If you must consume alcohol, it is best to do so in moderation when you are planning to lose weight. In fact, it is best to avoid alcohol as much as possible, as it is not only loaded with calories, but it does not contain any nutrient value. Alcohol also hinders judgment and can lead you to make bad food choices and to overeat. Alcohol also inhibits fat-burning and fat-storing hormones, making the avoidance of alcohol an ideal choice as far as dieting is concerned.
Low Blood Sugar
Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels, which enhances your appetite, leaving you more likely to consume extra calories. This is in addition to the calories that are already contained in the alcohol itself. Diabetic patients, in particular, need to be extra cautious with alcohol, as it not only slows weight loss but low glucose levels can be lethal. Dr. Andrew Weil's website reports that in a study published in the "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders," it was discovered that men who were told that they could consume as much food as they wanted tended to eat more when the food was served with wine or beer, rather than with soft drinks.
Slow Metabolism
Your body sees alcohol as poison and attempts to eliminate it immediately. Alcohol is converted into acetate in your body during the elimination process. It is not possible for your body to store the energy obtained from the alcohol, so until alcohol is eliminated from your system, food is not processed and becomes a secondary task. This tends to result in the storage and synthesis of food as fat and causes fat retention, which can disrupt your diet regimen and lead to weight gain.
Inhibited Nutrition
The phytochemical present in wine called resveratrol, which is proclaimed to fight heart disease and diabetes, is a phytoestrogen, as well. This means that it releases the estrogen hormone into the bloodstream, which elevates the fat-storing hormones. If the balance between fat-burning and fat-storing hormones is not maintained, rapid weight gain can ensue. As your food intake is not being metabolized properly, nutrition from the food is not fully absorbed. According to Alcohol Health and Research World, chronic alcohol consumption may interfere with absorption of folic acid, water, thiamine, sodium, fats, vitamin B12, proteins and glucose.
Disrupted Physical Activity
Diet programs generally encourage physical activity to gain optimal results from the eating plan for weight loss or weight maintenance. Alcohol consumption tends to make you lethargic and also disrupts restful sleep, which, in turn, can disrupt exercise regimens and performance at the gym. Alcohol in the system causes your body to slow down and can also leave you with hangovers, which can prompt you to skip exercise altogether, and even if you do make it to the gym, you may not perform to the best of your ability. Not only does alcohol add calories to your diet, it also obstructs exercise, leading to more weight gain.
References
- International Journal of Obesity: Effects of moderate consumption of white wine on weight loss in overweight and obese subjects
- Oregon Counseling: Biological Impacts of Alcohol Use: An Overview
- The Ohio State University Student Wellness Center: Drinking your Calories with Alcohol
- Andrew Weil, M.D.: Can Alcohol Prevent Weight Loss?
- MayoClinic.com: Alcohol use; If you drink, keep it moderate
- Archives of Internal Medicine: Alcohol Consumption, Weight Gain, and Risk of Becoming Overweight in Middle-aged and Older Women
