Anonymous Question:

I am 24 years old, outgoing, and love socializing with friends. Every weekend, I am hopping on that brunch wagon, going out, meeting new people, or going to different events. I am in my 20’s so every outing typically revolves around drinks and food. One month I started counting and I drank 4-5 times per week! I realized that my fitness and nutrition goals didn't match up with my social life. So how do you consume less calories from food and drink, without jeopardizing a social life?

- Mpowher Athlete Member

As with everything there is not one solution, but various options depending on your lifestyle and goals. From ages 21 to 25 most college athletes are transitioning into a former athlete and almost everything in your life changes. This is a huge transition for most athletes… read more here. Every athlete will have different nutritional and health goals, but for those who just want some easy tips on how to consume less alcohol while keeping their social life, well social... Here are some quick go-tos to navigate the social and fitness tango...

Before we dive in, alcohol as a toxin. None of our tips and suggestions should encourage one to consume numerous drinks. Our bodies can only process so much alcohol and these are merely suggestions to keep drinking healthier.

1) Death to Sugary Mixers and Drinks:

Consuming drinks with high amounts of sugar and calories are going to make it hard to meet your health and fitness goals.

1. Limit drinking sugary mixers and instead try soda water, seltzer or mineral water.

2. Stay away from tonic water since it is loaded with sugar (12 oz has 32 g of sugar).

3. Clear types of hard alcohol tend to have less calories. Gin and vodka are solid choices

4. Wine can be a great if you are looking for something with lower alcohol content than hard liquor. Red Wines, especially dry wines, tend to have less sugar/calories than whites.

Swap:

• Vodka Tonic (200 cal) to Vodka, Soda and Lime (96 cal)

• Margarita (from mix) (336 cal) to Moscow Mule (160 cal)

*calorie count will differ based on brand, amount consumed and other factors

2) Take Longer on Your Drinks:

Sip on your drinks, this isn’t the beer olympics. Try drinking a glass of water, taking double fisting to a whole new level. Having a drink in your hand puts everyone at ease in a social setting. It doesn’t matter if it is water or alcohol, it is the glass.

3) Moderation:

Going into a social event with a drinking plan is a game changer. Keep your goals in mind when you go out. Knowing the amount of drinks you plan on consuming will help keep your nutrition and fitness on track. Take your time on your drink. At the end of the day, do it for you and not because your friends want you to. Make sure you don’t limit yourself too much, and implement positive self talk. Keep your mindset confident by saying, “I will have two drinks tonight.” Going into the night with a clear goal, will help your buzzed self to not overindulge as your judgment begins to fade away.
 

4) Limit the Drunchies:

Alcohol sparks us to consume more food. When you drink alcohol, you are prone to over consumption, especially greasy food. After a night of drinking with friends, many of us find ourselves visiting the local taco shop at 2am. That 1000 calorie, carne asada burrito is all too tempting. Our sober selves would easily turn it down, but our drunk selves have no chance, it’s science. Unfortunately, this story is all too common. We all got away with this type of binge eating in college with our raging metabolisms and constant workouts. Now this will start to add up on your waistline. Limiting your inebriated nights will drastically curb this habit. Try these tips when you do want to take a night on the town. Pack a snack in your purse, and leave out some healthy food to eat before bed… make drunken nachos a thing of the past.

Summary: Overall make sure that you are mindful of what you are putting into your body. You didn’t work this hard just to lose it all to social events. Continue to be social but limit your consumption, there is no prize for who drinks the most. We would love to hear from you please let us know your tips and tricks for being social and trying to stay more healthy.

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