I get asked a ton about ALCOHOL.
(PLEASE NOTE….this is of course a discussion about “healthy” overall alcohol intake and a “healthy” relationship to drinking so if discussing alcohol is a trigger, please ignore this post and know I will love you for doing so.)
I get asked if I drink it…
YES.
Beer?…meh. Wine?…meh. Craft cocktails and margaritas?
Hells to the YEAH!
I also get asked about how it fits into the macro cycling program and a healthy lifestyle in general.
I’ll tell you right now…
NO alcohol is healthy.
Now don’t go trying to defend the health benefits of your wine…Cause that just really isn’t all that it’s touted to be.
First off, most of us DO NOT actually get those supposed benefits.
And secondly, most of us aren’t really consuming wine for it’s health benefits in the EXTREMELY moderate amounts it should be consumed.
Basically studies showed the healthiest amount of alcohol was ZERO.
Sorry to break it to you, but as I jokingly say all of the time – Alcohol is a toxin.
Drink it knowing this.
But that doesn’t mean there can’t be a reason to ENJOY alcohol.
I would argue the only real “benefit” of alcohol is that you ENJOY it and life is meant to be enjoyed.
And that by relaxing, and enjoying a couple of drinks with friends, you can lower stress levels, which may, in the end, do much more to benefit your overall health than a few drinks will do to negatively impact it.
Because STRESS does play a major role in our overall health. Much more of one than we give it credit for.
So if alcohol is a part of your lifestyle, it doesn’t have to be eliminated.
But how do you TRACK alcohol if you’re counting macros?
I do tell clients though that when they are starting out with tracking their macros to keep it to their “cheat day” or at least 1-2 set days.
Logging alcohol is an interesting thing.
While beer and wine will register a few carbs, alcohol will register as calories but not really a macro since it’s…well…it’s own macro.
So if you’re trying to track and log, you can count it as either a fat or carb, whichever you have more of with the ratio you are using.
You will then divide the calories in your alcohol by 4 for carbs or 9 for fat to get the grams of each you would have consumed. (No you can’t count it as protein :-P)
If you can, I do recommend counting it as a fat because alcohol suppresses fat oxidation.
So alcohol can fit into a balanced lifestyle even while you’re tracking to get a specific result.
I will tell you though that if you want FASTER RESULTS, eliminating alcohol, if even just for a time, can be key.
Let’s face it…most of us get a few drinks in us and want some not so healthy treats!
Plus, even if you avoid overindulging, alcohol can also negatively impact the benefits you see from your training done PRIOR TO drinking by inhibiting protein synthesis and lipolysis (or fat loss).
Not to mention it usually makes for a crappier training session the next day (hehe this picture below cracks me up)!
And dudes…you have it worse as drinking negatively impacts your testosterone levels too!
Plus, it can perpetuate and create inflammation, which can not only make you feel aches and pains more but be detrimental to your workouts AND your recovery!
So, while I’m sure this sounded negative, my overall feeling is that you can find a balance and that alcohol doesn’t have to be something you eliminate.
Just go in with your eyes wide open when you do decide to indulge.
Find that lifestyle balance that helps you eat according to your goals!
Join my Macro Hacks Challenge!
Thanks for writing this…alcohol has become so accepted as part of every day life. 96 calorie beers after a workout… skinny cocktails and wines. I live in KY… bourbon capital of the world where we say a small pour has little calories so indulge. I love the IPA’s which are like eating a loaf of bread. At 54 it has an even greater impact on me. I’ve purged my pantry now it’s time to purge the cooler and the cabinet.
I think it is just knowing what works for us and knowing there can be a balance. Be that indulging OR even fully abstaining! But we just have to know and understand that it isn’t really healthy BUT can be enjoyed!
I love your posts but have to disagree with this one. If no alcohol is healthy, I’m really confused why you would say it’s okay as part of life’s ‘balance.’ It’s a drug, it’s poison, it’s a toxin and it is highly addictive. If one familiarlizes oneself with This Naked Mind by Annie Grace, you can’t unsee the truth and, if you are truly advocating a healthy lifestyle, alcohol can’t really be any part of that. Sorry but it’s true~ unpopular, counter-culture and definitely not ‘sexy’ but true. Fortunately, there is a growing movement of people who get this.
Hi Jen. I don’t lie to people and won’t tell people not to drink when I DO. There are people that live to 100 drinking and those that die young not indulging. And frankly I don’t think for everyone it is addictive. I think, as I state in my article, it comes down to knowing YOURSELF and YOUR NEEDS. And if you do indulge, knowing there is no benefit other than a mental or emotional one. I love it as part of my life and find it does provide a stress-free balance. So I’m not going to GUILT someone into not drinking. You’re allowed your opinions and I’m allowed mine. I’m glad YOU found the balance right for you and I’ve found the one right for me. 🙂
It was good to find this after we chatted. I like that you justify why to count it as fat calories and that you focus on sustainability for each of us. Thanks!
Brilliant words Cori – spot on – I’ve changed my binge drinking style and now will only have one or two now and again – it’s definitely a mind set – I love how you don’t make people feel guilty for having a drink as part of their journey ?
All about finding what is sustainable for us! So glad you’ve found that balance Alison!
I couldn’t agree more Cori!! Definitely, find the balance that is right for you. Of course alcohol is not a healthy and nutritious food, but if you find a way to include it in your overall healthy lifestyle because you enjoy it, do it! And you need to know you, if alcohol is addictive to you and you can’t control it, abstain, same as if you can’t control eating just 1 or 2 cookies and once you start you can’t stop until you finish the whole package. But if you love something, even if it’s not the healthiest food out there, including it once in a while it’ll only make you happier and also help you be consistent with your overall healthy lifestyle, therefore helping you reach your goals, all of it without feeling miserable because the things you enjoy the most (and usually are not chicken and broccoli lol) are not out of reach and you know you can enjoy them and reach your goals at the same time. Thank you Cori!!
Refreshing to see a trainer not preaching about not having alcohol to be healthy but ensuring you know the consequences alcohol consumption has on your health and fitness goals. Moderation is the key here and the knowledge that a little treat occasionally will have a temporary impact on your physique. Great article ?
Thank you Ellie! So glad it helps!
All about finding the balance right for you so you can be consistent and reach your goals while enjoying life! No one size fits all!
Great article! I agree with you Cori! It’s all about the balance and personal preferences.
Thank you!
Brilliant article as always. If the occasional drink helps de stress and relax with a friend or family it will help overall mental health and attitude which in my opinion will help boost desire to train and follow an otherwise healthy lifestyle. To ban something you enjoy from ones life will only make one crave for it more and ultimately make a person miserable and probably eventually give up on what one originally intended to achieve anyway. We are meant to enjoy life as a whole journey. Even Olymians allow themselves the odd time out from the perfect diet and lifestyle.
Just wow to Jen Rohde.
Brilliant Cori inspiring as always.
Thank you! Glad the post helps Zoe 🙂
Thank you and well said! I think it’s realizing that a big part of health too is STRESS. And sometimes doing something that doesn’t technically promote better “health” actually CAN improve our health because it adds to our overall life balance and enjoyment. Just about striking the right balance for you so you enjoy life and do your best to promote the longest possible time on this lovely planet 🙂
This was extremely insightful and you used choice language and while just speaking the truth. I also love how human you are in so many aspects of your life. It makes you so relatable. Thank you for always sharing your wisdom and your truth!
Thank you! I’m so glad it helped!