# Atkins diet and alcohol **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594 "2003-07-11T00:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/1 "2003-07-11T00:27:30Z")
My wife just started the Atkins diet. She wants to know what type of alcohol she can drink. Obviously beer is out of the question. How about vodka? Gin? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/2 "2003-07-11T03:02:33Z")
Rum and diet Coke. mmmmmmm ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/3 "2003-07-11T03:36:25Z")
If your wife “just started” the diet, then she’s in the “induction” stage, and shouldn’t be drinking any alcohol. When you drink alcohol, your body uses the alcohol for energy, before it uses fat. So in effect, you sabotage your diet by not letting your body burn fat for energy. Once the induction stage is over, and your wife enters the “ongoing weight loss” stage, she can begin to re-introduce alcohol in small quantities. I suggest she read Atkins’ book, where he discusses this in more detail, and for many other reasons as well. Also: if your wife needs to lose weight, and her biggest concern is her alcohol consumption, maybe her weight isn’t her only problem. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/4 "2003-07-11T06:21:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by panache45 \* > \*\* > Also: if your wife needs to lose weight, and her biggest concern is her alcohol consumption, maybe her weight isn’t her only problem. \*\* Jesus Christ, that was uncalled for. And at what point did he say it was her “biggest concern”? Can’t anyone ask a simple question with people getting judgemental on them anymore? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/5 "2003-07-11T06:36:02Z")
Check out the [Atkins site](http://atkins.com/helpatkins/faqs/faqbeverages/index.html) for free answers. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/6 "2003-07-11T11:16:45Z")
Occationally OK, have her try a little (1 drink, maybe 2) and check w/ ketosticks. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/7 "2003-07-11T11:23:04Z")
Please ignore **panache45**. :rolleyes: I limited myself to spirits and diet mixers, and didn’t go out of ketosis with these. After induction I had some red wine and was fine too. However, white wine and beer definitely messed the ketosis up. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/8 "2003-07-11T11:36:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by panache45 \* > \*\*Also: if your wife needs to lose weight, and her biggest concern is her alcohol consumption, maybe her weight isn’t her only problem. \*\* Ok, I apologize; I totally misread the OP. That’s what I get for trying to think rationially after my meds kick in. But I do stand by the rest. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/9 "2003-07-11T11:45:16Z")
I agree with the rest of your assertion, **panache45**. The thing to remember is that alcohol isn’t metabolized the same way as sugar carbs, so it actually postpones fat burning, rather than stops it altogether. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/10 "2003-07-11T13:37:19Z")
There are lo-carb beers available, such as Michelob Ultra which has 2.6 carbs per bottle. Also, Guiness has only 4.5 carbs per can. But these are definitely for later in the diet,not during induction. I definitely notice a slowdown in weightloss and a reduction in ketosis after I drink ANYTHING…but that may just be me. ---
**Author:** ![chattywine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@chattywine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chattywine)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/11 "2003-07-11T15:21:03Z")
Aceospades - during induction be it the min. 2 weeks or extended best bet would be to go By The Book 🙂 Alsohol does slow down the process as well as caffine. For either type of beverage drink double in water. I highly reccomend hitting the[Low-Carber forum](http://forum.lowcarber.org/) tis a great source of LCing info & support 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/12 "2003-07-11T18:47:26Z")
thanks all. she just started 2 days ago and is still in the induction stage. i asked her if it would hurt to have a drink and she didn’t know. well now we know, and knowing is half the battle. ps: she does have the book but i checked and it was printed in 1985. i’m guessing she picked it up at a second hand book store. i don’t know if it went into detail about alcohol or not. i really don’t know much about this (or any diet), i’m just here to say “GO TEAM GO!” ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atkins-diet-and-alcohol/187594/13 "2003-07-12T17:51:42Z")
for some strange reason this never bumped to the top of the forom or showed that i was the last poster yesterday when i posted, soooo _bump_ lets see if this works