How to Track Alcohol Macros
Calories in alcohol aren’t the same as calories in protein, carbohydrates, or fat. Your body cannot use alcohol to fuel bodily functions in the same way it uses other macronutrients. So when tracking alcohol macros, you need to count them differently than you would count other macronutrients. Most people count alcohol calories as carbohydrates. But you can also count them as fat calories if you prefer. Either way, it’s important to make a decision about whether or not to drink and how to count alcohol calories on the macro diet.
Is alcohol a macronutrient?
The short answer to this question is “no.” Alcohol is not a macronutrient like protein, fat, or carbs. But, alcohol is often referred to as the “fourth macro.” Like the other three macros, protein, fat, and carbohydrate, alcohol provides calories. But calories from alcohol are a little bit different.
Protein and carbohydrates each provide four calories per gram. Fat provides nine calories per gram. Alcohol, on the other hand, provides 7 calories per gram.
Calories provide energy to help your body move and function properly. But protein, fat, and carbohydrates play other roles in your body, like building muscle or keeping cells healthy. Your body has no use for alcohol.
Since alcohol serves no purpose in the body, your body works to get rid of it as soon as possible. As a result, it sets aside the metabolism of other nutrients in your body and prioritizes the processing and elimination of alcohol. That is, it uses calories from alcohol first and sets aside the other calories you’ve consumed to be used later. In many cases, those other calories will be stored as fat.
Macros and Calories in Alcohol
While there are seven calories per gram of alcohol, there are usually far more calories in alcoholic beverages beyond just the alcohol. Many drinks also contain calories from carbs and some even contain fat calories. Mixers and other ingredients are sometimes used to make mixed drinks and other adult beverages.
Consider the alcohol calories in these drinks:
White wine (5 ounces): 120 calories, 0g fat, 3.8g carbs, 0g protein
Red wine (5 ounces): 125 calories, 0g fat, 3.8g carbs, 0g protein
Champagne (5 ounces): 120 calories, 0g fat, 3.8g carbs, 0g protein
Dark beer (12 ounces): 200 calories, 0g fat, 6.6g carbs, 1g protein
Light beer (12 ounces): 100 calories, 0g fat, 5.8g carbs, 1g protein
Gin & Tonic (8 ounces): 207 calories, 0g fat, 15g carbs, 0g protein
Margarita (8 ounces): 226 calories, 0g fat, 22g carbs, 0g protein
Rum & Coke (6 ounces): 179 calories, 0g fat, 13g carbs, 0g protein
Vodka & Soda (with one shot vodka): 64 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein
Espresso martini (4 ounces): 239 calories, 0.2g fat, 12g carbs, 0g protein
Moscow mule (8 ounces): 210 calories, 0.2g fat, 21g carbs, 0g protein
It is easy to see how calories in alcohol can add up quickly. And it’s not just the calories in alcohol to consider if you are trying to avoid weight gain or lose weight. Studies show that we make poor food choices when we consume alcohol. So in addition to your alcohol calories, you may need to consider calories in snacks like pretzels, nachos, or other foods.
Tracking alcohol macros
When you track your macros, there is usually no fourth category where you can account for the calories or the grams of alcohol in the drinks you consume. Most tracking apps don’t account for alcohol calories. Instead, they are most often counted as carbs.
The thinking behind this approach is that since many alcoholic beverages contain carbs in addition to alcohol, counting the whole drink in the carb category makes sense. For instance, a beer or a mixed drink made with a sugary mixture is going to provide substantial carbohydrates as well as some calories from the alcohol. So, the tracking app you use is likely to put all of those calories in the carbs column.
However, I prefer to count my alcohol calories as fat. Here’s why: I don’t want to shortchange myself out of important carbohydrates, especially because I pair my macro diet with an exercise program. I need the energy provided by those carbs! If I get into the habit of replacing carbs with empty alcohol calories, my workouts may suffer.
In Macro Diet for Dummies, I give you the option of counting alcohol calories as carbs or as fat. We walk through the whole process (for those not using a tracking app) and I explain what your body does with alcohol in greater detail so you can make the best decisions for yourself.
👉 Daily Macros Calculator: Get Your Personalized Numbers Instantly 👈
Should You Drink Alcohol on the Macro Diet?
The macro diet you set up for yourself needs to be sustainable. If you create a meal plan for yourself that is unrealistic or too restrictive, you won’t stick to it for long enough to make a difference. So if you enjoy alcohol in moderation, then continue to do so when tracking your macros. But keep moderation in mind.
According to the National Institutes of Health, moderate drinking is defined as one drink per day or less for women or up to seven drinks per week. For men, moderate drinking is defined as two drinks per day or less or up to 14 drinks per week.
There are other factors to keep in mind when choosing to drink alcohol on the macro diet. These drawbacks should be considered:
Drinking can make weight loss harder. Alcohol calories are “empty” calories. That is, your body has no use for them. And alcohol calories add up! A glass of wine served in many restaurants can total 200 calories or more depending on how much the bartender pours in your glass. And a mixed drink can easily total 500 calories if sugary mixers are used. Several studies have linked alcohol consumption to obesity and some studies have shown that drinking makes weight loss more difficult.
Alcohol can make workouts less effective. Depending on how well your body metabolizes alcohol, your workout may suffer on the day following a night of drinking. Alcohol makes it harder to get a good night’s sleep, and if you drink your calories instead of eating nutritious food, your body may not have the fuel you need to perform at its best. Lastly, if you overconsumed alcohol, you may experience fatigue, stomach upset, or a headache that limit your ability to exercise.
Drinking can mess with your hormones. Heavy drinking may increase cortisol levels in the body. In studies, chronically high cortisol levels have been associated with weight gain and particularly with an increase in belly fat. Drinking can affect estrogen and testosterone levels in both men and women and can also play a role in maintaining optimal bone density.
Alcohol calories often displace other important nutrients. If you fill up on beer or wine instead of consuming a balanced macro meal, you shortchange your body out of the nutrients it needs to work at its best. When you do this once in a while, it is not likely to have a significant or long-term effect. But if it becomes a regular habit, you may have a harder time reaching your macro diet goals.
Whether you decide to consume alcohol or not is up to you. While there are downsides to drinking, many people enjoy the social benefits of drinking, the taste of beer or wine, and the relaxation it provides. There is nothing wrong with that! However, it is also important to understand the impact of alcohol calories on your overall diet and fitness plan so you can make an informed choice about what works best for you.