Abs, Pints and Kebabs
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor an expert on addictive substances. This article is intended to be my own experience, and not intended as health advice.
I recently received a question on my Instagram about alcohol. Is it possible to get into good shape, while enjoying some of the saucy stuff? The short answer is yes. Will you maximize your potential, however? No. Conversely, will you maximize your ability to neck cans if you care about your body composition? No. As with all things fitness-related, I like to give people options, so long as they understand the tradeoffs.
I am neither doctor nor Diageo. Thus, I will not get into the health questions, nor depress both reader and writer with what is considered a standard unit. This post is written simply for the purpose of getting in shape, developing a social life, and maintaining both in the long run. (hiccup)
Reality Check
In previous posts, I have gone into more detail about energy balance i.e. calories in vs. calories out, which dictates weight-loss, maintenance, and making the gains (given the right training stimulus). Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram/milliliter, with additional ingredients to your beverage making for a liquid feast over the course of a night out on the town. A pint may contain anywhere up to 250 calories, with wine somewhere in and around 70-100 calories per glass. Hard liquor is typically mixed, with some form of sugary beverage, so if you are blowing through jager bombs, best believe that you are in a very large energy surplus.
Regular weekend splurges can lead to either sabotaging a weight-loss plan or actually gaining weight. So as we eagerly anticipate the re-opening pubs and clubs in the coming months, here are some tips for damage control, should you choose to have a “proper” session :
Limit Frequency - I am definitely not advocating for a “feast of famine” approach to alcohol, but limiting the amount of “sessions” you have is going to have a huge impact that cumulative overconsumption will have on your physique. I’m probably at max. 2-3 drinking “sessions” per month on a bad month.
Hydrate - Sip Water in between sips and/or drinks. This serves two purposes. It spaces out your drinking so that you actually have time to register when you’ve had enough before topping up. It also puts some dent in the hydration deficit you’ll have to pay back the following day. i.e. a raging hangover.
Don’t Be Tempted by the Lamb of God - Even sober, my mouth waters at the thought of a filthy kebab. You may have overfed by up to 2,000 calories from your drinks alone (depending on how hard you go). No need to add another 1,000+ if you can avoid it.
Adjust Food Intake Either Side - It is unrealistic (and probably unhealthy) to try and account for every calorie you take in on a night out. What I try to do is shave off a few hundred calories on the day of drinking, and the following day. That said, I would line my stomach with plenty of high volume / low-calorie carbohydrates and protein prior to drinking. This will most likely limit your chances of succumbing to a takeaway at the end of the night, and may just be the difference between having a good night and ending up in jail with no eyebrows.
Moderation - As a precursor to all of the above, I would actually encourage folks who enjoy a drink,(and don’t have a physical dependency) to train themselves into moderation, by having a beer or a glass of wine throughout the week as part of their budgeted calorie intake. Assuming adequate micronutrient and fiber requirements have been met, this can be a guilt-free way of enjoying alcohol and ending a ‘feast or famine’ mentality. Remember, when things appear scarce, we tend to eventually splurge.
Where’s Your Head At?
The title of a previous post on mindset. A few years back, I used alcohol as a social crutch. I actually attended a couple of AA meetings at the age of 23 when I lived in California. I was not what most would consider an alcoholic, but I recognized a destructive pattern for sure. And though AA wasn’t for me, I’m glad I recognized the problem early on.
Fitness, as well as pursuing passion projects in my free-time had a number of knock-on effects on my self-esteem. So much so, that alcohol is barely an afterthought. When I do have a “session” it is more like 4-6 drinks, as opposed to upwards of 10. And it is typically once per month, as opposed to 2-3 nights per week.
Now, I am still human and sometimes I do go overboard, but it no longer seems worth it to me. I don’t do well with cutting things out, but rather, adding things in, with my vices tending to fade into the background. Fitness added so much to my life, that it isn’t worth it for me to consistently be too hungover to train. Just a thought. Maybe it helps someone else.