Alcohol
bennyg1973
Posts: 43 Member
So I was wondering how much alcohol prevents you from losing fat? Like if you have 2-3 beers a day? Would quitting that (obviously good to do) make weight loss easier?
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Replies
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Yep. 3 beers is in the neighborhood of 400 calories, for bottle beer, pints would be more. Adequate protein and putting some resistance against our muscle mass increases muscle protein synthesis, which helps build muscle and in a deficit will minimally help to maintain our overall lean mass which translates, on a percentage basis, to more fat lose. cheers.1
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Ive read that alcohol can stop fat burning for 12-36 hours?0
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On an individual basis it's not going to be possible to quantify exactly how much difference - if any - it makes over (say) the same calories in actual food, but 2-3 drinks daily is marginally excessive regardless - and especially if they are high alcohol per volume, craft beers/ales or pints. Not only do the calories add up but it leads to poor food choices during and usually after drinking. It just makes it harder.
There is really no downside to stopping drinking or at least limiting it to the recommended guidelines, regardless of weight loss.3 -
Alcohol is the primary source of energy when you ingest it - overall it's still about the total amount of calories though.
Found this article about it:
https://dirt-to-dinner.com/does-alcohol-stop-us-from-burning-fat/
I find alcohol is terrible for my exercise performance, so I limit it as much as possible (I didn't drink much before, once every few weeks, even less now)1 -
If you drink while trying to lose fat Vodka is low in calories as long as you mix it with a zero calorie soda.
Regardless, alcohol has calories and no nutritional value and as calories get low it gets to be more problematic plus alcohol is a poison to the body so best just to stay away from it4 -
Ive read that alcohol can stop fat burning for 12-36 hours?
It will generally stop fat burning until your body uses up the alcohol calories, as your body doesn't have a mechanism to store it, so it will preferentially rely on the alcohol.
In the long run, the effect on fat storage is determined by calories consumed and expended.4 -
Guinness is the exception to the rule, it's a meal lol..Cheers3
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »Ive read that alcohol can stop fat burning for 12-36 hours?
It will generally stop fat burning until your body uses up the alcohol calories, as your body doesn't have a mechanism to store it, so it will preferentially rely on the alcohol.
In the long run, the effect on fat storage is determined by calories consumed and expended.
Yep, exactly this. Because alcohol is a toxin, your body prioritizes getting it processed and through your system, and minimizes processing anything else until the alcohol is processed.2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »Ive read that alcohol can stop fat burning for 12-36 hours?
It will generally stop fat burning until your body uses up the alcohol calories, as your body doesn't have a mechanism to store it, so it will preferentially rely on the alcohol.
In the long run, the effect on fat storage is determined by calories consumed and expended.
Anything you consume will stop fat burning for the most part. Recently consumed calories are burned before fat. We are alway burning a combo of some recent calories and to a lesser extent stored fat however its the newest, unburned calories that go first.
As mentioned above it will always be about calorie balance in the long run1 -
Weight management and fitness are both way easier when you cut back or cut out alcohol in my experience...actually pretty much everything in life is easier without alcohol. Not to say that bug doesn't get me from time to time though.4
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If alcohol fits into your daily calories and you’re getting adequate nutrition from the rest of your calories and it’s that important to you to have 2-3 beers, go for it. But…
What if you didn’t have those beers and lost an extra few pounds a month? Is it still important to you?
What if you could have an ice cream sundae every day instead? Is beer still worth it?
No judgment here. It’s all about choices. Figure out what you want the most. I was an every-day wine drinker. It was habit more than desire for me, and I had to break that habit. I still drink sometimes, just not every day.3 -
I consumed some alcohol during weight loss, and somewhat more now in maintenance.
From a weight loss perspective, the calories behave just like any other calories in the big picture - no matter in what order they're burned off, if you're in a true calorie deficit overall, fat is going to be burned sooner or later to make up that deficit.
Health wise, alcohol is strictly speaking a poison (if a subjectively maybe-fun one), and it makes zero positive health or nutrition contribution. When we're eating fewer calories, so it's already a bit harder to fit in optimal nutrition, that may matter extra much.
