Drinking on a diet: how to handle parties, dinners and social events

Weddings, birthdays, business dinners, Friday after work. Drinking is part of life, and you can still lose fat. You just need a plan for it.

Short answer: Alcohol has 7 kcal (calories) per gram, so you can gain weight from it. The stronger the drink, the more calories it has. Pick lighter drinks, know your limit, stick to one kind and drink on a full stomach. If you have something now and then and count it in, you can keep losing fat.

Alcohol is energy

Alcohol has 7 kcal per gram. Protein and carbs have 4 kcal per gram, fat has 9. These are the "empty calories" you have surely heard about. So yes, you can gain weight from alcohol. It is energy like any other. Your body does not need it and gets little out of it, if anything the opposite. That is why we try to keep it low.

From that comes a simple rule: the stronger the drink, the more alcohol in it and the more calories in the glass or the shot.

What it does to your body and your training

Your liver breaks alcohol down automatically. Your body adapts to almost anything, alcohol included, so with time you need more for the same effect. But the liver, which handles most of the breakdown, also takes part in recovery and building muscle (and a lot of other things your body needs). If you train and then get drunk, your body puts clearing alcohol out of your blood first. Your muscles go second.

A couple of light beers put far less load on your liver than a night that ends drunk. So the feeling of being drunk is your best guide. Stay below it. The rest depends on your priorities.

Context decides

None of this is black and white. For a classic beer in the garden, I would pick a lighter beer. Lower strength, know your limit, do not overdo it.

Know the numbers before you go

The good news is that calorie tables list loads of drinks. Do a little research beforehand and find something you like that does not eat many calories. Czech beer is sold by "degrees": 10° is the lighter kind and 12° the stronger one (roughly 4% and 5% alcohol). Typical values:

• Light beer (10°), 0.5 l: about 185 kcal
• Stronger beer (12°), 0.5 l: about 237 kcal. More alcohol adds calories, and the malt is a carb with calories too
• Vodka, 5 cl shot: about 110 kcal
• Plum brandy (53%), 4 cl: about 115 kcal
• Dry white wine, 2 dl (200 ml): about 130 kcal

Sweet drinks add sugar on top of the alcohol. These are typical values from calorie tables and brands differ, so check yours.

The differences are big, as you can see. Write down what you like and how many kcal it has per serving. You see at once what costs you least, and you have a cheat sheet for when you are out.

Rules for the night

• Limit it. If you drink, at least write it down.
• Be careful with mixing. Ideally stick to one kind of drink and drink after you have eaten.
• Hangover tip. Part of that miserable feeling is dehydration, because alcohol dries you out. Drink plenty of water during the event and again at home, and put a full bottle next to your bed. Drink whenever you wake up at night, top up again in the morning and sleep on if you can.

Tracking when you are out

If you want to record what you drank and ate at a party, remember that everybody photographs everything these days. A photo of each plate or shot is not weird anymore. The next day you write it all down from the photos, calmly. That beats pulling out calorie tables among friends. And if you prepare in advance, you will do even better.

Nobody needs alcohol on a diet. If you have something now and then and count it properly, you can still keep losing fat.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in beer, wine and spirits?

A light beer (Czech 10°, roughly 4% alcohol) has about 185 kcal per 0.5 l, a stronger one (12°, roughly 5%) about 237 kcal. A 5 cl shot of vodka has about 110 kcal, 4 cl of 53% plum brandy about 115 kcal, and 2 dl of dry white wine about 130 kcal. Brands differ, so check yours.

Why is getting drunk after a workout a bad idea?

Your liver also takes part in recovery and building muscle. If you train and then get drunk, your body puts clearing alcohol out of your blood first, and your muscles wait. A little beer is far easier on your liver than a drunk night.

How can I make a hangover easier?

Part of the bad feeling is dehydration, because alcohol dries you out. Drink plenty of water during the night out and again at home, and keep a full bottle next to your bed.

How do I track what I drank and ate at a party?

Photograph each plate and each drink, and write it all down the next day from the photos. To prepare, look up in calorie tables what you like and how many kcal it has.

Sources, so you can check:

1) This article comes from my coaching practice and cites no studies of its own. The calorie values are typical figures from food calorie tables, and brands differ. The research on alcohol, appetite, sleep and muscle is listed in the article "Can you lose weight and still drink alcohol?" on this site.

Martin Barna

Online nutrition and fitness coach. Since 2013 I have helped 600+ people lose fat and keep the result. Science, not crash diets.

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This article is for information only. It is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, talk to your doctor.