Red wine

mlfen0778 · January 2022

I am looking to lose weight. Get lean and strong by summertime. I have heard lots on alcohol l. Would having 2 glasses of red wine on like a Saturday once a week or even twice a month be bad, interfere with goals?

TX_375 · January 2022

Most likely not a problem, unless you're borderline on hitting your calorie target. Calories from alcohol (7 kcal/gm, more than carbs or protein, less than fat) are not satiating, so you won't curb hunger drinking. You may be inclined to eat more food with alcohol. Also, when you're metabolizing alcohol, fat oxidation decreases significantly. (Google "fat oxidation when metabolizing alcohol" and you'll find quite a lot of good information).

I'm a huge fan of red wine, but when I'm cutting body fat I have a goal of zero alcohol consumption. If I do drink, I'll account for it but to me it's not enough to just make it fit your macronutrient goals given the effect it has on fat loss.

Xellercin · January 2022

It depends on what your goals are. That's little enough alcohol that it won't likely interfere with any weight loss goals.

However, if your goal is optimal health, the current guidelines state that there is no safe amount of alcohol.

sbelletti · January 2022

I drink it when it fits within my calories. I measure it and log it like everything else.

Be aware that alcohol can make you hungry, and I find that I crave cheese or other salty snacks when I drink. Sometimes it's easier just to abstain rather than get hungry for things I'm not allowed to have.

tamekahend · January 2022

Hi! Agreed with all the responses, I’ve been trying to lose the same 10 lbs forever while drinking alcohol, didn’t work lol, now it’s turned to almost 15. 7 days w/o and already feel a difference, instead I go for hot tea or water with a light snack.

ninerbuff · January 2022

Calorie deficit works but alcohol interferes with usage of stored calories. Alcohol cannot be stored, so it has to be metabolized. During that time, no carbs or fats are being utilized for energy. Also DON'T drink before bed. You burn the most stored bodyfat (if you're in a calorie deficit) when you sleep. If you drink alcohol before bed, that ain't gonna happen.

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

bellaboo_82 · January 2022

I'm like TX_375 - I abstain from drinking and avoid it when I'm trying to cut body fat etc.
One day of drinking undoes a lot of the hard work you have done and takes the body three-four days to start burning it off again. Alcohol takes an hour to start to metabolise 0.6 ounces / 17ml = 1 glass of 175 wine = 10.3 hours to metabolise one drink - so if you drink two glasses, it's 20.6 hours, so your body is in effect playing catch up/

If you really crave something other than water etc. then have a non alco drink. Not sure if you have you tried the non-alcoholic versions of drinks - I know a lot of people scoff and turn their nose up at it but there are some really nice ones out there.
Seedlip do a good one which tastes exactly like a gin and tonic. Tanqueray gin also do a good non alcoholic version now. One - MAYBE - two of those and I am satisfied, if I have the urge.
Just got to be careful of the sugar content in them, they may be non alcoholic but Non-Secco and non alcholic wines pack in the sugar, which is why I try and and go for a distilled non alcoholic "spirit" with a low calorie tonic or soda water.
If you need a hard drink - try vodka and soda with lots of fresh lime. I used to drink these downroute when I was crew and my colleagues wanted to party, the only thing my trainer would allow me to drink! ;-)

TX_375 · January 2022

Lots of good advice in here, and people hitting the “disagree” button won’t comment as to why. Silence says more than the button. 😂

AnnPT77 · January 2022

I didn't click disagree, but I've noticed no unusual effect from alcohol calories. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. (That's just the alcohol: Obviously some alcoholic drinks may also have carbs, fats, protein, and therefore other sources of calories besides the alcohol.)

Yes, the body burns alcohol calories first. But if one is an overall calorie deficit, it's going to burn stored fat sooner or later. If alcohol's been consumed, that pushes it toward later. Still gotta happen.

Obviously, excessive alcohol is a bad idea for health. Obviously, alcohol can reduce inhibitions, lead to overeating, lead to forgetting calories that have been eaten, interfere with good sleep so hinder later ability to avoid overeating or get good-quality exercise, cause fatigue so underactivity next day if over-drinking, etc. Things like that will be a problem when trying to lose weight when calorie counting.

I drink alcohol sometimes: Beer, wine, mixed drinks. If I count those calories accurately, my weight behaves the way I expect it to behave. Maybe alcohol behaves differently in other people's bodies; sometimes individuals differ. But - even though I didn't click disagree - I disagree that alcohol is universally some special kind of weirdness when counting calories, that will throw off counting through its evil magic.

Caveat: Someone who's consistently way over-consuming alcohol, consistently getting sub par nutrition (especially if extremely sub-par), getting a large fraction of their everyday calories from alcohol alone . . . they may experience unusual effects. I haven't done that experiment.

During 6+ years of calorie counting, I've done a lot of experiments in the more normal range, in different periods: Wine with dinner daily, 2-3 drinks on Friday/Saturday but none during the week, the rather rare stupid more-than-that day or two party-esque incident. I've also gone many weeks at a time with no alcohol.

My baseline is to get good overall nutrition, the overwhelming majority of days, whether I have alcohol or not. I haven't seen any different effect on calorie counting, for me, under any of those scenarios. 🤷‍♀️ If I did see a difference, I'd admit it.

paperpudding · January 2022

OP is talking about 2 glasses of red wine once a week

a fairly low calorie drink and a far from excessive level of alcohol consumption

This amount should be very easy to fit into your calorie allowance.

Personal experience: I do not drink wine but I do drink spirits mixed with diet soda - amount and frequency varies from once a month to once or twice a week, never more than 2 or 3 at most per time.
Occasionally other alcoholic drinks

It did not stop me losing weight .

Incidentally my father ( now 82 yrs old) does drink red wine, in moderate amounts, and has been very slim all his life.

For all the usual reasons, of course - eats less than he burns over the long term.

Not because of, nor in spite of, the red wine.

Red wine

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