Calories are just calories - even as alcohol?

Options
13»

Replies

  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
    Options
    With respect to how your body metabolizes it, no, ethanol gets processed only by the liver and is not used as energy. It's usually stored as fat, and a lot of it gets stored in the liver. Drinking in moderation like you're doing is fine, however. It won't derail your progress to have a couple of glasses (5 oz each) of wine a couple of times a week. Any more than that, and it really starts to work against your weight loss especially since alcohol is a diuretic and if you don't drink enough water, it will dehydrate you. Drink up! Wine is yummy, no reason to deprive yourself of it, especially since--and you're right--it can lead to binging. Not something your liver (or thighs) will be too happy about.
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
    Options
    Did a little searching and found a good (a bit lengthy) article about alcohol, how it's metabolized, how it can affect weight, etc. Just food for thought. IMHO (and this is coming from someone who LOVES to DRINK), the more you can avoid alcohol while trying to lose weight (and maintain), the easier it will be. I say this because alcohol isn't exactly filling or nutritive, so even if you're staying within calorie goals, you might still feel pretty hungry and deprived. With that said, here's the link:

    http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/article.htm
  • hhindsle
    hhindsle Posts: 43 Member
    Options
    bump..to read links later
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    Options
    Yes have your wine. If you want this to be long-term, you should allow yourself to have treats every now and then. 1200 seems low however and if i was only eating that much I would not waste the calories on a drink. How did you decide that you should be eating 1200?
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
    Options
    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?

    On the days I allow for wine, I do ok on all my protein/fat/carbs. I know I *could* choose healthier calories, but if all my basics are being met, in YOUR opinion, should I give up my wine?

    If you want to drink, you have to exercise, get a fitbit, you may be burning more in a day than you think.
  • katglaze
    katglaze Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    Once a week or two I drink a glass of wine. I am as I type sipping a Cosmo Martini. Life is short and I know that my calories are important but so is enjoying a relaxing glass of wine!
  • LesterBlackstone
    LesterBlackstone Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    With respect to how your body metabolizes it, no, ethanol gets processed only by the liver and is not used as energy. It's usually stored as fat, and a lot of it gets stored in the liver.


    Not even remotely true. Alcohol can only be used as energy. It cannot be stored at all.
  • Kathy53925
    Kathy53925 Posts: 241 Member
    Options
    Enjoy a drink without sabotaging your diet with these 5 low calorie wines. In most countries, wines do not list nutritional data on their bottles, so isolating a brand that has the lowest calorie wine is nearly impossible. There are, however, several types of wine that tend to have fewer calories than other choices. The following guidelines give calorie estimates for a four-ounce glass of wine.
    White Zinfandel. People tend to have strong opinions about drinking white zinfandel. For some, it hardly qualifies as wine, while others prefer its fruity taste to other choices. Love it or hate it, white zinfandel tends to be one the lowest calorie wines available. One glass of white zinfandel has an average of 80 calories.
    Sauvignon Blanc. This dry white wine is a good choice for someone watching their calories. As a general rule, dry wines will always have fewer calories than sweeter wines. Sauvignon Blanc is generally described as crisp and refreshing. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc contains about 80 calories.
    Chablis. Chablis is a French wine made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. A wine with a very pure taste, Chablis often has an acidity that some describe as a green-apple. One glass of Chablis has about 83 calories.
    Chardonnay. A white wine that is often both affordable and always easy to find in restaurants. Chardonnay is often a great low calorie choice. Chardonnays have a lot of flavor variation and are generally dry. A glass of Chardonnay has an average of 90 calories.
    Cabernet Sauvignon.The only red wine to make the list, Cabernet Sauvignon is a popular dry red wine. The fact that it is dry makes it more diet-friendly than sweeter reds. Red wines are generally higher in calories than white wines. A glass of Cabernet Sauvignon has an average of 95 calories.

    http://www.mademan.com/mm/5-low-calorie-wines.html
  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
    Options
    With respect to how your body metabolizes it, no, ethanol gets processed only by the liver and is not used as energy. It's usually stored as fat, and a lot of it gets stored in the liver.


    Not even remotely true. Alcohol can only be used as energy. It cannot be stored at all.
    This is true. Otherwise all alcoholics would be obese.

Categories