On top of that, alcohol can:
* impair our food logging accuracy (so hinder weight loss in that way if calorie counting),
* lower our impulse control (so we're more likely to fall for tempting high-calorie/low-nutrition treat foods),
* cause sluggishness later if even mildly over-consumed (so we drag through our day burning fewer calories than we would otherwise),
* and more.
Generally, alcohol doesn't improve the odds of successful weight loss, and may reduce those odds. Whether to consume some or not will remain an individual decision.2 -
Thank you for all your helpful information and comments!3
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I consumed some alcohol during weight loss, and somewhat more now in maintenance.
From a weight loss perspective, the calories behave just like any other calories in the big picture - no matter in what order they're burned off, if you're in a true calorie deficit overall, fat is going to be burned sooner or later to make up that deficit.
Health wise, alcohol is strictly speaking a poison (if a subjectively maybe-fun one), and it makes zero positive health or nutrition contribution. When we're eating fewer calories, so it's already a bit harder to fit in optimal nutrition, that may matter extra much.
On top of that, alcohol can:
* impair our food logging accuracy (so hinder weight loss in that way if calorie counting),
* lower our impulse control (so we're more likely to fall for tempting high-calorie/low-nutrition treat foods),
* cause sluggishness later if even mildly over-consumed (so we drag through our day burning fewer calories than we would otherwise),
* and more.
Generally, alcohol doesn't improve the odds of successful weight loss, and may reduce those odds. Whether to consume some or not will remain an individual decision.
All of the bolded was certainly true for me. I now drink just on rare special occasions, out of the house.2 -
The way i think about it is this; My liver will processes alcohol before anything else.. and that means fat. So.. when I drink I'm aware i am not burning fat. If i do drink while i'm eating.. say at dinner.. wine coctails that kind of thing. I eat low fat.. like shrimp cocktail...because it won't put weight on me. If i was eating fries and burger.. yup.. i'd gain or not lose for sure.2
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elisa123gal wrote: »The way i think about it is this; My liver will processes alcohol before anything else.. and that means fat. So.. when I drink I'm aware i am not burning fat. If i do drink while i'm eating.. say at dinner.. wine coctails that kind of thing. I eat low fat.. like shrimp cocktail...because it won't put weight on me. If i was eating fries and burger.. yup.. i'd gain or not lose for sure.
I don't think that's how it works.10 -
you aren’t burning fat regardless of the alcohol. You burn recently ingested food first. Fat is burned when there is no immediate energy available. That can be food or alcohol.elisa123gal wrote: »The way i think about it is this; My liver will processes alcohol before anything else.. and that means fat. So.. when I drink I'm aware i am not burning fat. If i do drink while i'm eating.. say at dinner.. wine coctails that kind of thing. I eat low fat.. like shrimp cocktail...because it won't put weight on me. If i was eating fries and burger.. yup.. i'd gain or not lose for sure.
What won’t put weight on you is not taking in more weekly calories than you burn.
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I think IF is a good way to burn fat.1
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tomcustombuilder wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »Ive read that alcohol can stop fat burning for 12-36 hours?
It will generally stop fat burning until your body uses up the alcohol calories, as your body doesn't have a mechanism to store it, so it will preferentially rely on the alcohol.
In the long run, the effect on fat storage is determined by calories consumed and expended.
Anything you consume will stop fat burning for the most part. Recently consumed calories are burned before fat. We are alway burning a combo of some recent calories and to a lesser extent stored fat however its the newest, unburned calories that go first.
As mentioned above it will always be about calorie balance in the long run
Yes, but if you ate pretzels or peanuts or nachos or sliders or whatever constitutes bar food in your neighborhood with all the alcohol, your body is going to preferentially rely on the alcohol for energy as opposed to carbs, fat, and protein you consumed at the same time.0 -
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and then you’ll burn the fats and carb. All before stored fat so it doesn’t matter. No weekly calorie deficit, no Fatloss.lynn_glenmont wrote: »tomcustombuilder wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »Ive read that alcohol can stop fat burning for 12-36 hours?
