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| Frequent Friday Hangout |
Do you work out hard throughout the week, or when you can? Diet all week long? And then what is your fave activity on the weekends?
I myself, frequented Bar & Grills, restuarants, and clubs on the weekends many years ago. I did this routine...gym Monday thru Friday, parties Friday & Saturdays...hangover on Sunday...only to beat myself up at the gym the following week with no real progress. Totally counterproductive for my goals of weight loss.
With a little help from some bartender friends, I've come up with a list of common alcoholic drinks & their calorie content.
- Bud/Coors Light Beers: 99-110 cals.
- Bud Select 55: 55 cals.
- Glass of Red Wine (3.5 oz = 1 glass) 120 cals.
- Glass of sweet/dessert wine(3.5 oz. = 1 glass) (ex: Moscato): 165 cals.
- Chardonnay: 120 cals.
- Martini: 150 cals.
- Appletini: 160 cals.
- Sangria: 190 cals.
- Hard Lemon Zima: 231 cals.
- Bloody Mary: 140 cals.
- Bicardi Breezer (Berry): 220 cals.
- Margaritas (depending on flavor/on the rocks): 300-520 cals.
- Pina Colada: 320 cals.
- Jigger (1.5 oz) of Gin, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey (before adding juice/soda): 97 cals.
Now, looking at the calorie count, 1 drink ever so often is not going to send you over the edge of calorie counts. However, I remember, when I went out to dinner I had at least 2 margaritas at Que Pasa (that's anywhere from 600-1000 cals.) What about when you meet people for a drink after work? A couple glasses of wine: 300 cals. And what about a big BBQ where there is an ice chest of Coors lights & you have at least 3 (300 cals.), but more like 4-6 right? That's 400-600 calories of beer & this is before you started eating the chips, dips, ribs, macaroni salad, chili beans, etc.
No wonder we struggle with our weight, huh?
Here's where it gets scientific. There are words like 'lipid oxidation' and 'acetate' used in the explanation of how your body's ability to burn fat is slowed down/decreased/hindered by alcohol consumption.
Check this out if you want the whole story: http://www.fitnessquestonline.com/EffectsofAlcoholonFatMetabolism.pdf. Basically, ALCOHOL SLOWS DOWN YOUR METABOLISM!!!! You can't burn fat efficiently!
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| Infamous for Beer Belly! Do you have Homer's Physique? |
So in addition to dumping in 300-1000 calories or more into your body of stuff that blocks your body's ability to use needed vitamins & minerals...it slows down the body to burn fat!
No wonder people get a 'beer belly', huh? Remember Homer Simpson? He loved his beer!
With this info, you have to do something about your consumption. Some reading this have no goals to lose weight and may not see the point of limiting their intake of alcohol...google 'effects of alcohol on liver'...that's a sobering thing.
If you feel you 'just gotta have something to relax'...limit it to one. If you have a problem, seek help. I have someone dear to me who got help through AA. There are resources for you if you have a problem.
If you need motivation, think about how much money you will save each day/week/month/year if you kicked the habit all together. And then think how productive all that sweat & labor at the gym, working out would be! Some of you are trying to figure out what to give up to drop that last 10 lbs.
Voila - here's your answer!
Do yourself a favor & give up the alcohol...
your body, your liver, your family
will greatly benefit from it!
You can do it!!!!!
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