Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?

You might think this post is timely with the
holiday. Or maybe not so timely. Just depends how much
you want to drink over the Thanksgiving
holiday.;-)

Regardless, it will be helpful to know what the OK
amount of alcohol is. So keep reading and learn
something to help your weight loss efforts.

Or bookmark this and come back after Thanksgiving.
(Or the New Year if you really plan to imbibe).

Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?

Yes, you can. But don't go and make yourself a
martini just yet. There's more to it than that.
You still have to be smart about it.

I always laugh when I see beer commercials touting
3.2 grams of carbs in beer. Or when they compare their beer to a martini served in a thimble. It's cute and obviously resonates with the weight conscious drinker. But that shouldn't concern you.

There are two things to consider when drinking
alcohol. Calories, specifically those from carbs,
and alcohol content. Which one do you think
matters more? Let's take a look at both.

Calories - All drinks have calories; beer, wine,
and liquor. But it's the cocktails that should
scare you the most. Any popular mixer will contain
most of the calories and ALL of the sugar.

Take a daiquiri for example, or any fun colored
frozen concoction. An 8 oz. glass will have almost
500 calories and over 20 grams of sugar! You can
see the damage you could do by drinking just a
couple of those.

Alcohol - It won't make you fat. Yes, read it
again. Try throwing back shots of tequila and see
if you gain weight. You won't. But add in some
sweet and sour mix, a salted rim, and 4 baskets of
chips and salsa. Now we're talking weight gain. Bienvenidos body fat!

I have an alcohol rule for losing weight. 1 drink
2x/week OR 2 drinks 1x/week. You get to choose.

Why is that my rule? Because of this one very
important fact... Concern yourself less with the
calories or sugar of what you're drinking but
think about the metabolic priority drinking does
to you.

You see, alcohol is metabolized before anything
else in the body. So have a few drinks with dinner
and you're body will go after the alcohol first
before the carbs, protein, and fat.

This is exactly the opposite of what exercise does
to your metabolism. An intense workout will create
that afterburn effect which keeps the metabolism
ramped up after the workout helping you burn calories long after your workout.

So stop thinking about carbs or even calories and
think metabolically.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when drinking.

==A glass of wine should be 5oz. A typical red
wine glass holds 12-14oz. Although you might think
you're getting lucky when the bartender tops off
your glass, you're not.

==If you're drinking a cocktail opt for real
mixers. Use real lime juice, lemon juice, and diet
tonic or soda. Most if not all pre-made drinks
will be chalk full of sugar and calories.

==If you're really trying to be aggressive with
weight loss, keep your drinks for special
occasions. Get out of the habit of having a glass
of wine with dinner or winding down for the night
with a drink. Make it more of a treat than the
norm.

The FT Team and I would like to wish you and your
family a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!!!

Cheers,

Tim Chudy

P.S. If you're struggling to lose weight I'd urge
you to schedule a nutrition consultation. Andrew,
our client of the month in October has lost 30lbs.
Lucinda, our client of the month this month has lost
70 total lbs! And Cindy, who'll be featured in December
has lost 32lbs in 8 weeks. This program flat out works.
Request your consultation here.

Fitness Trends for 2012

The fitness industry is one of the fastest growing industries today. And it has continued to be over the last 20+ years. Americans are heavier, less fit, and unhealthier more than ever. Thus giving rise to a myriad of fitness, nutrition, and
weight loss solutions. Some good. Some not so good.

The American College of Sports Medicine released
it's survey results for the top fitness trends of
2012.

I listed a few of the top 20 here with my comments.


Educated and experienced fitness professionals.
This trend will never fade. Trainers aren't looked
upon just for the Hollywood elite anymore.
Trainers are for everyone. Just as plumbers,
accountants, and dentists are too. Smart people seek solutions to their problems from experts.

Strength training.
Jack LaLanne and Au-nold helped introduce this to
the American landscape. It's changed a bit but the
foundation is still the same.

Fitness programs for older adults.
Research shows baby boomers to have made more
income leaps than any other generation before. You
can retire with all the money in the world, but if
you can't enjoy the fruits of it then what's the use? And you don't take any of that money with you when you die. Think about it... if you've managed to create financial independence then you want to travel, be active and get out and do things. Your health and fitness is vital for that.

Exercise and weight loss.
As I've said before, you can't outwork a bad diet.
You need both diet AND exercise to lose weight.

Children and obesity.
I've talked about this many times before. And my conversations with our clients that are Peditricians only bring home this problem even more. This problem continues to grow (no pun intended) and must be addressed.

Core training.
With the majority of Americans suffering from back
pain this is a BIG area of emphasis for us. We sit in front of a computer all day, are less active day to day, and have bigger waistlines. All
of these contribute to poor core strength, bad
posture, and back pain. It can be one of the
easiest fixes... IF it's done correctly.

Group personal training.
We realized this trend and is the very reason why we launched our Small Group Personal Training program with huge success last month. The same components of our traditional one-on-one programs, but with the energy, fun, and SAVINGS of a small group.

Zumba.
I can't say I've tried this myself, but my wife has and she really enjoyed it. We also participate in St. Luke's Spirit of Women Day of Dance expo.
There was an overwhelming turnout and I've never
seen that many ladies have so much fun! Zumba was
a clear favorite.

Functional fitness.
This type of training has exploded over the past few years. It's seeped its way into all areas of fitness. Functional training is ideal for the golfer wanting to improve his stroke to the stay at home mom wanting strength and mobility to carry kids and groceries.


ACSM lists these as trends, but some will NEVER die. If you've been reading my blogs and emails for awhile now then you know your program should consist of strength training, cardio training, and nutrition. Versions and modifications of these will come and go. But the foundation will never change. Real lasting results come from those three.

To your health,

Tim Chudy

P.S. If you'd like help from an expert - specifically with your fitness, nutrition, and weight loss - set up a consultation with me. Join the other folks that have totally changed their bodies and their lives.