Can you drink alcohol on a keto diet? Yes.
One of the things dieters often miss is going out drinking with their friends. On Keto, if you want, you can go out on the town and party, within reason. A lot of us do. It’s a part of our lives that we don’t want to stop.
Of course, on Keto, alcohol isn’t part of your diet. Unfortunately, alcohol is empty carbs no matter how much fun it is. Provided you’re smart about your choices when you’re drinking. You can still go out and drink.
Alcohol on a Keto diet
This is only going to work if you start watching everything you’re drinking. Then, you won’t have to worry about your body getting kicked out of ketosis.
If you don’t exercise control over your drinking habits on your night out, then you will find yourself out of ketosis and back to burning sugar. Once out of ketosis, the weight can come creeping back.
Are you sure if your body is in ketosis?
Here are some signs you’re in ketosis.
The Breakdown
When you are in ketosis and you drink alcoholic beverages, your body begins synthesizing it right away because your body views it as a toxic substance because it is a sugar carb bomb.
As soon as your body sees the alcohol in your system, it begins to metabolize it and break it down.
If you drink too often and too much, your successful weight loss will grind to a halt. Obviously, you don’t want that to happen, especially when you’re losing weight.
The assumption here is you are in ketosis, which causes you to feel the effects of the alcohol in the drinks quicker. Your body is accustomed to burning fats, but your body is going to make the assimilation of the alcohol the priority, and you will feel the drinks quicker than you used to in the past.
One of the characteristics of ketosis is the liver is already functioning in a highly efficient way.
Small Problem
Part of the drinking experience is the tipsy feeling and your lowered inhibitions. Your body can also return to carb craving.
When you’re drinking, mindless snacking on automatic pilot is another problem. This can definitely happen unnoticed. Another reason why while you’re in ketosis you need to stay aware of everything you’re doing while drinking.
Make sure you fill your stomach before drinking especially while you’re in ketosis. This will keep you less hungry during the night out and help you avoid the craving for carby snacks.
Which Alcohols Can You Have?
The “Keto friendly alcohols” are clear liquors containing 40% alcohol.
Here’s a list:
- Whiskey
- Tequila
- Brandy
- Rum
- Scotch
- Gin
- Vodka
- Cognac
There are a bunch of drink options in that list. As you’ll discover, the real problem is the much more limited list of what you can mix them with.
Some light beers and wines are okay as well. Again, be conscious of how much you’re drinking and pay attention to the labels to understand the macronutrient content. When it comes to drinking beer, monitor how much you’re drinking and understand the beer’s contents.
How do you do that?
Research those labels and watch out for those mixers
Most so-called alcohol mixers are high in sugar, which is something you want to avoid on the Keto diet.
This an obvious reason why you should look into the macros in your drink mixers before you order them in a drink
Some mixers without sugar content in them are seltzer water (club soda), sugar-free sodas, and diet tonic water. You don’t have to limit yourself to these options. Just be as aware of what kinds of ingredients you’re drinking as you are of any foods you are eating on the diet.
A favorite drink of many Keto dieters is a simple Vodka and Soda. Depending on the brand of vodka this can be a smooth drink.
If you prefer a little more tasty beverage, then you can actually bring a small squeeze bottle of Mio or something similar and mix that into your drink. Mio contains flavors and electrolytes, which makes it better than any flavored mixer that the bartender has to offer you except lemon or lime juice.
It’s alright to drink alcohol while on the Ketogenic Diet.
The situation is really no different than being aware of the ingredients in the foods you are eating except when you are drinking you can make poor decisions when you’re buzzed.
You can have a little fun and a few drinks every once in a while. If you follow the rules above, you can relax and enjoy a night out without endangering the progress you’ve made losing weight on the diet.
It’s similar to eating out on Keto, you should try to decide ahead of time what you will order.
