Raymond’s background in competitive rock climbing led him to his fitness career as a coach.

 

Fitness goals help to keep you focused and take a balanced approach to your evening. Fun doesn’t have to revolve around alcohol. Make mindful decisions on where to go for dinner and what you eat, keep yourself full by having a glass of water every other alcoholic drink and go for a boogie—dancing can lose you about 350-to-450 calories an hour.

 

Alcohol is a diuretic—it makes your kidneys produce more urine, which is why it can lead to dehydration. Exercising after drinking can make this worse because you sweat, so you need to drink plenty of water. Alcohol also interferes with the way your body makes energy. When you’re metabolizing or breaking down alcohol, the liver can’t produce as much glucose, which means you have low sugar levels, so you’ll lack strength and power and your body will find it even harder to recover from lactic acid build up when you exercise. 

 

It depends what or how much you drink. Some beers are light in calories. A standard small Singha is 130 calories whereas a Singha Light Beer is 97. A small Leo is about 165 calories. Cocktails that include a sugar mix will generally be high in calories

 

Yes it is, as long as you do things in moderation. I see it on a weekly basis with at least the younger professionals, going to the gym three-to-four times a week but also enjoying a night out with friends. If you have a heavy drinking session once or twice a week, you need to be realistic that your fitness goals will take a bit longer to achieve, if at all. 

 

A couple of beers during the weekend and maybe a beer or two during the week.

 

Know when to say no. I'm not super strict about drinking, so if I don't have to teach the next day sometimes I’ll let loose and get a little tipsy, but if you know you have commitment the next day, stay disciplined by going home after one drink!

 

I would stick to a firm one-to-two drinks policy a night if you don't want to hinder your fitness progress.

 

Let's say a beer is around 150 calories per bottle. So you do the math! And it's not only the calories that matters, there are a lot of carbs (sugar) in beer and other alcoholic drinks.

 

Once or twice a week. Around Christmas and New Year maybe three times a week.

 

Wine, natural wine if possible. For cocktails, a negroni. I don't like anything too sweet.

 

I would recommend going for non-sugary drinks that are not mixed with any soft drinks, such as gin with bitters and soda water. I would also recommend not to overconsume.

 

Excessive alcohol consumption trumps post-exercise hormesis, meaning that it negates the positive stress created by a workout. If consumed in excess, it has a pro-oxidant effect and it damages your cells.

 

Usually higher than normal, because it often turns into a meal at 2am—you probably wouldn't do that sober.

 

I personally used to go out with my friends, have fun and not consume any alcohol because I was training. It's always good to have a designated driver.

 

I drink maybe once or twice a month and it's usually no more than two drinks.

 

I usually drink biodynamic wines, they are hard to come across in Bangkok but it's picking up. In the United States I enjoy low sugar wines such as Fitvine wine and dry farm wines because they’re pure, sustainably-grown and taste amazing.

 

A night out with your friends is fine, the problems start when it's very frequent or you're binging hard. A moderate amount of drink one night a week shouldn't derail things too much.

 

I'd recommend red wine, and spirits with soda water, rather than sugary extras such as Coke.

 

It depends, but a typical drink is about 200 calories. Seven or eight drinks could be the same as an extra day's food consumption. Low calorie drinks such as whiskey soda are around 100 calories.

 

My big drinking days are long gone—now that I'm running a business I just value a hangover-free morning too highly! Being 'drunk' just isn't fun for me anymore.