Can you drink alcohol and still stay lean?

How fat loss, muscle building, and health are affected by alcohol consumption

by Dr. Saman Bakhtiar

This topic seems to be a common struggle I hear from a lot of people during labor day… They want to get lean, but they don’t want to give up drinking alcohol.

Now, I’m not talking about alcoholic type of drinking (that is obviously a problem)… we’re just talking moderate social drinking here.

First, although some people may willingly choose to give up alcohol entirely, I still think most of us can drink in moderation, and still stay perfectly healthy and lean.  But there are a few tricks that can help you to not pack on the pounds… and I’ll mention those in a little bit.

As for myself, it comes down to choosing what I’m going to be strict about to maintain my fitness lifestyle and what I’m not going to be strict about.

For example, I’m pretty strict about never eating anything deep fried or made with trans fats, never eating white bread, and never drinking sodas or sweetened soft drinks of any kind… but I’ll admit that one thing I’ve chosen to not be strict about is drinking alcohol.

I’m in my 30′s now and I certainly don’t drink as frequently as I did back in my crazy college days, but I’ll certainly enjoy some cold ones when hanging out with friends, going to a bbq or dinner party, or during a night out at the bars and nightclubs.

It’s all about balance in your life, and not every aspect has to be perfect in order for you to still get the body and health that you want. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you’re trying to be perfect.

Of course, if you have no problem abstaining from alcohol, then that will certainly be the best thing for your health and your body.

However, for the rest of us, that actually do like to partake in some social drinking, here are a few tips that have helped me to stay single-digit bodyfat lean, while still drinking alcohol occasionally.

1. Obviously alcohol gives you extra empty calories on the days that you choose to drink. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for carbs and protein, and 9 calories per gram for fats.

On nights that I know are going to involve some drinking, it helps to make sure that dinner is based only around protein and vegetables. You’re going to take in a lot of empty calories with the alcohol, so eating a good portion of appetite-satisfying protein along with nutrient-rich vegetables can help to control your appetite and give your body the nutrients it needs.

Plus, most importantly, there’s just no room for loads of carbohydrate-rich foods if you’re also going to be consuming alcohol. Carbs + alcohol is a perfect recipe for growing a beer belly! Try to keep that evening meal a fairly low carb meal to save yourself from extra empty calories.

2. If you want to save your body from adding layers of ugly fat, by all means stay away from syrupy, fruity drinks that are loaded with sugar… this is a double whammy for your gut as you’re not only getting all of the empty alcohol calories, but also loads of empty sugar calories. Big fruity drinks such as a margarita can sometimes have as much as 500-600 calories per serving!

Instead, your best bet is to stick with a clear alcohol mixed with club soda and a squeeze of lime or lemon. Vodka with club soda and extra lemon/lime squeeze is my drink of choice at the bars and nightclubs.

Stay away from tonic water mixers! Some people don’t realize this, but tonic water is loaded with almost as much sugar as regular soda pop… on the other hand, club soda has no calories at all. It’s clearly the lowest calorie way to drink.

3. If you’re going to drink beer, you’re better off choosing just 1 or 2 dark beers rather than 5 or 6 light beers.  Sure, dark beers have more calories than light beers, but dark beers also have more B vitamins and antioxidants than light beers, so you actually get more nutrition from the dark beer.  As long as you keep it to just 1 or 2 dark beers, you may still stay within 150-400 calories.

4. Try to get in a high intensity full body workout before your night out of drinking. At least you’ve revved up your metabolism and have your body processing calories a little faster.

Also, trying to get in some sort of exercise the morning after your night out can also help to get your body back to a good state of health. This may not be your best workouts in terms of energy, but it can help to just get your body moving and break a sweat.

5. Avoid the late-night munchies after a night of drinking! This is where most people do the biggest damage to their waistlines.

Instead, make sure to have some lean protein and vegetables quickly available at home (perhaps some pre-cooked chicken breasts, or even tuna fish and some veggie sticks) so that you can satisfy your late night post-party appetite with lean protein instead of carbohydrates.

The worst thing for your body is loading up on pizza, ice cream, and other carb-rich junk after a night out of drinking.

6. If you drink multiple drinks socially, try to keep drinking alcohol to only 1-2 days/week maximum if you want to stay lean. On the other hand, if you never drink more than 1-2 drinks per day, I think having 1-2 drinks daily with a meal can still be part of a healthy lifestyle. As long as those calories are accounted for and you still stay within your daily caloric maintenance.

7. Wine is one of the healthier drink choices… if you must have a drink, you might as well choose wine so you at least get a good dose of antioxidants as well. Red wine is known for it’s antioxidant content, however even white wines contain antioxidants as well.

And finally, like I mentioned before, drinking alcohol just adds one more thing to your list that you have to work against in getting the body you want.

Abstaining may always be the best choice, BUT we also need to be realistic and know that social drinking is not something that most people are willing to give up entirely.

For that reason, this list of tips to help manage social drinking in a healthier way can really help you to stay leaner and healthier and still balance a little bit of social drinking into your life.

