Lose Weight At The Bar – Tricks & Tips To Drinking

Have you ever been to the bar and seen someone in perfect shape, but have eyes that suggest that he has been drinking all his life? If yes, then it must have come across your mind about how is it that people are able to drink aplenty and still keep their weight down.^[2]

Ideally, if you are looking to lose weight, then alcohol should be the first thing that is recommended to be stopped.⁽³⁾ The reason behind it is that alcohol, especially beer, is full of calories, which remain unused. This results in gradual increase of belly fat with alcohol.⁽⁴⁾ It is thus recommended to completely abstain or cut down significantly on alcohol if you are planning to lose those extra pounds.^[2]

If you do not wish to completely do away with beer or wine at dinner, then there are certain drinking strategies that can be used, which will not only give you the pleasure of a nice drink, but also keep the weight in check. This article gives a brief overview of some of the drinking strategies that can be used to keep the weight down and still enjoy your favorite drink at the bar.^[1]

Water Before Alcohol: Make it a practice to drink a glass of water after every drink or mix Alcohol with water instead of soda or other juice. When you have plenty of intake of water, it will make your stomach full earlier meaning that you will be consuming fewer drinks than usual and thus the number of empty calories will also be less. This will overall help you maintain or even shed some weight. Medically, alcohol causes dehydration and drinking water will keep the body hydrated and keep the metabolism going which crumbles under the influence of alcohol.^{[1, 5]}

Eat Less: Whenever you have a party planned for the evening, try and eat a bit less. This does not mean that you have a drink on an empty stomach. Eating less will make you feel the effect of the drink within a couple of drinks. This means that you will be drinking less, which is actually good for the weight.^[1]

Think Before You Drink: Calculate in your mind after having a drink of the number of calories that you just ingested and how much exercise will be required to get rid of it. Studies suggest that running about 2 kilometers burns approximately 100 calories. A mug of beer or a glass of red wine is a bit more than 100 calories. Thus it would make you think how much you will have to run if you consume four glasses of beer or wine. This should prompt you to cut down on the number of drinks.^[1]

Don’t Give Into Peer Pressure: If you are a fitness freak, but still want to enjoy a night out with friends, then it is best to have a glass of juice instead of alcohol even if your peers pressurize you. Once you explain it to them then they will definitely understand as to why you do not want to have alcohol. Aerated soda is also a good alternative to beer, which can be consumed. There is no harm is just posing for a drink rather than actually having it.^{[1, 2]}

In summary, following certain drinking strategies is an excellent way to keep the body fit and maintain an ideal weight while going to the bar and having a few drinks.

Drinking a mug of beer fills in close to 100-150 calories, which requires a great deal of effort to get rid of. Thus, it is best to avoid alcohol if possible and if not then follow the tricks and tips mentioned above to stay fit.

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