Ahh, summer. Long days, golden sunshine, beach vacations, and (for many of us) a cold drink in hand.
Whether your go-to is a fruity margarita at the BBQ, a glass of rosé at the lake, or a frozen piña colada in a beach chair, cocktails and summer pair together like SPF and sunshine.
But here’s the truth. Those tasty little drinks are doing more than just cooling you off and chilling your mood. They are also quietly undermining your weight loss, your sleep, your hormone balance, and even your mood.
I know—I sound like the cocktail police. But I’m not a stranger to spirits. As a fellow liquor-lover, I’m here to help you navigate this stuff with your eyes wide open. When you know what’s really going on, you can make good choices that support your goals instead of sabotaging them.
So let’s break it down. What’s really in that summer cocktail? What does it mean for your metabolism and health? And how can you enjoy social occasions without tossing away your health for some tequila?
Let’s look at alcohol with sober eyes…
What’s Actually In That Margarita?
Most summer cocktails are a blend of sugar, alcohol, flavors, coloring, and sometimes cream or syrups. Here’s a quick glance at what you’re sipping:
- The Margarita: 300-500 calories, 30+g sugar
- The Frozen Daiquiri: 500+ calories, 50+g sugar
- The Piña Colada: 600 calories, 60+g sugar
- The Apreol Spiritz: 200 calories, 15-20g sugar
- The Glass of Rosé or Wine (5oz): 120-150 calories, 3-6g sugar
- The Hard Seltzer (12oz): 100 calories, 2g sugar
- The Vodka Soda with Lime: 65-80 calories, 0g sugar
Here’s the rub. These numbers might not look terrible on their own, but who’s stopping after one drink? Plus, calories from alcohol don’t work the same way in our bodies as calories from, say, chicken or quinoa…
How Alcohol Affects Weight Loss
Give me a minute to nerd out.
Alcohol is metabolized differently than food. Our bodies are straight-laced. When you drink alcohol, your body sees it as a toxin. When you drink, your liver puts everything else on pause to prioritize getting the alcohol out of your system.
That’s bad news for your health and weight loss.
- Fat-burning pauses: Your body won’t burn fat efficiently while alcohol is in your bloodstream.
- Protein synthesis drops: If you’re strength training, alcohol can interfere with muscle recovery and growth.
- Blood sugar wobbles: That’s why drinking leads to late-night hunger, sugar cravings, and even mood swings the next day.
- Sleep quality tanks: Even if you fall asleep quickly after a glass of wine, alcohol disrupts REM sleep. You’ll wake up groggy, even after 8 hours.
- Hormones take a hit: Alcohol can throw off estrogen, cortisol, and insulin levels—three key players in fat loss, mood, and energy.
To wrap it up, drinking alcohol tells your metabolism to take the night off.
Action steps
1️⃣ Save Cocktails for Special Occasions
Even if you’re just having “a glass,” multiple drinks a week add up fast and put major stalls on your metabolism. Try limiting your drinks to 1-2, and enjoy them on special occasions. You might want to split a bottle of wine with your partner on Friday night. Or, now that you know how it affects your body, you might want to cut alcohol except for holidays and events.
Whichever you decide, make it worth it. A random Tuesday night glass of wine you barely enjoy is probably doing more harm than good in your life. Skip it. The movie night with your best friends? Go for it, but mindfully.
2️⃣ Pick Your Poison Wisely
As you could see in the list above, not all cocktails are created equal. Some are calorie and sugar bombs. Others are refreshing without the blood sugar roller coaster. Grab for these better options when you’re ready to sip on something sudsy.
- Vodka soda with lime
- Tequila with lime and a splash of soda water
- Dry wine, like a sauvignon blanc or dry rosé
- Hard seltzers with clean ingredients, like Spindrift Spiked
In general, avoid mixers like juice, soda, simple syrup, and creamy liqueurs. These add-ins are like liquid candy and add up quickly.
3️⃣ Make a Mocktail
Mocktails are magic. They still give you the feeling of a fun drink without the metabolic chaos. Try these combos:
- The cucumber mint mocktail: Muddle cucumber and mint, add your favorite sparkling water, and a squeeze of lime
- Coconut lime refresher: Mix coconut water, a few drops of coconut extract, sparkling water, lime juice, and ice
- Ultima Electrolyte spritzer: Mix your favorite Ultima flavor (I love their mocktails variety pack) with sparkling water and crushed ice. It looks pretty, tastes yummy, and hydrates all at once. This one’s a win—it helps with hydration and energy instead of depleting you like alcohol does.
4️⃣ Hydrate Harder
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it pulls water out of your body. Dehydration from alcohol is a big reason why we feel bloated, constipated, tired, and puffy the next day. Here’s a good fix:
- After every alcoholic drink, have one glass of water with electrolytes
- Rehydrate before going to bed with a large glass of water
- Start the next day with a high-protein breakfast (this will stabilize blood sugar and help your liver break down any toxic remains from last night’s alcohol), and drink more water
Summer cocktails are fun, and they’re not harmless. Knowing how alcohol affects your metabolism, hormones, sleep, and recovery will give you the knowledge to make informed decisions that support your goals.
So, this season, drink with intention. Hydrate well. Stay focused on what you really want. If it’s confidence, strength, energy, and feeling amazing in your skin, reach for that mocktail on Monday night instead of the Mule.
Skip Ideals. Let’s Be Real About Alcohol…
Your life and my life are not a compilation of perfect choices. We can’t cram our real lives into a flawless formula for fitness and health.
And that’s ok.
Your health and weight loss don’t require perfection. It just requires consistency. That’s why is so important that you find the healthy habits you love to stick with and can stick with in the real, sometimes hectic every day.
You’ll find exactly that in my 7-week LEAN program. I’ll teach you how to create real-life balance that works for your lifestyle. That includes learning how to enjoy vacations, parties, and—yes—cocktails without falling off the wagon.
Don’t feel the need to say goodbye to your summer fun. Learn the tools to do your summer smarter.
Scrap the all-or-nothing dieting. Build habits that last. Come join us at LEAN. You’ll learn how to fuel your body, burn fat, and still live your life.
