Let’s talk about alcohol and nutrition tracking because this is where a lot of well intentioned people either overthink it…or stop tracking altogether. The truth is, alcohol doesn’t make you “bad,” but it does play by different rules in your body, and understanding those rules is empowering, not restrictive.
Here’s the simple science. When you drink alcohol, your body temporarily presses pause on fat burning so it can clear the alcohol first. It’s not punishment. It’s just your liver doing its job. That’s why alcohol can slow progress if it’s frequent or unaccounted for, but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it intentionally.
So how do you track it? Think calories first. Alcohol isn’t protein, so it gets logged as carbs, fats, or a mix of both based on the drink.
A quick cheat sheet:
• Carbs provide 4 calories per gram
• Fat provides 9 calories per gram
Let’s say your drink is about 100 calories.
You can log it as:
• 25g carbs (100 ÷ 4)
• OR about 11–12g fat (100 ÷ 9)
• OR split it, especially for cocktails: 12g carbs + 6g fat
Wine, beer, or sugary mixers tend to fit better as carbs. Straight spirits often work better as fats. Cocktails usually land somewhere in between.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s awareness. When you track alcohol honestly, you remove the guilt spiral and stay in control of your choices. One tracked drink is always better than three ignored ones.
And if alcohol just doesn’t sound good some days, there are great alcohol free options now that still feel festive. Sparkling teas, botanical drinks, or functional beverages can give you the ritual without the disruption.
Bottom line: you don’t need to avoid alcohol forever to make progress. You just need to understand how it fits. When you do, you can enjoy it without wondering why your body feels off the next day.
That’s nutrition confidence. And that’s always the goal.
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