Drinking alcohol in moderation on the HCG Diet is acceptable which is contrary to what many websites been saying that it’s best to avoid alcohol while on the HCG Diet as it can adversely affect your weight loss. However, alcohol does not have to be completely thrown out of the picture during the HCG diet. It’s possible to drink alcoholic beverages and still manage to lose weight. In fact, many dieters have found the HCG Diet to be extremely successful even with the occasional drinking of alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol can set you back quite a bit from reaching your goal weight only if you don’t drink it in moderation with no intake of carbohydrates. Moderation means:
- The alcohol volume is 1.5 oz. for straight alcohol and 4 oz. of white or red wine
- Moderation is 3 non-beers, non-sugary alcohol drinks a week.
Alcohol during the very low calorie diet
Dr. Simeon does mention alcohol in his book Pounds and Inches, ”If no carbohydrates whatsoever are eaten, fats can be indulged in somewhat more liberally and even small quantities of alcohols such as a glass of wine with meals, does no harm, but as soon fats and starch are combined things are very liable to get out of hand”.
There’s always an appropriate way and time to enjoy a moderate amount of alcohol to celebrate and unwind. The key to successfully drinking alcohol while on the HCG Diet is consuming them intentionally, responsibly and choosing the right alcoholic beverages. So, before you pour yourself a glass of something intoxicating, consider your goal and eating habit and make a smart choice about which type of alcohol you want to pour unto your glass.
Avoid drinking grain-based drinks that may include gluten like:
- Grain-based vodka
- Beer
- Whiskey
- Gin ( some brands are processed with grain-based alcohol)
- Bourbon
Beers and wine must absolutely be avoided during the very low calorie diet phase but you can have them on your maintenance phase without any issue. If you must drink, here are a couple of options for you to choose from.
- Vodka with orange juice
- Vodka and soda water with a squeeze of lemon
- Rum
- Red wine
- Sparkling wine
- White wine
- Tequila
How often can I drink alcoholic beverages?
It’s not the calories of the alcohol that counts but the other side effects that make losing weight difficult. A good plan is to limit your alcohol consumption to no more than 3 days a week, usually during special events or weekends. Avoid drinking alcohol every night as it can cause weight gain especially for those with a slowed metabolism.
Alcohol during the Maintenance Phase
You can enjoy having a glass of wine or a cocktail on Phase 3 of the HCG diet, just in time for this coming holiday season, again without any issue. However, it is very vital to consider the right liquor, wine, cocktail or beverages to pour onto your glass. Here are a few tips on how to enjoy a festive holiday but still manage to keep your weight stable.
- Avoid ALL sugary mixes like Bailey’s, flavored Martinis made with sugar, pure fruit juices and sweet dessert wines while on P3.
- You can enjoy a pretty good variety of wines and cocktails such as tonic water with lemon, sparkling water or just a splash of natural fruit juices for flavor. When choosing a cocktail to imbibe with, keep it to a splash of fruit juices such as apple, cranberry serve straight or mix with sparkling water or on the rock. Do away with pure fruit juices as they contain excessive fructose which can be a bit problematic while stabilizing on P3.
- You can have the wine and beer during stabilization phase. Choose red wine over the white one. Red wines contain more antioxidants and less sugar than white wines. You can also have sparkling wines and dry champagne in moderation.
- Other holiday treats are spiced wine or a cup of hot cocoa sweetened with stevia. Celebrate with confidence and toast with joy this Holiday season without blowing your diet.
- Choose the driest, least sweet wine as possible. The driest reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot. The driest whites are Albarino and Sauvignon Blanc.
Too much alcohol during the HCG Diet
When you drink more than one drink every day or 3 to 4 or more times a week, it’s another issue. Things can change and it’s not just the calories that count.
- Too much alcohol can make it difficult for you to lose or even maintain your weight. It’s accompanied by bad eating habits making your portion control difficult as it stimulates your appetite. It suppresses your brain’s ability to say enough as it makes you hungrier. Both combinations can be very dangerous when you are on a diet.
- Too much alcohol stops fat burning by decreasing your metabolism and interfering with how the HCG hormone works in your system. The alcohol you consumed will be metabolized first as a source of energy instead of the proteins you ate. The proteins that were not metabolized will be turned into fat. Everything you eat will be turned into fat when alcohol is around.
- Too much alcohol can cause poor sleep which can contribute to weight gain and slowed metabolism.
- Alcohols and mixes have enormous calories. The mix alone contains twice the calories of hard liquor. A Margarita has 300 calories, Pina Colada has 300 to 400 calories or a simple gin contains 250 calories.
