There are lower carb beers (Michelob Ultra seems to be favourite, but has become unobtanium. Bud Light isn't bad, carbs-wise.) If your alcohol doesn't have to be beer, then spirits with diet mixers are probably your safest bet.
I gave up smoking 25 years ago. Now I've given up eating what I want, and all for the sake of lower blood sugar, since the weight loss has stalled just over half a stone in. If I were on a weight loss diet (rather than a diabetes control one) I'd be about ready to throw the towel in, right now.
So they can pry alcohol out of my cold, dead hands. I'm allowing myself this one vice.
I know I shouldn't, since my ALT levels are elevated (which could simply be NAFLD, but alcohol probably doesn't help. Though to be fair, I was tested after 3 months of drinking every night during lockdown, and my ALT is actually lower than it was 10 years ago.) But quite frankly, if I can't have a few beers at the weekend, then I'm not sure I can be bothered with the whole thing at all. I think that's the last straw that'll push me into a life of debauchery, determined to go out early, but with a bang, rather than a whimper.
Give it another 5 years, and maybe I'll change my mind. I've watched far heavier drinkers than me turn almost teetotal with age.
The possibility of alcohol related hypos bother me, which is one of the reasons I'm trying to do this on diet, rather than accepting the medication I've already been prescribed. One of my favourite nights out involves getting hammered on the Friday night, staying over in a hotel, checking I'm good to drive with a decent quality breathalyser, and then 80 miles home. "A hypo might happen any time within 24 hours of consuming alcohol" is not something you want to hear. Likewise, travelling for work, and them being willing to pick up a reasonable bar bill.
In fairness, if I tested and took glucose if I was below a 5 the following morning, I'd probably be good to drive.
As for how you respond to the carbs in alcohol, you'll probably find that varies between individuals. The theory at least is that they won't spike you immediately, since your liver will prioritise the alcohol. Once it's mostly dealt with that, it begins processing the carbs. My own experience is that alcohol doesn't spike my levels while I'm drinking it and, if anything, tends to give me slightly lower fasting levels the following morning, even if I blow a 0.00 on the breathalyser. Perhaps there's a spike sometime through the night. One of these days, I'll invest in Libre and find out for sure.
I think that'd make me fall off the wagon for a bit too, just to get it out of my system.
