Does Wine/Alcohol delay weight loss

neanderthin

I live in wine Country and enjoy my fair share of craft beers and never had problems when I've ever tried to either lose or gain weight.......I think I'll continue to enjoy them.

neanderthin

The reason alcohol is bad is because of the process your body takes to break it down. Before your body breaks down fat it breaks down carbs. Before carbs it breaks down alcohol.

^^^THIS.

This is nonsense actually

What is it with all the zombie threads in the last couple of days...

What is nonsense.........the body does metabolize alcohol to energy first. If it to refute the "alcohol is bad", I agree with you.

Elsie_Brownraisin

I keep within my calories and it doesn't appear to have made much difference, it may be because I only aim to lose 1/2lb a week. I still drink wine or beer at least once a week, but rather less than I used to.

I do sometimes succumb to the take away on the way home or rubbish in the cupboard (especially left over cold sausages (veggie or meat) and mustard, the best tipsy food there is), which I think is the undoing more than the alcohol itself.

Mind you, I drank a bottle of wine and had a ginormous plate of spaghetti carbonara last week and still lost weight.

sarafischbach9

1-2 glasses of wine a week will not harm your weight loss. Make sure you only have what a recommended serving is ( ex: 6 oz or 4 oz ) and record!

But if you're having a few glasses several nights a week, then yes, it will harm your weight loss.

Good luck!

MeanderingMammal

What is nonsense.........the body does metabolize alcohol to energy first. If it to refute the "alcohol is bad", I agree with you.

The carbs/ cals consumed as alcohol are simple sugars, therefore quickly metabolised. Its accurate inasmuch as easily utilised carbs are used more readily than less easily utilised carbs. Its not the alcohol per se, but the low benefit from that.

One would get the same nutritional effect through consuming an energy gel.

jcorpern

Carbs = 4kcal/gm
Protein=5kcal/gm
FAT=9kcal/gm
Alcohol = 11kcal/gm

DebbieLyn63

When I met my ex, he was 27, 5'7" and weighed 125 soaking wet. His diet consisted of alcohol, pot and sugar/junk food.

After we married, and I started cooking real food for him and he spent a little less time at the bar, he gained about 20 lbs in the first year.

Does this mean that heavy drinking is good for weight loss?? NO

This means that my ex is an alcoholic. He would rather have alcohol than food. He also has one of those metabolisms that actually thrives on sugar. The more sugar he eats, the skinnier he is. He does not eat when he is drinking, because food would take up space for more alcohol.
Almost 30 yrs later he is still skinny, but that does not mean he is healthy.
He is a somewhat functioning alcohol, in that he has kept a job, but the rest of his life is a mess. He destroys everyone in his life, but as long as he has his vices, he is content.

Alcohol may not affect everyone's weight loss, but it DOES affect everyone's health. The scientific studies that were posted earlier in the thread, breaks it down really well.
By the way, Acetate is the stuff they put in nail polish remover to remove paint and even works on acrylic nails. So when you drink alcohol, you are basically drinking paint remover.
And do not overlook the part about alcohol preventing your body from absorbing the vitamins and minerals from food. All the 'healthy' food you eat is in vain if you aren't benefiting from the nutrients in it.

I don't want to sound like a hater on people who drink responsibly. I will enjoy a drink of something usually once a year or two, for one reason or another. But I know the damage that heavy drinking can cause in many areas of your life and those around you.
For this site, weight loss is the priority. So don't read about someone else who can drink a lot and lose weight just fine, and think that sounds like a great idea. They are just substituting paint remover for food. Not really a diet plan I would endorse.

randomtai

No. I drink all the time.. :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

dumb_blondes_rock

I drank 2 beers, and about 5 vodka soda waters a couple weekends ago and lost 7 lbs that week. Of course I threw up and could hardly eat anything the day after...but weight loss and drinking is still possible lol.

a_stronger_me13

If it's causing you to go over your calorie goal repeatedly and excessively, then yes, it can hinder your weight loss. But so will anything in excess. It's difficult to track any alcoholic drinks that you're not pouring or making yourself so it increases the chance of error in your tracking.

I personally have a few beers a week during social events and it has yet to stall my progress. Simple rules, if it's going in your mouth, it needs to be accounted for calorically.

