We all love a few drinks after work, catching up with friends and sharing a bottle or two with our partner on a Friday night. These are regular drinking habits that have become the norm for many of us. Many people think beer and wine are packed full of sugars, but this is not quite true. The sugars found in the fruits and bases that make up many drinks are actually fermented and converted into alcohol.

Alcohol itself contains 7 calories for every gram. These calories are metabolized in the liver, well before the nutrients from the food we consume is processed. This means that while you are busy burning off the alcohol in your drinks, any calories consumed in food such as potato chips, bar snacks, fried food or heavy restaurant meals are more likely to be stored. For many of us, this is what links drinking to weight gain.

Then comes the question that anyone on a fitness journey will ask: Is it possible to lose weight and/or get fitter and still be able to drink alcohol?

Alcohol is unnecessary calories that provide are bodies with no nutritional benefit, so it will definitely make reaching your goals a lot easier by staying clear. Usually, alcohol consumption doesn’t stop at 1 and this right here is the main problem. Having one leads to 2 or 3 or more then you ending up snacking unnecessarily as the alcohol ramps up your appetite.

Some drinks like cider and spirits served with mixers - like a bourbon and coke - are high in sugar These contain a double whammy - the alcohol, as well as energy dense calories. Often a small drink can contain the same number of calories as a small meal. With all that in mind, here’s a list of the most popular alcoholic drinks and the calories and sugar they contain.

• 120 ml Glass of wine – 82 Calories – 0 grams sugar
• 240 ml Glass of wine – 163 Calories – 0 grams of sugar
• 355 ml Cider – 178 Calories – 12.8 grams of sugar
• Nip of Spirit – 67 Calories – 0 grams of sugar
• Vodka lime and soda – 80 Calories – 5 grams sugar
• 450 ml Beer – 162 Calories - <1 gram sugar
• 450 ml Light Beer – 113 Calories - <1 gram sugar
• 450 ml Low Carb Beer – 132 Calories – 0 grams sugar
• Nip of Baileys – 120 Calories – 7.4 grams sugar
• Gin and Tonic – 110 Calories – 10.8 grams of sugar
• Martini – 124 Calories – 0 grams of sugar
• Mojito – 170 Calories – 9 grams of sugar
• Bourbon and Coke – 120 Calories – 13 grams of sugar
• Pre mix Bourbon and Coke – 229 Calories – 33 grams of sugar

A night out drinking can turn into drinking around 1000 calories, and to help put these numbers into perspective 1000 calories is the equivalent to eating 20 chicken nuggets, 12 paddle pop ice creams, three cheeseburgers, or 4 bowls of fruit loops with milk. Most people wouldn’t dream of eating such an excessive amount in one sitting, yet so many would easily drink it on a night out.

Tips to help you drink less!

• Be aware of alcoholic drinks being marketed as healthy. Low carb beers are guilty of this, it’s the alcohol content that contributes most to the calories
• Limit alcohol consumption to two standard drinks.
• Check the label to see how many standard drinks your drink contains
• Drink a glass of water in between every drink.

Hope this answers some of your questions in regards to drinking whilst training. Thanks Heather.