Is it really possible to enjoy alcohol AND maintain your fitness level, or better yet, continue to progress your fitness and achieve new goals? I say absolutely yes. I’m not a believer in the “fitness-freak” lifestyle that excludes fun aspects of social life - these all factor into our overall wellness! Just like there are ways to balance our food intake on different days of the week and in different environments - like when you’re cooking at home on a Tuesday night versus when you’re out to eat at a restaurant on Saturday night - there are ways to balance alcohol intake along with that. I feel like I say this all the time to myself and my friends, family, and clients, and I’ll never stop - this is not an all-or-nothing lifestyle.
You can find your balance within every aspect of your life to continue achieving your goals.
To help you find your balance when it comes to alcohol, I’ve included some of my best tips on how to incorporate alcohol into your lifestyle, while maintaining your fitness and keeping your goals in mind.
When it comes to alcohol, there are 3 main things to focus on:
Calories in each drink
Timing of each drink
Foods associated with the environment
Calories
It’s very likely you already know this - alcohol is high in calories. This holds true for wine, beer, and liquor, and there isn’t really a way around this fact, so I like to discuss it first. One ounce of liquor (tequila, vodka, rum, etc.) contains about 60-80 calories, and there are almost always at least 2 ounces of liquor in a mixed drink. Then, add to that the calories from the other components of the drink, like mixers and sweeteners. By now, the calories are adding up quickly. Looking at a glass of wine, we’ve got about 150-170 calories in a 5-ounce pour. A 12-16 ounce glass of beer can bring in 150-300 calories. Over the course of one night - depending on the vibe of the night, you know? - calories from drinks can really add up.
Now, this isn’t meant to scare you off from drinking. At the end of the day, consuming more calories than you are burning can lead to weight gain.
So, where are these calories coming from? This answer varies from one type of alcohol to the next, but more often than not, the answer is sugar, and especially so when it comes to mixed drinks (hello, margs!). Beer is a bit different in that the calories come from carbohydrates because the alcohol is made from fermentation of grains, but at the end of the day, the body recognizes these calories as sugar, too.
Tips: If you know you’ll be enjoying a drink (or a few) later in the day, my best tip is to reduce your carbohydrate - especially sugar - intake elsewhere throughout the day. For example, when I know there’s a glass of wine waiting for me at home or I’m going out for cocktails on a Friday night, I’ll keep my lunch and dinner a little lower in carbs and higher in protein. What this does is it saves me some room in my calorie and carbohydrate intake for alcohol later on, and the extra protein helps to slow the absorption process of alcohol (so I’m not as much of a lightweight). We’ll talk about this later on, too, but another tip is to keep the meal or foods consumed alongside the alcohol lower in carbs and sugar, and higher in protein, as well.
And of course, choose lower-calorie and lower-carbohydrate options! I recently enjoyed a margarita one night getting Mexican food with friends, and I couldn’t believe how sweet it was. Ask the server or bartender to hold the sweetener, if you’re ordering cocktails, and replace it with soda water or diet tonic and a couple wedges of citrus, like lemon, lime, or orange. If the marg is a must, ask for a “skinny margarita” - just tequila, orange and lime juice, a splash of agave nectar, and ice.
Timing
The second important factor to consider is timing. Studies have shown that post-exercise muscle protein synthesis is reduced when alcohol is consumed shortly after a workout. In this study, one group was given a workout to complete three different times, each time with a different post-exercise meal combination: one with just protein, one with alcohol and protein, and one with alcohol and carbohydrates. Muscle protein synthesis was least affected - meaning it was at its highest rate - when the workout was followed by protein only. When the athletes consumed either of the meals containing alcohol after their workout, muscle protein synthesis declined.
What this says is to not drink a beer after your workout, right? Well, kind of - if you want to look at it in its most obvious, simplistic format. We can further apply it by understanding that muscle protein synthesis is a process that can occur all day, everyday, just at different rates. After resistance training, MPS is working most efficiently, which is why following a workout with protein is very beneficial for muscle growth. We know from the study above that consuming alcohol, let’s just say, in your post-workout protein shake will most likely slow the rate of MPS and therefore affect muscle growth.
Now let’s zoom out and look at real life.
Tips: Let’s say you’re planning to workout on Friday afternoon before meeting friends for a drink. You might not feel like eating a large protein- and carb-rich meal afterwards, but you don’t want to waste the workout by heading straight to the bar. Supplementing with a protein-rich snack or protein shake can boost muscle protein synthesis before alcohol has the chance to inhibit the process.
And of course, not many of us are interested in being the person who turns down a social outing because it could slightly slow their fitness progress, right? Another option is to plan ahead - if you know you have plans with friends that involve some drinking later on in the day or week, move your workout up in your schedule (ex. Friday afternoon to Friday morning) to give yourself enough time to properly replenish and refuel your muscles.
At the end of the day, because MPS is a process that occurs around the clock, ingesting alcohol at all will affect the rate of MPS. If your goals are to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat (or one or the other) it’s important to limit overall alcohol consumption and focus on key macronutrients to support your fitness goals.
Foods Associated with the Environment
Last but least, we should also consider where else calories can come from in an environment where alcohol is present - FOOD. Snacks, appetizers, and late-night cravings are probably the most common foods associated with alcohol. Think about your weekly happy hours, or dinner parties with friends, or late nights out at the bar (when you come home at midnight and that frozen pizza is suddenly extra mouth-watering). What types of foods are typically present? I know for me, if I see cheese curds, chips and queso, or fries on the menu and there’s a margarita or glass of wine in my hand, I’m much more likely to get the appetizer alongside my beverage. Obviously, these foods bump up the calorie count of the night (fat and carbs, mainly). Coupled with one or two (or four) drinks… you can see where this is going.
Tips: Just make healthier choices, right?! Well, yes, of course. If you’re hungry and plan on getting a snack at your happy hour, take an extra minute to browse the menu - find something with veggies and/or protein. Commonly healthier choices include veggies and hummus (or at the least the charcuterie board that includes a few veggies with all the meat and cheese), a side salad, dressed up cauliflower or brussels sprouts (try to avoid fried ones), and tacos with grilled proteins.
Another tip is to snack before you leave the house - if your fridge is stocked with healthy food, you have healthy options at the ready to fill you up! In addition to saving calories, you’ll save a good chunk of change, too, by not ordering appetizers.
I hope you found this post helpful! Most of all, I hope you’re able to find a healthy balance with food, fitness, and life. There is no need to miss out on unforgettable memories in life to achieve fitness goals. You can enjoy both!
