Calories and Alcohol

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  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Earn extra calories with exercise and look at the calories of the beer you will drink. I for one drink Busch light because I like it and it only has 95 calories per beer. If I run 3miles I burn enough for 4 beers. I have been known to exercise just to eat or drink more. Cheers

    The only reason I would advise against this is when you exercise your body requires extra nutrition, not just extra calories. I think if you do drink then go above your allotted calories for the day to ensure proper nutrition, not just the right amount of calories.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
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    I'm not big on light beers, but have found that dark beers tend to be lower in calorie than regular beer. If I want a beer I'll exercise a bit extra to earn it.
    Oh, that's rather dangerous to say since color is a very poor predictor of calories. You may have gotten the idea because Guiness (draft only) IS a rather low-cal beer at 125. It's a dry stout, though. A Russian Imperial stout that looks just like it might have 600-700 Cal per bottle. Newcastle brown ale is relatively low at 140, but a dopplebock of the same color will have 400+.

    Unless you know A LOT about beer, it's hard to predict calories without looking them up. Even when you do know a lot, it's pretty hard.
  • abqann
    abqann Posts: 5
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    Vodka ( good vodka ) with club soda and an orange slice or lime if they do not have orange is good. Also good vodka on the rocks with orange slice on the side is good to sip. Does anyone know the calories in the flavored vodkas? They are good too but sweeter so I wonder about the calories.
  • flatseas
    flatseas Posts: 1
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    Tough one. No fun answer here. Alcohol is made from sugar, which means it is straight carbs. An ounce of alcohol (any kind) is going to be anywhere from 80 to 120 calories. Low calorie beers have a low alcohol content.
    Best advice I could give would be to maybe give up desserts, or other indulgences, then burn some extra calories during every workout. Most importantly, if you are really health conscious, drink conservatively. Maybe volunteer to be the DD every other weekend.
    Good Luck!
  • christopherscotland
    christopherscotland Posts: 21
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    Alcoholic drinks are derived from grains or fruits. They are high glycemic, high-sugared carbohydrates. Alcohol increases insulin levels, which sabotages your weight loss efforts
  • elzianne
    elzianne Posts: 52 Member
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    I avoid artificial sweeteners, so a vodka soda is kind of my go-to low calorie drink. You can also get a tequila soda and ask for a splash of lime juice for some flavor. Sometimes I'll even ask for a single shot in a double glass, that way you get twice as much soda and it makes the drink last a little longer. If you're feeling classy, a flute of champagne is usually under 100 calories.

    Light beer is the way to go to cut calories and carbs.... BUT I'm totally a beer fan, and light beers don't always cut it for me. You'd be surprised how low calorie some beers are. A Guinness Draught has 126 calories – only about 30 calories more than a Bud Light, and A LOT better taste in my opinion :) Stella Artois is a good "bang for your calorie" with 140 calories and 5.2% alcohol content vs. about 4.1% of light beer. My biggest advice is to steer clear of Blue Moon – it is one of the highest calorie beers, and be cautious when ordering a Guinness – while a Guinness Draught is low calorie, a Guinness Extra Stout has about 50 more calories per serving.

    Have a fun, safe weekend!!
  • mina4380
    mina4380 Posts: 17
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    Good suggestions. Thanks guys!
  • sgoldman328
    sgoldman328 Posts: 379 Member
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    I wasn't willing to give up wine and beer either. Earlier in the summer I did a taste test of all those super light beers (Bud Select 55, MDG 64) and found one I liked.... other than that, a glass of white wine is around 116 calories, a light beer (not the above) is about 100.....

    If you have the calories, reward yourself.... But if you're going to do a serious splurge like a night one with the girls... I always make sure I burn a ton of calories so I have the extra.

    I do try to stay away from liquor -- just because mixers add up in calories
  • sgoldman328
    sgoldman328 Posts: 379 Member
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    GO FORTH....HAVE A GOOD TIME!!!! THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO TAKE AWAY ALL YOUR FUN IN LIFE.......DRINK MODERATELY WHEN I DO INSTEAD OF HAVING A CASE I'LL CUT IT DOWN TO A TWELVER.....HE HE LOL...:drinker: :drinker: :laugh: JUST BE PREPARED TO........PAY THE PRICE WITH AN EXTRA CAL BURN...:grumble:

    "Go forth,... have a good time" -- HAHA! Love it!

