EMAIL THREAD

Alcohol

Does drinking alcohol effect how fast your body looses weight?

Sun. Mar 16, 11:54am

Well, alcohol is packed with calories, so yes, it does

Sunday, March 16, 2008, 12:02 PM

If you drink lite beer and work it into your calorie allowance does it effect how your body burns calories?

Sunday, March 16, 2008, 12:04 PM

Sure you could count the calories and just factor that in, but you are forgetting two things

1. those are empty calories with no nutrition, so you are wasting food from your calorie "allowance" that could be that could be making you less hungry
i.e that shot could have been a banana instead, those three light beers could have been a McDonald's cheeseburger - whoops

2. If you are dieting, you are probably hungry and after a couple of shots you say what does it really matter and start eating and now you are really done.

Monday, March 17, 2008, 10:47 AM

Yes

The effects of alcohol on inhibition and appetite aside (since they've already been covered) - the simple version is this: the liver is where fatty acids are metabolized. When you consume alcohol - the liver stops what it's doing and immediately begins metabolizing the alcohol, storing the fatty acids to metabolize later. So while it is working on booze it is essentially at a dead stop on its normal processes. The fatty acids build up in the liver because there is no where else for them to go.

With moderate amounts of alcohol this is not an issue. The liver finishes metabolizing the alcohol relatively quickly and gets back to business. The rule of thumb is that it takes appx 1 hour to matabolize 1 drink (this varies slighty by size, sex, etc) - say you go on a binge and have something like 10 drinks. That's 10 hours during which time your liver is not working on converting fat to fuel. Your liver is the key to your metabolism - keep your alcohol consumption moderate and it can do its job just fine, but stress it and you see an effect.

Google 'alcohol metabolism liver fat' and you will find a large body of research on this.

Monday, March 17, 2008, 11:15 AM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge