How to enjoy alcohol whilst minimising fat gain

[Aslin]

Hey Robert,

I like to enjoy a good bit of whisky once a week or so, but I'm trying to lose some weight in the process, so I am interested in any advice you have on how to best go about it.

In my laymen understanding I am under the impression that when the alcohol is in the body it slows down metabolism and turns any food consumed into fat on the body. Is there any truth at all to that?

I try to make sure I eat very little for some time before and after drinking sessions because in my thinking it will minimise fat gain. I was wondering if my thinking is way off or if I'm sort of on point?

Thanks so much, Matt.

[Robert Santana]

Cutting back on whiskey is a SOB trust me I know I've had to do this myself. If you are over consuming alcohol yes your body prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol and ends up soaring any excess calories as fat. You still need to be in a caloric surplus for this to happen though.

[kcjason]

Would you expect any difference in body fat, or anything else, if you were to routinely consume 200 calories of whiskey per day instead of 200 calories of carbs and fat (i.e., keeping protein equal, but cutting calories from carbs/fat to be replaced by whiskey, while total daily calories remains the same). All else equal, would you expect measurable negative consequences to doing this daily?

[kcjason]

Wondering

[Adam Levine]

So, if I'm having trouble gaining weight, is a whiskey at bedtime a good move?

Last week I did over 3100 calories/day and still lost half a pound. No *#$& clue how that happened - when I was trying to lose weight, I had to be around 18-1900 to lose weight at that rate.

-->Adam

[Geoffc]

My experience is if I count all the alcohol calories as carbs I can effectively manage alcohol and weight. As long as I stay under 40 grams of ethanol a day it doesn't negatively impact my lifting.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I hit 270 last year around May. In October, I quit drinking entirely, albeit nothing to do with my weight. Since then, I'm down to 227 with no significant change to my level of activity or other dietary intake. I was drinking waaay too much, and it crept up on me over the years.

Quitting gave me two days of the sweats. Glad I did it. My behavior and outlook on life improved a good deal as well.

All that said, if you wanna drink, have at it. Just know your limits and the potential downsides and drawbacks. I thought I did, but I was simply rationalizing a bunch of self centered BS.

[Robert Santana]

Would you expect any difference in body fat, or anything else, if you were to routinely consume 200 calories of whiskey per day instead of 200 calories of carbs and fat (i.e., keeping protein equal, but cutting calories from carbs/fat to be replaced by whiskey, while total daily calories remains the same). All else equal, would you expect measurable negative consequences to doing this daily?

Doubtful if calories are kept equal and you aren’t pounding the drinks. I drink something most days of the week and I’m losign weight and adding weight to the bar. I’m not fully convinced that alcohol in smaller quantities is bad especially if the rate of consumption is kept slow (1 drink per hour). Just don’t drink like a frat boy and you’ll probably be fine.

So, if I'm having trouble gaining weight, is a whiskey at bedtime a good move?

Not adivasable. Peanut butter and protein are better options.

[Robert Santana]

Last week I did over 3100 calories/day and still lost half a pound. No *#$& clue how that happened - when I was trying to lose weight, I had to be around 18-1900 to lose weight at that rate.

-->Adam

The amount of restriction below maintenance necessary to induce fat loss varies among individuals. It’s quite interesting isn’t it?

[Nicholas Nehrt]

There seems to be a lot of debate about whether alcohol consumption should be considered as fat intake or carb intake. Is it specific to each individual as to how the ethanol is metabolized? That doesn't make much sense so which way does it tend to go?