Alcohol & Weight Loss

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Replies

  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
    If I were to quote a chemical dependency councilor I know, alcohol reduces your metabolism by ~70% depending on average stats. And excessive drinking over time causes your liver to swell from the toxins causing the 'beer gut' people think is just from all the carbs. Everything in moderation and if you are struggling with your weight the last thing you want is to bog your body down with alcohol. That includes an occasional glass of wine with dinner.

    Alcohol metabolism takes precedence over normal digestion while it is in your system - so in the short term, this is very true and I can definitely believe the 70% reduction in normal metabolism number. Once the alcohol has been processed your metabolism goes right back to normal. A small amount of alcohol simply delays normal digestion by an hour or so, it doesn't cause you to store any extra fat (unless the calories in the alcohol cause you to go over your daily needs that is).
  • okeedokee5
    okeedokee5 Posts: 46 Member
    I think the initial weight gain from drinking is due to your body retaining water while it fights through the dehydration that alcohol puts your body through. I've cut WAY WAY back on drinking (no more drinking during the week, and maybe only 2-3 glasses of wine or beer throughout the whole weekend.

    My downfalls are vodka tonics and gin&tonics. My trainer said to try to switch up to gin and seltzer, and its almost no calories. I haven't tried it out yet, though. The good news about cutting down on alcohol and losing a good amount of weight is that it now takes me almost nothing to get a buzz, so with even just two drinks, I'm feeling pretty good!!!
  • dynad
    dynad Posts: 85 Member
    read all the comments boy its good to see that I have lots of company. The summer BBQ's, block parties and out door bars really make a person get off track!
  • candy_mcswole
    candy_mcswole Posts: 33 Member
    I LOVE me a good drink! MM-HMM!
    Google " Skinnygirl cocktails ". It's a brand that supplies lo-cal vodkas, cocktails, and wines.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    With summer here, its hard to not have a few while tailgating, bbqing, at festivals, or outdoor bars.. Its really only nice outside 4 months of the year.. so gotta enjoy them while they are here, then its back to business.. I only go out once a week, avoid stopping to get any food afterwards or to snack at the bar (pretzels, peanuts, those salty snacks they offer).. and I drink whiskey/water, vodka/diet.. usually drinks with no added calories besides the actual alcohol...
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Alcohol doesn't make you gain fat, it makes you retain water which will go away after your diet normalizes. In moderation alcohol is actually quite good for you.

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

    Summary:
    * Moderate alcohol consumption is assocoiated with an abundance of health benefits. The long-term effect on insulin sensitivity and body weight (via insulin or decreased appetite) may be of particular interest to us.

    * The thermic effect of alcohol is high and the real caloric value is not 7.1 kcal: it's ~5.6 kcal. However, it's still easy to overconsume calories by drinking. Calorie for calorie, the short-term effect of alcohol on satiety is low. Adding to this, intoxication may also encourage overeating by disinhibition of dietary restraint.

    * The negative effects of alcohol on testosterone and recovery has been grossly exaggerated by the fitness mainstream. Excluding very high acute alcohol consumption, or prolonged and daily consumption, the effect is non-significant and unlikely to affect muscle gains or training adaptations negatively.

    * The effect of alcohol on muscle protein synthesis is unknown in normal human subjects. It is not unlikely to assume that a negative effect exists, but it is very unlikely that it is of such a profound magnitude that some people would have you believe.

    * Alcohol is converted to acetate by the liver. The oxidation of acetate takes precedence over other nutrients and is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. However, despite being a potent inhibitor of lipolysis, alcohol/acetate alone cannot cause fat gain by itself. It's all the junk people eat in conjunction with alcohol intake that causes fat gain.
    ^^This^^
    I enjoy a glass or two of wine any time I want one.
    If I'm out and want a cocktail, I mix vodka with club soda.
    And I'm at my goal weight, and maintaining (and drank when I wanted to while getting here). I maintained for 12 years while having wine...

    Yes, the scale goes up a pound or two. It goes up when I use soy sauce on my sushi too. I haven't given that up either. :smile:
    Drink more water, if you want to have wine.
    Or, better yet, drink water (club soda) WITH a cocktail, or even WITH red wine (you could make a fabulous "sangria" or spritzer with club soda and some fruit chunks.

    Water weight is just water weight. I wouldn't fret too much about it. You know it's not actual pounds.
    But, always be mindful of the mixers, and the calories, and what you eat when you DO have a drink. If a glass of wine leads to 3 beers and some nachos, you may need to abstain to reach your goal.

    Good luck!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I have seen a video onine about when you drink alcohol and try to lose weight, when you drink your body wont digest any food for awhile until the alcohol is out of your system, which leads to you having to pack on the pounds of what you at that day and allowing your body to over itself by holding on to the alcohol to help you stay functional....i seen it on youtube, and i searched alcohol and weight loss!!!
    Was it a reputable source? Or just some buff guy with no shirt?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I think the initial weight gain from drinking is due to your body retaining water while it fights through the dehydration that alcohol puts your body through. I've cut WAY WAY back on drinking (no more drinking during the week, and maybe only 2-3 glasses of wine or beer throughout the whole weekend.

