Alcohal And Dieting

"Successful weight loss is all about keeping your body in "fat burning mode". A car engine only has gas to use for fuel, but your body on the other hand can draw from a number of sources such as carbohydrates, fat, protein, and ACETATE. The source of fuel it chooses largely depends on its availability. So let's say you have a few drinks ...
Alcohol is converted in the liver to a substance called acetate - a premium choice of fuel for the body. Therefore even a small amount of alcohol causes a sharp rise in acetate and puts the breaks on fat burning/fat loss. This is very similar to how your body reacts to sugar and simple carbohydrates. The body uses these preferred sources for fuel, and fat gets pushed to the back of the line - exactly what you DON'T want when trying to lose weight/body fat.

Alcohol also decreases testosterone levels for up to 24 hours making it impossible for your body to repair or build lean muscle (yes, even for women!). People who drink on a regular basis (more than twice a week) tend to carry a lot less muscle and more fat regardless of how hard they weight train or exercise in general. Even people with small amounts of body fat will not see as much muscle definition. There are other causes for lack of muscle, of course, but this can be a big one.

Alcohol increases your appetite and decreases your resolve to be good and not overindulge. And although we think it will help us relax, sleep more, and feel better, it actually interrupts sleep patterns, and over time can cause anxiety and depression. You see the vicious cycle there?

So bottom line, if you are serious about feeling better, losing weight, and/or seeing some of that lean muscle show through, skip the alcohol or limit it to one or two drinks ONCE a week or on the weekend - not every day."- mary