The Skinny on Alcohol: How to Drink and Avoid Weight Gain
Drinkaware has a wonderful, reality-inducing tool that lets you calculate exactly how many calories you’re consuming when you go for drinks. If you fancy a good beer or glass of wine, chances are you’re ingesting more liquid calories than you realize. By working in these strategies, you can still enjoy alcohol in moderation while working toward your weight loss goals. You may already be aware of some of the more unsavory side effects of alcohol, especially when you overdo it. It can increase anxiety, heighten your blood pressure and even affect your brain. But there are a few specific ways it can affect your weight, too.
It makes it difficult to choose healthy options
- Go for a light white variety, such as a Pinot Grigio, for fewer calories, versus those with higher ABVs.
- Generally, one fluid ounce of 80-proof vodka contains about 64 calories, while a 1.5-ounce shot of vodka contains 96 calories.
- Unfortunately for people who drink vodka every night, ingesting alcohol every day has been linked with an increased risk of disease, according to researcher Dr. Sarah M. Hartz.
- Hunger and satiety hormones can also become thrown off, causing you to eat more.
- A 1.5-ounce serving contains a mere 64 calories, and typically contains about 15 to 18 percent alcohol, she says.
Vodka’s cleaning properties could also be used for your mouth, according to James Cobb, a registered nurse. “If you swish vodka around in your mouth a bit before swallowing your dental hygiene might improve,” he explained to The List. It might sound a little weird given the wide variety of cleaning products at your neighborhood grocery store, but vodka, like other spirits, is an antiseptic, according to McGill University.
Alcohol affects judgment calls… especially with food
- “If you drink a moderate amount of vodka before bed it might cause you to fall asleep faster and to sleep deeper,” he shared with The List.
- This may seem odd since vodka is made from carb-rich foods like wheat and potatoes.
- People with substance use disorder keep using drugs or alcohol even though it causes problems in their life.
The day after drinking alcohol promotes weight gain https://ecosoberhouse.com/ for a variety of reasons. If you’re trying to lose weight, it turns out one of the BEST things you can do is stop drinking alcohol. But will drinking any alcohol prevent you from losing any unwanted fat? You can strike a balance if you’re looking to lose weight while still enjoying an occasional drink with friends. Compared ounce for ounce, alcoholic drinks’ calorie count will vary. Below is a list of some of the most popular alcoholic drinks and their calorie content.
Increases Abdominal Fat
But if you are knocking back shot after shot, that can have a real impact on your cognitive function, according to Dr. Nick Knight. “A number of processes slow down,” he shared in an interview with the BBC’s Newsbeat. “You get a reduction in your executive function, so judgement, your decision making.” He added, “You become less inhibited and you are tempted to take more risks than you would usually.”
Remember, anything your body does not use for fuel will be stored can you gain weight from vodka as fat. Weight loss — or, more appropriately, fat loss — has to do with a number of factors, including genetics. But at its core, it relies on creating a calorie deficit, or consuming fewer calories than you expend each day.
- Alcohol, including vodka, interferes with our body’s fat burning process.
- So just one shot of vodka will keep you from burning fat for over an hour.
- It’s become a favorite amongst bar-goers in recent years and unlike most vodkas, is completely gluten-free, which counts for something toward your diet, right?