Could Fat Loss Be This Easy?

Jake (not his real name) wants to lose about twenty pounds.

We talked about his lifestyle (mostly sedentary), and his current exercise regimen (little except for a daily 3-4 mile walk), and then I asked for a detailed 24-hour recall where he could walk me through everything he’d had to eat and drink over the past day.

He broke down his food which was relatively simple: two meals a day, one smaller and one larger, mostly nutritious options. It appeared to be an amount that would equate to a deficit for him.

He was pretty good with water intake and only had some black coffee in the morning.

“What about alcohol?” I asked.

Ah, well, I do like to have a drink or two each night after my wife goes to bed.

Is that every night?

Yes.

Do you know about how much you’re drinking (portion-wise?)

Hard to say. Sometimes I measure, sometimes I don’t. But I definitely drink every night.

Okay, no problem, I’ll never tell you not to drink. Only to consider that this might be a place to look at, especially since there tends to be some associated eating that happens with alcohol. Do you notice that as well?

Yeah, I mean, I do tend to snack a bit and this is when I’m trying to unwind. I also tend to go to bed late and then I have a tough time waking up early in the morning. Otherwise, I’d be able to train with you in the morning rather than the afternoon.

So, focusing on bringing the serving sizes down could accomplish one (or more) of a few things: you’re reducing calories because you’re being more mindful of the alcohol intake, you might also be cutting back on the snacks because you’re not drinking as much, and you might go to bed earlier, having more restful sleep, and you may feel more refreshed in the morning. Is it worth experimenting with?

Absolutely. I know the alcohol is empty calories and it’s probably not helping my anxiety or depression that much either. But I can definitely focus on cutting back. Do you think that’s the reason why I’ve not been seeing progress on the scale?

I think it’s a good place to start.

(Photo courtesy of Thomas Park)