    I really agree with waht people are saying. I want this weight loss to stick long term -- and as such I am going to take into account the fact that I REFUSE to give up my moderately consumed adult beverages. Am I going to be smart about them? Absolutely!
  • navjhaj
    navjhaj Posts: 41
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    For now, I have completely given up on alcohol and sweets. Not just alcohol, but the only liquid I take is water.

    For me, it's about building good habits for life, and I had a lot of bad ones, when it comes to eating. Perhaps, in time, I shall re-incorporate them in, but for now, I'm not close to my goal of 30 kg lost, so I have a ways to go.

    Many years ago, I was a smoker. Quitting smoking was the easiest thing to do, I must have done it hundreds of times! :) Until I finally did it for good. That turkey was freezing! I recognize giving up wine and spirits is not at the same level, but I need to build up good habits. For now, I'm approaching alcohol and sweets, as well as junk food and fast food, like they are the equivalence of cigarettes. Out they go!! Because I have a ways to go.

    On the other hand, having given up these things, I've lost 4-5 kg already in 3 weeks!!
  • sld_6001
    sld_6001 Posts: 27 Member
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    Sam advice as the others. Burn more calories prior to drinking so you don't go over your limit and feel guilty. And use a diet mixer or crystal light as others are suggesting (super good). Most of the calories when you drink are from the mix.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I may get blasted for this but, on a 1200 cal diet, there is no room for treats or alcohol of any kind. If you only eat 1200 cals, it is difficult to get the required macro and micro nutrients, if you add empty calories such as alcohol it will be next to impossible to feed your body with the nutrients it needs,

    I would suggest if you want to do this to eat maintenance calories or higher than your 1200 Net, on days you want a drink. So on a normal day if you don't exercise and eat 1200, no room for treats, if you decide to have a treat that should be on top of the 1200 cals, so if you have a beer you should get 1350 on the day (1200 regular cals + 150 from the beer) All this will do is slightly slow your weight loss down, but will not affect your health as much as replacing some of the needed 1200 with alcohol.

    Yea I have to agree with you. On a 1200 calorie diet there is just no room for a big splurge. A glass of wine or two OK that will work but if you're planning on getting good and liquored up...I would just eat sensibly that day, go out, enjoy yourself and just get right back on track the next day.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Tough one. No fun answer here. Alcohol is made from sugar, which means it is straight carbs. An ounce of alcohol (any kind) is going to be anywhere from 80 to 120 calories. Low calorie beers have a low alcohol content.
    Best advice I could give would be to maybe give up desserts, or other indulgences, then burn some extra calories during every workout. Most importantly, if you are really health conscious, drink conservatively. Maybe volunteer to be the DD every other weekend.
    Good Luck!
    Alcoholic drinks are derived from grains or fruits. They are high glycemic, high-sugared carbohydrates. Alcohol increases insulin levels, which sabotages your weight loss efforts

    These are both misleading statements. Alcohol is created by converting sugar into alcohol. The actual alcoholic beverages don't have sugar in them and most have no carbs. Alcohol only sabotages your weight loss efforts because when you drink alcohol, you tend to eat a lot. I drink a beer, glass of wine, or a mixed drink every night. I'm having no trouble losing weight.

    In fact, studies have shown that moderate alcohol drinkers actually tend to weigh less than non-drinkers.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Quitting smoking was the easiest thing to do, I must have done it hundreds of times! :)

    I like a good Mark Twain paraphrase. :laugh:

    His actual quote is "Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it hundreds of times.":wink:
  • boilermakerblaw
    boilermakerblaw Posts: 78
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    Alcohol only sabotages your weight loss efforts because when you drink alcohol, you tend to eat a lot. I drink a beer, glass of wine, or a mixed drink every night. I'm having no trouble losing weight.

    In fact, studies have shown that moderate alcohol drinkers actually tend to weigh less than non-drinkers.

    This is actually only partially true. The detoxification process of ethanol in our bodies uses enzyme dehydrogenases that disrupt the normal levels of a particular cofactor (NAD+-> NADH) that are used to drive fatty acid synthesis. So, drinking alcohol all the time can be very detrimental for someone who's trying to build bulk muscle and not gain fat.

    However, that being said having one day of drinks is not going to pad your body and liver with ton of extraneous fat alone and people *do* have the tendency to want to eat more with they're drunk. I'd say going with, everything in moderation is ok, works here. One bad day of diet is not going to sabotage all diet and workout efforts!

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