Hard liquor and weight loss

jnaulty1995
jnaulty1995 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't drink a lot. I collect a lot of alcohol, but I still have some of my earliest fifths I bought when I turned 21 two years ago. That being said, i enjoy a cocktail or 2 once in a while. There's plenty of info I feel on the effects of beer, which is usually calorie heavy, but what about hard liquor like vodka or Captain. Any additional thoughts

To be clear, we're not talking regular drinking. This is social drinking, and really only 2 or 3 at a time tops.

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I drank hard liquor when I was losing weight and still drink it today (maintaining almost three years). I found as long as I logged the calories accurately, I didn't have any problems.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    It's just calories. Log it. Use it in moderation and move along.

  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Protein is 4 cal per gram, carbs are 4 cal per gram, fat is 9 cal per gram and alcohol is 7 cal per gram.

    In terms of most liquids a gram is a mL and there are about 29 mL in an oz. So roughly speaking if you drink 2 oz that is going to be about 58 grams..lets call it 60 grams so i can do this in my head.

    Standard hard liquor is 40% alcohol and 40% of 60 grams is 24 grams
    24g at 7 cal per g is 168 calories in 2oz of your standard hard liquor.

    Now you start adding syrups to that and it will add up quick.

    Can I nitpick? You didn't take into consideration the density of the alcohol.

    29ml * (40/100) * 0.8 = 9.28 g pure alcohol in 1 oz of hard liquor. That's 18.5g in 2 oz = 130kcal.

    Of course there'll be some remains of carbs in there from the production. But the pure alcohol in that drink is going to be a smidgen less. :wink:
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Years ago I found a book called "The Martini Diet". It was quite simple really - get up late, never before 11 a.m. Mix yourself a double Martini and add 4 green olives. Sit back and relax. Have a single Martini and ONE OLIVE ONLY at about 2 p.m. Warm up with a triple tipple but take it easy on the olives at 4 p.m. Wait until 6 p.m. - from now until midnight everything goes - but count the olives - not more than 6 - before you start. The author guaranteed a miraculous weight loss after about 6 months. Cirrhosis of the liver, more likely.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited October 2018
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Protein is 4 cal per gram, carbs are 4 cal per gram, fat is 9 cal per gram and alcohol is 7 cal per gram.

    In terms of most liquids a gram is a mL and there are about 29 mL in an oz. So roughly speaking if you drink 2 oz that is going to be about 58 grams..lets call it 60 grams so i can do this in my head.

    Standard hard liquor is 40% alcohol and 40% of 60 grams is 24 grams
    24g at 7 cal per g is 168 calories in 2oz of your standard hard liquor.

    Now you start adding syrups to that and it will add up quick.

    Can I nitpick? You didn't take into consideration the density of the alcohol.

    29ml * (40/100) * 0.8 = 9.28 g pure alcohol in 1 oz of hard liquor. That's 18.5g in 2 oz = 130kcal.

    Of course there'll be some remains of carbs in there from the production. But the pure alcohol in that drink is going to be a smidgen less. :wink:

    I'm sure you are right, I was doing back-of-the-envelope in my head while I was on my phone to get an estimate...that is why I was rounding my numbers and assuming a density of 1g/mL...because then I could do it in my head.
  • ata1anta
    ata1anta Posts: 115 Member
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    Years ago I found a book called "The Martini Diet". It was quite simple really - get up late, never before 11 a.m. Mix yourself a double Martini and add 4 green olives. Sit back and relax. Have a single Martini and ONE OLIVE ONLY at about 2 p.m. Warm up with a triple tipple but take it easy on the olives at 4 p.m. Wait until 6 p.m. - from now until midnight everything goes - but count the olives - not more than 6 - before you start. The author guaranteed a miraculous weight loss after about 6 months. Cirrhosis of the liver, more likely.

    My mom did what she called, "The Whiskey Drinker's Diet" which, I presume, is very similar but substitute scotch for martini. It would probably be fewer calories because there wouldn't be the olives. :wink:
  • jnaulty1995
    jnaulty1995 Posts: 4 Member
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    Years ago I found a book called "The Martini Diet". It was quite simple really - get up late, never before 11 a.m. Mix yourself a double Martini and add 4 green olives. Sit back and relax. Have a single Martini and ONE OLIVE ONLY at about 2 p.m. Warm up with a triple tipple but take it easy on the olives at 4 p.m. Wait until 6 p.m. - from now until midnight everything goes - but count the olives - not more than 6 - before you start. The author guaranteed a miraculous weight loss after about 6 months. Cirrhosis of the liver, more likely.

    Yeah I couldn't do that. Lost my at waking up no earlier than 11. Ive only woken up later than that once, and I usually wake at 9. I've tried to extend it but can't seem to sleep after it's daylight
  • Damian45
    Damian45 Posts: 85 Member
    I enjoy a nice dram of bourbon or scotch occasionally. It's only 70 carbs per fluid ounce and has no carbs.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    rsclause wrote: »
    With most alcohol drinks it is likely to be the mixer that does more damage.

    this.
    a 1.5 oz shot of most hard liquor = ~100 calories. If your cocktail uses a non-zero calorie mixer, then this will at minimum double. Tonic adds about 120 calories. Juice, syrups, cream adds much more.

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