How does alcohol factor into weight loss?

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  • basillowe66
    basillowe66 Posts: 432 Member
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    Alcohol add calories which add on to what you have to lose. You can rationalize all you want Sweet One, but that more that you have to lose. Beer is the worse!!

    Basil
  • keenesmom
    keenesmom Posts: 115 Member
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    A couple of times a week I have a 4 oz (yes I measure) glass of red wine. That's somewhere between 80 - 100 calories depending on the brand of wine. As long as you don't go on benders, I see no problem having one or two drinks during the week/weekend. Just include the calorie count into your daily allowance and that alone will prevent you from going overboard.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
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    If I'm going to drink socially, I try to drink what I affectionately call "diet waters" --- Bud Select 55. 55 calories, and I never get intoxicated (maybe a baby buzz)... :) If It's dinner... a nice glass of cabernet goes well..:tongue:
  • DamnImASexyBitch
    DamnImASexyBitch Posts: 740 Member
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    Alcohol is empty calories no different than drinking soda or coffee with creamer. You chose your demon and make adjustments appropriately. I happen to be one that loves a daily cup of coffee. Once in a while I like to have a drink or two. I make adjustments to allow for it. As long as it's not an excessive thing ( like binge drinking ) you should be okay.
  • professorRAT
    professorRAT Posts: 690 Member
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    alcohol calory called empty calory It is like simple carb but has no benefit to your body. It is harmful to you skin as it increase free radicals.
    I just can tell you super models avoid drinking alcohol and sugar.
    You'd better give it up.

    I can't help it: supermodels just choose cigarettes and cocaine :smokin:

    normal_CocaineRickJames-300x240.jpg
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    "if you're under your cal. Limit"
    That said alcohol is a simple and empty calorie. So make it count and be wise about it.

    Alcohol is always given a free pass to the front of the line. That dip you had for an appetizer? The healthy'ish asian chicken salad and fries... All to the back of the line until alcohol is processed. I would highly suggest you up your water, and eat healthier foods that are easily digested. We typically drink 3 hrs after dinner on Sundays. My Choice is vodka. I do notice a bit of a difference in the guys who drink beer as apposed to liquors like rum and vodka. Beer drinkers have a bit more of a gut.

    Just be sure, as much as possible, what is waiting in line isn't too greasy/fatty.

    You don't have to nix the alcohol, but curbing it mor can help you lose faster.

    ^^ What she said. Alcohol can't be stored within the body so it must be oxidised and converted into energy. While this happens the oxidation of fat and carbohydrates is suppressed and are channelled into storage instead. Alchohol provides 7 calories per gram (almost as much as fat) which can significantly increase your total calorie intake if you consume large quantities.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
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    I agree alcohol is def just empty calories and sugar..as long as you take into consideration your daily intake and keep within it, you should not gain....however my problem is when I do have a drink or two I crave bad food and go over my daily calories !! :grumble:
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I drink a few beers a day, more on the weekend. I work it around my calories and macros, and I'm losing just fine. Just work it in.
  • felblossom
    felblossom Posts: 132 Member
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    I'm also in college, and for me this involves going to a lot of formal events with three course dinners and complementary alcohol. This, among other vices such as chips, sodas and junk food has been a huge factor in my initial weight gain. I've cut all my other vices, but I ENJOY going to events, I enjoy going to clubs with my friends, and I sure enjoy my alcohol.
    The problem for me was that I could go out and drink 3 nights a week (we're not talking in moderation here, either!) and if it wasn't a three course dinner then it was bar food, and maybe a burger on the way home.... and a pizza the next day when I managed to drag myself out of bed.

    These days I work my butt off exercising during the weekdays, I eat healthy and stay under my goal. The weekends are my rest days, and I tend to do a bit higher calories, too. I've earned it. I've tried to limit myself to one night/week of drinking, and it's amazing how far a bit of will-power will get you. I say no to dessert. I log everything I drink, stay away from junk food. I'm not even tempted. Sure, it may be stupid and empty calories, but in the past 3 weeks I've lost 7 lbs, and I've consumed quite a bit of alcohol on a total of 4 days during this time. Is it healthy? No. Is it good in the long run? No. Will I keep this up for the rest of my life? Absolutely not. I graduate in January, and I'm sure my alcohol consumption will plummet tremendously after that.
  • AsellusReborn
    AsellusReborn Posts: 1,112 Member
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    The PT at my gym told me that what even you eat with alcohol will get stored as fat because the body will burn the calories of the alcohol first

