The Effects Alcohol Has On Your Macros
Tired of cutting out the foods (or drinks) you love and still not seeing results? That's exactly why I follow and coach my clients on — flexible dieting. Unless you're preparing for a bikini competition, you can have your cake and eat it too, while continuing with your fat loss journey. Let me show you how...
Let's start with a little bad news and perhaps the obvious: Alcohol is a toxin! Once alcohol enters your system, your body switches from burning fat to solely metabolizing the alcohol. That's right — when alcohol is in your system (typically 48 hours after consumption) your body presses pause on burning fat. That can create a significant setback if you have a fat loss goal. Having a few drinks unaccounted for can add hundreds of extra calories to your total daily caloric intake which could explain your halt in progress. So, when you choose your booze, choose wisely!
Download our Free Beginner's Guide to Counting Macros
What I love about tracking macros is the flexibility it gives you to enjoy the things you love, like wine, to remain on track with your fitness goals!
Now for the good news! Once you put the tracking system (see below) into practice, you'll find that you can enjoy the regular, healthy nutrients you typically eat all day long, and occasionally fit in your treat of choice WITHOUT guilt.
When it comes to logging alcohol macros, my best advice is to pre-log. If it's Friday morning and you plan to attend a Happy Hour after work and treat yourself to a glass of wine after a long week, log your drink(s) into your preferred tracking app that morning. My clients and I use the FASTer Way app. You'll log all the food you plan to consume for the day as well as your drink(s) to make sure there is allotted room for the "bonus" macros. Prioritize tracking your total calories and protein while staying within your daily macro goals will help keep you satiated and properly fueled. It's okay to fall shy on your fats and/or carbs for the day. Just aim to not surpass your calorie goal.
HOW TO LOG ALCOHOL...
Alcohol doesn't fit into a protein, carbohydrate or fat profile, so we have to treat it as it's own macronutrient. Nutrition labels and barcode scans found on adult beverages are not accurate because the calories in pure alcohol are not calculated properly. When you track your drinks, you have the option to log it as either carbs or fats or a combination of the two. (See image above.) I made this graphic for your phone for quick accessibility.
Final Tips:
Prioritize tracking your total calories and protein on days you plan to drink. Staying within your calorie and protein goal on these days will help keep you satiated and properly fueled.
It's okay if your carbs and fats come up short for the day because you'll possibly make up for the alcohol grams you consumed.
If you have any questions on how to track alcohol please feel free to email me.
I have a New Clients Round starting soon. If you'd like to learn more about this CLICK HERE. It will be my joy to take you on my 6-week course to establishing healthy eating habits that allow for the things you love.
Disclaimer: The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
