Calories are just calories - even as alcohol?

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  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/md19.htm

    "Studies show that even small amounts of alcohol have a large impact on fat metabolism. Dropping whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) by up to 73%!"

    I'm hoping someone says (with proof) that this is bollocks because I just received an 18 year old Single Malt as a birthday present. :laugh:

    I suppose once I'm at my target, it isn't such an issue, as I just have to eat fewer calories than I would normally.

    At the moment, I regard alcoholic drinks as something of a once-a-month treat. I guess it depends on how serious you are about your goals.

    from the article- In this study, eight men were given two drinks of vodka and lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink.

    this is from a guy trying to sell his diet.

    not a very big study and seems to be saying if you drink a simple carb your body will use that as energy before using stored fat...same could be said for an energy drink or fruit before a workout I imagine

    I'll drink to that!!
  • MelissR75
    MelissR75 Posts: 760 Member
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    i still have a drink and I have lost 36lbs to date ... some last year before MFP ....

    Im in this for the long term and enjoy a few drinks ... it does work as long as you count the drinks as cals in :)
    ^^This. Im also dowm 36lbs and enjoy wine or beer. I just make sure I count the calories (:
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
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    Whoa, hold all horses. Diet wine?
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    Enjoy some wine, make sure to log it. However....if I'm only allowing myself a measly 1200 cals, which is very low, IMHO, I'm not going to blow them on alcohol.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    the effect of alcohol calories seems to be less than well understood. As an example half a group of young men were fed 200 calories per day over maintenance in chocolate and put on weight, the other half were given 200 calories of alcohol and did not put on weight.

    I suspect you only find out by trying.
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
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    Enjoy some wine, make sure to log it. However....if I'm only allowing myself a measly 1200 cals, which is very low, IMHO, I'm not going to blow them on alcohol.

    ^^^ agreed.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    "Studies show that even small amounts of alcohol have a large impact on fat metabolism. Dropping whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) by up to 73%!"
    It isn't bollocks, but you have to read it carefully - it means that after ingesting alcohol the rate of fat oxidation fell by 73% while the liver took care of the alcohol. After which it would go back to the fat burning.

    I thought it was 100%, so this is good news for me.

    If your metabolism reduced by 70% you would be a heap on the floor. The red faced skinny alcoholics suggest metabolism may be increased by alcohol.
  • hazelovesfood
    hazelovesfood Posts: 454 Member
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    You can get low calorie wine, ive had it and it was yum.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    "Studies show that even small amounts of alcohol have a large impact on fat metabolism. Dropping whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) by up to 73%!"
    It isn't bollocks, but you have to read it carefully - it means that after ingesting alcohol the rate of fat oxidation fell by 73% while the liver took care of the alcohol. After which it would go back to the fat burning.

    I thought it was 100%, so this is good news for me.

    If your metabolism reduced by 70% you would be a heap on the floor. The red faced skinny alcoholics suggest metabolism may be increased by alcohol.

    Sure, it's the fat burning that I'm interested in, though.

    So the bottom line is drink alcoholic drinks in moderation?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    "Studies show that even small amounts of alcohol have a large impact on fat metabolism. Dropping whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) by up to 73%!"
    It isn't bollocks, but you have to read it carefully - it means that after ingesting alcohol the rate of fat oxidation fell by 73% while the liver took care of the alcohol. After which it would go back to the fat burning.

    I thought it was 100%, so this is good news for me.

    If your metabolism reduced by 70% you would be a heap on the floor. The red faced skinny alcoholics suggest metabolism may be increased by alcohol.

    Sure, it's the fat burning that I'm interested in, though.

    So the bottom line is drink alcoholic drinks in moderation?

    The body will prioritize burning off the alcohol which leads to lower cho/fat oxidation.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
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    Its all about the calories. If it fits. Enjoy. I had a couple beers last nite. I eat/drink whatever I want. No need to feel deprived.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    But how long does the body take to burn off the alcohol in one glass of wine? An hour? So you divert some metabolic resources away from fat burning for an hour? I think metabolism of alcohol is fairly quick, isn't it? I think it starts in the mouth.

    Like someone said, you don't see a ton of obese, severe alcoholics so there must still be some fat metabolism going on.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
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    "Studies show that even small amounts of alcohol have a large impact on fat metabolism. Dropping whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) by up to 73%!"
    It isn't bollocks, but you have to read it carefully - it means that after ingesting alcohol the rate of fat oxidation fell by 73% while the liver took care of the alcohol. After which it would go back to the fat burning.

    I thought it was 100%, so this is good news for me.

    If your metabolism reduced by 70% you would be a heap on the floor. The red faced skinny alcoholics suggest metabolism may be increased by alcohol.

    Sure, it's the fat burning that I'm interested in, though.

    So the bottom line is drink alcoholic drinks in moderation?

    The body will prioritize burning off the alcohol which leads to lower cho/fat oxidation.
    Lean gains a great article on this. You can still drink like a fish and lose fat. Once I find it I will post it.

    ETA: http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html?m=1
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I decided at the start of this that it had to be about the long term and for me that's only going to work if I still get to drink wine on weekends, eat take out one night a week and have a bit of cake on birthdays. What I try to do is eat a decent balanced diet and any less healthy options have to be earned by exercise. It's working for me so far!

    ^^^This^^^ with one caveat. Your base calories of 1200 is where most agree your basic nutritional status is maintained. (I personally think for those of us who are taller, that number actually increases but I digress--I also think that if you dip below that one day or maybe two it is more about what you do on the long term that is most important. I would think about on those days maintaining some level of exercise to compensate.. That way, you can have your wine and drink it too...
  • Brandi0418
    Brandi0418 Posts: 63
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    Nicely said! :bigsmile:
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    So the bottom line is drink alcoholic drinks in moderation?

    Balance in all things... = All things in moderation.
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
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    I know calories in/out = weight loss. If I'm aiming for 1200 cals a day, and want to have a couple of glasses of wine a few nights a week - which is 340cals for 2 glasses - and can fit it in without wanting to binge/overeat/insert everything else negative you hear about alcohol and weightloss here, is it really a bad thing?

    Hard to say without seeing your diary. Personally with such few calories to go round I struggle to see how you can meet your protein, your macros etc while wasting over a quarter of your allocation on booze.

    It just depends what you want. If it's just about the weight and the looks and being skinny... then don't worry about the booze...

    A standard 175ml glass of wine usually contains 2 units of alcohol, so you're getting 4 units every night = 28 units a week --- which for a woman is DOUBLE the recommended guidelines. ... IF you WERE drinking two glasses every day... A couple just on the weekend is a different matter.

    http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Alcohol-unit-calculator.aspx

    Your body. Your priorities. Your choice.
  • SusanMcAvoy
    SusanMcAvoy Posts: 445 Member
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    I have been drinking wine on the weekends ever since I started. I'm not going to give up something I love. So I guess you can call it my cheat days. I still logged it though and always kept track even though I went over on those days. I never ate as much food on those days so that helped. Enjoy your life!!! :flowerforyou:
  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
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    It is still calories in vs out. Your body will burn alcohol preferentially, which is why fat oxidation is reduced while there is alcohol in your system. It doesn't change your TDEE, or cause you to gain weight if eating at a deficit. If eating at a SURPLUS then alcohol WILL cause more fat gain.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    http://www.ajcn.org/content/77/1/91.full "Meals with similar energy densities but rich in protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol have different effects on energy expenditure and substrate metabolism but not on appetite and energy intake"
    Diet-induced thermogenesis was larger after the alcohol meal (by 27%; P < 0.01)

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