How do alcohol affect weight gain
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 24, 2019
- 3 min read
How Alcohol Can Cause Weight Gain
While you are trying to lose weight it is important to keep a food journal just to monitor how much calories are you eating and what are the types of food you consume.
You need to know that drinks like cocktail, soft drinks in addition to alcohol offer no nutritional value but just empty calories. Alcohol is linked to obesity as it contains a lot of calories and can be also bad for your weight and health.
If you drink cocktails a lot you need to be cautious about extra amount as it lead to weight gain.
Drinking, Weight Loss, and Your Health
If you are a moderate drinker as 2 drinks for men and 1 drink for women you may have health benefits:
· Reduced risk of developing heart disease
· Reduced risk of ischemic stroke
· Lower risk of dying of a heart attack
· Lower risk of developing diabetes
You need to have healthy lifestyle along with exercise in order to achieve weight loss goals. You can still enjoy your drinks in moderation but you need to know that alcohol has been linked to some drawbacks on health moreover you need to choose wisely types of drink.
Added Calories
Alcohol doesn’t contain fat but it still contains 7 calories per gram. That's more than protein and carbs, both of which contain 4 calories per gram.
So how many calories is per your favourite drink?
· 1 can (12 oz) Beer - 135-145 calories
· 1 can (12 oz) Light Beer - 101 calories
· 1 glass (5 oz) Red or White Wine - 120 or more calories
· 1 shot (1.5 oz) Gin, rum, vodka or whiskey - 97 calories
· 1 glass (6 oz) Cosmopolitan - 143 calories
· 1 glass (4.5 oz) Pina Colada - 262 calories
· 1 glass (2.2 oz) Martini - 135 calories
If you can control the amount of drinks you may consume then you need to extend the time spent during workout and have a light lunch just to compensate the extra calories.
Increased Appetite
Alcohol may increase appetite in short term according to studies and actually this is true because social drinking is always associated with overeating and temptation food like sugary food and nuts.
License to Indulge
Alcohol add calories and make a healthy diet plan hard to stick to it. One study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Review has shown that acts of self-control, like bypassing a piece of chocolate cake for a carrot stick can actually deplete glucose levels, leaving us vulnerable in situations where we don't have control over our choices.
Adding alcohol to the mix drains that energy even more, leaving you less concerned about blowing your diet than satisfying your cravings.
The Day After
A heavy drinking night may leave you too tired or hungover to exercise the next day. When you're hungover, you're dehydrated, clumsy and nauseous and all of these factors affect exercise.
Skipping that workout means you're not burning those extra calories, which doesn't help with your weight loss goals.
Avoiding Weight Gain with Alcohol:
· Be aware of what and how much you're drinking: You need to substitute high calorie choices with less calorie dense.
· Drink water between drinks: Having a glass of water between alcohol drinks prevent dehydration and hangover.
· Know your weak spots: If you know that you drink too much then try to have a meal before drinking to prevent intoxication and drink a glass of water thus leaving less space in your stomach.
· Think about your goals: Turning down that refill may be hard at the moment, but you'll be glad you did when you wake up the next day, refreshed and ready for your workout.
· Avoid high-calorie drinks: The worst offenders include eggnog (340 calories), Long Island Iced Tea (up to 800 calories), and margaritas (up to 700 calories). In general, drinks that include mixers like a sweet and sour mix, juice, or tonic will have more calories. If you do get mixed drinks, stick with club soda instead of tonic, which has fewer calories.
You need to know that in everything moderation is the key. Be careful about your calorie intake.
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