Arguably one of the most common questions when it comes to embarking on this new lifestyle! And the answer is, it depends!
I know, how annoying is that?! But seriously, we are all adults (or at least if we are asking this question, we better be!) so this is something that is entirely up to you and where your goals are at!
You will go through phases. You won’t always be in a fat loss phase, or a competition prep/race prep/any type of major fitness event prep, and outside of those phases alcohol can easily be worked in with (most likely) little to no negative impacts.
Alcohol doesn’t actually contain any macronutrients – but don’t get too excited. It does contain calories, and a lot of them! If you track your food in any capacity, alcohol needs to be accounted for in order to continue making progress.
Macros convert into calories and so does alcohol.
1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
1 gram of pure alcohol = 7 calories
Looking at this you can see why including alcohol intake and doing it in the most accurate way possible is very important. (More on this later!)
Just like any other food, we always suggest looking at your macros and calories as a budget. We have essentials and non-essentials. What can you afford to spend your macros on, and even further.. should you?
Alcohol provides ZERO nutritional benefits, whereas all other macros do. While we recommend accounting for alcohol calories through carbs, it is important to remember that these calories will not benefit your body as actual carbs will. To have the best chance at achieving the most optimal body composition, athletic performance and a healthy body, you need all the nutrients your calorie or macro allocation will fit. (This logic also applies to eating “junk” foods.)
When making this decision, take a look at your macro budget. Is there room for alcohol or do your immediate goals require you to allocate them somewhere that is more nutrient dense?
This is where the fun of being an adult comes in. You get to make this choice! But you’ll have to be accepting of the outcome. What phase are you in? What does your training look like that day?
When you’ve decided to accept the drink, let’s make sure you’re accounting for it in the best way!
Go to our alcohol tracking guide here!
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