Alcohol options

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  • nrdoty
    nrdoty Posts: 10 Member
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    I often have a glass of beer with dinner. I always go for quality over quantity. I will sip on a single bottle of a nice ale (prob 200cal avg) & enjoy it more than I would have a whole sixer of Bud Light. (110cal X 6 = 660!)

    I recommend whatever type of alcohol you like, don't search for the lowest calorie version. Find a beer/liquor/wine you REALLY enjoy the flavor of & savor it more. You'll likely end up ahead calorie-wise.
  • nyxt
    nyxt Posts: 60
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    i love

    rum, whiskey, tequila, brandy, and cognac
    on the rocks

    red wine (cabernet sauvignon and merlot) in room temperature

    jagermeister and goldschlager (whatever the hell kinds of drinks they are)

    and cold black lager beer

    :D
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    Drinking alcohol is like borrowing a little happiness from tomorrow. First it giveth then it taketh away.
    Stick with water.
    How so?

    If you drink too much the next day you pay with a hang over. Thats the "taking away part." When you've driven the big porcelain bus, you'll understand.:laugh:
    Oh, so you're talking about drinking alcohol to excess.

    Yes, thats where the too much part comes in. But even one beer, glass of wine or cocktail can give you a head ache after a couple hours in some people. Not to mention the bad judgement that effects some people when they drink. (read: one night stands, driving under the influence, gambling, etc) That is also the "taking away" part. Things some people would not do completely sober, but after the consumption of alcohol now seem like a good idea.
  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 Member
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    A bottle of beer won't break the bank, calorie-wise. Most beers are between 100-200 calories - even Guinness only has 125 per 12 oz! Here's a list of over 250 beers and their calorie counts.

    http://www.efficientdrinker.com/beer/complete-calories-abv.html

    The thing to watch with beer is how many you have and what you eat along with it.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Yes, thats where the too much part comes in. But even one beer, glass of wine or cocktail can give you a head ache after a couple hours in some people. Not to mention the bad judgement that effects some people when they drink. (read: one night stands, driving under the influence, gambling, etc) That is also the "taking away" part. Things some people would not do completely sober, but after the consumption of alcohol now seem like a good idea.
    okaaaay. Your original post didn't indicate "too much". You seemed to be condemning all alcohol consumption.
    Drinking alcohol is like borrowing a little happiness from tomorrow. First it giveth then it taketh away.
    Stick with water.
    Thus my question.
  • ccmccoy09
    ccmccoy09 Posts: 284 Member
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    I love drinking and used to have a drink of some kind or another every night. Unfortunately when I drink every day, even just one drink, I tend to stop losing weight, no matter my other food consumption or exercise. My doc explained it once as the alcohol being "burned" before the food calories because it is considered a toxin by the body; which makes sense because I pretty much only have a drink with dinner unless I'm out to really party.

    But when I do drink, I love a Guiness (125 cal) or Smithwicks (150 cal), or a glass or 2 of brut Champagne (65 cal each). If I'm splurging I'll have a Patron margarita on the rocks with Cointreau and fresh lime, or a Mule: vodka or Hendricks gin, ginger beer and lime juice (each around 210 cal). I'm happier with just one of the above than with drinking 3 Michelob Ultras or something similarly foul.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    My doc explained it once as the alcohol being "burned" before the food calories because it is considered a toxin by the body

    Which is somewhat true...but you need to remember that medical doctors aren't to be trusted when it comes to dietary needs, nutritional information, or fat loss in general.

    Again:

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

    There are studies referenced in the article, but here's the interesting conclusion:
    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.

    * Now of course...you can always drink in moderation and make sure to not go over your calorie budget for the day. But what fun is there in that? I'd rather cheat the system with the kind metabolic mischief I've layed out above.
  • thewifeybea
    thewifeybea Posts: 6
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    *BUMP FOR LATER*

    Ive seen people say "bump" on the forums, what does it mean?
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    *BUMP FOR LATER*

    Ive seen people say "bump" on the forums, what does it mean?

    It's a way to get a post in so it's in your list of threads, and easily able to be found later. Also, it moves the thread to the top, for others to read.
  • thewifeybea
    thewifeybea Posts: 6
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    i love

    rum, whiskey, tequila, brandy, and cognac
    on the rocks

    red wine (cabernet sauvignon and merlot) in room temperature

    jagermeister and goldschlager (whatever the hell kinds of drinks they are)

    and cold black lager beer

    :D

    is this what 18 year olds drink nowadays? girl, thats the last thing you should be drinking if you're here to lose weight & be healthy. drinking alcohol so young can have some major set backs in your health. you have plenty of time to be a grown up. :)
  • thewifeybea
    thewifeybea Posts: 6
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    *BUMP FOR LATER*

    Ive seen people say "bump" on the forums, what does it mean?

    It's a way to get a post in so it's in your list of threads, and easily able to be found later. Also, it moves the thread to the top, for others to read.

    I am just a baby here (about 5 days) so I'm trying to catch on to the lingo! gracias!

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