1/21/2023 (Originally posted 12/29/2021)
Alcohol, Eating out, Fast food
Drinking alcohol while on a diet can make it harder to lose weight due to:
-Most alcohol would be considered “empty” calories in that it contains no nutrients, such as fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals.
-Most distilled spirits are low or no carb BUT most mixers are high calorie/high carb (juices/soda).
– We consume alcoholic drinks as “extras” and not part of planned daily calorie intake.
– Drinking alcohol will relaxes people’s inhibitions and increases most people’s appetites, cravings for unhealthy foods, overeating, and late-night snacking.
-Alcohol can interfere with the body’s fat burning mechanism.
-Drinking too much alcohol can reduce an individual’s interest in exercise.
Certain strategies can help a person to reduce the amount of alcohol they consume.
Some tips include:
– drink water between each alcoholic drink
– set limits – avoid drinking shots
– focus on sipping drinks slowly
– smaller glass/portion
– avoid drinking late at night
– avoid drinking on an empty stomach
– avoid mixing alcohol with drinks that contain caffeine, such as energy drinks, coffee, and tea, as these can prolong periods of drinking
– try cutting back to one drink a night, then skipping alcohol for a few days at a time
Bottom line – Once alcohol is consumed, the body will metabolize the alcohol FIRST – before glucose or fat storage.
Eating out:
Sometimes it’s tough to stay true to our diets while eating out at restaurants or during business or vacation travel where meal prep may not be an option.
Here are some suggestions:
– If you know where you will be eating – PLAN AHEAD – look up the menu online and decide THEN on what you will be ordering. Once you get to the restaurant – STICK TO YOUR CHOICE!
– Avoid words like pan-fried, crispy, dipped, breaded.
– Look for words like grilled, steamed, baked, roasted, broiled, seared.
– EAT MEAT – EAT FISH.
– Order 2-3 veggies or salad/veggies as your sides.
– Sauces like BBQ, teriyaki, and honey mustard can be loaded with sugar/carbs – go with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
– Eliminate the croutons/bread/rolls/potatoes/desserts.
– Don’t be afraid to ask questions about ingredients or preparation.
– Realize that most restaurant portions are likely 2-3X a “normal” serving so plan to “box it up” early.
– Drink Water (Skip the fancy drinks – with or without alcohol)
I avoid fast-food all together – just not my thing and wasn’t even before when I was heavier. When I do “indulge” it’s something like:
Jersey Mikes – “Sub in a Tub” – chicken cheesesteak – Italian cold cut – turkey club.
5 Guys – Lettuce wrapped burger (these are top notch!) – HOLD the fries!
I order the “sub in a tub” thing at a few local sub shops as well – I’ve found that most are pretty accommodating to those requests.
If you live in the York, PA area, Marisals Sub Shop on Mt. Rose Ave. offers a full keto menu (and homemade keto desserts) – We like the Italian sub roll-ups, bacon-wrapped mozzarella, big-mac salad.
They also offer a low carb pizza crust option and a “Big Mac” pizza which is really good!
Keep in mind the cauliflower pizza crusts while being gluten free are generally still VERY HIGH in carbs.
18 Best “Keto” Fast Food Items:
Welcome to Big Loser Jim's ULTIMATE ALL NATURAL Weight Loss Solution! 