Ask The Ripped Dude: Can You Booze It And Still Lose It?

Great article..I only drink one night a week. But I make it count, sometimes having up to 10 drinks. I can tell this puts a huge damper on my muscle gains and fat loss. I feel like everything good I did during the week is erased because of all of the alcohol I consumed in the one night. I'm working on slowing down a lot. Anyone else feel the same way?

whats the point of drinking a glass of wine a night, when people ask that question, a majority of the time they are getting drunk, not drinking a glass of wine

I've often thought about my alcohol consumption and how it might affect my progress. I don't drink a lot, maybe five or six drinks a week, so it's good to know it won't be having too much of negative impact.

I enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner. It helps me wind down from the day at work. I do also sometimes go to the pub with friends and over indulge...but this isn't very common and hasn't made a huge difference to my fat loss.

Very nice article, thanks for the information. I really enjoy my treat meal of the week with a glass of red wine, after reading this i know i may be fine.

Thanks man!

This is a great way to think about alcohol. It's not so much the calories consumed but the fact that your body stops doing everything else and starts to get rid of the alcohol first. I've sabatoged my gains for too long now. Working to only drink on the weekends now in moderation....

Luckilly I only drink about once a year or so, but this was a very helpful article. Thanks! :)

I don't drink and for 2 reasons:

1) The issues with fat loss/gain, as mentioned here.
2) The effects on muscle protein synthesis.

My issue is more with #2 than #1. I know how to lose fat, but it's the muscle that I really need.

I've been struggling with balancing my gym goals and my social life.

Throughout my first year of uni, I partied hard and gymed, but I only maxed out ~95kg bodyweight. My dieting was consistent, but slacked a bit after drinking, and drinking makes you lazy as well.

Over summer, I've been 100% dedicated to the gym, and gone up to 105kg bodyweight. I do not miss alcohol at all, I went out for the first time in 2 months, last week, and i regret it if I'm honest.

I much prefer being healthy and jacked.

Decent article. I believe the whole thing of alcohol affecting your weight loss and/or muscle gain goals has definitely been overexaggerated. I once lost pounds from jogging a couple miles while I was drinking a couple of 40 ounces of beer per week. I learned from experience its all about WHAT you eat ALONG with how much you drink.

If you are serious about your training you should not drink alcohol at ALL... It's POISON! In addition it's empty calories and it takes away from your workout the next day. Therefore making it a triple threat

When it comes to serious training there is no place for alcohol, period.

Great article

This article inspired me tonight to have half a blue moon followed by a twenty min jog.

THE HERB doesnt harm u like alcohol does ;)

In my opinion, do not get drunk off red wine. It is the worst hang over and wake up with purple lips. I am an avid wine drinker, but limit myself to a few drinks a week. Enjoy in moderation

It all makes sense now, how I was able to burn fat quick when I stopped drinking and how I wasnt able to burn it while drinking.

This is good to know as I like to have wine with my dinner!

I'm very much a beginner on fitness and being health conscious, so it goes without saying I'm weary of all the habits I have, including a drink with the wife on date nights. I was relieved when I found this article, great write up.

When drinking, make smart decisions on WHAT you are drinking as well. Beer raises estrogen levels, so guys, if you don't want Gynaecomastia problems (***** tits) or a rise in your estrogen levels, don't drink beer. Beer also has a lot of carbs in it, so stay away from beer. Darker beers can have 10g of per drink. Wine has about 4g of carbs per glass. If you're going to drink, the best way to go is to stay clear. I drink vodka and soda water. 1oz vodka plus soda water is about 64 calories and no carbs.

I noticed that the article didn't say how long lipid oxidation was reduced...unless I missed it. Is it reduced for a certain number of hours or days for each drink? I gained 45 lbs in the last 5 years, not because of alcohol, but from a divorce and lack of time while raising 3 kids by myself.

i do enjoy a glass of wine now and then and will go out on the town maybe one night a month and have a few. I would just love to know how long lipid oxidation is reduced per drink.

Thanks for your help!