The recent heatwave has meant that many of us have enjoyed an alcoholic drink in the garden or at our local pub. The sunshine has meant a nice cold beer or glass of wine has become very appealing. There’s nothing wrong with that, we firmly believe that life is all about balance. But beware, these drinks contain calories and perhaps more than you think. These calories do not provide any benefits to your body and are classed as empty calories.
A bottle of white wine contains around 600 calories, a bottle of prosecco around 480 and a pint of lager 180 calories. The NHS states that the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men. It’s very easy to drink a significant percentage of these! But making small changes, having a glass or two of wine instead of the whole bottle can make all the difference to your calorie intake.
I’m not immune, I enjoy a glass of Pinot Grigio or a Peroni. My alcohol intake has increased over the last few weeks and as a result, my weight has been creeping up. I weigh myself everyday and this morning weighed over 75kg. Personally, I like to weigh between 72kg – 74kg, I feel happy and confident at this weight. That doesn’t mean that’s the right weight for you, we are all different! However, I do think that it can be hugely beneficial to have an upper limit regarding our weight. A point at which we say we need to act, so our weight doesn’t continue to creep up. I find it very easy to get into the habit of drinking regularly, especially during the warm weather and therefore I’m consuming significantly more calories. To bring my weight down slightly, to a weight I’m happy with, I’m reducing my alcohol intake to weekends only.
You don’t have to abstain from alcohol; just be aware of the calories you are drinking. Alcohol in moderation won’t have a huge detrimental effect on your health, as we always say, life is all about balance.
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