Alcohol And Fitness - Getting a Six Pack and Loving Beer
I want a Sex on the Beach! Can you have a Sex on the Beach and keep that physique? All things considered, alcohol and weight loss are enemies.
A drink or two can have its place in a healthy diet.
In fact, many experts note the health benefits of one glass of red wine including decreased high blood pressure.
However, if you're slamming anything from 3 to 24 drinks in one night of shenanigans, you might be sabotaging your weight loss plans.
I realize this surprise everyone (sarcasm)...
But before you fall into the marketing schemes of Miller "light" and Michelob Ultra who masquerade as a weight watchers beer because it doesn't have as many carbs, let's take a look into the actual reason of WHY your waistline chub won't budge with your binge drinking ways.
Alcohol Metabolism - First thing to realize is that alcohol is metabolized differently than your meatball sub sandwich.
Under normal conditions, your body gets its energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats and proteins that need to be slowly digested in the stomach and intestines.
Once you start tossing back the martinis or draft beers, the alcohol gets special privileges and needs no digestion.
Alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall as soon as they arrive and reach the brain and liver in no time flat.
This reaction is somewhat slowed when there is food in your system, but as soon as the mixed contents enter the small intestine, the alcohol gets first dibs on digestion and is absorbed quickly.
The alcohol then shows face in the liver for processing.
The liver will place all of its attention on processing the alcohol, subsequently halting protein synthesis.
No protein synthesis, no muscle repair.
Recovery just halted and it's in the recovery that results are unveiled.
Alcohol also stimulates the secretion of insulin which aids in the shuttling of carbohydrates (glucose) and dietary fats to be converted and stored as body fat.
Decreased muscle, increased fat...
hmm, that doesn't sound good.
Alcohol is a diuretic - Alcohol encourages the body to lose more water than it takes on by impeding the production of the body's anti-diuretic hormone.
This results in the ever familiar frequent bathroom visits, speeding up the loss of fluid from your body and leading to dehydration.
This also strips us of vitamins and minerals, which needs to be present for the body to function normally.
These vitamins and minerals are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation.
The dieresis simply sucks you dry.
Alcohol's Caloric Value- I'm sure you've heard of the term "empty calories".
A gram of carbohydrate or protein will give you 4 Calories to burn, while a gram of fat will give you 9.
All three will supply you energy to get through your day and make it into the front doors of the gym.
Alcohol tosses in 7 Calories per gram while providing no positive health effects other than a great buzz to put a smile on your face during happy hour.
- Hide quoted text - Here's a small caloric chart to give you an idea: Calories in Dark Beer Pint 187 Calories in Mild Beer Pint 136 Calories in Gin & Tonic Single 120 Calories in Red Wine 175ml Glass 119 Calories in Vodka & Coke Single 120 Calories in Vodka & Diet Coke Single 56 Calories in Sex on the Beach 4.
2oz 292 Calories in White Wine - Dry 175ml Glass 116 Here's a great source to count your monthly Caloric intake.
Simply plug and play: Alcohol Counter Late Night Food - We all know that alcohol lowers our ability to make good decisions in more ways than one.
For our purposes we'll stick to the impact it has on willpower and food.
Alcohol will actually stimulate your appetite.
While you may have just ingested an easy 1500 Calories from six fruity drinks, they didn't necessarily fill you up the way a comparable Calorie load of 3 Big Macs would (Big Mac Calorie Chart).
To top it all off, you might actually head to McDonalds to grab a Big Mac and fry! In a matter of 4 hours time you inadvertently consumed 2500 Calories that snuck themselves in during your "after hour" activities.
I'll just skip a few meals to compensate - Whoo Nelly!! Stop yourself before you do this.
You'll only add to your hunger and drive to make bad decisions late night.
Instead, toss back a nutritious, balanced meal of Complex Carbs, Protein and healthy fats before you head out for a few drinks.
A turkey sandwich on whole wheat whole grain bread is a quick and easy pre-drinking meal to help you steer away from the 2am deep fryer.
I drink liquor to keep my calories minimal - While many of you use this technique to ease your mind, rest assured that you actually have options.
You may think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer have carbs.
Remember, it's the alcohol calories that are the issue, not the 7 CARBS IN A LIGHT BEER!! While 7 carbs (28 Calories) can be burned by a few flights of stairs, it's the 100+ empty Calories that do the harm.
It's obvious that a Flirtini or Sex on the Beach will be loaded with sugar and needless Calories.
So stick to the light beer, glass of wine, liquor with soda water, diet tonic or choice low calorie combo.
In the grand scheme of losing weight and drinking alcohol, any of the three options are created equal.
In closing - Alcohol has been around since 10,000 B.
C.
I'm assuming it'll be around for at least a few more.
Whether we like it or not, its negative effects on a fit body are real and unavoidable.
If you want to adopt the ole "If you can't beat em, join em", go for it.
It can work as long as you make a few tweaks to optimize wherever you can.
Steer clear of late night food and always remember that less is better when it comes to alcohol consumption.
Don't you dare do any weight lifting on a days you know you'll be curling 12 ounce cans.
Taking away much needed nutrients by consuming alcohol after you've broken down your muscle tissue is actually undoing gains made during your workout and is negating your body of its basic needs.
