Alcohol and those of you on strict caloric intakes...

[Kyza]

Note: This is not another thread concerning the effects of alcohol.

I am just wondering for those of you who watch your caloric intake pretty closely, do you decrease your caloric intake to allow for the alcohol calories?

[richo1000]

yeah, every once in a while when i feel like getting drunk i reduce my cals during the day, but i try and avoid alcohol and try not to consume it on a regular basis.

[Ajaxus]

i do adjust my caloric intake somewhat, but i also limit myself to no more than 3 drinks. a year ago i had problems with alcohol and a brush with death so i limit myself now for both the calorie control and to improve my health.

[TheManofSteel]

I always try and go for some Diet Coke & Vodka... no extra calories from the Coke... and Vodka is the most filtered/distilled spirit so I believe it has the least calories of all the spirits...

I do have to have an occasional Guiness though, still a sucker...

On a side note, I did buy a six-pack of that Heineken Premium Light last weekend... tastes fine by me if you enjoy Heineken type beers...

[dayzend]

according to muscle mag (i think) they said a few beers a few days a week is a good thing, the darker beers, (guniess) have the most antioxidants and are good for your health, it goes with the old "glass of red wine a day" mindset

i know your all cringing at the thought of a few beers and the endless calories, but once in a while, ill indulge, gotta stay sane

[ripped_holla]

I try to reduce calories a little bit. Definitely no unnecessary snacking on days where I know I'll be drinking at night. Every little bit helps I guess.

[djdefcon]

I am very strict on what I eat and how many calories I take in.....i always get my fibers, antioxidants, protein etc.....but you have to remember, just because you go out and drink once in awhile, you aren't going to get instantly fat, or put on weight....i think that is the mindset that most people have and that I used to have.....yes, alcohol is going to slow down protien synthesis and will affect your lifting the next day.....and I know people are going to say "Well it depends on your goals, if you dont care about your body and/or lifting then drink"....come on!! I LOVE lifting, Im at the gym everyday, i have a strict diet and workout routine, i love and care about my body, but I also like to have fun and I like to drink and party with my friends, its NORMAL....all I have to say, is I have seen NO affects on the looks of my body since I started drinking every now and then, no weight gain, no water rention, nothing....I say, if you want to drink, go for it....you live once

[ripped_holla]

I am very strict on what I eat and how many calories I take in.....i always get my fibers, antioxidants, protein etc.....but you have to remember, just because you go out and drink once in awhile, you aren't going to get instantly fat, or put on weight....i think that is the mindset that most people have and that I used to have.....yes, alcohol is going to slow down protien synthesis and will affect your lifting the next day.....and I know people are going to say "Well it depends on your goals, if you dont care about your body and/or lifting then drink"....come on!! I LOVE lifting, Im at the gym everyday, i have a strict diet and workout routine, i love and care about my body, but I also like to have fun and I like to drink and party with my friends, its NORMAL....all I have to say, is I have seen NO affects on the looks of my body since I started drinking every now and then, no weight gain, no water rention, nothing....I say, if you want to drink, go for it....you live once

Bump to this...I eat pretty strictly, don't miss workouts, and still go out with friends on weekends. Some damage-control points though:

- keep alcohol confined to the weekends (NOTHING the rest of the week)
- show some self-control and willpower and DO NOT pig out while drunk
- drink lots of water before and after drinking
- eat a nice full meal with lean protein, veggies, etc before drinking
- get back on track with diet the very next day

[Kyza]

I forgot I posted this thread a while back

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah I drink around once a month. I always hit the night spots with my buddies but I am now renowned for not drinking hahah. Thats all good though.

I sometimes go "nah I cant drink tonight, I have a big day tomorrow" but then I think ...****, one day can't hurt. I hate myself the next day but I had a fun night and as you said - you only live life once.

[JustLost]

Note: This is not another thread concerning the effects of alcohol.

I am just wondering for those of you who watch your caloric intake pretty closely, do you decrease your caloric intake to allow for the alcohol calories?

I'd word it more simply: Alcohol calories get counted just like any other calories.

[MCconditioner]

I go out drinking 1.5 times a week (usually one light night and one day and/or night fairly heavy). It hasn't really affected my physique...although I have been doing one or two extra sessions of cardio/week to compensate.

[msfatbootie]

I always try and go for some Diet Coke & Vodka... no extra calories from the Coke... and Vodka is the most filtered/distilled spirit so I believe it has the least calories of all the spirits...

I do have to have an occasional Guiness though, still a sucker...

On a side note, I did buy a six-pack of that Heineken Premium Light last w
eekend... tastes fine by me if you enjoy Heineken type beers...

Guinness is actually a great beer health wise, as far as beers go. It only has 125 calories and 10 carbs...

