When it comes to fitness, most people track their meals and workouts meticulously but forget that alcohol counts too. While Diwali might be over, the festive season is just getting started, and we might not even realise when a few glasses at a party sneak in hundreds of calories and disrupt fat burning.
Tamannaah Bhatia's fitness coach, Siddhartha Singh, recently broke down exactly how much damage each drink can do (in terms of calories) and how to handle your alcohol smartly if you're working towards fitness goals.
How Many Calories Are In Your Drink
"Two pints of beer is around probably 200 calories," Singh said, explaining that every alcoholic drink adds up more quickly than most people realise.
"If you have two drinks, say, 30 to 45 ml of a whisky, a gin, or any kind of vodka - any spirit for that matter - it's going to be around 200 to 250 calories. Same thing with wine, two glasses, 200, maybe 250 calories."
That means even moderate drinking can quietly add a few hundred calories to your day - the equivalent of an extra small meal. But Singh pointed out that it's not the calorie content alone that matters.
It's Not Just The Calories
"The calories in these spirits don't really matter. And if I tell you not to drink, you're not going to listen to me," he said. "So, make sure you're just having two drinks and nothing more. Have a lot of water between your drinks. Basically pace them. And if you're having beer, not more than two beers because it's not the calories from these alcohols that are going to ruin your progress it is the decisions you're going to make after having this alcohol."
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That "decision-making" part, Singh emphasised, is where most fitness efforts go off track. After a few drinks, people tend to overeat, skip workouts, or indulge in late-night snacks, which add up much faster than the alcohol itself.
How Alcohol Affects Your Metabolism
Even a single drink, Singh warned, can have a temporary impact on how efficiently your body burns fat. "Alcohol, even one drink, is going to slow down your metabolism in a way where the fat-burning capacity of your body is going to temporarily be stalled," he explained.
This means that even if you're eating clean and exercising, alcohol can interfere with the body's recovery and fat utilisation for several hours after drinking.
The Mindful Drinking Rule
Singh's approach isn't about complete restriction : it's about awareness. He advised people to check in with their goals before heading out.
"Ask yourself what your goals are again before going to that party and make sure you make decisions that take you closer. And at the end, you want to be a winner," he says.
So, the next time you reach for that drink, remember: a couple of glasses might your fitness journey.