How are calories in food calculated? What about alcohol?

The calories in food are calculated based on the macronutrients it contains. The three main macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each macronutrient has a different number of calories per gram.

• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram.

• Protein: Protein has 4 calories per gram.

• Fat: Fat has 9 calories per gram.

So, if a food contains 10 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fat, it would have a total of 40 calories.  

But what about alcohol?  

With our clients, not only do we provide nutrition education, but we teach about macronutrients, create customized, balanced meals, and (for those who enjoy adult beverages) teach how you can modify your meals to best accommodate for those seltzers we enjoy on the lake, or red wine with our friends.

Tracking alcohol when tracking your macronutrients is a bit different, because we need to account for all of the calories through tracking as a carbohydrate, fat, or combination of both.  

Can you change your body and still enjoy alcohol?

Absolutely, as long as you’re hitting protein and within your calorie budget. HOWEVER - it WILL slow your progress down. Our bodies use carbohydrates and excess fat as energy, except when we have alcohol in our body.

What does this mean?

It means that losing excess fat is PAUSED when you have alcohol in your system, and alcohol can stay in your system for up to 72 hours.  The amount of time alcohol stays in your body after consumption depends on a number of factors, including:

• Your weight: The heavier you are, the longer it will take for your body to metabolize alcohol.

• Your gender: Women tend to metabolize alcohol more slowly than men.

• Your age: Your body's ability to metabolize alcohol decreases as you age.

• Your liver health: If you have liver damage, it will take longer for your body to metabolize alcohol.

• The amount of alcohol you consume: The more alcohol you consume, the longer it will stay in your body.

• The type of alcohol you consume: Different types of alcohol are metabolized at different rates. For example, beer is metabolized more slowly than wine.

If you do enjoy adult beverages (most of us do) - aim for 1-2 drinks a week, and stick to clear liquor, mixed with a no calorie beverage (club soda, diet soda, water, etc.).  Clear liquors are generally considered to be healthier than dark liquors because they have fewer calories and carbohydrates. For example, a shot of vodka (1.5 ounces) contains only 97 calories and 0 grams of carbohydrates, while a shot of whiskey (1.5 ounces) contains 110 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrates.

Clear liquors also tend to have fewer impurities than dark liquors. This is because they are distilled more often, which removes some of the congeners, which are the compounds that give dark liquors their color, flavor, and aroma. Congeners are thought to contribute to hangovers, so clear liquors may be less likely to cause hangovers than dark liquors.

If ALL of this is overwhelming, we’d love to help you navigate it! That’s what we’re here for!