Today I thought I’d kick things off by addressing the

question people who want to lose weight always

get around to asking sooner or later.

Do you really have to count calories?

Let’s look at it this way…calories are like

money.

If you spend money mindlessly, you eventually get

into trouble and get into debt or run out of

savings.

It’s the same with calories.

If you mindlessly eat food without paying any

attention at all to calories you eventually pay a steep

price.

And you know what that is…unwanted fat.

So it’s good to know how many calories are in the

foods you typically eat.

Knowledge is always a good thing.

But does this mean that you have to slavishly

count calories at each meal?

Nope.

Look at our ancestors and the way humans lived up

until 10,000 years or so ago.

Some days they feasted, when the hunting was good.

Other days they barely scraped by with whatever

scraps they could find.

Our bodies are not machines – they are versatile

and can adapt to changing situations.

This is why it’s best to keep your metabolism

on its toes and not eat the same way all the time,

like most diets require that you do.

Otherwise you hit a plateau and can’t lose

weight even on a low calorie diet.

If you’ve been there and are tired of it, I have

good news for you, compliments of fitness model

Belinda Benn:

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Belinda’s Get Lean program is designed with the

understanding that every body is different.

The number of calories that are just right for

your body aren’t the same for someone else’s

body, even if you are the same size.

But we do know that you need calories from

protein, carbs and fat.

A diet that is all about low carbs or high

protein or low fat shortchanges you.

So here is today’s fat loss tip:

Your body needs the right *types* of calories.

It needs them every day.

This is more important than the number of

calories.

The Get Lean program gives you recipes and daily

meal plans that you will work WITH your body,

rather than a one-size fits all diet.

You don’t have to starve yourself.

You don’t have to whip out a calculator.

Calories are no longer your enemy.

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P. S. Would you like to see a change in your body

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That’s right…

Getting lean by eating.

You see, it’s not so much about eating less food.

It’s about eating the foods that fire up your metabolism

and help you burn fat.

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If you’re skeptical, take a look at how our ancestors

lived back in the day.

Turns out we’re hardwired for short spurts of

intense physical activity.

That’s how early humans moved around.

Their physical activity pretty much involved

throwing spears, dashing over to fallen prey,

lifting heavy carcasses and stones..

Our early ancestors were lean, mean fat burning machines.

They also ate plenty of food throughout the day.

Rather than 5 course meals, it was lean meats, lots of greens

and veggies. No dairy or junk food.

Here’s where I’m going with this…

They didn’t spend an hour a day doing aerobics or arm curls.

Most of the time they were moving around  at a normal pace.

Conserving their energy for those moments when physical exertion

was needed.

That’s how our bodies were built — it’s the most

efficient way we burn fat. So they ate accordingly (and

so should you).

Rather than heavy, fat laden meals, they ate healthy

mini meals throughout the day.

They weren’t slaves to a stove either and didn’t obsess over

portions but naturally ate the foods that worked with their

bodies.

Now flash forward to the present.

Belinda Benn‘s Get Lean Program works with your biology

and delivers fast and powerful results.

It’s a way of eating that is easy to stick to and follow.

The recipes and nutrition plan she gives you is flexible

enough to fit any lifestyle.

So what are you waiting for?

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Belinda herself has an inspiring story and she will

personally coach you through weekly emails after you

purchase her program.

There’s a money back guarantee and only a one-time

payment.

Come join the Get Lean revolution!

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P. S. Stop fighting biology. Your body actually is hardwired to

burn fat efficiently. You just need to start working WITH

your body. The Get Lean Program will show you how.

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Weight gain doesn’t have to be inevitable. But so many middle-aged

people – and even young people – seem to believe that.

For example, I’m sure you’ve known women going through

menopause who just gave up and assumed gaining 15 or

more pounds was “natural.”

Or know men with back pain and other problems

that would go away if they just ate a better diet and lost some

weight.

If you find yourself listening to the chorus of

people who say that weight gain in middle age

is normal…or that you have to spends hours

per week exercising… stop it right now.

Check out Belinda Benn’s Get Lean Program immediately:

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Be sure to watch the video on the website so you can

meet Belinda and see how much food you get to eat

in one day in her Get Lean Program.

It’s a lot of food!

She gives you 50 recipes and a 90 day nutrition plan.

As you’ll see in the video, the foods are natural and you

won’t have to do much cooking because it’s not

processed or loaded with sugars and fats.

Don’t worry though…Belinda will show you how to include

occasional cheat foods in your diet.

Simply by eating more lean you will lose weight gradually

You don’t have to do 1000s of crunches or endure

long boring cardio routines.

You’ll lose actual fat, not water. And it will happen

gradually so that it stays off.

Imagine how you’ll feel when that happens.

You’ll be healthier, happier and in control.

Your energy will skyrocket.

You’ll do more without feeling tired.

You’ll boost your immune system.

You’ll say goodbye to medical bills and hello to freedom.

You’ll go from frumpy and dumpy to sleek and sexy.

That’s what you want, right?

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Don’t forget there’s a money back guarantee. There’s

literally no risk.

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P. S. Say goodbye to restrictive diets forever.

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