What does alcohol really do?

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uwhuskygirl
uwhuskygirl Posts: 320
in Food and Nutrition
I know this has been brought up in the past and I read some old posts about it, but still can't find a good answer...

But what does alcohol really do to your body and how does this effect trying to lose weight?

I accidentally polished off a bottle of wine with my BF last night and now I feel yuck.y
I just need someone to tell me it's awful and that I should say no to alcohol all together now.

:sick:
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Replies

  • uwhuskygirl
    uwhuskygirl Posts: 320
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    I know this has been brought up in the past and I read some old posts about it, but still can't find a good answer...

    But what does alcohol really do to your body and how does this effect trying to lose weight?

    I accidentally polished off a bottle of wine with my BF last night and now I feel yuck.y
    I just need someone to tell me it's awful and that I should say no to alcohol all together now.

    :sick:
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    Ok--you asked for it.

    It's bad for you and you should stay away from it altogether.

    Personally, I feel alcohol is nothing but empty calories. Not worth it at all!
  • eriny
    eriny Posts: 1,509 Member
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    :drinker: :tongue:
  • riotthyme
    riotthyme Posts: 13 Member
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    You probably should say no, but I wouldn't be able to do it.

    I've had a few nights where I've drank one too many, felt crap when I logged the calories, and felt crap in the morning.

    I would say just account for it and exercise and take it in moderation!
  • teetsel4
    teetsel4 Posts: 288 Member
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    ok, this is nothing offical, just my personal experience and oppinion.

    I love to drink. There I said it, lol. But it's true, I love to drink red wine and light beer. I drink every night. I don't get wasted, just a glass or two. I don't drink hard stuff, I just don't have a taste for it. Anyhow, I find that if I drink wine it either halts my weight loss or I gain. But with light beer, it doesn't seem to effect me that way. With both beer and wine, I include it in my calorie count, so I know I am not going over. I exercise almost everyday, but the wine will mess me up everytime!:frown:

    So here's my unoffical oppinion: Alcohol slows down your metabolism. Period. Doesn't matter if you include it in the calorie count or not, if you exercise regularly or not. If you drink your weight loss will be slower.

    So I choose to drink, knowing that my weight loss will be slower. But hey! At least I'm enjoying myself!
    :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • lilmandy89
    lilmandy89 Posts: 323 Member
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    Is it still really bad for you if you fit it in to your calories for the day??
    Does it have any affect on your metabolism??
  • lilmandy89
    lilmandy89 Posts: 323 Member
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    So I choose to drink, knowing that my weight loss will be slower. But hey! At least I'm enjoying myself!
    :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

    :drinker:
  • 5KNohno
    5KNohno Posts: 503
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    I just need someone to tell me it's awful and that I should say no to alcohol all together now.

    :sick:

    It's awful and you should say no to alcohol all together! :smile:
  • Katy009
    Katy009 Posts: 579 Member
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    It's awful and you should say no!!!

    Actually, I used to drink quite often, but have not had even one drink for almost a year....since I quit smoking for fear that I would want a cig with it. But sometimes now when I think of how I used to feel when I "accidentally polished off a bottle of red wine" I know that I am better off because I don't miss how I felt the morning after!
  • leblancb
    leblancb Posts: 47
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    I drink socially but I make better choices with that too. One glass of wine , or rum and diet coke, vodka with diet lemonade.............

    I have enjoyed a couple of drinks at the cottage on the weekend and I am still loosing weight, just make sure you account for the calories.
  • LightenUp_Caro
    LightenUp_Caro Posts: 572 Member
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    I'm slightly hungover at the moment.:noway:
    With that being said, I guess it would be redundant to say that I do drink on occasion.
    I have cut back on my alcohol intake since January, and I must say that I think its part of what is helping me lose weight.