It will generally stop fat burning until your body uses up the alcohol calories, as your body doesn't have a mechanism to store it, so it will preferentially rely on the alcohol.
In the long run, the effect on fat storage is determined by calories consumed and expended.
Anything you consume will stop fat burning for the most part. Recently consumed calories are burned before fat. We are alway burning a combo of some recent calories and to a lesser extent stored fat however its the newest, unburned calories that go first.
As mentioned above it will always be about calorie balance in the long run
Yes, but if you ate pretzels or peanuts or nachos or sliders or whatever constitutes bar food in your neighborhood with all the alcohol, your body is going to preferentially rely on the alcohol for energy as opposed to carbs, fat, and protein you consumed at the same time.
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You process no carb or fat calories while you have alcohol to be metabolized in your system. Worse time to have alcohol is before you sleep since you burn more stored body fat at rest than any other time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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You process no carb or fat calories while you have alcohol to be metabolized in your system. Worse time to have alcohol is before you sleep since you burn more stored body fat at rest than any other time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I still don't understand why it matters, arithmetically and (mostly) practically.
Yes, during rest/sleep, a higher percentage of calories burned come from stored body fat, at least if there isn't recent intake somehow getting in the way of metabolizing that fat.
But two things:
(1) It's a big percentage of a small number of calories, because we burn relatively few calories per hour when resting/sleeping. We can actually burn more fat (in numbers of calories per time unit) when exercising, even exercising up around anaerobic threshold - again, if not recent intake supplying immediate needs - versus when sleeping/resting.
(2) But mostly, wouldn't t be true that if there's an overall calorie deficit, body fat is going to be burned sooner or later to make up that deficit, up to the limit of our body's ability to metabolize body fat, after which presumably it'll burn lean tissue of some type? Why do we care when that body fat burn happens, in the course of our day, as long as it does happen?
I feel like the "alcohol inhibits weight loss because it's burned in preference to other calories" argument is analogous to arguments like we shouldn't eat before bed, or we need to exercise in the fat-burning zone, and that sort of thing.
I'm not saying alcohol consumption is a great thing in general or for weight loss specifically. It's not. (Upthread I listed a bunch of reasons I won't repeat again.) I don't think any of the purely calorie arguments hold up, though, at least within the realm of moderate-ish alcohol intake. (Someone who's truly alcoholic, getting a large fraction of daily calories from alcohol, may have some weird physical effects from that, I dunno.)
P.S. When I was young, resilient, and foolish, I would sometimes exercise after drinking, before bed; and perceived that that reduced hangover symptoms in the AM to some extent. These days, my body doesn't like working out on those calories (recovery issues, blah blah blah) . . . probably always had been true, but my aging body doesn't handle the insult as smoothly at 67 as it did at 20. That's all subjective/speculative stuff, though.3 -
Rockmama1111 wrote: »If alcohol fits into your daily calories and you’re getting adequate nutrition from the rest of your calories and it’s that important to you to have 2-3 beers, go for it. But…
What if you didn’t have those beers and lost an extra few pounds a month? Is it still important to you?
What if you could have an ice cream sundae every day instead? Is beer still worth it?
No judgment here. It’s all about choices. Figure out what you want the most. I was an every-day wine drinker. It was habit more than desire for me, and I had to break that habit. I still drink sometimes, just not every day.
Beer > ice cream sundae IMO.
3 or 4 light beers over an hour or 2 vs ice cream sundae that is gone in 5-10 minutes for the same calories or less..0 -
it’s really the same as eating before bed. It doesn’t matter in the big picture of overall weekly calories. The big bummer is how it compromises REM sleep. Being tired the next day can reduce activity and that is how it screws up your diet/training program.You process no carb or fat calories while you have alcohol to be metabolized in your system. Worse time to have alcohol is before you sleep since you burn more stored body fat at rest than any other time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Ive read this too.
