Weight Loss and Alcohol Consumption

This is a subject that isn’t about rocket science. Weight loss and alcohol consumption simply don’t match. If you’re trying to lose weight, you should stay away from alcohol altogether, for a number of reasons, which will be discussed in this article.

Firstly, pure alcohol (before it has been mixed or processed with sugar) has about 7 calories per gram. Doesn’t sounds like a whole lot, but trust us when we say, it is substantial enough. Carbohydrates and proteins have about 4 calories per gram, so that makes alcohol almost twice as bad for you than each of those food groups. Alcohol is absorbed incredibly quickly by the body, which also makes it harder for the body to use those calories efficiently (like it would if the calories were absorbed at a slower rate). When you start processing alcohol and adding sugars to make it taste better (like in wine for example) the calorie count skyrockets.

In addition to the actual caloric value of alcohol, the way in which your body deals with and processes alcohol is something that anyone on a weight loss mission should be acutely aware of. After the odd drink or two, your body essentially switches processes and this is what happens: a small portion of the alcohol you’ve consumed gets converted to fat, your liver will convert most of the alcohol in your body into acetate and then the acetate is released into your blood stream and replaces fat as a source of fuel. So, essentially that means that whenever alcohol is present within your system, your body will ignore the fats and turn its attention to using the alcohol as fuel. Your body stops burning fat and starts burning alcohol. This is not a desirable outcome for anyone wanting to loose weight.

Alcohol is also an appetite stimulant. This explains why people who are drinking excessive amounts of alcohol often find themselves continually hungry and able to eat far more than normal. Further to this point, alcohol completely crumbles one’s resolve and ability to make informed choices. This opens up the possibility of you not only over eating, but eating foods that you shouldn’t be eating if you’re trying to loose weight. So never try the weight loss and alchohol consumption way if you want to lose weight successfully.