Hello Dear One!
Now that we’ve discovered the silver lining of coffee and understand how to consume that in an infinitely better way for health AND your waistline, let’s turn our sights to another known assumed obstacle.
TRUTH be told, we will NOT find the same magical treasure trove under the rock that is LIBATIONS, BUT we can still approach this from an angle of strategy and offset the harm that could be incurred in a substantial way.
A few things to incorporate thinking specifically about when you’re choosing to drink alcohol:
#1. WHAT
#2. HOW
#3. HOW OFTEN
Bonus (if you really want to do this as stellarly as possible):
#4. WHILE EATING WHAT (during and after)
#1: WHAT
There is a good, better, best line up for booze and being MINDFUL (even if not 100% adherent each and every time) will help to NOT have as many pounds accumulate as could.
Let’s start with what will give you the most alcohol for the least amount of calories…
CHAMPAGE!
Sparkling wine! (and obvi) the DRYER the BETTER (for all wine).
And then in order of importance:
– white wine
– rose
– red wine
– clear spirits (vodka, tequila, gin, rum)
– dark spirits (scotch, rye, whiskey)
– liquors (Baileys, Schnapps, St. Germaines, etc)
– BEER
SO.
This doesn’t mean that you can never have the double IPA that your favorite brewery produces, but it does mean that you MIGHT wish to be slightly more deliberate about how often it’s your drink of choice for the evening.
#2. HOW
I’ve talked about this in the past, and stand by it whenever I’m enjoying a cup a _____.
Drinking your drink like you’re at a wine tasting (sight, sniff, sip, swish, suck, swallow…) will make the alcohol BLOOM in your head and help you to feel the effects faster without actually consuming any more.
This will also enable you to feel less FASTER when you do stop/slow drinking.
Check out this video I made on the matter some time ago.
Most find it to be incredibly useful.
#3. HOW OFTEN
MAJORITY RULES!
If you drink more often than not it’s hard for your body to get ahead of the alcohol it’s trying to process and get out of your system.
The liver puts fat metabolizing on hold as long as alcohol is in your system as it sees it for the poison it is, and prioritizes your LIFE over having a trim figure.
Doh!
Fear not though, one thing we do in the 5 week Fat Burning Mastery program (read all about it here) is to support your liver WELL.
We do this in the effort of detoxification (one of the 5 parts of fat burning – check that out here), but a well supported liver means it gets garbage out of the body FASTER!
Meaning that fat metabolizing is put on hold for LESS time when drinking alcohol!
YAY!!
BONUS = #4. WHILE EATING WHAT:
Truth be told FAT is NOT the best macronutrient while consuming intoxicating beverages.
PROTEIN IS.
Carbs will join in for a happy second, but FAT is NOT as welcome at this party.
Alcoholic drinks are carbs.
High carbs and high fat is disaster for your waistline.
So when you ARE indulging (ideally) aim to eat more on the lean protein and higher fiber (IDEALLY) carb front and tone down your time with fat.
ADDITIONALLY, IF you ended up having a little more than ideal the night before and your body is calling out in the way of support with food – stick with the same plan.
Protein, some fat, AND the carbs your body desires.
Start with protein (lean or a little fatty) but make a point to incorporate some higher glycemic carbs as your body (and BRAIN) will be more than likely screaming for them.
So that’s it!
And lastly, please know that less IS more in the realm of alcohol.
There is just about zero benefit for you regarding ingesting POISON, but since that’s not enough of a deterrent for most of us, hopefully this approach will help to use it in a way that enables you to enjoy a drink(s) and have it effect you far less than it might.
If you’re in need of more strategy in the realm of personal training and coaching to look, function, and feel better – please check out a series of programs here.
And if you’ve yet to listen to an episode of the Unbound Podcast that speaks to all things fat loss, fitness, and freedom related, please give that a listen here as well.
To getting you clearer on how the body works, and how to make it work for you.
xox, M