    True and not true at the same time. Yes, your body will metabolize alcohol first - it prioritizes it because it pretty much poison from what I've read. But as for storing the rest as fat...that's a pretty normal thing. My understanding is your body will flux between fat storing and fat burning mode throughout the day - as long as you net more burn you should be fine. Otherwise people who IF would get fat because their body would only process the calories it needs and store the rest as fat - which it probably does, but their daily deficit takes care of that and then some.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    It's not all about just the calories. Alcohol is not stored by your body, it has to be oxidized in the liver to be eliminated. There is nothing in it the body uses and it is a toxin your body has to get rid of. The liver is one of the keys in producing enzymes and hormones which controls the storage or elimination of fat. The normal function of the liver is disrupted when it is dealing with the alcohol. Lactic acid builds up and will affect your work outs. And of course long term abuse can damage the liver.

    Of course, drinking in moderation is okay, but you will have better success with your weight loss if you don't. It's up to you.
  • merlyngrey
    merlyngrey Posts: 34
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    My mom and I eat the same thing all the time...she drinks wine every day, I don't touch it...she took 100 pounds, I lost 22..end of story! :wink:

    You are young, and male. You burn more calories by breathing than your mom will. Just guessing but she is also probably close to if not in menopause, being there myself I can tell you it's a lot tougher to lose weight at this stage in life. Give your mom a break, I'm sure the wine isn't the only factor in your weight loss difference :)
  • toberdawg
    toberdawg Posts: 90
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    Malibu Rum 51 calories per Oz.! (according to my findings).

    But, any alcohol can make you gain if you indulge frequently.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Three ways alcohol affects weight.

    1. High calorie drinks. Fruity delicious stuff is loaded with calories. Shots and simple drinks such as Jack and Diet, are low calorie alternatives. Two glasses of Jack and Diet are less calories than a single Corona Extra beer. You can have 8 glasses of Jack and Diet as opposed to some of the fancier margaritas.

    2. Drunken Denny's. We've all done it. And we do not go for the salad without dressing.

    3. Alcohol disrupts the body's ability to enter REM sleep. Drinking at night and then going to bed does not offer any sleep benefit for the body. This causes lack of sleep, which greatly affects weight loss.
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
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    Alcohol completely stalls my weight loss, even if I stay within my calories for the day. It is the reason I gained in the first place too, even just drinking vodka and club soda. Now I reserve it just for a night out with friends, wedding, etc. Not everyday. Maybe once every two weeks and I plan that I won't lose or will gain that week...
  • rebasporty
    rebasporty Posts: 287 Member
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    I was/am one of those people who enjoys haveing cocktails on the weekends with friends...I count them as calories, usually over logging the amount I acutally had and was stuck for weeks. I gave up the cocktails for the past two weekends and the weight is finally starting to come off...yeah! Moderation and working out extra hard when I do overindulge is in my future. I have an outing this Saturday. I am going to try to drink water the entire time, however we will see how it goes.
  • tiarapants
    tiarapants Posts: 1,015 Member
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    Alcohol was always my downfall. I could lose weight but as soon as I started drinking alcohol again I would start putting on weight. The main problem was that my will power dissolved in alcohol. I made a decision to give up alcohol full stop and I haven't touched a drop for three years this month. I now maintain my weight (below my goal weight for over a year now).

    Some people can have the odd drink with no weight gain problem - I can't. x
  • luvmycats6197
    luvmycats6197 Posts: 45 Member
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    I think my daily wine consumption over the past several years since I met my now husband had contributes to weight I packed on. We both love wine, vineyards, tastings, and we make it! I've had to cut way back and basically--a calorie is a calorie, and therefore it has to be logged in your food diary! If I know I'm making a dinner that I'd really enjoy a nice glass of red with, I plan for it in my calories for the day! I, too, have in the past gotten the alcohol munchies and it's really mindless eating in front of tv or out at a bar...so even though things in moderation are ok for the most part, you still have to count the calories just as do when you indulge in desserts!
  • katesbeach
    katesbeach Posts: 38 Member
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    I love beer. I love beer and whiskey and gin and a lot of things. When I'm home, I usually have a beer or a cocktail most nights, when I'm at school I'll have drinks once or twice a week. I'm getting back into weight loss after losing 128 pounds and then gaining back about fifty, but it didn't have anything to do with drinking. I just fell off the wagon for a long time. But what worked for me when I was losing was not giving up what I loved, but rather fitting it into my new lifestyle. Drink carefully, drink responsibly, and remember that when you drink, it's so much easier to eat greasy, calorie-filled bar food. Cheers!
  • seaKind
    seaKind Posts: 136
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    miserably :(

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