As a personal trainer AND a Wisconsinite, I get this question all the time. Can I drink alcohol if I'm trying to lose weight? It’s a good question and one many people are still confounded about.... Are you able to consume alcohol and still lose weight? This may be of special interest to those of us who are cooped up inside BUT are still trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let’s find out.

Wine and Alcohol

Many years ago, a friend gave me a great learning point about his German grandmother telling him the story of a recent doctor visit. The doctor asked, "Luella, you're in excellent health. What are you doing?"

"Well doctor, I have one cocktail every night." She said,

My friend’s grandmother was convinced that one drink every night was good for her health.

His grandfather also had the same conviction, but he drank 3-4 cocktails a night and weighed 300 lbs.

His grandma wasn't concerned much about weight loss, but the question is still highly relevant for all of us. Can we drink and be healthy?

Let's face it, most of us love cocktails and some us love MANY cocktails, but when we're trying to lose weight and/or body fat, is it good to cut out drinking altogether?

Alcohol's Disruptive Patterns

Alcohol can cause issues for your weight-loss and metabolism-balancing efforts because it is high in calories (second only to fat – alcohol is said to have 7 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram), and, like fats and carbs, is metabolized to acetyl CoA. When acetyl CoA is around in high amounts, the body sees no reason to burn other fuels, like the food you just ate OR the body fat already on your body.

So, when you drink, you are more likely to store your surplus food calories as fat rather than burn them.

Does that mean we should avoid alcohol completely?

You may need to avoid alcohol when you're trying to lose weight, but data shows that many people that have a glass of wine almost nightly and are still able to attain and maintain a lean, healthy body.

The trick is to know what does and does not work for you.

The truth is, small amounts of alcohol, (note: we said ‘small amounts’ boot campers) can certainly be apart of some people's fat-loss formula and whether it is for you or not will take some detective work.

Understanding Interactions Between Foods is Critical

If you want a glass of wine with dinner, here's a tip...

Don't eat starch and fat with your meal and drink alcohol together. Make an effort to never combine the three.

For instance, have a piece of fish, a plate of veggies and either a glass of wine OR half a sweet potato, but not both.

Experimenting is key and my goal, as your coach, is to provide you with the structured flexibility for real life.

But, now I am really curious to learn from all of you, plus it is a cool way for us to interact during a time when we can’t really interact.

What have you discovered about alcohol?

Can you drink when you're trying to lose weight?

Please reply and share what you've learned with me.

In health,

Coach C