Lowest calorie alcohol: What you can and can’t have when trying to lose weight?

Pure alcohol (ethanol) contains about 7 calories per gram, which is nearly the same caloric value as that of fat. This means that all alcoholic beverages contain calories. Moreover, they contain empty calories that only provide a lot of energy, without supplying you with nutrients.

Due to these reasons, alcohol is known to have adverse effects on weight loss progress. It can make it easy to go beyond your calorie deficit and can damage your waistline. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t consume alcohol at all. You just need to do it in moderation, follow certain rules, and choose low calorie alcoholic drinks.

The lowest calorie alcohol options to opt for include:

• Plain spirits (e.g., vodka, tequila, etc.)
• Wine
• Beer (especially light beer)

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If you are trying to lose weight, you must know that the only way to do it right is to consume fewer calories than you expend. When you set your body in a calorie deficit, it starts burning fat to make up for it. As a result, you burn fat and drop excess pounds.

To make it work, it’s important to adjust your diet and ensure that you don’t overconsume calories with food. And drinks count as well, especially those that are high in calories.

One of such beverage types is alcohol. Different kinds of alcohol contain 100+ calories per serving, making it easy to go beyond your deficit. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t consume alcohol at all while on a diet. You just need to opt for the lowest calorie alcohol.

Understanding Calories in Alcohol

Before we consider the caloric value of different beverages to find the lowest calorie alcohol, there are a few things you need to know about alcohol, in general.

All alcoholic beverages are made with pure alcohol (aka ethanol). Ethanol contains 7 calories per gram, which is almost as calorie-dense as fat. Given this, the first thing you need to know is that there is no alcohol that wouldn’t contain any calories.

Such a high calorie content in alcohol is explained by its production method. All pure beverages, including spirits, beer, wine, and others, are made with sugar and natural starch. A combination of these ingredients creates calories. Additionally, many beverages contain added sugar for taste, whereas mixed drinks can also contain soda or juices that are also high in sugar.

This brings us to another important thing to know – when you consume alcohol, you receive empty calories. This means that you get a high amount of energy from sugar without essential nutrients, such as protein, fiber, or others. Simply saying, there is no nutritional value. Just calories.

How Does Alcohol Affect Weight Loss

Now that you know about calories in alcohol, the next big question is how consuming it can affect the weight loss process.

Unfortunately for everyone who enjoys a glass of wine or beer from time to time, alcohol isn’t harmless for weight loss. It can slow down the progress in the following ways:

• Alcohol makes it easy to overconsume calories. If there are roughly 100-200 calories per alcoholic drink, having even one glass can lead to excessive calorie consumption, especially if you set a fairly strict deficit, such as 1000 calories a day.
• Alcohol is used up first. Let’s say you consume a total of 1200 calories a day, 200 of which from alcohol. In this case, your body will first use alcohol as an energy fuel. When it ends, the unburned calories, including those from fats and carbs, may remain and get stored.
• Alcohol can affect your food choices. Many people enjoy salty and processed snacks with alcohol. Needless to say, these add up to your daily calorie intake.

These are just a few of the many effects that alcohol can have on your body. On top of these, it can cause water retention, affect sleep quality, worsen digestion, and otherwise impact weight loss progress.

Another important note is meant specifically for those of you trying to lose weight via intermittent fasting. Due to a high amount of calories and sugars, alcohol breaks a fast. So it’s important not to consume it during your fasting windows. Otherwise, you risk losing the benefits of intermittent fasting.

Lowest Calorie Alcohol: Rating the Safest Options

As you already know, all alcohol has some calories. However, not all beverages have the same negative impact on your waistline. The truth is that the amount of calories per drink can vary significantly.

So, what alcohol has the least calories? Let us share with you the top options:

1. Plain Spirits

Spirits top the list of low calorie alcoholic drinks because these beverages typically undergo a distillation process, which removes nearly all sugars and carbs. When you drink them plain, you minimize the amount of calories consumed and, consequently, don’t harm the weight loss process so much.

