Alcohol and Calories

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superninjatam
superninjatam Posts: 44 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So on a night out where I might drink some beer, wine and a few spirits, I will easily hit 1000+ calories on just drink. Now I don't do this often anymore as i am dieting, HOWEVER,

this can't be right .I used to drink a lot and so do a lot of people. By rights, everyone that binge-drinks at weekends should be obese but that's not the case.

Are alcohol calories the same as food ones? I just don't believe it. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Replies

  • bluehooked
    bluehooked Posts: 80 Member
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    sometimes when i drink vodka over the weekend i lose weight.
  • Amyeeeeeee
    Amyeeeeeee Posts: 93 Member
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    Im not sure if they are measured as food calories but I do know that drinking alcohol turns to sugar. I would stay away from that . Drink wine.. its better for you :)
  • Painten
    Painten Posts: 499 Member
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    I really don't know, but i do know people who have lost stones just by cutting out the alcohol. One guy i know has lost 3 1/2 stone in a couple of months. I asked him what diet he's been doing. He said none he'd just stopped drinking.

    In moderation is the key i think like with everything.
  • rosiesparkle100
    rosiesparkle100 Posts: 85
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    I just don't believe that alcohol calories are the same: when I have drunk the most, I have been the thinnest! I think it is something to do with the fact that alcohol is turned into acetate rather than fat, so you don't put on 1,000 calories in fat, however your body burns the acetate instead of fat, so even if you are super healthy the next day, you won't burn any fat. I think basically a night out drinking won't make you put on weight (unless you eat loads while you are doing it or whern you are hungover, which is the risk) but it will stop you losing weight while your body burns the acetate.
  • Keefypoos
    Keefypoos Posts: 231 Member
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    yes a calorie is a calorie the alcohol supplied calorie is easier for the body to convert into useful enery so it does so, thereby storing as fat the other engery sources such as the meal you ate before drinking or the food you eat after drinking.
  • smota
    smota Posts: 62
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    I have asked myself the same question... What I found:

    'Alcohol and body weight

    The calories in alcohol add up to increased body fat, so bear in mind the following points the next time you feel like having that extra drink:

    Alcohol is mainly just a source of 'empty calories', meaning it has no nutritive value other than providing energy. Although most alcoholic drinks contain sugars and traces of vitamins and minerals,it's not usually in amounts that make any significant contribution to the diet People who are overweight actually gain weight more easily when they drink alcohol Calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the gut. If you want six-pack abs, you’ll need to cut down on the booze.
    One beer every night adds 1,036 additional calories per week, or 15 pounds to your stomach per year. No wonder they call it a beer belly. Three glasses of dry wine a week will cost you 318 calories, or an additional three miles on the treadmill just to walk off the extra calories. If you’re watching your weight, try this advice:

    Don’t drink alcohol regularly Remember that the calories from alcohol add up quickly, and they go straight to the fat in your abdomen Most people eat high-calorie snacks when they drink alcohol, a double whammy in terms of weight gain

    Suddenly water with a twist of lemon begins to hold more appeal.'



    Here's a calculation tool: http://www.ivillage.co.uk/tool/alcohol-calorie-counter

    Good luck!
  • helenbeee
    helenbeee Posts: 130 Member
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    moderation is the key here you are changing your habits so anything that has a 'binge' approach to it has to be altered otherwise you are still the unhealthy you and likely to give up.
  • hellsbell
    hellsbell Posts: 33 Member
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    Further to what the OP mentioned about losing weight after drinking:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    Quoted from McDonald's article:
    "many have reported whooshes following an evening which included alcohol. A mild diuretic, this would also tend to implicate water balance issues in the whoosh phenomenon."
  • Keefypoos
    Keefypoos Posts: 231 Member
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    just adding a message so I can come back to the artical
  • InstantSunshine
    InstantSunshine Posts: 355 Member
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    Completely irrelevant, but... MORPH! Love it! :laugh:
  • Keefypoos
    Keefypoos Posts: 231 Member
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    try this
    http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/alcohol.htm
  • ReikiLady
    ReikiLady Posts: 14
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    Alcohol calories are not the same as food ... alcohol calories have absolutely no nutritional value. They are called 'empty' calories. Better to eat veggies, lean proteins (beans, legumes, etc) and fresh fruits. Try it just for one month with no alchohol if you can, and you'll lose extra pounds ... believe me :) Good luck! :bigsmile:
  • benitocereno
    benitocereno Posts: 101 Member
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    1000 calories on alcohol is quite a bit (a 6-pack by yourself)... I think I only hit those rarely on 'boys weekends.' And on those weekends I can't say it all stays with me... :sick:

