JACK DANIELS (1.5 ounce shot):
- Calories: 96
- Carbs: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Four years ago, John Watson (of popular cycling site the Radavist) was fed up—literally—to the tune of 225 unhappy pounds; his bike life suffered the consequences. “I wanted to be able to enjoy tough rides and be fit enough to carry camera gear with me, or sprint up ahead to set up a photo,” he wrote in a personal account last year. “I wanted to up my game.”
Watson gave his diet a hard look and made some changes. Key among them: He saved his beloved burgers, pizza, and BBQ for treats after particularly long, hard rides, opting for lean protein and salads most of the time instead. And he gave up beer altogether, switching solely to bourbon. On the bike, he started mixing some harder rides into his regular cycling repertoire.
• Keep it clear and/or neat. When picking your poison, clearer spirits have the least impact on your metabolism, says Sims. “They are metabolized faster than anything else and have minimal sugar and sulfites, so you don’t get the same insulin response that promotes fat storage as you do with more sugary drinks,” she says. “So best to swap beer for a clear spirit cocktail with a very low sugar mixer or a whiskey neat.”
• Alcohol drops inhibitions and increases appetite. Buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks were invented for a reason—to feed people who have had too much to drink. “Drinking dims your appetite satiety signals,” says Sims. That means you may feel hungry and eat more if you drink too much. In the end, there’s no magic to the matrix, it’s all a matter of not just making smart choices, but also sticking to them.
Calories and Alcohol
Weight loss is a matter of consuming fewer calories than you use, which can be more difficult sometimes if you're drinking. Not only do you need to account for the calories in the alcoholic beverages you're consuming but also any extra food you eat due to lowered inhibitions from the alcohol. A jigger of tequila has 115 calories, and the same amount of whisky, gin, brandy or rum has 115 to 125 calories, depending on the proof. If you add mixers to make a cocktail, the calories can really skyrocket. For example, a White Russian has 270 calories, an 8-ounce margarita has 453 calories and a pina colada has 644 calories.
Drs. Michael R. and Mary Dan Eades (Protein Power)
“Can I drink alcohol on the Protein Power Plan?”
“Yes, you can! But, like with everything else, you are limited by your Carbohydrate Maximum. Dry white or red wine (3 oz.) or Miller Lite beer (12 oz.) will cost you 3 or 4 effective carb grams, but are still reasonable choices as long as you count them in your daily totals. Hard liquor will cost you a lot of empty calories. Take it easy and count those carbs! Wine-in moderation-can even help improve insulin sensitivity.”
