinking games and all kinds of shenanigans.Sounds like fun right? I wish. As much as I would love to get completely sloshed I really don't want to ruin a whole week's worth of efforts (trust me, I can drink like nobody's business and those calories add up!). But I don't particularly want them to know I'm trying to be so conservative. And I have a tendency to throw caution to the wind after I've had a few and I always end up drinking way more than I intend to. I once tried eating less during the day to compensate for the calories...never again...the hangover was horrendous. So...any tips on how to survive the night without feeling super guilty the next day?

either make the choice to go balls out and not feel guilty, or drink in moderation....

^^^^This.

Most of the time I just go and have a few beers or whatever...but occasionally I just go for it. In the grand scheme of things letting lose once in awhile is pretty irrelevant...just depends on what you feel like doing. Personally, I'm getting **** faced tonight and I'm not going to feel guilty about it, it's been awhile and I'm celebrating.

kayla_who

I sometimes get myself a soft drink when it's my round, and tell people it's vodka and coke/gin and tonic or something. No-one notices and it can make a big difference (depending on how many people the round covers!). The tricky part is always the next day when I'm hungover and want to spend the day eating rubbish and not leaving the house. That's what really sets me back after a night on the tiles.

Haha I am the opposite after a night of drinking...I have absolutely no appetite, so I am not worried about my food choices tomorrow. Thanks for all the responses! I found some bacardi 151 in my fridge and at 122 calories per ounce I think I'll be pretty sloshed after a few rum and diet cokes.

tj1376

I dont know what kind of alcohol you normally drink, but if you still want to drink a little, while not letting anyone know you arent drinking as much as they are try a different type of drink.

I cant drink anything sugary anymore so my favorite has become a tall glass of water with a shot of vodka in it. I either add a few lime squeezes to give it a citrusy taste or water enhancer. That seems to make people think Im having a mixed drink since its red or blue and tastes like one.

You could also try asking the bartender for virgin drinks a couple times a night. You still look like you are drinking but your arent.

BossLadyDSimp

I sometimes get myself a soft drink when it's my round, and tell people it's vodka and coke/gin and tonic or something. No-one notices and it can make a big difference (depending on how many people the round covers!). The tricky part is always the next day when I'm hungover and want to spend the day eating rubbish and not leaving the house. That's what really sets me back after a night on the tiles.

Haha I am the opposite after a night of drinking...I have absolutely no appetite, so I am not worried about my food choices tomorrow. Thanks for all the responses! I found some bacardi 151 in my fridge and at 122 calories per ounce I think I'll be pretty sloshed after a few rum and diet cokes.

I eat really bad at 2am and then also the next day ... it just spills over and then by the time I am counting calories ive had 2 HORRIBLE days

Showcase_Brodown

Alcohol consumption is not very good for health. You may indulge in it but do not make it a habit.

No need to demonize alcohol. Moderate consumption is actually healthier than no consumption.

OP, If you go all out, there are ways to soften the blow. Check up on the bit that someone else left from leangains. The alcohol itself isn't going to be stored as fat, it's the other stuff you've eaten, particularly dietary fat. So a low fat approach for the day might be advisable.

angie007az

When I drink, I only have a double shot of tequila. That's it. Not a big drinker. Since I started losing weight, I have maybe had a couple shots. I know it will affect my power to say no to food. Be careful.

mazmataz

Outside of cutting back and just not reaching old levels, here's the routine you need to do.
The kicker will be holding to advice when not thinking straight, or what is available to eat.

http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

How to lose fat or prevent fat gain when drinking

Now that you understand the effect of alcohol on substrate metabolism, it's time for me to reveal how you can make alcohol work for fat loss. Alternatively, how you can drink on a regular basis without any fat gain. Without having to count calories and while drinking as much as you want.

Apply this method exactly as I have laid it out. If you've paid attention, you'll understand the rationale behind it. I've tested this on myself and on numerous clients. Rest assured that I'm not testing out some large-scale bizarre experiment here.

The rules are as follows:

* For this day, restrict your intake of dietary fat to 0.3 g/kg body weight (or as close to this figure as possible).

* Limit carbs to 1.5 g/kg body weight. Get all carbs from veggies and the tag-along carbs in some protein sources. You'll also want to limit carbohydrate-rich alcohol sources such as drinks made with fruit juices and beer. A 33 cl/12 fl oz of beer contains about 12 g carbs, while a regular Cosmopolitan is about 13 g.

* Good choices of alcohol include dry wines which are very low carb, clocking in at about 0.5-1 g per glass (4 fl oz/115ml). Sweet wines are much higher at 4-6 g per glass. Cognac, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka and whiskey are all basically zero carbs. Dry wines and spirits is what you should be drinking, ideally. Take them straight or mixed with diet soda. (No need to be super-neurotic about this stuff. Drinks should be enjoyed after all. Just be aware that there are better and worse choices out there).

* Eat as much protein as you want. Yes, that's right. Ad libitum. Due to the limit on dietary fat, you need to get your protein from lean sources. Protein sources such as low fat cottage cheese, protein powder, chicken, turkey, tuna, pork and egg whites are good sources of protein this day.

* For effective fat loss, this should be limited to one evening per week. Apply the protocol and you will lose fat on a weekly basis as long as your diet is on point for the rest of the week.

Basically, the nutritional strategy I have outlined here is all about focusing on substrates that are least likely to cause net synthesis of fat during hypercaloric conditions. Alcohol and protein, your main macronutrients this day, are extremely poor precursors for de novo lipogenesis. Alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but by depriving yourself of dietary fat during alcohol consumption, you won't be storing anything. Nor will protein cause any measurable de novo lipogenesis. High protein intake will also compensate for the weak effect of alcohol on satiety and make you less likely to blow your diet when you're drinking.

By the way, a nice bonus after a night of drinking is that it effectively rids you of water retention. You may experience the "whoosh"-effect, which I've talked about in my two-part series about water retention. That in itself can be motivating for folks who've been experiencing a plateau in their weight loss.

Apply this with good judgement and don't go out and do something stupid now. Remember, this a short-term strategy for those that want to be able to drink freely* without significantly impacting fat loss progress or causing unwanted fat gain. It's not something I encourage people to do on a daily basis, but it's one of the strategies that I apply for maintaining low body fat for myself and my clients.

I'm definitely going to try this. It's great to see some actual advice other than 'don't drink alcohol' < not going to happen!