Which alcohol is best during weight loss? You want to lose weight but still enjoy a drink with friends. Good news: you can drink alcohol and still lose weight. The trick is picking the right drinks and knowing how much to have.
Does Alcohol Stop Weight Loss?
Alcohol slows down weight loss but does not stop it completely. Your body treats alcohol like a toxin and burns it first before burning fat. This means when you drink, your body pauses fat burning for a few hours.
One gram of alcohol has 7 calories. That sits between protein and carbs at 4 calories per gram, and fat at 9 calories per gram. These are empty calories with no nutrients your body needs.
Research shows people who drink alcohol eat an extra 300 to 400 calories on drinking days. Alcohol makes you hungry and lowers your ability to say no to junk food. You grab chips, pizza, and late-night kebabs you normally would skip.
What Are The Lowest Calorie Alcoholic Drinks?
Spirits mixed with zero-calorie mixers give you the least calories per drink.
Here are your best options:
- Vodka, soda water and lime: 97 calories per standard drink
- Gin and diet tonic: 97 calories per standard drink
- Whisky with diet cola: 97 calories per standard drink
- Tequila with soda water: 97 calories per standard drink
- White rum and diet lemonade: 97 calories per standard drink
A standard drink in Australia contains 10 grams of alcohol. This equals 30ml of spirits, 100ml of wine, or 285ml of beer.
Light beer comes next at around 100 calories per bottle. Dry wines sit at 120 to 130 calories per glass. Sweet wines, regular beer, and cocktails pack 150 to 500 calories each.
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Download FreeShould You Drink Wine Or Spirits When Losing Weight?
Spirits win over wine for weight loss. A shot of vodka has 97 calories while a glass of wine has 120 to 130 calories. Spirits also let you control your mixer, so you pick zero-calorie options like soda water.
Wine contains some antioxidants but the benefits do not outweigh the extra calories when your goal is weight loss. Red wine and white wine have similar calorie counts, so pick the one you enjoy more.
Beer ranks last for weight loss. A regular beer has 150 calories and most people drink more than one. The bubbles and volume make you feel full, which sounds good but actually stops you eating proper meals with protein and nutrients your body needs.
How Many Drinks Can You Have Per Week?
Two drinks per week fits into most weight loss plans. This keeps your weekly calories from alcohol under 200, which your body can handle without major problems.
Studies on people losing weight show those who drink more than four times per week lose 30% less fat than people who drink once or twice per week. Your body spends too much time processing alcohol instead of burning fat.
Weekend drinking adds up fast. Three drinks on Friday and three on Saturday equals 1,200 calories just from alcohol. Add the extra food you eat while drinking and you wipe out your calorie deficit from the whole week.
What Mixers Should You Avoid?
Regular soft drinks, fruit juices, and pre-mixed drinks destroy your weight loss progress.
Skip these mixers:
- Regular cola: 140 calories per can
- Tonic water: 120 calories per bottle
- Orange juice: 110 calories per glass
- Lemonade: 130 calories per glass
- Energy drinks: 110 calories per can
Pre-mixed drinks in cans and bottles hide huge amounts of sugar. A vodka cruiser contains 220 calories. A rum and cola can has 250 calories. You drink two or three without thinking and consume 600 to 750 calories.
Cocktails with cream, coconut milk, or multiple types of alcohol reach 400 to 600 calories each. One piña colada equals a full meal worth of calories with zero nutrition.
Does The Time You Drink Matter?
Drinking earlier in the day gives your body more time to process the alcohol before sleep. Alcohol ruins sleep quality, and bad sleep increases hunger hormones the next day.
Research shows people who drink within three hours of bedtime get 40% less deep sleep. Poor sleep raises cortisol, a stress hormone that makes your body hold onto belly fat.
Drinking on an empty stomach gets alcohol into your blood faster but also makes you more likely to overeat. Having a meal with protein and vegetables before drinking slows alcohol absorption and keeps you fuller.
How Much Does Alcohol Cost Your Weight Loss?
Two drinks per week costs you about 200 calories, which equals 0.03 kilograms of potential fat loss per week. Over a year, that adds up to 1.5 kilograms.
Four drinks per week doubles this to 400 calories and 3 kilograms per year. Eight drinks per week costs you 6 kilograms of fat loss annually.
These numbers only count the alcohol calories. When you add the extra food people eat while drinking, the real cost jumps to 10 to 15 kilograms per year for regular drinkers.
FAQ About Alcohol And Weight Loss
Can I drink alcohol every day and still lose weight?
No. Daily drinking makes weight loss extremely hard. Your body never gets a break from processing alcohol, which means it rarely burns fat. Save alcohol for once or twice per week maximum.
Does alcohol turn into belly fat?
Alcohol does not directly turn into belly fat but it stops your body from burning the fat already there. The extra calories from alcohol and drunk eating get stored as fat, often around your stomach.
Will one night of heavy drinking ruin my progress?
One big night sets you back three to five days. Your body needs time to process the alcohol, recover from poor sleep, and get back to burning fat normally. The damage comes from making this a regular habit.
Is alcohol-free beer better for weight loss?
Yes. Alcohol-free beer has 50 to 80 calories compared to 150 in regular beer. You still get the taste without the metabolic slowdown from alcohol.
Should I skip meals to save calories for drinking?
Never skip meals to drink. This leads to faster intoxication, worse food choices, and muscle loss. Eat your normal meals with protein and vegetables, then fit alcohol into your remaining calories.
The Bottom Line
Spirits with zero-calorie mixers give you the best option when drinking during weight loss. Stick to two drinks per week, avoid sugary mixers, and eat a proper meal before drinking. Your weight loss will slow down slightly but you can still make progress and enjoy social events.
