Alcohol

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fteale
fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been drinking more than usual recently (family occasions) and have found my weight loss has stalled even though I am still within my calorie limits. Does anyone have the science surrounding this? What is going on in my body?

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  • Chugga420
    Chugga420 Posts: 2
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    have you been adding your alcohol in ? and is it correct on here ? cause i still drink and i have switched beers and i have still been loosing weight ive lost 28 lbs since march 27th
  • Clairebryant36
    Clairebryant36 Posts: 21
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    sometimes alchol does make us hungry- also 3 glasses of any alcoholic drink is the eqivelent to eating 6 slices of white bread, so the carbs are pretty bad...
  • Clairebryant36
    Clairebryant36 Posts: 21
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    or you have reached a plateau, and in that case eat less or do more exercise...
  • smiler1978
    smiler1978 Posts: 28
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    well done xxx
  • AzBarrelRacer
    AzBarrelRacer Posts: 10
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    If you are adding the alcohol in then you must be on a plateau and need to bump up your cardio or re-enter your current weight and what you want to lose.
  • MeaganAnn84
    MeaganAnn84 Posts: 95
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    Alcohol slows down your metabolism also! I've heard clear alcohol is the "best" to drink on a diet. My go-to skinny drink is a vodka, soda water, and a tiny splash of cranberry or grapefruit juice. Delish!
  • nkenga
    nkenga Posts: 46
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    I do not know how accurate this information is, but I've heard that you body uses alcohol as a fuel a lot more easily than fat or sugar. When you eat, your body has to process the food before you can use it - it's easier to use your fat stores. Alcohol doesn't need to be processed, so your body uses it immediately, leaving the fat alone.
  • silentpost
    silentpost Posts: 26 Member
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    nkenga is right -- our bodies put other metabolic processes on hold in favor of alcohol.

    here is a good thread from another forum that details alcohol effects on the body:

    http://www.simplyshredded.com/forums/topic/1367-alcohol-facts-for-the-people-who-wonder/
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I probably do need to bump up my cardio a bit. I haven't had a chance to go running so much being school holidays. Thanks.
  • alanwhite
    alanwhite Posts: 1
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    Close guys the body thinks of Alcohol as a poison and therefor the body has to process and remove that first, guess what its the same part of the body that processes fat. So when its getting rid of the Alcohol its storing the fat. As far as calories are concerned yes clear alcohol like Vodka has less try it with cranberry juice if you need to drink?? Cardio will speed up the process.
  • becka63
    becka63 Posts: 712 Member
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    There was a good post about alcohol on here not long ago. One of the things I didn't know was that because your body views alcohol as a toxin, other processes are put on hold whilst the body works hard to eliminate that toxin from your body.

    Also, on a less scientific level (phew! Back in my comfort zone then!), and on a personal level, I always am more susceptible to snacking and treats when I've had a drink or two! Especially at family or social events, where you might just be grazing a few crisps here and there! I try to drink lots of water the day after I've had a few drinks and unless the day after is a 'rest day' I still exercise.

    But keeping the cardio pumped up isn't going to do any harm! :smile:
  • becka63
    becka63 Posts: 712 Member
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    Just as a side note, it could also be that you're underestimating the calories in your alcohol! (the ones on the database differ wildly!)
  • davo26
    davo26 Posts: 5
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    i believe that the alcohol isnt stored itself, but as said above it stops fat being burned while theres still alcohol in the body.

    i also believe the best way of dealing with it is the day leading up to your drinks, eat minimal fat and carbs, go protein heavy, that way theres no fat for it to be storing, and youre still satiated.

    also alcohol gives us the munchies so make sure theres some decent food at home to snack on afterwards, again protein if possible. do NOT buy a kebab on the way home! :-)

    and yes, gin, vodke etc will be better than beer/guiness etc.

    cheers

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