Most of us like to treat ourselves to some alcohol every now and then: at dinners or on Fridays with our friends. But many of us often ask the question of whether it is acceptable to drink alcohol when you are following a strict diet and are trying to lose weight.

So how do you lose weight without saying ‘NO’ to alcohol?

Alcohol is pretty high in calories, most of the alcohol beverages contain 7 calories per 1 gram. Furthermore, alcoholic beverages have no value for your metabolism. Meanwhile, your body needs a healthy metabolism to convert food to energy and save the calories from food for later. That is exactly why nutrition experts advise to say ‘no’ to alcohol when you are losing weight. However, if you got invited on a birthday party or you just want to relax at night, listen to the following recommendations in order to not back pedal the process of losing weight.

Drink alcohol with light meals

As it was mentioned above, it’s not that the alcohol itself is bad for metabolism, but the fact that it is easier for the body to process alcohol, which means it leaves some calories ‘in reserve’. In order to not let it happen, consume alcohol with light meals, which do not bear a risk of gaining weight. For example, combine it with chicken fillet and vegetables, oatmeal and rice, light salads and sea food.

Drink dry wine

It is best to consume dry red wine when following a diet. Not only will it not harm the process of losing weight, but also bring healthy benefits to your body. Wine is great for your cardiovascular system, it normalizes the level of glucose in your blood and is good for your skin.

If you don’t like wine, you can have 300 ml of dark beer or 50 ml of something stronger. However, you would have to give up cocktails as they contain tons of sugar as well as liquor.

To not let yourself overeat, first eat and then drink alcohol afterwards. Not vice versa. Besides, this is one of the secrets of French women who stay fit even though they drink wine pretty much every day.