Brenda Khan
The Atkins diet is a low-carb diet, usually recommended for weight loss. It involves cutting out high-carb foods like refined grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, and legumes and instead focusing on healthy fats and proteins. While on the Atkins diet, you can drink alcohol in small amounts, but it is important to remember that alcohol contains a high number of calories and can slow down weight loss. During the Induction phase, it is recommended to not consume any alcohol. After this phase, an occasional glass of wine or a low-carb drink is acceptable as long as you count the carbohydrates.
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What You'll Learn
Alcohol and weight loss
Alcohol is a significant contributor to the calories in Americans' diets, with over 70% of Americans reporting consuming alcohol at least once a year. Alcohol is energy-dense, containing 7.1 kcal/gram, and may be an important factor in weight gain.
Alcoholic drinks are often referred to as "empty" calories as they provide your body with calories but contain very few nutrients. Alcohol can cause weight gain in two ways. Firstly, alcohol is high in calories, and some mixed drinks can contain as many calories as a meal. Secondly, alcohol can lead to poor food choices. While you do not have to cut out alcohol entirely, you may need to consume it more mindfully.
Heavy drinking can block fat burning and hinder weight loss. This is because when you drink alcohol, your body metabolizes it before other nutrients to use it as fuel, which can slow down fat burning and cause extra carbs, protein, and fat in your diet to be stored as fat tissue, resulting in excess body fat. Alcohol can also decrease fat breakdown and increase fatty acid synthesis, leading to the accumulation of triglycerides in your liver, a condition known as alcoholic fatty liver. This condition can damage your liver and affect how your body metabolizes and stores carbohydrates and fats, making it very difficult to lose weight.
However, drinking alcohol in moderation may be linked to a lower risk of weight gain. Certain types of alcohol can fit into a low-carb diet when consumed in moderation, such as wine and light beer, which are relatively low in carbs, and pure forms of liquor like rum, whiskey, gin, and vodka, which are carb-free. To keep things simple and avoid additional carbs, you can drink your alcoholic beverage straight or on the rocks. If you prefer mixed drinks, choose your mixers carefully to avoid sugary juices, sodas, and store-bought cocktail mixes. For example, choose diet tonic water instead of regular tonic water, as the latter has upwards of 25 grams of sugar per serving.
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Low-carb alcohol options
Alcohol is typically high in calories and low in important nutrients like protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is recommended to consume alcohol in moderation, which is defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
If you are on a low-carb diet, there are still several alcohol options available to you. Pure forms of alcohol like whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, and vodka are all completely free of carbs. You can drink them straight or mix them with low-carb options like diet soda or sugar-free tonic water.
Wine and light beer are also relatively low in carbs, usually containing under 6 grams per serving. However, regular beer is produced from starch and can contain 12 or more grams of carbs in just one can. If you're looking for a low-carb beer, you might want to try Beck's light beer.
When mixing drinks, it is important to be mindful of the mixers you use as they can quickly turn a carb-free drink into a high-calorie, high-carb beverage. Regular tonic water, for example, contains 32 grams of carbs per 12-ounce can, while a typical can of soda can contain even more. Instead, opt for low-carb mixers like diet soda, seltzer, diet tonic water, or powdered flavour packets.
- Vodka soda: Mix vodka with club soda and add a lemon or lime wedge.
- Mojito: Mix rum with fresh lime juice and diet lemon-lime soda, and pour over muddled mint leaves.
- Sea Breeze: Mix vodka with unsweetened cranberry juice and diet Squirt.
- Gin and tonic: Mix gin with soda water and add a squeeze of lemon or lime.
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Alcohol during Atkins Induction
Alcohol is a fuel, and your body will metabolize it before other nutrients to use it for energy. This means that when you drink alcohol, your body will not burn fat, which can slow down weight loss. This is especially true for those on the Atkins diet, as the Induction phase is specifically designed to kick-start weight loss.
