Does Drinking Wine Stop You From Losing Weight?

To lose weight, you must consistently burn more calories than you consume, creating a calorie deficit that requires your body to burn stored fat for energy. While drinking wine will not necessarily prevent weight loss, it may make it more difficult for you to create a calorie deficit each day.

Calories from Wine

Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram, according to MedlinePlus. Sugar, by comparison, has 4 calories per gram. A 4.0-oz. glass of wine can contain 62 to 160 calories, according to the University of Rochester's University Health Service. Like added sugars, alcohol provides no beneficial nutrients. You should only consume empty calories from sugar and alcohol after you have met your daily nutrient needs, according to the USDA. Remaining calories, or what the USDA calls "discretionary calories," can be used on alcohol. If you are not physically active, your discretionary calorie allowance may be very small. Consult a nutritionist to determine how many discretionary calories you can consume each day without gaining weight.

Caloric Balance

To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume, creating a caloric deficit. You can create this deficit by following a reduced-calorie diet and adding physical activity to your routine. For every pound you want to lose, you'll need to burn 3,500 calories more than you eat over several days. To lose weight at the healthy rate of 1 to 2 lbs. per week, you must burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you eat each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you add more physical activity to your routine, you may be able to fit a glass of wine into your daily caloric intake while maintaining this deficit.

Recommendations

Fit your wine drinking into your daily caloric intake by avoiding all other empty calories such as high-fat foods or foods with added sugars. Instead of having two glasses of wine, make one glass into a spritzer to make it last longer. If you will be drinking more than one glass of wine in an evening, alternate each glass with water or sparkling water. Skip dessert on nights when you have wine.

Alcohol and Health

MayoClinic.com defines moderate alcohol consumption as no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. A 5-oz. glass of wine counts as one drink. Adults who consume alcohol in moderation may have a reduced risk of heart disease, strokes and gallstones, according to MayoClinic.com. Alcohol consumption comes with many risks, however. Heavy drinking can lead to pancreatitis, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, stroke, high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver, suicide, accidental injury and certain cancers, according to MayoClinic.com.

Warning

Do not drink alcohol if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, are taking medications that can interact with alcohol, have been diagnosed with alcoholism or alcohol abuse, have liver or pancreatic disease, have heart failure or a weak heart, have had a previous hemorrhagic stroke or are planning to drive. Drink only with great caution if you have a family history of alcoholism, take prescription medications for health problems, use over-the-counter pain relievers, have a family history of breast cancer or have precancerous changes in your esophagus, pharynx, larynx or mouth, says MayoClinic.com.