5 Steps to Stop Alcohol From Keeping You Fat

Hi everyone, usually I don't like to type on Sunday! Today is supposed to be my quiet day and should be resting nicely. I came across through my email about this. I thought I should pass this up to you. Enjoy!

Look, I'm not going avoid the reality that many of you drink, and drink often, and drink too much. That's one of the main reasons you are tired and overweight. Ben says: Yep, Bingo!

But enough of the lecture, let's look at a 5 step plan to get you out of the booze routine and into a more energetic, healthier, leaner lifestyle.
Over at Men'sHealth.com, I was recently asked by a young lawyer what he should do at social events that include boozing. And as you know, lawyers are around booze early, often, and repeatedly (mind you, if you have a flask in your desk, you're beyond this article).
The calories from alcohol (150 per shot) add up fast. Add in calories from mix (another 150) and you are looking at 300 calories per round (ie. from a jack and coke), compared to 150 calories from a regular beer (110 from lite beer), and about 150 from wine.

Ben says, Wow, that is a load of hot calories into your body. This is why you should be able to cut back from alcohol drinks and focus on the ones that has low calories such as Water! Water is a better choice.

Throw into the mix the poor food choices we make when drinking, and you could be looking at a 5000 calorie night when all is said and done (10 drinks at 300 calories, plus 2000 calories from really poor food choices during the drinking and post-bar food on the way home).

Ben says: Think about it! How many of you do this? I sometimes do this, but I know what food is a better choice. I have a client that does not know how to have a self control. She wants sweets into her mouth and give her pleasure of taste of chocolate pie. Don't we all? That is why we are weak, but we need to be stronger and much more control for food choices.

His email guy says: Hey, I know how it goes. I see it every week, since I live steps away from the upscale club district in downtown Toronto frequented by the lawyers, brokers, and socialites. And every Friday through Sunday mornings, the street looks like an overnight free-for-all buffet occurred...covered in half eaten pizza slices, almost finished sausages, and vomit (all of which my dog greatly appreciates). Ben says here: That is pretty nasty picture, isn't it? The question is - do you want to be one those people to eat those terrible food choice?

Ben's email guy says: Listen, booze plus fast food is probably one of the biggest obstacles to your success. You can be on track from Monday to Thursday with your workout and eating and then ruin it all in a 6-hour bender. Some guys live like this for 20-30 years. And it literally kills some guys. Ben agrees with this guy 100 percent all the way. Yes, some of have died- I have been told many overweight people have died of heart attack, and plus many of them have been diagnosed as diabetes! So, diabetes is on the rise like ladder in the chart as we speak today.
Pretty scary, huh???


Ben says: So here's a 5-step process to minimizing the damage from booze. Each time you go out, master one of these steps, and soon you'll have a good handle on how to "behave" at the work related boozefests without blowing your calorie limit or your cool. This will help your self control back on track. Practice makes perfect!

1) Stick to your eating plans at the cocktail parties. Have a protein shake and fiber-rich snack (an apple or almonds) before you go to the social event (provided the event you are going to does not include dinner). If it includes dinner, eat as you would any other meal (protein, fiber rich fruits and vegetables, no need for excess carbohydrate, no dessert). Ben says: Be sure to know what is a better choice- you can do it!

2) If someone orders shots, pretend to drink it and throw it over your shoulder. Worked on Rob Lowe in Youngblood, so it might just work when the party starts getting out of control.
Seriously, just stay away from the hardcore drinking. Binge drinking is pretty nasty on your body, and I won't get into the questionable life choices we make when we're blitzed - any episode of Family Guy can explain this far better than I can.

3) Eliminate mix from your drinks.
Jack and diet. Not jack and coke. It's a start. It's not ideal if you're still drinking 10 per night, but hey, I'm a realist. We'll work on booze volume next.

4) Drink less, get less drunk. Ben says: Yes 100 percent!!!! Drinking less serves several purposes.
First, fewer booze calories (1 beer or 1oz of hard liquor generally equal 150 calories).
Second, you don't eat street meat after the bar, saving you more calories.
Third, you don't say anything inappropriate to your boss or co-workers. Ben says: Yes, you are in control of yourself and YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SAY IT!!!! YOU KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!
Fourth, you don't sleep through your alarm.
And fifth, you get up, workout, get to work on time, and actually get something done. Ben says: I agree with this 100 percent. Mostly in the mornings I have done myself - I got my workout done on time and it just feels great to do the workout before something comes in my way.

But let's face it. This is the hard part. If you're out of control, you need professional help - and again, that's beyond the scope of this article. But if you're just sick of getting poor quality sleep and having too many calories each night, lets find some ways to cheat the system.
Aside from willpower, how can you drink less?
Get your drinks in a tall glass, not a short one. Takes longer to drink.
Don't use a straw for your vodka-diet redbulls.
Drink beer from the bottle - it slows you down and fills you up faster (gives you the bloated feeling).
Alternate between glasses of water and booze. Ben says, what I do is, get a glass and only poor very little of wine or beer and fill it up with water. This will help your booze to lowered the chance of getting drunk and less calories. Do drink lot of water that you can be in control of drinking booze. It is a good idea to drink more water than booze.
Nurse it. Set a limit of 1 drink per hour.
Do something else besides drink.
Spend less time drinking and more time talking to people and learning from them. Ben says: Yes, this will help you to have a good time talking with people and the more you talk, the less you drink.
Even if you do that one out of every 2 nights you go drinking, you'll cut back on calories and load up on experience.
I can't imagine you'd get any more valuable info than from hanging out with a half drunk senior partner while he starts spilling the beans...good times should ensue.
5) Don't drink.
You've reached step 5.
It might take you 3 years to get to this point, but eventually you should aim to get here.
Do respectfully decline the offer to drink on your own. Like I said earlier- you don't have to tell him/her --- just for yourself but get a water instead. You'll get razzed early, but eventually, provided you are a good guy, people wont' care. Ben says: Obviously that is true, people don't care! Think about it.
And eventually we all need to be social without the need for the social lubricant.
Pull that off, and you'll be miles ahead of the rest!
I will talk to you later, and best of luck!