THE 7 BEST LOW-CALORIE COCKTAILS
Before I spill the tea on the 7 Best Low-Calorie Cocktails we need to go over some key facts real quick:
Did you know that 1 average sized Margarita (I LOVE Margarita's by the way) have the same number of calories as large fries from Micky D's? Or that a piña colada has the similar amount of calories as a donut? * insert open mouth emoji here*
I used to love mixed drinks until I learned about the nutrition value and how it was affecting my goals. Instead of giving up completely, I started doing my research because I'm a millennial and want to go out and enjoy a drink or 2 every now and then.
Let's get down to the science of alcohol and how it affects your snatch goals real quick:
#1 Drinking alcohol in excess packs on extra calories and makes & keeps you fat.
Sorry in advance if I crushed your plans of binge drinking all weekend and hitting the gym on Monday in your hopes to burn it off that’s not exactly the way it works.
Most women exercise to lose weight but you don't necessarily need to have an extensive, aggressive exercise regimens to get your summer snatch. Why? Because exercise is one of the smallest components to your weight loss and is usually not what you're struggling with. You don't necessarily need to ham on your fitness routine until you get your eating and drinking in order.
If you've been exercising and not seeing results it might be because you're binge drinking on the weekend and canceling your workouts.
Here’s what I see happening often: In just a few short hours while you’re out for the night, you drink (without realizing it) your entire caloric intake (or more) per day with your favorite drin2k(s) plus the nachos & dip you couldn’t resist.
If you go hard at the gym but are binging on the weekends your hustling backwards. If you want to see results you're going to need to cut back on your alcohol consumption.
Alcohol has almost twice the number of calories as regular food.
It also lowers your inhibitions to eat healthy. This means it’s not just the extra calories from the alcohol that screws up your goals but what happens afterwards.
Alcohol is also not considered "food" and diminishes your discipline. It doesn't fall into any macronutrient category (aka carbs, fats or protein) even though it packs on a sh*t ton of calories.
It’s the greasy $2 slice of pizza + fries + munchies you just inhaled that put the icing on your love handles.
It’s critical to be conscious of exactly how much you’re drinking and use moderation. I always tell my clients to log their food so that they're more aware of what they’re actually eating.
Even though you may feel a “high” after a few drinks the truth is that alcohol is also a depressant. This means it slows down vital functions—resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly.
Not only does it have those results when you're day drinking or out for the night but it also suppresses the brain’s ability to function during your workout. So, before you reverse all of the hard work you’ve done here’s 5 other quick facts you need to know:
#1 Sugar gets stored as fat
The juices and sodas that many alcoholic beverages are made with like pineapple, orange & coconut juice have A WHOLE LOT of processed sugar.
“At seven calories per gram, alcohol is closer to fat than to carbohydrate or protein in caloric content. Alcohol tends to lower restraint, she notes, causing a person to become more indulgent with what they’re eating.”- Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientific officer of Weight Watchers International.
These drinks have such a high-calorie content that they serve no real nutritional purpose in your body and will be stored as fat.
#2 Beer Belly: Also known as the FUPA
Abdominal obesity or beer belly, fupa, gut, food baby etc. is caused by an overload of calories in your body. That overload just hangs out in your midsection until otherwise told to move by intense exercise.
Genetics also play a huge part in where fat is stored. Women’s bodies were created to store fat (because we can bear children) in our midsection and thighs.
Depending on your age, genetics and other factors fat could also be stored & distributed differently.
It’s the easiest to gain and one of the hardest to lose. It’s called stubborn fat for a reason! Unfortunately, This is why so many women resort to liposuction.
But ladies, I promise you, you don’t need Liposuction. Lipo is a TEMPORARY solution to a much bigger problem.
Instead of cashing out your hard earned cash on something temporary -- hit the gym & get control of your eating to help you get rid of it for good.
The fat will come back if you don't address what the issue is aka drinking too much. If you gain weight again (because you might, if you don’t control what you eat) instead of the fat going to your stomach it'll go into weirder/harder places for your body to burn.
Liposuction is essentially a trap — but that’s a blog post for another day.
#3 Health Risks
IT'S AN ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET OF RISK - TAKE YOUR PICK
Increased belly fat in your midsection does more than reduce your chances of getting likes on Instagram or winning a bikini model competition. It’s associated with a variety of health risks from Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease.
#4 The Munchies
Alcohol can and most likely will increase your appetite. At parties or after the club, the foods readily available are typically easy, greasy and quick.
For me, once I have more than one drink it feels like my will power has evaporated. While you’re intoxicated it is almost impossible to resist the chimi’s, pastelitos, chips, dip, cookies, pizza etc
#5 It Disrupts Your REM Sleep.
During sleep is when your muscle actually grows, changes & recovers. The importance of sleep in your body goals is non-negotiable if you want to see results.
Although you may think that your sleep is better after you get buzzed your body cannot sleep deeply while you're intoxicated. The body thrives off of REM sleep because that's when all the magic happens.
Instead of eliminating all alcohol at once, make small changes.
Start with choosing smarter drinks with higher alcohol content levels but fewer calories. This allows you to drink less while still getting the same buzz that you would get from higher calorie drinks. Remember why you started and choose wisely.
Here are 7 Slim drink suggestions that could help you the next time you are out:
Mimosa
Red Wine
Champagne
Vodka with soda water
Rum and Coke
Martini
Mojito
The comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there! 💖 — Masiel Encarnación