alcohol

I don't know how long you've been dieting or what your goals are. When I started my program, I went completely alcohol free for 3 weeks, at the recommendation of my trainer. Alcohol is just empty calories that metabolize like carbs...it does nothing for you. If you're just starting out and your body hasn't adjusted to being healthier, I would avoid it honestly. If you've been at this for a while, I would have 1 glass of wine.

Something I've noticed is that after a long time of not drinking at all, when I finally did have a drink, it hit me a lot harder and I didn't need to drink as much to get any sort of buzz. So taking a break from booze has it's advantages in the long run.

It's just like opting for a full-sugar soda. A full-sugar soda that happens to gets you drunk. It's a treat. Enjoy it and work it off when you're back to Routineland. :smokin:

Two alcoholic drinks affects your fat burning ability by 73%. You'll just have to work harder to get the same results you would've without drinking. What I don't know is if the amount of alcohol in the drink makes a difference.

Where is your research from?? Not sure I believe that at all... I personally drink either gin and tonic, which tonic is just water or vodka with a splash of cranberry.. those are the lowest calorie drinks you can get but to each there own just work out harder and enjoy yourself... life should be fun everything is fine in moderation

Pssshhh! I don't do research! Actually, I heard it on Jillian Michaels' radio show a couple of years ago, and then someone else posted the same thing, but with more information from another source in answer to a similar question on the boards a few months ago. If I can find it, I'll post it later.

Edited to say I did discuss it with a personal trainer after I heard JM talk about it, and she said that it was true. Something about the liver burning off the alcohol first. My memory sucks when I have to come up with the reasons for stuff I learn. :ohwell:

Two alcoholic drinks affects your fat burning ability by 73%. You'll just have to work harder to get the same results you would've without drinking. What I don't know is if the amount of alcohol in the drink makes a difference.

Where is your research from?? Not sure I believe that at all... I personally drink either gin and tonic, which tonic is just water or vodka with a splash of cranberry.. those are the lowest calorie drinks you can get but to each there own just work out harder and enjoy yourself... life should be fun everything is fine in moderation

Pssshhh! I don't do research! Actually, I heard it on Jillian Michaels' radio show a couple of years ago, and then someone else posted the same thing, but with more information from another source in answer to a similar question on the boards a few months ago. If I can find it, I'll post it later.

Edited to say I did discuss it with a personal trainer after I heard JM talk about it, and she said that it was true. Something about the liver burning off the alcohol first. My memory sucks when I have to come up with the reasons for stuff I learn. :ohwell:

yeah alcohol is not the best for you, but your liver can healthfully metabolize 2 drinks a day

I found it! Ugh, I should be halfway home by now. Also, alcohol is the main reason why I got so fat. Yeah, I was a pretty "heavy" drinker in both senses of the word.

"Well, according to research carried in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition, alcohol puts the brakes on fat
metabolism (your body’s ability to burn fat as energy) in
more ways than one. In the study, eight people were given
two vodka drinks separated by 30 minutes.

Fat metabolism was checked both before and after each drink.
It turns out that even hours after drinking both drinks, fat
metabolism dropped by an incredible 73%. What is happening?

When you drink alcohol, your liver converts it into a
substance called acetate. (The acetate levels in the
subject’s bodies were 2.5 times higher than normal). And it
is the acetates in your body that make losing blubber almost
impossible.

Your body prefers burning acetate to all other sources of
fuel (fat being one of them), and basically shuts down its
normal process of burning off any other source of energy.

In other research, alcohol has been shown to increase
appetite. When you combine alcohol with meals, studies have
shown you tend to eat more. And since the alcohol is going
to serve as your body’s primary source of fuel, all the
calories go directly to your waistline.

And finally, alcohol increases your cortisol levels and
decreases your testosterone levels for about 24 hours after
you imbibe. And this definitely is not good for trimming
down or adding muscle!"