    My downfalls are vodka tonics and gin&tonics. My trainer said to try to switch up to gin and seltzer, and its almost no calories. I haven't tried it out yet, though. The good news about cutting down on alcohol and losing a good amount of weight is that it now takes me almost nothing to get a buzz, so with even just two drinks, I'm feeling pretty good!!!
    Vodka and seltzer would be just as good.
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    Alcohol is the reason I am a chub scout. And oh how I wish I craved celery when I get the drunk munchies.

    bwahahahaaa.... :flowerforyou:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I rarely drink mixed drinks, but I've not had that experience with beer or wine, which I drank regularly (most days) throughout my weight loss and maintenance.
  • klynn_cox
    klynn_cox Posts: 17
    I understand what you mean 100%! I actually work for several different liquor companies handing out samples of thier products either in bars or liquor stores. It's very very hard when it right there in front of me and I get to take home the left overs. Then I see my husband(who is stick thin!) have a drink or 2 every night and I get nothing till the weekends. Boo. But I have worked in this industry so long that I wasnt about to give up my job so I gave up the drinking during the week. Now I dont deprive myself on the weekends espcially since I have to sample and talk about it at work. I just watch what I am drinking. I never get smashed, just a couple of drinks. But when I do drink its always either a flavored vodka, like Stoli blueberry or Three Olives Orange, and Soda. Or my favorite is actually vodka and water with lemon. If its ice cold and got enough lemon the way I like it, it taste just like if you drink lemon with you water in a reastaurant or something. Don't deprive yourself, enjoy what you want just in moderation. But then again I think everyone knows that.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I LOVE me a good drink! MM-HMM!
    Google " Skinnygirl cocktails ". It's a brand that supplies lo-cal vodkas, cocktails, and wines.

    I haven't tried them, but I saw Skinny Girl wine in the store. The calorie difference from most wines I drink was only 10-20 calories per glass. That's only about 100 calories per bottle. You'd have to drink more wine than is healthy for that to make much difference in your diet. I'm not sure if the alcohol content was lower, but I would imagine it is.
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    I totally hear you. *sigh*

    Also, it doesn't help that when I'm drinking, it makes me majorly hungry and I totally go off the deep end!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I totally hear you. *sigh*

    Also, it doesn't help that when I'm drinking, it makes me majorly hungry and I totally go off the deep end!

    The drunk munchies can be a problem. The best solution I've found is to have tasty snack foods around that I love and make sure I leave calories for it. Organic corn chips with salsa, guacamole, or bean dip is a quick and easy favorite.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    higher proof stuff like vodka doesn't have any carbs. mixed with diet soda, its perf.
    or rum and diet coke. yum.

    Why the martini is the drink of the supermodel.
  • camisetgo
    camisetgo Posts: 27 Member
    I drink a couple glasses of wine almost every night and lost almost 60 lbs. However, I count my calories and measure out each glass. Except for Saturdays...that is my free day.
  • LydsVille77
    LydsVille77 Posts: 126 Member
    I LOVE me a good drink! MM-HMM!
    Google " Skinnygirl cocktails ". It's a brand that supplies lo-cal vodkas, cocktails, and wines.

    SkinnyGirl Sangria is my new fave!!! 100 calories per 4oz glass. Worst case scenario... thats 634 calories for the whole bottle! (dont judge ;) ) And thats gone with a hard core workout.
  • RyanR0320
    RyanR0320 Posts: 44
    I have a glass of wine 4-5 nights a week and lose weight great. Plus the stress relief and relaxation does wonders.

    I always measure and always count towards my calories.

    Obviously I don't go out boozing anymore. But a glass after a workout is amazing
  • klynn_cox
    klynn_cox Posts: 17
    I LOVE me a good drink! MM-HMM!
    Google " Skinnygirl cocktails ". It's a brand that supplies lo-cal vodkas, cocktails, and wines.

    I haven't tried them, but I saw Skinny Girl wine in the store. The calorie difference from most wines I drink was only 10-20 calories per glass. That's only about 100 calories per bottle. You'd have to drink more wine than is healthy for that to make much difference in your diet. I'm not sure if the alcohol content was lower, but I would imagine it is.

    They also lower the alcohol content in the vodkas so it's not as potnent as a normal vodka would be. I say go for the real ting becasue you might end up drink more of the Skinny Girl to equal the "good feeling" a regular drink would give you and gaining more cals.
  • lalapurple62
    lalapurple62 Posts: 42
    If I were to quote a chemical dependency councilor I know, alcohol reduces your metabolism by ~70% depending on average stats. And excessive drinking over time causes your liver to swell from the toxins causing the 'beer gut' people think is just from all the carbs. Everything in moderation and if you are struggling with your weight the last thing you want is to bog your body down with alcohol. That includes an occasional glass of wine with dinner.

    Alcohol metabolism takes precedence over normal digestion while it is in your system - so in the short term, this is very true and I can definitely believe the 70% reduction in normal metabolism number. Once the alcohol has been processed your metabolism goes right back to normal. A small amount of alcohol simply delays normal digestion by an hour or so, it doesn't cause you to store any extra fat (unless the calories in the alcohol cause you to go over your daily needs that is).

    This is what my son keeps telling me, 'alcohol is preferentially metabolised by your body" in simple terms, if you drink your body is going to use those calories first and then start burning food calories.
  • quixoticmantis
    quixoticmantis Posts: 297 Member
    Bump for more in-depth reading later :drinker:

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