I have so many ladies in classes say to me, they are eating more healthy foods and exercising regularly, which is great. However they cant understand why they are not losing weight, and in particular around the mid section.  Ladies of a certain age are more prone to this type of weight gain yes and this can be hormonal, but have you really considered how much alcohol you consume each week or month.  The following may really surprise you!

People who consider themselves to be ‘moderate’ wine drinkers actually consume approx 2000 calories per month, just drinking wine. In fact alcohol alone accounts for a whopping 10% of calories consumed! I am all about moderation, and I would never say stop drinking and with the festive season fast approaching that is not an option for most of us.  However did you know a medium glass of wine is the equivalent to a piece of cake, a pint of lager is equal to a piece of pizza or a pina colado is equal to a doughnut!  Also you need to be aware of the some the mixers on offer, some of which are loaded with sugar, and sugar will turn to fat.

So how do we reduce the impact on our health and weight? You could try and drink more water in between alcoholic drinks. Most of us over estimate what we should be drinking on a daily basis, for it to be considered moderate. Very roughly this should be a single standard drink, that is a 5oz glass of wine, and for men its 2. Notoriously we get the munchies after a big night out, so why not prepare healthy snacks to eat when you get home, instead of raiding the sweets and cakes!  Perhaps you may want to re-think what types of drinks you are having? The best drinks to order are, vodka and soda, gin and tonic, red wine, or a light beer.

I went on a cruise last year and I admit i did have a short jog each morning, but ate well, and drank plenty.  However I drank mainly prosecco and champagne as the drinks were all included.  To my delight i when i returned i didnt put a lb on and nor did any of the ladies who were with me. This confirmed to me that these drinks were the better option when trying to keep the weight off.  It is all about moderation and choices, but if you are serious about weight loss you do need to keep a tight reign on the booze……

Bev xx