During the Induction phase, it is recommended to avoid alcohol completely. Once you have moved past the Induction phase, you can introduce alcohol in moderation if you wish. However, it is important to remember that your body will still prioritize metabolizing alcohol over burning fat, which can slow down weight loss. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is best to stick to no more than one or two drinks per day and be mindful of the mixers you use, as they may contain hidden carbs. Pure spirits or "hard alcohol" like vodka, rum, whiskey, gin, and tequila are all carb-free. On the other hand, beer and wine coolers have substantially more carbs and added sugar, so they should be avoided.
If you are trying to be as healthy as possible, it is important to avoid overconsumption of alcohol, as it can weaken your resolve to stay away from nutrient-empty carbohydrate foods. Excessive drinking can also lead to liver damage, depletion of nutrients, and an increase in the production of free radicals, which are known to be a contributing factor to cancer.
It is also worth noting that adding alcohol to your diet can add extra calories while contributing very few essential nutrients like protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This can lead to weight gain, regardless of your carb intake. Therefore, it is recommended to count these extra calories and be mindful of your overall intake.
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Carb-free alcohol
Alcohol is often associated with being high in carbohydrates, with some varieties packing more carbs per serving than soft drinks, sweets, and desserts. Beer, for example, is produced from starch and can contain 3-12 grams of carbohydrates per 12 ounces, depending on whether it is light or regular. Cocktails and mixed drinks also tend to be high in carbs due to their reliance on sugary ingredients like soda, juice, sweeteners, or syrups.
However, this does not mean that individuals on a low-carb diet, such as the Atkins diet, need to abstain from alcohol entirely. There are several carb-free or low-carb alcohol options available that can fit into a low-carb lifestyle when consumed in moderation. These include:
- Pure forms of liquor like rum, whiskey, gin, and vodka are all carb-free. They can be consumed neat, on the rocks, or with low-carb mixers like diet soda, sugar-free tonic water, or sparkling water.
- Wine is also a relatively low-carb option, with 3-4 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Dry varieties of wine, such as brut champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot, tend to have fewer carbs. Additionally, wines with a higher alcohol content will also have fewer carbs.
- Light beer is another low-carb option, usually containing under 6 grams of carbohydrates per serving. However, beer should be consumed sparingly, as it is still relatively high in carbohydrates compared to other options.
While these alcoholic beverages are carb-free or low-carb, it is important to remember that alcohol is high in calories and can hinder weight loss. The body prioritizes burning alcohol over fat, which can slow down fat burning and cause weight gain. Therefore, it is recommended to drink in moderation, with no more than 1-2 drinks per day, and to be mindful of mixers and sweeteners that can add extra carbohydrates.
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Alcohol mixers to avoid
The Atkins diet is a low-carb, high-protein, and high-fat diet. It is designed to help people lose weight and improve their health. While on the Atkins diet, it is important to be mindful of the mixers used in alcoholic drinks, as they can be high in carbohydrates and calories.
Mixers to avoid
When following the Atkins diet, it is best to avoid mixers such as sugary juices, sodas, and store-bought cocktail mixes. These mixers are high in carbohydrates and can hinder weight loss efforts. For example, regular tonic water can contain upwards of 25 grams of sugar per serving. Similarly, beer is typically high in carbs, with 3-12 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving, depending on whether it is a light or regular variety.
Sweet champagne is another drink to avoid, as it can contain 12-14 grams of carbohydrates. Instead, opt for dry wines, which have very little sugar and around 3-5 grams of carbs. Hard liquors, such as vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey, and gin, are also carb-free and can be consumed with a sugarless mixer, such as seltzer water.
It is important to note that alcohol itself contains around 7 calories per gram, which is almost as much as fat, which has 9 calories per gram. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce alcohol in moderation and to count the carbs and calories in your drinks to avoid hindering weight loss.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can drink alcohol in moderation on the Atkins diet. However, it is recommended that you do not consume any alcohol during the Induction phase. Alcohol is high in calories and can slow down fat burning and cause weight gain.
Pure spirits like vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey are carb-free. Light beer and wine are also relatively low in carbs, with 3-5 grams per serving.
If you're drinking liquor, avoid mixers like juice or soda that are high in sugar and carbs. Instead, mix with low-carb options like diet soda or sugar-free tonic water. For wine, stick to dry wines with no added sugars and limit yourself to no more than one glass per day.
