When you’re making body composition changes, it can feel like you need to cut everything you enjoy out of your diet. Things like sugar and alcohol might feel like they don’t belong. That’s not entirely true; you can still enjoy alcohol while making body composition changes. And sugar, especially natural sugar, can have its place, too, especially when it’s combined with other foods correctly.   If you choose to drink alcohol Find what you enjoy drinking Get snobby with your alcohol Eliminate excess sugar and carbohydrates   Sugar and Body Composition Pure sugar will have a pungent glucose load right into your bloodstream. This directly impacts our Glycemic Index, and you will have more of an insulin response. Insulin prevents you from burning fat, and, in fact, it puts you into fat storage mode. Eating too much sugar can also put you into insulin resistance. Understanding the Glycemic Index and how sugar and carbohydrates impact your body and blood sugar is vitally important. The source of your sugar matters, too. Fructose or fruit sugar won’t have as much of a glucose effect on your bloodstream, but the best way to eat it is to mix it with protein and fat.   Alcohol and Body Composition Alcohol alone doesn’t have a negative impact on your body composition changes. Especially when combined with lower calorie and lower sugar mixers, overall, there is not much of an impact on your daily requirements.  So, alcohol does reduce our inhibitions, and when our inhibitions are lowered, we are more likely to make choices that don’t align with our body composition goals. I recommend drinking four or fewer drinks per week when you’re in a fat loss or maintenance mode to stay in line with the body composition changes you want to make. Where do alcohol and sugar fit into your lifestyle? Let me know in the comments on the episode page.   In This Episode  What happens when we eat sugar [4:30] How insulin resistance develops [5:00] What you need to know about the Glycemic Index [7:30] The differences between natural and artificial sugars [11:00] How much sugar to eat for optimal body composition change [14:45] The impact of alcohol on body composition [20:00] What happens to your body when you drink alcohol [24:15]   Quotes “Don’t let fruit be something that you’re not eating because you think that it potentially will wreak havoc on your metabolic system.” [12:02] “The truth of it all is what feels good in your body. Because whatever feels good in your body is what you will sustain long-term. The key point here is that if you want to lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. If you don’t want to lose any weight, you want to stay neutral, you need to be in a neutral deficit and eat for maintenance. If you’re looking to actually gain muscle mass, you’re going to eat in a surplus.” [17:47] “Alcohol, in general, sets our brain up to want to continue on the pathway to indulge more.” [21:44] “What I want you to stop doing is saying no to things that you would like to have and get snobby with those things.” [23:56] “Four drinks or less per week will keep you in a zone where you will still be able to efficiently lose body fat, for most people.” [25:49]   Resources Mentioned Learn About the Fit Dad Collective Join Transform Check out the full episode page here Find Life Coaching for Women Physicians Online Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts Podcast production by the team at Counterweight Creative   Related Episodes  Episode 147: Alcohol and Optimal Weight Loss Episode 153: Lose Stress Not Carbs Episode 161: Barriers To Optimal Body Composition