May The 4th Be With You
So far, we’ve talked about protein, carbs, and fats. There is another macro, and no one likes to talk about it. Ironically, this mysterious macro may be responsible for more happy marriages, childbirths, and white people dancing than all the other macros combined. Is this some secret ingredient purposely squashed by Big Pharma? Is it a government conspiracy? Is it the product of aliens?
Not quite. It’s our good friend, alcohol.
Think about this: how does a Michelob Ultra only have 2.6g of carbs but 95 calories? Carbs have four calories per gram, so 2.6 X 4 is 10.4 calories. Where do the remaining calories come from? It’s alcohol. Alcohol macros contain seven calories per gram, and this is what makes up the remaining calories. This means it can also be a source of hidden calories working to sabotage your goals.
One possible explanation for the lack of information on alcohol macros may be that the number of grams of alcohol we need for a healthy diet is zero. (I know, I know… you may argue that, but I’m saying it anyway) You can’t live without protein, carbs, and fat, but you can live without alcohol.
This doesn’t mean alcohol can’t be a part of your diet. If you choose to drink alcohol, it should be a tiny part of your overall diet, and you should be aware of its impact on your overall nutritional goals. For example, a glass of red wine has about 125 calories. If your calorie requirement is 1500 calories, and you are reducing that by 10% to create a deficit for weight loss, your daily caloric intake is 1350 calories. Now let’s add two glasses of wine at dinner: 250 calories. That’s 18.5% of your daily calories, bringing your total calorie intake to 1600 calories. There goes your calorie deficit and the weight loss you hoped to promote.
This doesn’t mean you should cut back on one of the other macros to make room for alcohol. Remember, those macros are required by your body to keep the engine running. Occasional indulgence will not sabotage your goals—exercise moderation. Associate alcohol with social events. Make it about the people you are with, not the booze, and enjoy. Enjoy the drink. Enjoy the company. Enjoy the environment. Enjoy the moment. You’ll find that making it an experience satisfies the craving and inspires you to get back on track and work harder toward your goals.
When you do drink, limit any extra calories that aren’t necessary. Avoid sugary or fruity alcoholic drinks as they may contain mixers and fruit juices that increase the calories in the drink. Martinis, whiskey, tequila, wine, and drinks mixed with tonic or club soda make excellent choices.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
Today’s Tasks
Don’t forget to complete today’s tasks for the challenge.
- Drink 1 gallon of water
- Workout for 45 minutes
- Read ten pages from your book
- Stick to your meal plan
Once completed, head to the tracking site and mark them as completed to track your progress for the challenge. This challenge is about learning to balance the spinning plates that represent the key areas of our life. Tomorrow we move our focus to our second spinning plate: physical fitness. We’ll examine topics such as why physical fitness matters, failure, and defining intent.