Don’t Drink Your Carbs: Beverages and Alcohol

Beverages

The average American consumes nearly 25% of their daily calories from beverages. Reducing the amount of carb rich, caloric beverages in your diet is a healthful lifestyle change that will support and sustain your weight loss and well-being. For example, drinking the equivalent of one 12 ounce soda pop or fruit punch increases the risk of developing type II diabetes (and gaining weight) 2 fold (Schulze et al., JAMA, 2010). Given that a similar sized glass of orange juice has an equivalent “glycemic” or sugar load as a can of Coke, that amount may not seem like a big deal but it is to bodies that weren’t built to tolerate chronically high boluses of refined carbohydrates (aka sugars). And so we strongly recommend building the habit of hydration with carb free beverages: to promote satiety, to replete a body that’s composed over 60% of water, to replenish fluid losses associated with a low carb diuretic (water losing) state, and more.

Alcohol

The calories from alcoholic beverages can also add up quickly – before you know it, a few drinks easily pack an extra 600 calories into your day. Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions, which can sabotage your weight loss efforts and goals if not properly portion controlled.

Lastly, many alcoholic beverages – whether cocktails, beer, or sweeter wines – contain additional carb calories on top of the alcohol. Drinks that contain sugary mixers, such as juice or soda, will add even more carbohydrate-based calories into your day.

For best results, abstain from alcohol entirely while on the weight loss phase of the program. That said, if you choose to drink alcohol on the program, peruse the list below to find sources of alcohol that are lower in carbohydrate and then limit consumption within a range that will not sabotage your weight loss, health, and wellness efforts. To follow a simple “drink this not that” rule of thumb, consider choices such as: lite beer over regular beer; dry wines over sweet wines; distilled spirits by themselves or without any carbohydrate-based mixers over cocktails with added sugars (carbs) in the form of juices, agave, soda, and more.

Many enjoy starting the program with a clean break in habit by trialing an alcohol-free “dry month” during their first four weeks of weight loss. This can help you to lose weight faster by cutting out a preferentially fat-forming beverage (alcohol) while reducing the carbohydrates and calories that coat tail on alcohol’s back. When you avoid alcohol, you may find you make healthier decisions, sleep better at night, and note improvements in energy, mood, and concentration. In addition, your blood pressure and triglyceride levels may decrease as well as markers of liver health.

For best weight loss results, you may choose to eliminate alcohol for the duration of the acute weight loss phase. If you do decide you would like to continue to drink alcohol, we encourage you to do so in moderation. Limit your intake to one to two drinks on one to two days of the week. Our overall goal is to help you create sustainable, healthful lifestyle changes that involve moderation and portion control. Whether with carbs, fats, or caloric beverages, moderation and portion control are two of the best long-term solutions for sustained weight loss.

Tips for Limiting or Avoiding Alcohol

If working to limit alcohol:

  • Alternate between each drink with a glass of water.
  • Choose a beverage that you think you will drink at a reasonable pace. For instance, if you love red wine so much that you drink it quickly while you only like tequila on the rocks on occasion and usually just sip it, try opting for the tequila to help prolong your beverage and decrease your total consumption.
  • Set strict rules for when you drink. Try no alcohol on “school nights” and instead limit it to weekends, date nights, or special occasions.

If working to avoid alcohol:

  • Try using apps such as Insight Timer or Headspace to help you relax in the evening.
  • Take a walk around the block when you would normally pour a glass of wine to help form a new healthy habit.
  • Make plans with friends that don’t include alcohol. For instance, instead of going out with friends for dinner or a drink, go on a hike or to a coffee shop.

Try replacing your cocktail with:

  • Sparkling water (La Croix, Pellegrino), soda water or diet tonic with a twist of lemon or lime.
  • Flavored electrolyte water
  • Decaf tea with cream or herbal tea
  • Unsweetened almond or unsweetened coconut milk with or without cinnamon and
    turmeric.