Just a sidenote, alcohol is it's own macro but is usually accompanied by carbs. I try to make sure that at a minimum I've met my protein and fat goals for the day and if I want a drink or two and it fits in my diary, so be it.

sxg196

Like anything balance is the key. I have also found that alcohol plays a part in my weight loss. LIke you, I always enjoyed a glass of wine or a nice cold beer but now I rarely drink wine and if I'm having a drink I try to stick with a light beer and only 1-2. If you like beer, Molsons 67 is only 67 calories and 3% alcohol so that has been my choice. As for wine you can get the Skinny Girl wines but again limit your intake to occassional.

a_stronger_me13

I drank 2 beers, and about 5 vodka soda waters a couple weekends ago and lost 7 lbs that week. Of course I threw up and could hardly eat anything the day after...but weight loss and drinking is still possible lol.

:noway:

Seems like a healthy way to lose weight. Btw, probably 4 of those 7 lbs were due to dehydration/water weight.

myshell0368

My problem is usually when I drink alcohol, it tends to make me want to snack more. Plus, I can't just drink one glass of wine

BioQueen

Honestly I've had wine on the weekends and something like Coors Light during the week and have not had any problems. I always make sure it fits in with my calorie limit, but for something like this I want to make sure that I keep it all in moderation. I also don't drink enough so that it impacts my workout the next day (and lets face it, light beer is like bread flavored water).

dumb_blondes_rock

I drank 2 beers, and about 5 vodka soda waters a couple weekends ago and lost 7 lbs that week. Of course I threw up and could hardly eat anything the day after...but weight loss and drinking is still possible lol.

:noway:

Seems like a healthy way to lose weight. Btw, probably 4 of those 7 lbs were due to dehydration/water weight.

I hope you realize that I don't view this as the "correct" way to lose weight...I just stated that I "did" lose weight. Most people I know used to weigh way less when they were partying because, as a person above me posted, its all alcohol intake and hardly any food.

My view: just have a freakin drink if you want. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet, so if you don't think you can go the rest of your life without alcohol, then find some way to incoperate it into your calores for the day/week

Unknown

This content has been removed.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

It's all about calories. You can have alcohol as long as you stay in your calorie limits. I drink wine and beer several times a week.


However it might cause temporary water retention, or even dehydration (which will be a temporary weight loss).

3laine75

Think it's okay if it fits your calories but I'm sure I read somewhere (maybe 'built lean') that if your planning a splurge to maybe go easy on fat that day.

KL145

I love wine but I limit myself to one glass on a week day for dinner and 1 glass on the weekend. And I measure my wine in a measuring cup lol. 5 oz. I was still losing.

Sabine_Stroehm

There's lots of calories and sugar in wine and alcohol. I would limit it to once a week on a cheat day. I love wine too and used to drink a glass about 3-4 x a week. Not anymore because Boons Farm is so full of sugar and calories! Now I try to stick to low calorie beer or 1-2 glasses on my cheat days.

No, there's not a lot of sugar in wine or in most alcohol.

adamdlc

When I was dieting i hit a brick wall for awhile.. Limited my drinking to 1 drink a week and i feel like it helped me shred the extra weight

BusyRaeNOTBusty

The reason alcohol is bad is because of the process your body takes to break it down. Before your body breaks down fat it breaks down carbs. Before carbs it breaks down alcohol.

^^^THIS.

This is true, but it doesn't matter if you are in a deficit anyway. If you are in a deficit you are eating less than you are burning. So you burn alcohol first, then burn the carbs, use the protein, then the burn fat, then burn fat storage to make up for the deficit. IF you are in surplus, meaning eating more than you are burning, yes you burn the alcohol and carbs, then store the fat, but you'd be storing fat without or without alcohol in a surplus.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/nutrient-intake-nutrient-storage-and-nutrient-oxidation.html

Sabine_Stroehm

If you drink alcohol within your calorie limitations and macro nutrients, you will stay on track. There is so much BS in this thread, I can't believe what I'm reading.

I drink. I have wine most evenings. That said, I do believe it slows down weight loss a tad, but YES, I agree this thread is full of so much WRONG information it's frightening.

sherrians

I drink 5 ounces of red wine every evening and I have still lost weight. I don't think it matters what you drink as long as you keep within your calorie limit. But I wouldn't have it during the day because the sugar spike makes me feel hungrier. But in the evening, it is ok because, I go to bed soon afterwards.

SunofaBeach14

If you drink alcohol within your calorie limitations and macro nutrients, you will stay on track. There is so much BS in this thread, I can't believe what I'm reading.

I drink. I have wine most evenings. That said, I do believe it slows down weight loss a tad, but YES, I agree this thread is full of so much WRONG information it's frightening.

