Can I Drink Alcohol On Atkins?

What would be the point of being thin if you couldn’t have a drink or two, or three?

Well, strictly speaking, alcohol is prohibited in the induction phase of Atkins. Alcohol calories are used before other types when alcohol is available in the blood. When alcohol is present, fat is not being used. This is not compatible with induction where you are trying to get your body into a fat burning mode and keep it there.

In ongoing weight loss and less strict phases, alcohol is allowed but one should be aware of the carbohydrate content of your chosen libation:

• A 12oz. beer has about 12 grams of carbohydrate. Consult the label on your low-carb oriented light beer.
  
•  A 4oz. glass of wine may contain 2-4 grams of carbohydrate (Avoid dessert wine or Champagne).
  
• Distilled spirits (vodka, rum, scotch) contain no carbohydrate so drink all you can hold (just kidding). Of course when drinking spirits, do not mix with anything sweet (fruit juice, coke, seven up etc.).

Drinking too much can of course lead to you ending up at McDonald's, a pizza shop or your neighborhood chipper, so moderation is advisable, especially if you are not used to drinking spirits. Your ketostix will let you know the morning after if there was something too sweet about the night before.