Shuts down your metabolic pathways to metabolise alcohol apparently, for up to 36hrs
How accurate it is i dont know, they may be some truth in it. I dont really drink.. Maybe once or twice a year if theres a occasion0 -
Beers are a no-no. If you have alcohol addiction (I know I have), just go with stronger spirits like whiskey, gin, etc. Take in moderation!0
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Oh yes, it's overall calories that do matter. But from a competitive standpoint, I couldn't have alcohol anytime before a contest while prepping because it did matter how much fat I had to burn off. Even with calories in check, alchohol would inhibit that last few pounds of fat to be shredded for a contest. I learned this the hard way when I started substituting alcohol for some carbs because the alcohol helped me to stay satiated more........or I fell asleepYou process no carb or fat calories while you have alcohol to be metabolized in your system. Worse time to have alcohol is before you sleep since you burn more stored body fat at rest than any other time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I still don't understand why it matters, arithmetically and (mostly) practically.
Yes, during rest/sleep, a higher percentage of calories burned come from stored body fat, at least if there isn't recent intake somehow getting in the way of metabolizing that fat.
But two things:
(1) It's a big percentage of a small number of calories, because we burn relatively few calories per hour when resting/sleeping. We can actually burn more fat (in numbers of calories per time unit) when exercising, even exercising up around anaerobic threshold - again, if not recent intake supplying immediate needs - versus when sleeping/resting.
(2) But mostly, wouldn't t be true that if there's an overall calorie deficit, body fat is going to be burned sooner or later to make up that deficit, up to the limit of our body's ability to metabolize body fat, after which presumably it'll burn lean tissue of some type? Why do we care when that body fat burn happens, in the course of our day, as long as it does happen?
I feel like the "alcohol inhibits weight loss because it's burned in preference to other calories" argument is analogous to arguments like we shouldn't eat before bed, or we need to exercise in the fat-burning zone, and that sort of thing.
I'm not saying alcohol consumption is a great thing in general or for weight loss specifically. It's not. (Upthread I listed a bunch of reasons I won't repeat again.) I don't think any of the purely calorie arguments hold up, though, at least within the realm of moderate-ish alcohol intake. (Someone who's truly alcoholic, getting a large fraction of daily calories from alcohol, may have some weird physical effects from that, I dunno.)
P.S. When I was young, resilient, and foolish, I would sometimes exercise after drinking, before bed; and perceived that that reduced hangover symptoms in the AM to some extent. These days, my body doesn't like working out on those calories (recovery issues, blah blah blah) . . . probably always had been true, but my aging body doesn't handle the insult as smoothly at 67 as it did at 20. That's all subjective/speculative stuff, though.
.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Beers are a no-no. If you have alcohol addiction (I know I have), just go with stronger spirits like whiskey, gin, etc. Take in moderation!
Why is that? Hard liquor is a bad plan for someone with "alcohol addiction"...I guess you're saying that if you don't use mixers with it then it's fewer calories for the buzz? I think anyone with a drinking problem probably needs to worry about solving the drinking problem and worry about weight loss somewhere down the road.
Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic comes to mind.
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tomcustombuilder wrote: »
and then you’ll burn the fats and carb. All before stored fat so it doesn’t matter. No weekly calorie deficit, no Fatloss.lynn_glenmont wrote: »tomcustombuilder wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »Ive read that alcohol can stop fat burning for 12-36 hours?
It will generally stop fat burning until your body uses up the alcohol calories, as your body doesn't have a mechanism to store it, so it will preferentially rely on the alcohol.
In the long run, the effect on fat storage is determined by calories consumed and expended.
Anything you consume will stop fat burning for the most part. Recently consumed calories are burned before fat. We are alway burning a combo of some recent calories and to a lesser extent stored fat however its the newest, unburned calories that go first.
As mentioned above it will always be about calorie balance in the long run
Yes, but if you ate pretzels or peanuts or nachos or sliders or whatever constitutes bar food in your neighborhood with all the alcohol, your body is going to preferentially rely on the alcohol for energy as opposed to carbs, fat, and protein you consumed at the same time.
Which is what I said in the first post you responded to, so I don't know why you're quoting me as though you're correcting me.0
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