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, count them, stick to one kind so counting is easier 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. If you drink regularly, your body gets used to alcohol and the same amount feels weaker. That is a reason to count your drinks, not to drink more. Alcohol also gets in the way of recovery. Your body burns alcohol first and puts the rest of its fuel use on hold. In studies, heavy drinking after training lowered muscle building even when people ate protein afterwards.

A couple of lighter beers put far less load on your liver than a night that ends drunk. Count your drinks instead of waiting to feel drunk. Tolerance makes that feeling a poor gauge, and by the time you notice it, you have usually had more than you planned. The rest depends on your priorities.

Context decides

None of this is black and white. For a regular beer in a beer garden, I would go for a lighter one. 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 is not too high in calories. Czech beer is labelled in "degrees" (°), which measure the malt extract before brewing, not the alcohol. A 10° beer is the lighter kind and a 12° beer the stronger one (roughly 4% and 5% alcohol). Typical values:

• Czech 10° lager, 0.5 l: about 185 kcal
• Czech 12° lager, 0.5 l: about 237 kcal. More alcohol adds calories, and the malt is a carb with calories too
• Vodka (40%), 5 cl: about 110 kcal. Shot sizes differ by country (a UK single is 25 ml), so check yours
• 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.
• Keep count. Hangovers depend mainly on the total amount of alcohol, much less on the mix. Sticking to one kind of drink mainly makes it easier to keep count. 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, snap each plate and each drink. Taking photos of food at a party is normal now. 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 Czech 10° lager (roughly 4% alcohol) has about 185 kcal per 0.5 l, a 12° lager (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?

Heavy drinking after training slows recovery and lowers muscle building, even if you eat protein. A beer or two seems to matter much less 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) Calorie values: typical figures from food calorie tables. Brands differ.

2) Alcohol after exercise and muscle protein synthesis: Parr et al., PLoS One, 2014.

3) Mixing drinks and hangovers: Köchling et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 2019.

More research on alcohol, appetite and sleep 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 coached 600+ people through fat loss, with plans built on research and around real life.

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Skip alcohol completely if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, if you are driving, or if your medication does not mix with alcohol. If you have a liver condition, ask your doctor first. If you feel your drinking is getting out of control, talk to your doctor or a local alcohol support service. In the Czech Republic you can call the First Psychological Aid Line on 116 123.

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