The Temptation of Drinking Alcohol on a Diet

If you're using a meal management system to control what you eat, it is possible to drink alcohol on a diet and still lose weight, but you have to be smart about it. In most cases, it's not the alcohol itself that causes weight gain, but the mixers that have tons of sugar and calories. Additionally, when drinking alcohol, your fat metabolism sharply decreases. So when combined with mixers and junk food (things commonly consumed when alcohol is in your system), calories burn much slower and all the work you put in with your meal management system is largely wasted. The amount of alcohol you drink will ultimately play a role in whether or not you hit that weight loss/gain goal in time. Obviously, if you're binge drinking alcohol on a diet, you are not only undoing months of kicking ass in the gym and eating right, but you're also risking your health in general. Drinking can cause extreme damage to your liver and, ultimately, increase your chances of fatal diseases such as cancer. If you are going to imbibe, do it in moderation and don't binge drink - it's stupid, just don't do it. Thinking about the type of alcohol you drink while dieting is also important. Liquor generally has fewer calories, with most of types of booze being in the 90-110 calorie range. While still not extremely healthy, it's slightly better to drink when compared to beer. The average beer contains around 150 calories, most of which are empty, meaning they come from sugars and have no nutrients. If you think light beer is any better, the average can still has just over 100 calories. The unhealthiest are those that require sugary mixers, such as margaritas and gin and tonics, which can run upwards of 200 calories per drink. Look at this chart of suggested alcohol consumption per day, and consider that it's meant for people who aren't on a diet or striving for a personal fitness goal:

Those empty calories also hurt your muscle gain, with fat being unable to burn due to the body focusing on metabolizing the alcohol. Alcohol consumption also kills muscle growth, lowering protein synthesis and blocking the absorption of tons of key nutrients that go into building muscle. Also, there is bad news for the male bodybuilders, as drinking alcohol on a diet also decreases testosterone and increases estrogen. Those next-day hangovers also keep your workouts less intense, should you decide to even work out at all. When it comes to drinking alcohol on a diet, working out and using a meal management system daily is mandatory to maintain any sort of healthy lifestyle. If you have a set goal in mind and want to achieve the body of your dreams, it's best just not bothering with alcohol. Commit to your healthy choices and make a lasting impact on your body.