Other than that, enjoy the cocktails and make the best of all life has to offer...
Cheers! -Patrick Hitches
A drink or two can have its place in a healthy diet.
In fact, many experts note the health benefits of one glass of red wine including decreased high blood pressure.
However, if you're slamming anything from 3 to 24 drinks in one night of shenanigans, you might be sabotaging your weight loss plans.
I realize this surprise everyone (sarcasm)...
But before you fall into the marketing schemes of Miller "light" and Michelob Ultra who masquerade as a weight watchers beer because it doesn't have as many carbs, let's take a look into the actual reason of WHY your waistline chub won't budge with your binge drinking ways.
Alcohol Metabolism - First thing to realize is that alcohol is metabolized differently than your meatball sub sandwich.
Under normal conditions, your body gets its energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats and proteins that need to be slowly digested in the stomach and intestines.
Once you start tossing back the martinis or draft beers, the alcohol gets special privileges and needs no digestion.
Alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall as soon as they arrive and reach the brain and liver in no time flat.
This reaction is somewhat slowed when there is food in your system, but as soon as the mixed contents enter the small intestine, the alcohol gets first dibs on digestion and is absorbed quickly.
The alcohol then shows face in the liver for processing.
The liver will place all of its attention on processing the alcohol, subsequently halting protein synthesis.
No protein synthesis, no muscle repair.
Recovery just halted and it's in the recovery that results are unveiled.
Alcohol also stimulates the secretion of insulin which aids in the shuttling of carbohydrates (glucose) and dietary fats to be converted and stored as body fat.
Decreased muscle, increased fat...
hmm, that doesn't sound good.
Alcohol is a diuretic - Alcohol encourages the body to lose more water than it takes on by impeding the production of the body's anti-diuretic hormone.
This results in the ever familiar frequent bathroom visits, speeding up the loss of fluid from your body and leading to dehydration.
This also strips us of vitamins and minerals, which needs to be present for the body to function normally.
These vitamins and minerals are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation.
The dieresis simply sucks you dry.
Alcohol's Caloric Value- I'm sure you've heard of the term "empty calories".
A gram of carbohydrate or protein will give you 4 Calories to burn, while a gram of fat will give you 9.
All three will supply you energy to get through your day and make it into the front doors of the gym.
Alcohol tosses in 7 Calories per gram while providing no positive health effects other than a great buzz to put a smile on your face during happy hour.
- Hide quoted text - Here's a small caloric chart to give you an idea: Calories in Dark Beer Pint 187 Calories in Mild Beer Pint 136 Calories in Gin & Tonic Single 120 Calories in Red Wine 175ml Glass 119 Calories in Vodka & Coke Single 120 Calories in Vodka & Diet Coke Single 56 Calories in Sex on the Beach 4.
2oz 292 Calories in White Wine - Dry 175ml Glass 116 Here's a great source to count your monthly Caloric intake.
Simply plug and play: Alcohol Counter Late Night Food - We all know that alcohol lowers our ability to make good decisions in more ways than one.
For our purposes we'll stick to the impact it has on willpower and food.
Alcohol will actually stimulate your appetite.
While you may have just ingested an easy 1500 Calories from six fruity drinks, they didn't necessarily fill you up the way a comparable Calorie load of 3 Big Macs would (Big Mac Calorie Chart).
To top it all off, you might actually head to McDonalds to grab a Big Mac and fry! In a matter of 4 hours time you inadvertently consumed 2500 Calories that snuck themselves in during your "after hour" activities.
I'll just skip a few meals to compensate - Whoo Nelly!! Stop yourself before you do this.
You'll only add to your hunger and drive to make bad decisions late night.
Instead, toss back a nutritious, balanced meal of Complex Carbs, Protein and healthy fats before you head out for a few drinks.
A turkey sandwich on whole wheat whole grain bread is a quick and easy pre-drinking meal to help you steer away from the 2am deep fryer.
I drink liquor to keep my calories minimal - While many of you use this technique to ease your mind, rest assured that you actually have options.
You may think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer have carbs.
Remember, it's the alcohol calories that are the issue, not the 7 CARBS IN A LIGHT BEER!! While 7 carbs (28 Calories) can be burned by a few flights of stairs, it's the 100+ empty Calories that do the harm.
It's obvious that a Flirtini or Sex on the Beach will be loaded with sugar and needless Calories.
So stick to the light beer, glass of wine, liquor with soda water, diet tonic or choice low calorie combo.
In the grand scheme of losing weight and drinking alcohol, any of the three options are created equal.
In closing - Alcohol has been around since 10,000 B.
C.
I'm assuming it'll be around for at least a few more.
Whether we like it or not, its negative effects on a fit body are real and unavoidable.
If you want to adopt the ole "If you can't beat em, join em", go for it.
It can work as long as you make a few tweaks to optimize wherever you can.
Steer clear of late night food and always remember that less is better when it comes to alcohol consumption.
Don't you dare do any weight lifting on a days you know you'll be curling 12 ounce cans.
Taking away much needed nutrients by consuming alcohol after you've broken down your muscle tissue is actually undoing gains made during your workout and is negating your body of its basic needs.
Other than that, enjoy the cocktails and make the best of all life has to offer...
Cheers! -Patrick Hitches