Don't Stop Drinking Alcohol If You Are Trying to Lose Weight

Alcohol is a topic that comes on a regular basis in the groups that we run.  Let's face it...a lot of people like to indulge in an alcoholic beverage!  Some people use alcohol as a treat with dinner or at an event, some use it to wind down after a long day, and some use it to improve their dance skills (or at least their perception of their dance skills).

I know the title of this post may seem a little backwards to some people.  Alcohol has calories and those calories have next to zero nutritional value.  Why then, should someone that drinks, continue to drink if their goal is to lose weight?  Won't stopping help them actually lose weight?The short answer to that question is yes, it will help if you cut out all alcohol.  The long answer is why I wanted to write this article.  

Laura and I really believe in creating a lifestyle that is healthy and sustainable for the long run. For us that means creating habits that are healthy and easy to repeat.  Some habits for example would be: drinking lots of water, eating protein with every meal, eating lots of veggies, cooking meals at home, reading nutrition labels, and working out.  We also believe that a healthy lifestyle can and should incorporate a few treats.  Alcohol and desserts would fall into this category.    

Laura and I enjoying some margaritas in Mexico!

You might be thinking, "GREAT, they say I can just keep drinking like I am and I will lose weight!"  Well not quite, that depends on how you use alcohol.  Sorry there is always a catch!!!

I would encourage you to be super honest with yourself and figure out why you drink?  

• Is it because you like the taste?  
  
• Is it because of social situations?
• Is it to calm down after a stressful day?
• Is it to help you sleep?
• Is it to fit in with your friends?
• Is it because you've always done it and do not know a different way?
• Is it as a treat used to celebrate events?  
  
• Is it because you like to pair alcohol with food?
• Is it because you like the way you feel when you are drinking?
• Is it because you are addicted?  

Clearly some of these questions, if you answered yes to them, are not healthy.  If you fall into that category there are some deeper questions that you probably need to ask yourself.  At one point in my life I could probably answer yes to almost all of them.  I'm so thankful that I've been able to figure out a way to incorporate the alcoholic beverages that I enjoy into a healthy lifestyle now.  For me, that's having one drink maybe 4-5 nights a week either with dinner or after and then maybe every 3-4 weeks there might be a day or night that I have 3-4 drinks.   I realized that my actions didn't match up with my goals.  I used to consume 2-3 drinks a night and every weekend consisted of 5-6 drinks at night.  Now if I had goals of becoming a fitness competitor and getting just absolutely shredded I would have to reassess my current actions, but I'm not.

That would probably be my biggest takeaway for you with this article:

Do Your Actions Match Your Goals?

I don't want to tell you how much to drink or not to drink at all.  That is for you to decide based on how healthy you want to live.  I will say that there is a lot of research that does say having a small amount of alcohol does actually have some health benefits.   So there is a place for it if you used properly.  I would ask you to go back to that list of questions above or if you thought of some on your own, sit with that for a bit and really get an understanding of why alcohol is a part of your life.  Are the reasons you are drinking positive, beneficial and adding value to your life?
 
Earlier I mentioned creating a healthy lifestyle and building healthy habits.  I would recommend that alcohol consumption (and eating desserts) SHOULD NOT become habit.  If you think about it, habits are things you do mindlessly, they don't take any decision making skills.  I believe that treats should be conscious decisions that you choose to incorporate into your life.  If alcohol is a healthy part of your current lifestyle and your actions match your goals than by all means continue what you are doing.  Cutting alcohol out during your weight loss journey only to re-add it once you hit your goal weight will only cause issues at that point.  I encourage you to learn how to "healthify" your alcohol decisions so that if you are going to drink, the lifestyle you create is one that you are happy with during your weight loss and after, because frankly once you get on the road to becoming healthy it never stops!!