How to Lose Weight and Still Drink Beer and Wine

Seriously, it is 100% POSSIBLE to lose weight and lead a healthy life while still ENJOYING booze, my friends. It all comes down to being strategic and having a plan!

Here’s the truth: you don’t have to give up your favorite glass of wine or cold beer to lose weight. As an online nutrition coach and personal trainer with years of experience - and someone who enjoys a drink with friends on the weekend - I’m here to tell you that moderation is everything. 

Fad diets that completely eliminate alcohol? Not sustainable. What is sustainable? Learning how to enjoy everything you love, including a drink or two, while still reaching your goals.

Let’s get into it.

Debunking the Myth: You Must Cut Alcohol to Lose Weight

When losing weight, you’re often told to cut empty carbs, eat healthy food, and exercise. Drinking alcohol, as you’ve already understood, is not part of popular weight loss programs. I beg to differ.

Alcohol has calories, it can affect your sleep and slow your metabolism if you overdo it. Given you’re serious about losing weight and reading this article, my guess is that you’re not planning on drinking a bottle a day. 

Alcohol may have pretty much similar effects on your weight as pizzas and cupcakes – does it mean you have to give up these, too? I don’t think so! 

If you’re smart about when, what, and how much you drink, there’s always  room for wine or beer in a weight-loss plan.

How Alcohol Affects Weight Loss

Alcohol has empty calories, but that shouldn’t stop you from having a beer with your colleagues or a glass of wine with your bestie. At the same time, binge drinking is strongly linked to obesity – as long you control how much and how often you drink, you should be just fine. 

So, can you lose weight while sipping a cocktail? Technically – yes, but be aware of how your drink of choice can affect your body: 

• Empty calories: Alcohol contains at least 7 calories per gram, almost as much as fat (which has 9). These calories can add up fast.

• Slower metabolism: Your body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over everything else. That means while you’re drinking, fat-burning slows down.

• Food cravings: Drinking lowers inhibitions, meaning you’re more likely to overeat or skip workouts when you’ve been drinking.

• Bad sleep: It can also disrupt sleep, which is critical for weight loss and muscle recovery.

How to Drink Wine and Still Lose Weight

Drinking wine and losing weight is real if you know how to do it right. Here is what we suggest to our clients who love to indulge in wine once in a while with their friends:

1. Choose Dry Red or White Wines

Dry wines have less sugar and fewer calories than sweet varieties like Moscato or dessert wines. Some good choices to consider:

• Cabernet Sauvignon

• Pinot Noir

• Sauvignon Blanc

• Chardonnay

These typically run about 120–130 calories per 5 oz glass.

🍷 How much wine is too much? 

Know your limit. Heavy drinking is considered 2-3 drinks daily.

2. Stick to a Standard 5 oz Pour

At home or at restaurants, it’s easy to pour more than 5 oz without realizing it. Use a measuring cup or pour into a wine glass with a pour line (yes, that’s a thing!). Indulge in your glass of wine daily without exceeding one glass a day. 

3. Alternate with Water

There is a hack you can use to drink longer without feeling tipsy and reduce the chance of a hangover on the following day: drinking a glass of water between alcoholic drinks. Try it and notice how this slows down your intake, keeps you hydrated, and helps prevent overeating.

🍹 Pro tip: Sparkling water with lime looks like a cocktail and feels festive. No one will know the difference.

4. Drink With Meals

Some cultures practice drinking after having a meal, while others prefer to enjoy a drink during dinner. This second option - where you drink not on an empty stomach - helps stabilize your blood sugar and can reduce the urge to snack later.

⚠️ Warning:

Drinking 30 minutes before a meal may increase your appetite, leading to overeating during dinner.

5. Avoid Sugary Wines or Mixers

Wine provides empty calories that easily add up if you drink a cocktail or a high-calorie wine. Sweet reds, flavored wines, wine coolers, or mixed wine drinks (like sangria) can pack in sugar and calories pretty fast. By the time you finish your glass, you will be at least 150 calories short for the day. Hence, if you want to watch your shape – it’s best to stick to dry and simple wine. 

