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I could use a stiff drink.

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glossbones
glossbones Posts: 1,064 Member
in Social Groups
I read someone say that LCHF pretty much limits us to Vodka, but how do you figure your values when, if you're lucky, the nutritional information refers to values for alcohol, rather than carbs or sugar?

I heard the body burns the alcohol first, but how does it use it? Like sugar alcohols? Like potato starch (in the case of Vodka)?

I've mostly been avoiding it because it seems, most days, like it's not worth the trouble to sort out the values. Most days. Not today. o:)

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  • sweetteadrinker2
    sweetteadrinker2 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    You should be able to find more detailed info online. And alcohol is most of the way to bring usable energy, so the body burns it off more quickly. That's the way I understand it.
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    AFAIK most hard alcohols are keto-safe, as long as it's not something like a flavored vodka. Vodka, tequila, bourbon, rum, scotch. Granted, there are still a lot of calories in booze, so that's something to watch, but it shouldn't mess with your blood sugar in a relatively moderate quantity. I had a couple of shots of bourbon before bed the other night and had a nice whoosh the next day. I like to think the booze got in my system and told the water and fat to GTFO! :p
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
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    Vodka, whiskey, some wines. Only the expensive vodkas use potatoes anymore, a lot of them use sorghum or grains these days.

    Your liver breaks alcohol down first because it's a toxin, and it can only do an ounce or less per hour, so until it's all out of your system, it's not using anything else you've had to eat or drink. How much of the drink itself gets used as fuel depends on what type it is - the lower the alcohol content, the more of it is basically like a carb (beer). The alcohol itself works like sugar alcohols, in that you cannot pin down exactly how much of the 7 calories per gram will actually be used vs kicked out as waste.
  • glossbones
    glossbones Posts: 1,064 Member
    edited March 2015
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    That's part of the problem, I'm finding pretty conflicted information online. One says there's no nutrients so have at it as long as you don't mix it. Another (MFP's values) says 10g *carbs*, another fesses up to 12g alcohol and 0g carbs... and of course most of the info I find is CICO-based.

    I feel like "have at it" is a little too optimistic, but 10g carbs seems high for plain absolut. So I'm hoping to draw from the shared knowledge of this group.

    This is the closest thing to helpful I've found in online articles: diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_Many_Carbs_Are_in_Vodka
  • jmarton1977
    jmarton1977 Posts: 49 Member
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    Alcohol is also a diuretic, so if you're losing weight after drinking, it's likely some water weight that will show back up.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
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    octobubbles wrote: »
    That's part of the problem, I'm finding pretty conflicted information online. One says there's no nutrients so have at it as long as you don't mix it. Another (MFP's values) says 10g *carbs*, another fesses up to 12g alcohol and 0g carbs... and of course most of the info I find is CICO-based.

    I feel like "have at it" is a little too optimistic, but 10g carbs seems high for plain absolut. So I'm hoping to draw from the shared knowledge of this group.

    This is the closest thing to helpful I've found in online articles: diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_Many_Carbs_Are_in_Vodka

    I think the safest way is just think of it like sugar alcohols. Aside from erythritol, they all get used in whole or part, so the general consensus is count them as half the carbs they list. The worst case scenario is you're over on carbs for that one day and, if you're keto, you get knocked out of ketosis for 3 or 4 hrs. If you need to monitor your blood sugar, then be more careful about it, but otherwise, it's a one-off occasion.
  • Sajyana
    Sajyana Posts: 518 Member
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    Don't trust MFP's carb counts on alcohol.

    Spirits are carb free. I have them with a sugar free mix.

    There are times when you just want to have a drink. Or three. ;)
  • Mistizoom
    Mistizoom Posts: 578 Member
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    Pure alcohol is not a carbohydrate. It has 7 calories per gram. Your body processes it first, so you will put your fat-burning on pause while your body processes the alcohol but it shouldn't kick you out of ketosis. There are plenty of sugar-free mixers available for hard alcohol.
  • nill4me
    nill4me Posts: 682 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I enjoy a bit of fat with my alcohol, in the form of three olives :wink:
    If you track calories as well, just include it in your daily tally.
  • camtosh
    camtosh Posts: 898 Member
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    Here's a handy guide to low carbs and alcohol...cheers!
    https://www.bulletproofexec.com/alcohol-without-the-hangover-bulletproof-partying-business-networking/
  • glossbones
    glossbones Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I've stuck with vodka, but my husband was on painkillers for an injury so he couldn't drink and I didn't want to drink alone, so mostly I haven't had any. I had one shot of Vodka to recover from that Monday, but my real indulgence turned out to be a mug of Truvia-based hot chocolate. ;)

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