Are alcohol calories any different from food calories??

sreich04

I don't know about you guys, but I thoroughly enjoy an occasional glass of wine or a light beer here or there after a long day of work (in fact, I am enjoying a diet rum & coke right now... TGIF). Don't get me wrong, exercise has been a great way for me to relieve my stress, but a little alcohol here and there really helps me to unwind and relax. Ok I'll admit, maybe I drink a little more heavily on the weekends... so this brings me to my topic: alcohol calories vs. food calories. Are they metabolized the same way? Should I treat them like food calories, and as long as I am within my caloric limit can I still lose weight as effectively? Also, does alcohol usage lead to weight gain and why? I have tried to look up a lot of information regarding this on the internet, but it seems like a fuzzy topic. Being the chemist that I am, I would really like to know the scientific basis of this! Also, this might be a fun time to post some fun "skinny" drink recipes! Let me know what you think! :drinker:

deegarcia19

bump

luv_lea

Yep. Calories are calories no matter how you take them in. Usually when I drink I have to either exercise more, or be careful that day to make room for it. Or....just not care that day and go over.

Elleinnz

I very occasionally have a drink or two on a special occasion - but pretty much cut alcohol out of my diet.....

It is pretty much "empty" calories - and if I am already putting my body into a calorie defecit it is important to me that the calories I do consume are nutrient rich......so you can argue that a calorie is a calorie - but in the end of the day the way I look at it I am not doing my body any favours by "feeding" it alcohol - or any other nutrient poor calorie choices....

Some more scientific explanation...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/md19.htm

ctalimenti

I like my wine too. Do a google search on how alcohol turns to sugar. I remember seeing something on TV about liquor being the worst.

ctalimenti

I like my wine too. Do a google search on how alcohol turns to sugar. I remember seeing something on TV about liquor being the worst.

McKayMachina

A calorie is just a unit of measurement like inches or centimeters. So, yes, in that regard, the calories are the same. But alcohol is metabolized differently than, say, a piece of chicken. So, in lots of ways, your body responds differently to alcohol which can adversely affect weight loss. That said, I drink what I want within my calorie allowance and am super pleased with my weight loss. I don't drink often but when I do, I'm certainly not shy about it. XD

My vote is to stick to calories and not stress about it.

chuckyp

Your body will metabolize alcohol first, before carbs, fat, and protein. So your fat burning will slow down until your booze is metabolized.

McKayMachina

Your body will metabolize alcohol first, before carbs, fat, and protein. So your fat burning will slow down until your booze is metabolized.

Perfect answer.

Spitfirex007

Food fuels your body. So they burn quicker. Booze is empty calories. They serve no purpose. Like anything, it's fine in moderation though.

unicornassassin

Alcohol does frequently lead to weight gain because it makes eating a crap ton of greasy food at 2am seem like a great idea.