Here is an overview of popular spirits with their calorie content per 1.5 fluid ounces:

• Vodka: 97 calories
• Tequila: 98 calories
• Whiskey: 105 calories
• Gin: 115 calories

2. Wine

Next, after plain spirits comes wine. It’s a popular choice of a low-calorie alcoholic beverage that also offers a number of benefits. Depending on the type of wine, it can even aid the weight loss process and improve your overall health (in moderation, of course). For example, white wine has been shown to reduce body fat percentage, waist circumference, glucose levels, and blood pressure.

Here’s how many calories you will get from a 5-ounce glass of different wine types:

• Sauvignon Blanc: 120 calories
• Pinot Noir: 121 calories
• Merlot: 122 calories
• Chardonnay: 123 calories

3. Beer

There is a common belief that beer and weight loss can’t go together. People often associate beer with the formation of the alcohol belly. But this doesn’t mean that all beers are bad for your diet. Most studies conclude that moderate consumption of beer is not linked to being overweight, so you can enjoy this drink as well, especially its specific types.

The approximate calorie content in a 12-ounce serving of beer can vary as follows:

• Light beer: 100 calories
• Regular beer: 150-180 calories
• Craft beer: 180-300 calories

Practical Tips for Enjoying Alcohol on a Diet

Based on everything said earlier, you must be wondering whether it’s possible to enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverages while trying to lose weight. The short answer is “yes.” But there are many things to consider.

First of all, we have to state this – you can significantly boost your weight loss efforts if you cut back on alcohol. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t have it at all.

Despite a high content of calories and other adverse effects of alcohol, it may have an insufficient impact on your weight loss progress if you consume it wisely. Here are practical tips for consuming alcohol while mitigating its impact on your body:

• Practice moderation. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a glass or two of wine at a restaurant. However, having more drinks will make you overconsume calories. So it’s important to do it moderately. 
• Mind your calories. Remember that every drink contains calories, so when you decide to have alcohol, you have to account for the specific amount of calories you consume during that day.
• Plan ahead. When you decide to consume alcohol spontaneously, this may affect your drink and food choices and make it harder to practice moderation. However, when you plan ahead, you can know what you are going to drink and in what amounts in advance.
• Eat before drinking. Make yourself a delicious, nutrient-rich meal before going out or pouring a glass. When you eat beforehand, you will feel fuller, which can prevent overeating after alcohol.
• Hydrate well. It’s generally recommended to have a glass of water for each alcoholic drink you have. This can help you limit total alcohol consumption and prevent dehydration.
• Choose the right beverages. As you now know, the calorie content in different alcoholic drinks can vary significantly. So it’s important to choose wisely. The best low calorie alcoholic drinks include plain spirits, wine, and beer. The worst types include all kinds of mixed drinks because they typically contain soda, juices, and syrups that add sugars and carbs.

FAQ

Do all alcoholic beverages have calories?

Yes. Technically, there is no such thing as calorie-free alcohol because pure alcohol (ethanol) contains about 7 calories per gram. Respectively, all kinds of alcohol contain some calories. However, their amount can range significantly, from 50-60 to 100+ and even 200+ calories.

Is alcohol strictly prohibited while trying to lose weight?

No, it’s not. Although it doesn’t really benefit the weight loss process, it’s still possible to consume alcohol while trying to lose weight. However, it’s important to follow certain rules, such as picking low calorie alcoholic drinks, eating before drinking, and practicing moderation.

What alcohol has the least calories?

The best low calorie alcoholic drinks include all plain spirits, wine (without added sugar), and beer (especially light ones). These beverages are known to contain the fewest calories per serving, which means that you can occasionally enjoy them in moderation. At the same time, you should avoid mixed drinks and cocktails. 

Conclusion

For many years, there has been a myth that alcohol is strictly prohibited on a diet. While it definitely impacts the weight loss process, this is not quite true. You can enjoy some alcoholic drinks in moderation even when trying to lose weight.

As you now know, there is a broad selection of low calorie alcoholic drinks, such as spirits, wines, and beers, that you can consume without harming your progress. Use the advice from this article to continue enjoying your nights out without gaining extra weight!

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