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Stay on Track Over Memorial Day Weekend!
Memorial Day weekend is upon us... and we all know what that means.
Parties, gatherings, beach days, boat trips, or just a simple good old fashioned backyard barbecue.
And with those events, alcohol is likely to show up.
Drinking alcohol can prevent us from burning fat (your body tries to burn the calories from alcohol first, rather than fat), it impairs our workout recovery, and if you drink too much and get a hangover, you may even skip training!
You don't have to totally abstain though. You can still reach your goals if you want to have a drink or two this weekend (or all summer). Here's how:
1. COUNT THE CALORIES FROM ALCOHOL
Whether you're trying to lose or gain, it all boils down to energy balance, aka caloric intake. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. So track that alcohol. Let's be honest though, you're not going to whip out your scale for some alcohol. So find the amount of calories per fluid ounce or per shot by looking at the labels, and track/account for them. If you're more of a beer person, keep in mind that beer is also loaded with carbs, and those calories really add up.
2. DON'T LET ALCOHOL INFLUENCE YOUR FOOD CHOICES
You know how it goes. You get hammered and next thing you know, you've devoured an entire pizza. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which also means your food choices. Make a plan, and stick to it. I'm not suggesting to have your typical bro-diet this weekend, enjoy yourself, in moderation. You're going to be really disappointed the next few days when you've gained weight and are bloated to all hell. Don't forget your goals.
3. CHOOSE LOWER CALORIE DRINKS
If you're serious about your goals, step away from the intricate mixed drinks, because they're typically laden with sugars. Don't even think about a long island iced tea! (roughly 800 calories each!)
Keep it simple with something like rum & diet coke, or a vodka soda. You get the point.
4. MAKE A PLAN, AND STICK TO IT!
You can have a couple of drinks and still hit your targets. What you can't do is have 10 drinks and hit those targets. Set yourself up for success by making a plan and sticking with it. Fail to plan? PLAN TO FAIL!
Parties, gatherings, beach days, boat trips, or just a simple good old fashioned backyard barbecue.
And with those events, alcohol is likely to show up.
Drinking alcohol can prevent us from burning fat (your body tries to burn the calories from alcohol first, rather than fat), it impairs our workout recovery, and if you drink too much and get a hangover, you may even skip training!
You don't have to totally abstain though. You can still reach your goals if you want to have a drink or two this weekend (or all summer). Here's how:
1. COUNT THE CALORIES FROM ALCOHOL
Whether you're trying to lose or gain, it all boils down to energy balance, aka caloric intake. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. So track that alcohol. Let's be honest though, you're not going to whip out your scale for some alcohol. So find the amount of calories per fluid ounce or per shot by looking at the labels, and track/account for them. If you're more of a beer person, keep in mind that beer is also loaded with carbs, and those calories really add up.
2. DON'T LET ALCOHOL INFLUENCE YOUR FOOD CHOICES
You know how it goes. You get hammered and next thing you know, you've devoured an entire pizza. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which also means your food choices. Make a plan, and stick to it. I'm not suggesting to have your typical bro-diet this weekend, enjoy yourself, in moderation. You're going to be really disappointed the next few days when you've gained weight and are bloated to all hell. Don't forget your goals.
3. CHOOSE LOWER CALORIE DRINKS
If you're serious about your goals, step away from the intricate mixed drinks, because they're typically laden with sugars. Don't even think about a long island iced tea! (roughly 800 calories each!)
Keep it simple with something like rum & diet coke, or a vodka soda. You get the point.
4. MAKE A PLAN, AND STICK TO IT!
You can have a couple of drinks and still hit your targets. What you can't do is have 10 drinks and hit those targets. Set yourself up for success by making a plan and sticking with it. Fail to plan? PLAN TO FAIL!
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