Do You Know How Many Calories Alcohol Contains?
!
Picture one brick of butter, now imagine thirty- one of them! Two six-ounce glasses of red table wine per day (over the next year) is equivalent to 105, 560 calories or a shocking 31 pounds!
If you heard my tip on Virgin Radio this morning, you might have been taken aback by the number of calories that our daily wine intake can add to our waist lines over time. As a 30- year personal training veteran, I see many food journals. Alcohol and its mindless over-consumption is probably the number one culprit that I see undermining many fitness goals. Throw into the mix aging and a slower metabolism and the resulting steady weight gain is frustrating.
Today’s post is a reminder to be conscious of your alcohol intake. It’s a habit that we never question or connect to the slow and steady weight gain that happens over the years. Have you noticed that in addition to your favorite glass of wine, that you’ll end up snacking on olives, chips, popcorn, nuts or some form of charcuterie? The calories can add up very easily. When we socialize, the weekend alcohol consumption is even higher than during the week.
How can you start to rein in this habit? Become mindful. Check out our handy guide to various forms of alcohol. We’ve also converted alcohol to their exercise and food equivalencies for you. Did you know that 3 drinks is equal to the calories in a cheeseburger or a coke and slice of pizza? Or that those same 3 drinks is equal in exercise to biking 30-40 minutes, walking 60-75 minutes or running 20-25 minutes!
How can you scale back on your wine intake? Rather than have a couple of glasses per night with dinner, you could start by making a wine spritzer (half the wine and half soda). If you’re a purist and don’t want to dilute your drink, can you scale back to one glass per night? From one glass every night, maybe it’s every other day or maybe it’s simply a Friday or Saturday indulgence.
Today, think about how you can regain control of your waistline by consciously choosing how the calories from alcohol impact you. In one year, the results could be substantial.
