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Weight loss and alcohol do not go together. Anyone serious about weight loss should be aware of the sabotaging effects of alcoholic beverages.
A research paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition can shed some light on fat metabolism is affected when a person consumes alcohol. Eight men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade. The drinks were spaced 30 minutes apart. Each drink contained less than 90 calories. Fat burning was measured before and after consumption of the drink.
Alcohol Affects Fat Metabolism by Halting Fat Burning
Researchers found that for several hours after drinking the vodka, fat burning in the body decreased by a massive 73%. The researchers also found that only 5% of the alcohol calories were converted to fat. The rest of the alcohol was converted into a substance called acetate. Acetate was measured at 2.5 times the normal value in the vodka drinking participants. This apparently brought fat burning to an almost grinding halt.
It seems that alcohol acts like jet fuel in the body. It surpasses all other forms of fuel in the body to become the main fuel of choice to meet the body’s energy needs. The body stops burning fat or even carbohydrates. It resorts to burning only alcohol until it is completely depleted.
Alcohol Affects Weight Loss by Increasing Appetite
Weight loss efforts are further sabotaged when an alcoholic beverage is consumed with meals. One such study was published in the International Journal of Obesity. The researchers wanted to find out the effect of consuming wine and beer on the amount of food consumed. 22 non-obese men were served a meal with beer, wine or a carbonated soft drink. The calories consumed were measured.
The researchers concluded that alcoholic beverages and wine in particular, increased the total calories consumed at a meal. The study seems to indicate that the consumption of alcoholic beverages generally increased appetite. So if you take wine with a meal, the study suggests that you would eat more than you would if there was no wine.
Looking at the 2 studies together, the following would be happening to anyone consuming alcoholic beverages;
- Someone consume a glass or two of wine with a meal
- He or she would eat more due to the appetite increasing effects of the wine
- The alcohol consumed would become the body’s main fuel of choice
- The body’s fat burning is reduced massively
- All the calories consumed at the meal are stored as fat. Mind you that one would have eaten more than than the amount if he or she had not consumed the wine.
Weight Loss While Drinking Alcohol
Some may argue that they don’t eat when they drink. Well these people would obviously drink more. The alcohol would stay in the blood longer. Their body’s fat burning system would be shut down longer and they would not be much better off.
Anyone consuming alcohol cannot achieve effective weight loss. Not when the research shows that it decreases fat burning by a massive 70% for a few hours! You may not have known earlier but at least now you know. Does that mean that you can never drink? Well not really. Its just that you can’t drink and expect to lose weight at the same time.
Why would you spend an hour on the treadmill to burn 200-300 calories and then bring fat burning to a grinding halt by drinking? To me, it’s synonymous to driving a car with one foot on the accelerator and one foot on the brakes. Remember that the participants of the study only consumed 24 grams of alcohol.
Get yourself down to the body shape that you want. Restrain from alcohol until you are satisfied with the body that you have. Once your body gets used to your new weight, you may indulge in some drinks now and then. But don’t expect any fantastic weight loss while continuing to drink.
A lot of people would insist that they can get in shape while drinking alcohol. I am also sure there are those out there who can. I am sure thought that it can’t be a big number. Alcohol is not a part of Correct Weight Loss.
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Related posts:
- Drinking Alcohol Before Meals and Weight Loss
- What You Need to Know About Alcohol and Weight Loss
- Alcohol Affects Weight Loss
- Drinking Alcohol and Exercise
- 5 Combinations That Are Potent Fat Storage Recipes
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
If the body prioritizes alcohol metabolism over lipid metabolism, there will be a *temporary* decrease in lipid metabolism. But the alcohol will soon be metabolised.
Great! Article! I learned a lot!
!!!
Also, what is a “handbrake” in a car? Do you drive upside down?
Thank you for the nice words. Glad that you found it useful.
A handbrake or a parking brake in a car.
Sure the alcohol will be metabolized but all the food that was consumed while there was alcohol in the body, will be stored as fat.
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hi Paramjit,
You are amazing as this is another great article. As an exercise physiologist I already know most of what you post but I love to read it when you post. Keep it coming,,,
debra
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Nicely dispels the the notion that to drink and not eat or minimal eat… loses weight too. Good stuff Paramjit.
Alcohol is like any other carbohydrate, and because it has a high GI and is liquid, it’s logical to ascertain that it would be metabolised very quickly. I don’t think its the glass of wine with dinner that is the problem, but the imbalance in people’s hormones resulting from their activities during the day.
Amazing information! I am sharing this article with others, then printing it out and keeping it posted to my refrigerator!
I quit drinking alchohol few years ago inspite of it’s health benefits since I really want to succed in my fatloss program.However,even though the article made a true statement according to human physiology,achohol still has health benefits.Red wine for example partcularly Pinot noir which has a very high levels of resveratrol that could benefit health through lowering cvd risk if consumed in moderation.There’s no bad food at all,the ultimate judge will be the degree of refinement/processing of foods or alterations & removal of micronutrients.There’s always room for everything as long as what makes up your overall diet is whole nutritious foods.More is better when it comes to wider variety of whole foods eaten.
I have never even had any alcohol in my life, and I never will. It seems there are far more problems with it, or associated with it than not.
I certainly will curtail the serving of wine I have a few times weekly! Thanks for the info.
Yes that will definitely help. Moderation is the key. Thanks for your feedback.
Great article. Guess we can’t have our cake and eat it too, ha! I signed-up for your feed by the way. Keep up the great content.
Hey Paramjit,
A really nice article.Love to follow your blog and hear more from your site
Good information, thanks for posting that. I have bookmarked your site and will come back to see what else you have to say. Losing weight is so challenging for me that the more information I have the better: there are so many ideas and people to learn from. Looking forward to coming back and learning some more to help make a difference to my body weight. David
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