    You may lose weight after a weekend of drinking since alcohol is a diuretic, but chances are it's water weight and you've actually gained a bit of fat. Your observation that lots of people drink but don't get super fat is true, but there's a reason they call it a 'beer belly,' etc :smile:. I can guarantee anyone with a 6-pack (the muscle kind) cannot drink a ton of alcohol without seeing weight gain unless they work out to compensate; even then it's not very healthy. Remember binge drinking on the weekends may add 2000 calories or so to someones diet - this can be easily absorbed if they're watching what they eat during the week, but it's enough to seriously hamper weight-loss or maintenance for low-weight/low-fat people (which is why most body builders never, ever drink).

    Nothing wrong with drinking, see my avatar :smile:. Just do it in moderation and remember that alcohol is essentially pure empty calories. The way it acts with the liver is actually the exact same metabolic process as drinking 'full' soda, and you probably wouldn't drink 1000 calories worth of that without feeling like crap.
  • prepsikola
    prepsikola Posts: 17 Member
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    Yeah, if I had a long night of partying with hard liqour my stomach would be flat the next day. Unfortunatly, you gain the weight rite back because the alcohal dehydrated your body, it was just water weight lost.
  • Ral263
    Ral263 Posts: 318 Member
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    No-- A calorie is a calorie, alcohol or not.

    I think the reason you see a lot of "thin" drinkers could be attributed to a few things:

    1) After a long night of drinking, I know I'm sure as hell not getting up at 7 am and doing my regular routine, including eating lunch or breakfast. Lets say a college kid drinks 1000 cals in alcohol, and wakes up a 2pm the next day, and doesnt eat til dinner. If they ate a 500 calorie lunch and breakfast normally..... there's your energy balance right there.

    2) When I know I'm going to be drinking a lot, I plan my eating different for the rest of the day

    3) Gross, but there's a huge possibility that a lot binge drinkers might just throw up at the end of the night anyhow.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
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    My main issue with drinking too much was that it made me want to pick at food whilst I was drinking and I'd get the worst hangover muchies the next day!

    So as well as the calories from the alcohol was all the extra food I would eat....

    I now limit myself to a few small vodka's over the weekend - as long as I don't over-do the vodka I stick within my calorie allowance!
  • superninjatam
    superninjatam Posts: 44 Member
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    I too have noticed large drop in weight following drinking - it must be dehydration. I've heard body builders drink white wine before a contest to look more ripped. I'll try and drink less and see what happens.
  • pyro13g
    pyro13g Posts: 1,127 Member
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    Occasional binge drinking adds fat both subcutaneous and visceral. If you don't burn it off or lose it, it slowly adds up. More regular binging and you'll have no doubt about what it does to you.
  • Backbiter
    Backbiter Posts: 1
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    I found this on a University Website http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/AlcoholCaloriesAndWeight.html

    Alcohol contains calories, but drinking alcohol doesn't lead to weight gain, according to extensive medical research, and some studies report a small reduction in weight for women who drink.1

    1. Kahn, H. S., et al. Stable behaviors associated with adults' 10-year change in body mass index and the likelihood of gain at the waist. American Journal of Public Health, 1997, 87(5), 747-754; Prentice, A. M. Alcohol and obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 1995, 19(Suppl. 5), S44-S50; Liu, S., et al. A prospective study of alcohol intake and change in body weight among US adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1994, 140(10), 912-920; Hellerstedt, W. L., et al. The association between alcohol intake and adiposity in the general population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 1990, 132(4), 594-611.

    I think your assumption is correct.

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