Burn Fat With This Six-Pack of Beer!

Here's a common question I get a lot of times when I talk to people about losing fat and changing their eating habits.

" So how many beers can I have?" or " Can I still drink wine?"

Well this week in our boot camps we are having a nutrition challenge of NO ALCOHOL for the next 7 days. For some this may be easy, but for others this will be a challenge.

If you are serious about losing fat and shrinking your waist line, then you need to seriously limit how much alcohol you consume.

Why? According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, alcohol is fat-sparing, meaning the body burns alcohol first before it burns fat for fuel. Drinking alcohol stops the body from burning fat as energy just as skipping meals and not getting enough rest does. Not only does alcohol shut down fat burning but it also causes the body to make even more bodyfat.

Plus drinking alcohol increases the desire to eat more high-calorie foods which is the worst thing you can do when the fat burning process is shut down. So your body just stores more fat and makes it harder to get rid of.

A glass of regular beer or wine supplies more than 100 calories. Reduce calories by choosing light beers, limiting the amount or switching to non-alcoholic beers and wines. Regular beer and wine are lower in calories than mixed drinks, such as martinis and margaritas.
Here is a little breakdown of calories in alcohol from www.livestrong.com

Calories in Beer
A 12-ounce bottle of regular beer delivers 153 calories, while its light beer counterpart is only 103 calories, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database. Beer companies have been trying to cut calories, and Budweiser has stolen the show. Calling it "the lightest beer in the world," Budweiser offers BUD Select 55, a light beer that delivers only 55 calories for a 12-ounce bottle.

Calories in Wine
A five-ounce glass of red or white table wine is 121 to 125 calories. Dessert wines are higher. A 3.5-ounce glass of dry dessert wine is 157 calories, and a sweet dessert wine is 165 calories. Note that a 5-ounce glass of non-alcoholic wine is only 10 calories!!

Bottomless Cup
Waiters and friends like to refill that wine glass or toss you another beer. Calories add up fast. Two 5-ounce glasses of wine totals 242 to 250 calories, and three glasses total 363 to 375 calories. Two regular beers are 306 calories, and three are 459 calories.

Beer and Wine Compared with Hard Liquor
A 1.5-ounce shot of vodka, rum, gin or whiskey is 97 calories. One shot full of hard liquor served on the rocks is less calories than a glass of regular beer or wine. Mixers can add many more calories. One apple martini is 235 calories, according to Calorie King. One large margarita is 325 calories, according to The Daily Plate.

So what if still want to drink alcohol and lose your love handles?

Well if you're looking to get drunk and wasted, then I'm afraid there's no solution for you....but if you just like the taste of beer and want to have a couple with your cheat day meal, then maybe there's one beer that can help you satisfy that craving and still keep that fat burning furnace running on high.

Try O'Doul's. Yes...I know it's non-alcoholic. Get over it ;)

It has everything beer has and it tastes really similar to regular domestic beers.  Plus it also contains zero crap carbs like High Fructose Corn Syrup. Eventhough it does says non-alcoholic, it still contains a trace of alcohol in it. But it takes 10 O'Doul beers to equal the alcohol amount of 1 regular beer! You can also get non-alcoholic wine with only 10 calories per 5 oz glass.

So if your serious about losing fat and getting in shape, then try our Boot Camp Challenge Week of NO ALCOHOL for next 7 days and post your comments on how you're doing below.

But here's the bottom line, alcohol and a leaner, stronger body just doesn't mix.

Get After It!
Mike