6. Limit Wine to a Few Times Per Week

If you’re drinking wine every night, the calories stack up, and you will easily gain weight instead of losing it. It’s okay to drink dry wine occasionally, but everyday consumption may have adverse effects. Hence, try to keep it to 2–3 nights per week max during a fat-loss phase.

7. Track Your Wine Calories

Yes, you need to log it! With MyFitnessPal, you can easily track how many calories you consume from alcohol and see how many calories are left to eat.  That glass of red wine still counts toward your daily calorie total, and the app our clients use will keep you on the right path.

How to Drink Beer and Still Lose Weight

Beer is another alcoholic beverage you can enjoy while losing weight. If you thought wine was the lowest-calorie drink – some light beers have  only 50-100 calories per 12 ounce pour. Again, it doesn’t mean you should only be drinking light beer simply because it contains fewer calories than wine. Follow these tips and drink your favorite beverage without guilt: 

1. Choose Light or Low-Carb Beers

Many light beers are under 100 calories per bottle, ideal for drinking when on a weight loss journey. Some popular low-cal options include:

• Michelob Ultra (95 cal)

• Miller Lite (96 cal)

• Bud Light (110 cal)

• Amstel Light (95 cal)

🍺 Darker, craft and high-alcohol beer tend to have more calories due to increased sugar and malt. For example, IPAs can contain 200-300 calories per pint.

2. Drink Slowly and Savor It

You may think that the quicker you finish your beer, the faster you will start moving to burn gained calories. However, no matter what you do – since you’re drinking, your body will not burn fat until it filters out alcohol from your body. 

Hence, the best you can do is savor your beer. Sipping one or two beers over the course of a night will help you enjoy it without blowing your calorie budget.

3. Set a Limit Ahead of Time

Before you go to meet with your friends, it won’t hurt to set a budget and know for sure how many pints of beer you will have. This way, you know that the beverage fits into your budget and calorie intake. Stick to your plan, and you’ll stay in control.

4. Skip the Bar Snacks

Alcohol increases hunger, so be ready for your body to crave wings, nachos, and chips. What should you do once you feel a strong desire to eat? Correct – try to not order anything. Bar snacks tend to be  calorie bombs. Instead, make sure to have a balanced and filling meal before drinking out. 

5. Add Extra Activity

No matter what you eat or drink, it’s utterly important to have physical activity in your daily life. Planning a longer walk, a strength training session, or a hike the day of or after drinking can go a long way. 

Exercising is not about “earning” your drinks but about balancing your overall intake and energy output.

Lifestyle Habits That Support Drinking and Weight Loss

Losing weight doesn’t mean giving up on your social life – you can still go meet with your friends and colleagues while watching your calorie intake. Here’s what truly helps our clients see the success while enjoying their favorite beverages: 

• Focus on balance, not restriction: Can you drink wine and beer and still lose weight? Absolutely. Does it mean you can drink the whole bottle? Probably not! 

• Eat before drinking: When planning to drink out, ensure you can eat a nutritious meal that will keep you food through the night. 

• Drink plenty of water: I can’t stress enough how important it is to drink water when drinking alcohol. Hydrating yourself will prevent getting a headache the next day and also help you stay full longer.

• Watch your sleep: If you’re drinking late and sleeping poorly, you’re more likely to skip your workout and crave high-calorie foods. Limit how late you drink or cut yourself off a few hours before bed.

• Don’t use alcohol as an excuse to overeat: Finally, don’t let yourself eat junk food when you’re tipsy and not hungry. If possible, prepare  a healthy snack for the time when you return home.  

Wrapping Up

Look, I get it. Life is short, and a glass of wine or cold beer can be one of those little joys that make it sweeter.

The good news? You don’t have to give it up.

You just need a strategy. Whether you're focused on how to drink red wine to lose weight or wondering how to lose weight and still drink beer, it all comes back to:

• Staying within your calorie range

• Choosing lower-calorie options

• Being intentional with your choices

• Not using alcohol as an excuse to binge

Your fitness journey doesn’t need to feel like punishment—and that includes your social life. 

Want to learn more insights on how to stay fit while not limiting yourself? Get in touch with Strong with Sarah, and one of our personal coaches will contact you soon!