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How do I track alcohol in my macros?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Track alcohol by assigning the drink's calories to carbs or fat. On The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey divides the total calories by 4 to log them as carbs, or by 9 to log them as fat. A 100-calorie can of Truly becomes about 25 grams of carbs or about 11 grams of fat, even though its label lists only 2 grams of carbs.

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  1. Nikkiey shows how to log a can of Truly as carbs or fat

    Plays from 5:41 · Ep. 166: How Alcohol Affects Fat Loss and Muscle After 40

  2. Amy on thinking alcohol was free because her app ignored her macros

    Plays from 16:37 · Ep. 310: How to Lose Body Fat in Menopause by Eating More

  3. Nikkiey on why fitting drinks into your macros isn't the whole story

    Plays from 9:22 · Ep. 359: Does Alcohol Stop Fat Loss? What Women Over 40 Should Know

  4. Nikkiey's framework for drinking without stalling your fat loss

    Plays from 24:50 · Ep. 359: Does Alcohol Stop Fat Loss? What Women Over 40 Should Know

The full answer

Nikkiey explains on Ep. 166 that the label can mislead you. A 100-calorie can of Truly lists only 2 grams of carbs, which accounts for about 8 calories. Most of the rest comes from alcohol, which carries 7 calories per gram, and the label doesn't show that as a macro. So the calories have to land somewhere in your numbers. This is what WarriorBabe recommends:

  • Take the drink's total calories.
  • Divide by 4 to log it as carbs, or by 9 to log it as fat.
  • Take it out of whichever macro you have room in that day.

Watch how fast it adds up. Nikkiey points out that four cans of Truly are 100 grams of carbs before you've eaten anything. On Ep. 310, WarriorBabe client Amy shares that MyFitnessPal subtracted calories for her drinks without touching her macros, so she assumed they were free. Hearing on the podcast that the calories have to come out of carbs or fats helped explain some of her stalled results. If your app does the same, adjust it by hand.

On Ep. 359, Nikkiey adds an important point. Tracking your drinks is part of the strategy, but the calories are the smallest part of why alcohol affects fat loss. The pause in fat burning, the food decisions that follow a few drinks, sleep disruption and cortisol elevation never show up in your app. That's why two women can drink the same amount and get very different results.

Her approach: drink intentionally, choose lower-calorie options, front-load protein on drinking days, plan for food situations ahead of time, protect your sleep and get back on track the next day. She says one or two intentional occasions a week fit with steady progress. The pattern that quietly undoes results is frequent, unplanned drinking, not the occasional night you log honestly.

From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Women also ask

More questions →
  • Macros & Macro Tracking

    Do I have to track macros forever?

    No. Nikkiey is clear that you don't have to track macros for the rest of your life. Tracking and weighing your food is a temporary, educational phase that teaches you what real portions of protein, carbs and fat look like. Do it consistently for a couple of years and it becomes second nature.

    Read the answer →

  • Macros & Macro Tracking

    How do I make tracking macros less overwhelming?

    Make the job smaller at first. The women on the show who stuck with it started small: tracking only protein, planning one day and repeating it, or picking a few meals from a sample plan. Nikkiey says week one might take half an hour a day, but by week three or four it takes five to ten minutes.

    Read the answer →

  • Macros & Macro Tracking

    How do I start tracking macros as a beginner?

    Start by learning to track before chasing any numbers. Nikkiey has beginners log what they normally eat in MyFitnessPal for seven days, then focus on protein first and add fats and carbs later. Keep your meals simple and repetitive for the first few weeks so tracking becomes a skill, not a source of overwhelm.

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