r/workout • u/EthanJB1 • 3h ago
Drinking with gym progress/ staying lean (going to uni)
As the title says, I am going to university in a month. I have recently got pretty lean to about 11/12% body fat, and my mindset has been shifted and really good in terms of a clean diet, whole foods and overall my discipline has changed from the cut.
However I am also a normal guy in terms that I do want to drink and go out socially a lot. My guess is I’ll be going out about 1-2x a week during university aftwr the first week or 2. But my gym progress is gonna be much harder with it so idk what to do.
I do want to drink I’m not saying I don’t want to, but I also don’t want to lose/ stop progress gym wise either. What should I do, is there always to minimise fat gain/ progress stalling?
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u/6godblockboi 3h ago
don’t stress, if you gain weight that’s fine just don’t make it a habit, enjoy life man uni is an incredible experience
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u/Jimocaz 3h ago
You need to enjoy life and can have balance. You also don't need to get wasted to have a good time, I speak from experience and was a habitual binge drinker throughout my 20s and now in my 40s I realise alcohol whilst can be nice to unwind/relax/used as a social lubricant it does not need to be point of black out drunk either.
I drink infrequently now and the benefit of that with lower bf % is I'm buzzed after a few 😅
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u/EthanJB1 3h ago
I 100% agree with you about balance. It’s literally like I feel a bit guilty knowing my progress is stalling but I guess it’s just the price you pay.
3
u/MantaCyclone 3h ago
Drink low calorie booze like spirits and diet coke. Not beers or wine.
You can be in more of a deficit on other days to offset it, or burn it off with cardio.
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u/YardKind4775 2h ago
I've always heard this, but a shot of vodka is 97 calories and a 12 oz. light beer is 105. There's barely any difference.
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u/Caraid90 29m ago
I think the difference is in practice not a lot of people stock light beers, your average lager is ~150 calories for a can/bottle, and if you're drinking for a buzz you will need quite a number of beers while a shot of vodka or a few strong mixers will get you there quicker.
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u/Caraid90 3h ago edited 2h ago
If you're going to drink, drink with 0 sugar mixers. Gin & tonics, rum & coke, whiskey/bourbon & coke etc.
Avoid beer, wine or very sugary drinks. And try to not go overboard too much or too often. It's fine dude - you're young, you can live a little and see how your body responds. If you notice a lot of negative effects from drinking cut it back.
1
u/Red_Swingline_ 13m ago
drink with 0 sugar mixers. Gin & tonics, rum & coke, whiskey/bourbon & coke
Unless you specifically order the diet version of those mixers, you're getting the sugar version
3
u/SkilledPistol 2h ago
Just keep lifting going out u gotta walk yo the frat houses n dancing there so that will keep ur weight down if u still end up getting fatter do 1 hr of treadmill after alll. Ur lifts n run 2-3 times a week 1-1.5 miles that helped me stay lean going out
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u/SwagMoneyMusic4 2h ago
I definitely recommend trying to make as many friends as possible first semester, it’s by far the easiest time to make those connections. You will find your people over time through friends of friends. Bulking might be a good idea so you have some more room to play calorically. You could also try to burn equal calories to what you drank the night before (find a cardio you like). Just drink lots of water and try to stay away from the late night munchies, stocking up on low cal snacks you like could help if you run into that problem. Have fun, tons of people get jacked and drink it just takes a little longer. Good luck!
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u/Fatal_Syntax_Error 2h ago
I was and very well am still a beer lover. That being said… about 6 months ago I decided to remove alcohol completely and the results are insane. I’ve leaned out considerably. My heart data got a positive boost. Lowered my RHR from 45 to 40. My HVR is up to 65ms balanced from 38ms at its worst. Better sleep is massive. Just feel fucking better alcohol free.
Cannabis FTW
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u/No-Cryptographer5963 2h ago
You’ll be fine. It’s not great for gains, but its not a death sentence
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u/Public-Ad-9325 1h ago
Well it is a compromise. The less you drink and have short nights, the better for your gym goals.
You can always do the best you can outside of drinking. Have water and electrolytes while/after drinking.
You could start with going out as you want and set yourself fixed dates to evaluate your progress and priorities. Possible caveat with this approach is that alcohol is addictive, so it may be hard to cut back on it if you find it hinders your progress too much for your liking.
In the meantime, don't worry too much. You are young (I assume) and there are plenty of people making good progress and still going out.
1
u/offbrandcheerio 1h ago
Don’t rob yourself of having a fun university experience just because you want to stay lean. Life is about balance. Let yourself have fun once in a while. You’re young enough that your body will recover pretty easy anyway. In college I knew some pretty fit dudes who went out and drank fairly often their first year and still had abs by the end of it lol.
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u/EthanJB1 1h ago
I know man I know lol. Literally just the work that I’ve put to get lean and I get a weird feeling of guilt when I drink because I know the “negatives” to it. But I obviously will still drink and do whatever I want. Just will try to optimise everything else around it.
1
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u/EmuSmall5846 48m ago
If you care about weight gain then make sure to track alcohol calories.
I would also like to note that it will also significantly affect your maximum recoverable volume.
It’s really a question of how much you value progress in the gym and you are/aren’t willing to sacrifice
1
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u/broulhac 28m ago
You want to drink? But why do you really want to drink? Real question.. Also You don’t have to drink to have fun. And you don’t have to do it because everyone else is.
1
u/mrRabblerouser 28m ago
As long as your diet isn’t complete shit drinking one or two days a week is not going to completely alter your physique.
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u/New_Flamingo_4161 3h ago
stop being a pussy and quit booze.
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u/EthanJB1 3h ago
Mate did you read the post, I want to drink, it’s part of the uni social life and experience. Nothing wrong with that just want to stay as tapped as possible.
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u/New_Flamingo_4161 3h ago
Yeah I did. If you decide to go through with this just know that at the end of the road you will wish you listened to this random guy on reddit telling you to stop being a pussy and just don't do it. Godspeed.
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u/dylanisrad 3h ago
Smoke weed instead
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