Alcohol

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  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Just quick info: alcohol inhibits glycogen and fat use for energy while it's in your system. Reason why is alcohol is directly absorbed into the intestines and used for energy over other macro nutrients.

    While moderate alcohol intake is good for health, try not to let it be your last drink before bed (since that's when the most body fat is burned).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Well this explains my 3 lb gain this morning. I had my first alcohol in 10 months last night before bed. A small glass of Kahlua after a very stressful day. The rest of the day was in maintenance range, as it has been for the past 2-3 weeks, but the scale was up 3 lbs from yesterday morning. I am hoping that it is simply water weight gain and will be gone in a few days.

    That's it, no more alcohol for me. Definitely not worth it.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Medically speaking, no alcohol is worse than 2-3 drinks a day for a man, and 1-2 drinks a day for a woman. So moderate alcohol is the best, no alcohol is the second best, and heavy drinking is the worst.

    Do you have any studies to back this claim up? I have heard that one glass of red wine per day is good for the heart, but other than that, there is no medical benefit to alcohol. Especially not 2-3 drinks per day.

    The properties in the red grapes are beneficial on their own, without fermentation, and the blood-thinning properties of alcohol is a benefit than can be reproduced with taking a baby aspirin every day. The dangers of over-thinning your blood with too much alcohol, is much more likely.
    Plus the stress on your liver, even more so for women, outweighs the potential small benefit. IMO.

    Didn't stop me from having a shot of Kahlua last night, but the extra lbs on the scale this morning will keep me from doing that again.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    Well this explains my 3 lb gain this morning.

    Um, no... There's really no calorie intake of any kind that's going to explain a 3 lb. overnight gain. :)

    Any swing like, or a 3 lb. overnight loss for that matter, is pretty much water retention changes & more likely to be tied to your sodium intake or (if you really ate that 5 lb. hamburger) maybe how recently you've eaten vs. last gone to the potty. ;-)

    As noted above, there're some studies that show it's probably better to consume alcohol along with food and not as the last thing you eat of the day. With that said, if it's within your calorie allotment, I don't think a reasonable drink in the evening is going to prove to be the deciding factor in weight management success or failure.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    Do you have any studies to back this claim up? I have heard that one glass of red wine per day is good for the heart, but other than that, there is no medical benefit to alcohol. Especially not 2-3 drinks per day.

    http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=moderate+alcohol&btnG=&as_sdt=1,22&as_sdtp=
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Well this explains my 3 lb gain this morning.

    Um, no... There's really no calorie intake of any kind that's going to explain a 3 lb. overnight gain. :)

    Any swing like, or a 3 lb. overnight loss for that matter, is pretty much water retention changes & more likely to be tied to your sodium intake or (if you really ate that 5 lb. hamburger) maybe how recently you've eaten vs. last gone to the potty. ;-)

    As noted above, there're some studies that show it's probably better to consume alcohol along with food and not as the last thing you eat of the day. With that said, if it's within your calorie allotment, I don't think a reasonable drink in the evening is going to prove to be the deciding factor in weight management success or failure.

    I am well aware that I did not gain 3 lbs of FAT in one day. It definitely is mostly water weight gain, most likely caused by the Kahlua before bed, since nothing else was out of the ordinary for me yesterday. But since the alcohol DID inhibit the fat-burning process during that time, my body apparently did not burn as much fat last night as it normally would have, so that, coupled with the extra calories and sugar in the alcohol, will affect my weight for this day. Had I planned earlier to have the drink last night, I could have cut out some other calories earlier in the day, along with the needed nutrients that they provide.
    I don't have a lot of room for junk calories in my diet.
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
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    Skinny-Margarita

    Delicious Low-Cal - MIXER:
    2 liter bottle of Fresca - IMPORTANT - pour in pitcher
    I package of crystal light - lemonade INTO THE PITCHER
    (DO NOT PUT THE CRYSTAL LIGHT INTO THE FRESCA BOTTLE - it will shoot everywhere - like Mentos and diet coke) You will only do that once lol.

    Add Tequila and Triple Sec to suit

    Then you can pour the remainder back into the Fresca bottle and transport this anywhere.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    I am well aware that I did not gain 3 lbs of FAT in one day. It definitely is mostly water weight gain, most likely caused by the Kahlua before bed, since nothing else was out of the ordinary for me yesterday. But since the alcohol DID inhibit the fat-burning process during that time, my body apparently did not burn as much fat last night as it normally would have, so that, coupled with the extra calories and sugar in the alcohol, will affect my weight for this day. Had I planned earlier to have the drink last night, I could have cut out some other calories earlier in the day, along with the needed nutrients that they provide.
    I don't have a lot of room for junk calories in my diet.

    What I'm saying is that one anything in one day isn't going likely to cause a weight swing anywhere near 3 lbs, nor is having a reasonable drink of alcohol going to impair fat-burning enough to cause such a swing.

    Over time, in combination with other things, maybe. One drink, I doubt it.

    Everyone's different I suppose, but my own weight loss includes fairly regular, moderate intake of a beer, bourbon, or scotch. I also see pretty regular weight swings of ~ 3 lbs. up and down, independent of the booze. ;-)

    Regardless, and obviously, it's up to you whether you want to have a drink every now & then. :)
  • Kellbellftw
    Kellbellftw Posts: 89 Member
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    vodka with tonic water (soda/setlzer water as some people call it) with a lime! SF Redbull would probably work too, if you want thatbuzz. Isn't there Skinny Girl vodka? I never had it, since I'm not a big drinker lol
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    vodka with tonic water (soda/setlzer water as some people call it) with a lime! SF Redbull would probably work too, if you want thatbuzz. Isn't there Skinny Girl vodka? I never had it, since I'm not a big drinker lol
    Tonic water isn't the same as seltzer water, or club soda. Tonic water has calories, for one.
  • Kellbellftw
    Kellbellftw Posts: 89 Member
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    vodka with tonic water (soda/setlzer water as some people call it) with a lime! SF Redbull would probably work too, if you want thatbuzz. Isn't there Skinny Girl vodka? I never had it, since I'm not a big drinker lol
    Tonic water isn't the same as seltzer water, or club soda. Tonic water has calories, for one.

    hahaha you learn something new :D Like I said, I'm not a big drinker ;)
  • lap012165
    lap012165 Posts: 24
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    Svedka Vodka 2oz., 1oz. Pom juice and flavored sparking water. I prefer strawberry and enjoy!!!!!!!!!

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