ARE YOU A WEEKEND WARRIOR?
We all drink it..
But how can we enjoy alcohol without ruining your progress?
1g of Alcohol provides 7kcal of energy. That is more than protein and carbohydrates (4kcal per g) but less than fat (9kcal per g). Alcohol calories are ‘empty calories’ meaning they have no nutritional value.
I’d always recommend drinking in moderation, but I understand that some of you are unwilling to give up to much of your social life. That’s fine, you will have to make some sacrifices though, but we can make it work.
take a look at these two scenarios:
Scenario 1:
You go on a night out and stick to one drink. Let’s say for example the drink is Budweiser, and you have 10 beers.
1 x 330ml Budweiser contains 128kcal..
10 x 128kcal = 1280kcal
Add on your usual donner kebab on your way home which would
be anywhere between 750-1500kcal.
That’s between 2030-2780kcal extra calories for one night out.
This would put anyone over their calorie allowance! Combine that with an extra 1000kcal or so the next day because you are feeling sorry for yourself then that adds up to almost 3000-4000kcal extra over the weekend! Enough to gain 1lb of fat!
Scenario 2:
You go on a night out and stick to Bud Light. You have two fewer beers (8).
1 x 330ml bud light contains 89kcal.
8 x 89kcal = 712kcal (568kcal less than regular Budweiser)
This time instead of your donner kebab you go for a chicken shish kebab, for this you’re looking at 600-800kcal.
This scenario would total up to anywhere between 1312-1512kcal extra.
Granted this is still a lot, and enough to put you over your calorie allowance for that given day. Combine this with getting back on track the next day then you have saved 718-1268kcal just by making choices that are more congruent with your goals.
here’s how we make this work…
For this to work, you need to plan ahead. Average calories are more important than your daily intake. So let’s say for example your calorie deficit intake is 2000kcal per day, and we know you’re going to go roughly 1200kcal over this intake at the weekend. We can then adjust your calorie intake for the rest of the week so the averages work out!
2000 x 7 = 14000kcal (per week).
14000 - 3200kcal (for night out) = 10800kcal
10800 ÷ 6 = 1800kcal
This would mean 6 days per week you’d eat 1800kcal, and the other day you would have 3200kcal to allow for your night out (bare in mind your calorie intake will differ).
Try this method out on your next night out and see how you get on!
Does alcohol affect exercise performance?
Consuming alcohol before exercise is obviously not a great idea. This can result in reduced coordination, reaction time, balance, and judgement. It can also reduce strength, power, speed, and endurance amongst many other negative side effects. Hopefully, you didn’t need to be told not to drink alcohol pre-workout!
So, can I drink alcohol and reach my goals?
There is no reason you cannot enjoy alcohol in moderation on non-training days and the odd night out. Some research suggests that moderate levels of alcohol can reduce risk of heart disease, red wine in particular.
When you drink alcohol, some of it is used to produce energy meaning less glycogen (stored carbohydrate) and fat are used. However, the liver can only break down alcohol at a slow pace, and if you drink more alcohol at a higher rate than 1 unit per hour, it will be dealt with by a different enzyme.
The more alcohol you drink on a regular basis the more of these enzymes your body produces which is why people who don’t drink very often get drunk quicker and people who drink often can handle their drink better!
The downsides...
Alcohol is a depressant, and is potentially toxic to all of the cells and organs in your body. If it builds up to high concentrations can cause damage to your liver, stomach and brain.
As most of you will have experienced, too much alcohol causes hangovers. Headaches, thirst, vomiting, and heartburn are some of the symptoms felt. Most of these symptoms are due to dehydration so ensure you drink water
between drinks when you are drinking alcohol.
NEED HELP?
Feel free to send me a message on Facebook, Instagram or via e-mail (conormoranpt@yahoo.com) if you’re struggling with this or have any questions, I’d be happy to help.