Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?

Can you drink alcohol and lose weight? Yes, as long as you set a limit before you go out. My rule is 2 drinks for the whole weekend, and on a night out I choose a drink or a dessert, not both. Alcohol has calories too, and drinking your calories can really add up compared to eating them.

How I drink alcohol and still lose weight

My limit is 2 drinks for the weekend. When there's a get together, a barbecue or a weekend away, I try to stick to 2 drinks for the whole weekend. That way I'm not overdoing my calories with liquid.

With a limit, I avoid drinking empty calories. I still get to enjoy the weekend, and I don't feel like I'm choosing between fun and my goals.

Do drinks count as calories?

Yes. When it comes to alcohol and weight loss, I remember that drinks have calories too.

That's one more reason I'd rather keep the number small and plan for it ahead of time.

A drink or a dessert, not both

My other rule is simple. Choose between alcohol and dessert, but don't have both. You get to decide which one you'd rather have. I will always choose dessert over alcohol.

One date night, we went to a Cuban restaurant, and I was torn between a mojito and something sweet. A mojito has alcohol, which has calories, plus the cane sugar they add. I figured the drink could have been anywhere around 300 calories. What I really wanted was more of that Cuban coffee, so I ordered a cortadito instead: just more milk, a little bit less coffee. It was delicious.

Going out but not drinking?

Skipping the alcohol doesn't mean skipping the night. If your friends or your partner like to go to bars, you can still keep them company. You just might not drink. Order yourself a drink with no alcohol, like a Diet Coke, and pretend like you're drinking.

What I drink the rest of the week

Day to day, I stick to zero calorie drinks. The calories in drinks add up fast, and I'd rather eat mine.

I still have an old cup from Las Vegas that I used to drink alcohol in. Now it's my water cup, and I keep it with me all the time. If I was willing to drink something like that with alcohol, why can't I drink water?

Holiday party season

This is when the drinks show up the most, at the work party and the family ones. At a party, I pair my drink limit with a one plate rule: a little of everything I want on one plate, and no seconds. With those two rules, you won't feel like you're choosing between a fun night and your goals.

Planning the nights out is part of the plan I build with every A Cup of Fitness client online, along with the weekends and the dinners out. Apply for my coaching program here.