drink alcohol dieting

Alcohol and Dieting

Can You Drink Alcohol When Dieting

In theory, No. Most weight loss diets do not include alcohol.
Why not? Because alcohol contains 7 calories per gram – nearly twice the calorie content of carbs or protein (both, 4 calories/gram).

In practice, a reasonable amount alcohol is okay when dieting.
It won’t disrupt your weight loss significantly and the motivation benefits far exceed the extra calories.

What’s a Reasonable Amount of Alcohol When Dieting

It depends upon your present weight or how much weight you have to lose. For a general guide, see Figure 1.

Figure 1 – Reasonable Alcohol Intake When Dieting

Amount of Weight To Lose Units of Alcohol per Week
Men
Women
Less than 15 Pounds to lose
3
2
15-45 pounds to lose
3.5
3
More than 45 pounds to lose
4
3.5

Note: 1 unit is 1/2 pint of beer, or 1 standard measure of spirits, or 1 small glass of wine.