+3

And that conclusion is coming from a couple of different sides of several other common debates in these forums, OP. The only way alcohol has slowed me down is when I didn't have the good sense to moderate my intake, hit my macros, and my calorie goals.

kaotik26

I started eating healthier last week and have noticed significant results, but I've pretty much given up alcohol to obtain those results. My question is how much does wine and alcohol impact the weight loss process? I enjoy wine, but I also Love "froo froo "drinks. I think it's safe to say that the froo froo drinks contain a ton of sugar so I've given them up completely. But what about wine or drinks that only contain rum or vodka and a lime. Are they as dangerous if you're really serious about obtaining your weight loss goals? I'd like to know if I should cut them out altogether or would it be okay if I drink them in moderation. I've had a few glasses of wine since I've started and still lost 5.5lbs in a little over a week. So I wonder if as long as I continue to work out and log my calories from the wine into my food diary if I'll be ok. Or if I should just cut the alcohol out until I reach my weight loss goal. Any feedback would be helpful.

Signed,
LOVE MY WINE!!

At one point I lost a good 20 pounds, but it didn't happen until I quit drinking. I'd do an occasional shot or beer here or there and log it but that was it. The fact that I was keeping it within my calories and not getting carried away is probably what really helped.

F00LofaT00K

I have a few drinks most weeks and it hasn't affected my weight loss in ANY way. I log it and try to fit it into my macros. If I have a few calories left over and I want a beer, I'll have one. Sometimes half of one if that's all that will fit. If I want something to drink but don't have any extra calories, I just don't have a drink! If you eat at a deficit (fewer calories than your body uses) then you WILL lose weight. THEORETICALLY, you could only get calories from alcoholic drinks and if it's less than your body is using, you will lose weight. :drinker:


But don't do that.

kaotik26

I am an evidence based practicing therapist, so I always look for legit research to back things up and this is what I found:
Do I drink? YES, lol.

The nutrients protein, carbohydrates, and fat can be stored in our bodies, but alcohol cannot. For this reason, it takes priority over everything else in order to be metabolized; doing so means that all of the other processes that should be taking place are being interrupted. Other nutrients need to be broken up prior to being absorbed, whereas alcohol is absorbed as is.
Drinking alcohol will give a negative effect on the metabolism of the body particularly to the aspect of fats metabolism.
The amount of energy that fats can give to your body through the process of metabolism is limited by the effects of alcohol that you take in your body.

The ability of your body to bring on lipid oxidation or the burning of fats will be greatly hindered by even just a small amount of alcohol. This was the findings of researchers and as published in the American Journal of Clinical Research.
Further research on this matter revealed that when alcohol passes through the liver, acetate is formed. And the body, instead of burning fats for energy will burn the acetate instead of fats.
The other bad effect of alcohol in the body is that it prevents the proper processing of vitamins and minerals which are needed in the natural function of metabolism. This is because of the process by which the liver converts alcohol to acetate. During this stage, minerals and vitamins that are supposed to be processed by the liver will be over shadowed by the system of detoxification and would be wasted through this process.

*Alcohol provides many calories in a small volume and can end up being a source of unwanted extra calories and weight gain. One study showed a 20% increase in calories consumed at a meal when alcohol was consumed before the meal. There was a total caloric increase of 33% when the calories from the alcohol were added.

*Alcohol is considered a poison by your body, and all efforts are made to excrete it, including the cessation of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that alcohol interferes with all three sources of glucose and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood glucose levels

Thank you! Now I feel bad for going to the bar last night:blushing: This is some good info that actually makes sense to me!

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

The body does metabolize alcohol first, yes. If you consume it within your calorie and macro goals, however, it won't have that significant of an impact. Just don't forget to enter it. 4 glasses of wine on a Saturday can obliterate calorie goals.

After years of practice, I've learned that I metabolize alcohol faster than average. One would think this is great, but when you're counting calories, it isn't all that great. If I were to drink alcohol for the buzz, I'd have to consume more because it takes quite a bit to get me intoxicated (I also require higher doses of numbing medication, anesthetic, etc.).

I drink alcoholic beverages for the flavor rather than the intoxication. As a result, I tend to pick the higher calorie, quality, craft beers, whiskeys, and wines. Life is too short to get drunk on that Skinny Girl swill.

randomtai

If you drink alcohol within your calorie limitations and macro nutrients, you will stay on track. There is so much BS in this thread, I can't believe what I'm reading.

I drink. I have wine most evenings. That said, I do believe it slows down weight loss a tad, but YES, I agree this thread is full of so much WRONG information it's frightening.

+3

And that conclusion is coming from a couple of different sides of several other common debates in these forums, OP. The only way alcohol has slowed me down is when I didn't have the good sense to moderate my intake, hit my macros, and my calorie goals.

+4!! I can't believe what I am reading here and it makes me sad.