Alcohol and Weight Loss – Know the facts

If you are trying to lose weight and keep it off then you need to watch what type and amount of alcohol you enjoy.

Department of Health guidelines state that men can drink between three and four units of alcohol per day without serious risk to health. This amount is reduced to between two and three units per day for women. However, alcohol affects different people in different ways and some people (for example, those with a low body weight) may find that they feel side effects more quickly than others.

A unit of alcohol is equal to about half a pint of normal strength lager, cider or bitter, a pub measure (25ml) of spirits, or a 50ml pub measure of fortified wine (such as sherry or port).

However, in Northern Ireland and Ireland pub measures of spirits are larger (a third of a gill) and a measure of spirits equates to 1.5 units.

If you are planning on having a drink or two this weekend, here are a few facts and figures you may want to keep in mind before you hit the pub.

What are the best options if you are trying to lose weight?

Spirits with a slim-line tonic or diet drink.

White wine especially if it’s made into a spritzer by adding diet lemonade or mineral water.

Avoid low carbohydrate beers as these are very high in alcohol.

Try shandies made with diet lemonade.

Dry martini with slim-line tonic.

Calorie Content

**Kcal content of beers & lagers: **

Half pint of draft bitter (227ml) = 95kcal

Half pint of stout (227ml) = 86 kcal

Half pint of draft lager (227ml) = 83 kcal

Bottled lagers (250ml) = 73 kcal

Bottled cider (250ml) = 90 kcal

Half pint of dry cider (287ml) = 103kcal

Half pint of vintage cider (287ml) = 290kcal

Kcal content of wines & spirits:

Pub measure of spirits (25ml) =52kcal

Pub measure of spirits in Ireland (36ml) = 77kcal

Bottle tonic mixer (113ml) = 25kcal

Slim-line Tonic (100ml) = 1kcal

Small bottle of white dry wine (187ml) = 140kcal

Small bottle of red wine (187ml) =127kcal

Medium Glass of red wine (150ml) = 102kcal

Dry Sherry (50ml) = 58kcal

Sweet Sherry (50) = 68kcal

Port /Glass of champagne (120ml) = 76kcal

Dry Martini (48ml) = 52kcal

Red Martini (48ml) = 72 kcal

Kcal content of Alco pops:

Bacardi Breezer = 200 kcals per bottle

Diet Lemon Bacardi Breezer = 110kcal per bottle

Hooch = 245 kcal per bottle

Kcal content of Liqueurs:

Cointreau (25ml) = 79kcal

Drambuie (25ml) = 79kcal

Baileys (25ml) = 81kcal (note: 4 g fat)

Pernod (25ml) = 79kcal

Southern Comfort (25ml) = 79kcal

Tia Maria (25ml) = 66 kcal

Kcal content of soft drinks & juices:

Can diet drinks (330ml) = 1-2 kcal

Glass of coke, fanta, tizer, 7up (200ml) = 98kcal

Glass of cordial = 3-30kcal (depending on the brand)

1 glass apple juice (200ml) = 80kcal

Glass of orange juice (200ml) = 84kcal

Glass of tropical fruit juice (200ml) = 120kcal

Glass of tomato juice (150ml) = 28kcal

What about bar snacks?

Try not to succumb to the many bar snacks available.

A typical 30g bag of crisps contains over 160 calories and a massive 11g of fat while a small tube of Pringles (50g) has 285 calories and 20g of fat.

A small bag (30g) of tortilla chips contains 145 calories and 7g of fat.

If you grab a bag of chips on the way home and you’ll add another 500 calories and 26g of fat

You only have to eat around 3,500 extra calories to gain a pound, so a few reckless nights on the town could undo all your hard work!

It’s up to you, remember that you are in control of what you eat.

Are peanuts a good choice?

Although peanuts and other nuts are a good source of protein and contain healthy fats, nuts are extremely moreish and should be avoided on nights out.

A small packet of salted peanuts (25g) provides 150 calories and 13g of fat. A tube of dry roasted peanuts (50g) gives you 295 calories and 25g of fat.

How much alcohol can I drink without risking my health?

Women can drink up to 2 to 3 units a day and men up to 3 to 4 units a day, without significant risk to their health.

A unit is half a pint of standard strength beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirits. In Northern Ireland and Ireland the spirit measure is larger and one measure equates to 1.5 units.

A large glass of wine is about 2 units and Alco pops are about 1.5 units.

For good health, spread your drinking throughout the week and avoid binge drinking.

It’s recommended that we avoid alcohol for 48hours on a weekly basis to give the liver time to recover.

Is alcohol good for the heart?

There is evidence to suggest that moderate amounts of alcohol, between one and two units a day, can protect against coronary heart disease. But this protection is only thought to be significant later in life. For men this is when they're over 40 and for women this is after the menopause.

Scientists are currently investigating the so-called 'French paradox.'

The French eat food high in saturated fat yet their levels of heart disease are much lower than those in the UK. It is thought that the larger quantities of red wine, fruit & vegetables and olive oil in the French diet could provide an explanation.

But care needs to be taken with this assertion because, even though heart disease rates in France are lower than UK rates, their rates of alcoholic liver disease are higher due to their drinking habits. ***