Will drinking alcohol stop you from losing weight?
Trying to lose weight is tough. The weight loss process is fraught with potential hurdles and road blocks that hinder or derail your weight loss efforts at every turn. Alcohol is one more roadblock you can do without. This is not to say that alcohol should never pass through your lips. But you want to give careful consideration to where alcohol fits in to your weight loss plan.
Alcohol is a significant source of empty calories. One beer has as many as 150 calories. Mixed drinks can contain hundreds of calories in a single drink. If you consume multiple drinks in one day, the number of calories consumed from alcohol alone could add a large number to your day’s intake. You would need to reduce the number of calories you consume from other foods and drinks to compensate. If you drink alcohol more than one day a week, the consumption could add thousands of calories each week. This would sabotage any hope of weight loss during the week.
Alcohol can also affect your metabolism. Your liver will metabolize the alcohol before it begins the job of metabolizing your fat. This will slow down your body’s normal metabolic rate. Your body may begin to metabolize fat at a slower rate on a daily basis. The more often you drink alcohol, the slower your liver will metabolize the fat in your body. And if you consume multiple drinks in a sitting, your liver will be preoccupied that much longer with metabolizing the alcohol.
Anyone seriously pursuing weight loss goals should limit the alcohol consumption. Limit the number of days in a month and the number of drinks you consume at a time. Try to plan your calorie intake in advance when you know you will be drinking alcohol. Reduce the number of calories you take in during the day based on the number of drinks you plan to consume. Remember, alcohol is replacing other nutrient dense food and drinks that your body requires. When you are drinking alcohol socially, you can help limit the number of alcoholic drinks you ingest by switching to water between drinks. This will limit the calories while prolonging your socializing!