So if you are going for taste, and you want to enjoy a good stout...

its not that bad of an indulgence

[saku]

according to muscle mag (i think) they said a few beers a few days a week is a good thing, the darker beers, (guniess) have the most antioxidants and are good for your health, it goes with the old "glass of red wine a day" mindset

i know your all cringing at the thought of a few beers and the endless calories, but once in a while, ill indulge, gotta stay sane

ya i read that too, its cool to know a few beers once in awhile is ''good'' for you

cheers

[Nedo]

Drinking really f*cks with you when your 245 6'4, and need 15 drinks to feel great . I find I go soft as a pillow the next day after drinking, but then the day after back to tightened up.

[OverTheTop]

Note: This is not another thread concerning the effects of alcohol.

I am just wondering for those of you who watch your caloric intake pretty closely, do you decrease your caloric intake to allow for the alcohol calories?

I cant handle alcohol, I guess I inherited the "light weight" gene from my father, he couldnt handle it either, i'm talking passing out after 2 beers, and constant red face cackling after just 1 beer.

Anyways back to calorie cutting and fitting alcohol in, my thinking is alcohol has no nutritional value and therefore shouldnt be considered nutritionally at all. But anyways, if you must, fit your alcohol on your cheat day early after noon with your high protein meal, keep your water intake high and if you feel sleepy go take a big nap.
Cheat days are spaced 7 - 10 days apart for Endo and for Mesomorph 10 - 13 days, cheat days start one month into your cutting diet when you begin to start losing weight, so your carb cutting doesnt signal your metabolism to begin emergency storage of carbs to fat.

Here's a little blurb from a powerlifting forum, if youre curious what even the not so waist size conscious think about it....

Powerlifting rule #22
Watch Your Alcohol Intake
I know that you didn’t want to hear this one. One of the things that seem to increase with a lot of powerlifters when they are trying to put on weight is that they jack up their alcohol intake. I have heard several lifters say things like the following. ”Hey it will provide me with some extra calories to help pack the weight on.” Yeah, extra weight on your waist and glutes! You will get extra calories, but they will be empty calories with absolutely no nutritional value. From a nutritional point of view we have to take a look at the macronutrient breakdown of different foods and from here we can choose whether they are a good or a bad choice. From here we can decide to include or avoid them in our nutritional plan. Let’s take a look at the caloric intake of our macronutrients for a minute. Protein and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Alcohol on the other hand has 7 calories per gram! Isn’t that crazy? Considering alcohol has almost as many calories per gram as pure fat, doesn’t it make you wonder what it’s going to do to not only the look of your physique but your powerlifting performance as well? Now here is another problem that most of you may not be thinking of. Protein and carbohydrates have a lot of performance benefits for the powerlifter. Protein will help increase lean muscle tissue, increase your metabolic rate, helps in the recovery process, and increases protein synthesis. Carbohydrates provide your body with an excellent energy source, replace muscle glycogen stores after tough workouts, helps in the recovery process, plays a major role in cell volumization, and keeps our thyroid hormones in check. Now, how does alcohol play a role in this picture? It doesn’t play any nutritional role and this goes to show you that it shouldn’t be a major staple in our diet. Now you might be saying that you saw a study that showed alcohol actually helped lower cholesterol levels in some individuals. This is when it is used in moderate amounts, not in the way that some lifters consume alcohol. This doesn’t give you a valid excuse to go out on the weekend and get loaded on a Friday and Saturday. Don’t get me wrong, if you consume alcohol in moderation it can have health benefits but the key word here is MODERATION!

[speedjunkie]

all I have to say, is I have seen NO affects on the looks of my body since I started drinking every now and then, no weight gain, no water rention, nothing....I say, if you want to drink, go for it....you live once

+1. I drink a lot (at least 10 vodka/tonics) on weekends if I go out. If I know I am going to be drinking I low carb it a day or two before. This helps with all the extra calories you will consume with drinking and not only that you will look mighty lean the night you're drinking. Like already mentioned drink lots of water before and after drinking. In fact, I try to have a glass of water with each alcohol drink. The day after drinking I am more ripped than the night before cause of all the pissing I did.

[drifteresque]

If you're curious, there are plenty of general health studies.

http://communications.uwo.ca/media_n...sting_id=14653 (a generic one)

I think the thing to remember when scientists talk about health benefits of beer/wine/etc. it is usually along the lines of 8 oz a day or something like this. The consensus from what I've read being that any positive health effects are nullified when large amounts are consumed; the net effect being negative. So don't be fooled!

These days I'm not quite a teetotaler; I drink at Weddings, on holidays, etc. usually 4-6 beers. I go then go home and chug water and some juice until I'm sober. Ball park 10 times a year I would guess.

I know plenty of guys who are in good shape who love to party.