    The truth is, EVERYTHING in excess is bad for you. If you keep things in moderation, then you will have absolutely no problem. Alcohol does have a tendency to slow down your metabolism, but if you don't drink daily, it shouldn't be too noticable.
    :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • laurenk182004
    laurenk182004 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    Ugh I was SOO hungover the other day, I need to quit altogether! I drank 15 budlights and got violently ill the next day..sooo not worth the laughs i had while trashed, or the thousand and then some calories I added on. I cannot drink just a few, I'm an alcoholic at heart and need to give it up! SOOO I'm working on it, and quitting smoking too b/c I can't drink and not smoke, so i might as well do it all at once! YAY for me! lol Anyways, back on track here, alcohol dehydrates u and pickles your liver..yummy huh?
  • jlauren6
    jlauren6 Posts: 209
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    HOLY CRAP!!!!!! I have not been putting in those alchi drinks, but I just entered to couple long islands I plan on drinking tonight and I'm over 1000cals over!!!!!!!!!!! Man I wish I hadn't done that, I'd rather not know! I'll have to do a few laps around the restaurant to burn at least a few sips! Well, I don't do it that often so...:drinker:
  • sindyb9
    sindyb9 Posts: 1,248 Member
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    I have a social drink once and a while when I go out. So if it is not an everyday thing my feelings are go for it. :drinker: :drinker:
  • Helawat
    Helawat Posts: 605 Member
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    There are health benefits to drinking red wine. Here is an excerpt from WebMD:
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089

    Red wine has long been touted as heart healthy. Some have suggested that the apparent health benefits of red wine, namely reducing your risk of heart disease, are behind the so-called French paradox. The French are regular drinkers of red wine and have relatively high amounts of saturated fat in their diet. Despite this fat intake, the French have lower rates of heart disease.

    How does alcohol help the heart?

    Various studies have indicated that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. Some heart-healthy benefits of alcohol include:

    * Raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol
    * Lowers blood pressure
    * Inhibits the formation of blood clots
    * Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol

    The pro-red wine studies suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants come in two main forms: flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

    * Flavonoids. These antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. Other types of alcohol, such as white wine and beer, contain small amounts, too, but red wine has higher levels.
    * Nonflavonoids. These antioxidants found in red wine have recently been of particular interest because they appear to help prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages. However, these studies mostly involved mice — not humans. Resveratrol is the nonflavonoid that researchers are most interested in


    Drink in moderation — or not at all

    The American Heart Association doesn't recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive. Too much increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, certain types of cancer, accidents and other problems. In addition, even small amounts of alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy — weakened heart muscle — and heart failure in some people. If you have heart failure or a weak heart you should avoid alcohol completely.

    If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

    * A drink is defined as 12 ounces (oz.) of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits.

    The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and
  • mkeithley
    mkeithley Posts: 399
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    Your body processes alcohol first, before fat, protein, or carbs. Thus drinking slows down the burning of fat. Check out this link for a pretty good article:
    http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/alcohol.htm
  • beep
    beep Posts: 1,242 Member
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    So, my one glass of red wine a week is a good thing:love:
  • beep
    beep Posts: 1,242 Member
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    Your body processes alcohol first, before fat, protein, or carbs. Thus drinking slows down the burning of fat. Check out this link for a pretty good article:
    http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/alcohol.htm

    GREAT article. So, one glass a week is okay, but if I really really really want to burn fat, don't drink alcoholic drinks.....
  • fynendandi1
    fynendandi1 Posts: 122 Member
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    I have no answer to the question, I am just happy to see so many of you talking about your drinking habits,.... I thought I was the only one!! I too accasionally go overboard, like this friday, it was the first time in months both my kids were gone so I went out with some friends...had way too many light beers woke up the next morning and I gained 4 pounds. I thought, maybe it is water so sat. and sun. I drank tons of water, today.....no changes!!! Was it worth it? I think so, I don't really remember!!!:laugh:
  • 2catowner
    2catowner Posts: 94
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    The wine ALWAYS messes me up. I cannot control the amount of wine I drink, and then I can't seem to control the eating at that point. Definitely makes me think maybe I shouldn't drink at all after reading all this. :glasses:

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