“So how many drinks do you typically have in a week?” -I ask a potential client.
Their eyes dart away and they giggle.
“Oh I only drink moderately.” Or “I’m a social drinker.” These are the most common responses I hear.
Usually self-identified “moderate” drinkers will say anything from 3-20 drinks per week. Pretty big range right?
When getting started on a fitness journey, alcohol generally isn’t that good for you AND it can make your efforts much more difficult.
However, I’m all about sustainability and finding your balance between fun and feeling your best!
So what is a good amount to drink per week when you are simultaneously trying to embark on your fitness journey?
What is a moderate drinker?
There’s lots of different numbers if you google “moderate drinker”, the real answer will be how YOU feel.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Addiction, moderate drinking is defined as 3 drinks per day for women and 4 drinks per day for men.
However, drinks can range anywhere from 70-500+ calories PER DRINK SERVING SIZE.
How drinking affects your progress
Alcohol has calories. 7 calories per gram to be exact (which is more than carbs at 4 calories per gram!). However, alcohol offers no nutritional value, meaning that your body tries to excrete it from your system first.
What does that mean for your fitness?
Other reasons alcohol can deter your fitness progress:
- hunger cues are thrown off, so you will more likely overeat
- perceived judgment is impaired, so you will more likely keep drinking and/or eat foods you normally wouldn’t (because let’s be real–NO ONE eats a salad when they’re drunk)
- the next day you are hung over so probably not going to workout
- hang over means you want hang over foods
- alcohol dependence
So does this mean you can’t drink ANY alcohol at all??
Of course not.
But it’s important to realize it makes dieting or muscle building more challenging.
So…what are the options?
Depending on your goals and how much you drink, you may want to find some alternatives.
Drink LESS.
Yes I said it. The most efficient way is to either have less drinks during the week, or to just know you don’t HAVE to drink every single day/weekend.
Like to drink after work every day? Maybe try replacing that habit with another stress-releaser such as walking or taking a bubble bath.
Like to socialize a lot? Friends should understand you don’t want to drink all the time. If they don’t, order a sparkling water and lime and pretend. Or alternate alcohol with water (idk about you, but i get so thirsty when I drink so this comes natural to me haha!)
Or hey you can always offer to be the designated driver.
Eat a healthy meal before you go out.
The amount of times we would skip dinner in college to “save calories” was astonishing lol. But if you have some protein and veggies before going out, you are probably less likely to eat other stuff later.
Have a healthy snack planned for when you are drinking or after drinking.
- crackers and raw veggies with hummus
- popcorn
- chicken sandwich
- thin crust pizza with veggies
The options are endless!
Have lower calorie drinks.
(most of the time.)
There’s plenty of low-cal drink options. Here’s a couple:
And what do you do after a night of drinking?
You get back on track.
Try to get back to your normal eating and routine as soon as possible. One day does not ruin progress, but one day doesn’t make progress either.
