Drinking alcohol is a favourite pastime for humans, both socially and culturally. However, alcohol also plays a large role in weight management. Anyone looking to drop those final stubborn pounds may want to consider skipping their evening glass of wine or read my suggestions for reducing the calories in your drink.
Alcoholic drinks are often referred to as “empty” calories. This means that they provide your body with calories but contain very little nutrients. There are almost 155 calories in one can of beer, and 125 calories in a medium glass of red wine. By comparison, a recommended afternoon snack should have between 100 and 200 calories. A night out with several drinks can easily lead to consuming hundreds extra calories.
Drinks that have mixers, such as fruit juice or soda, contain even more calories. There are also other elements that can cause weight gain outside of calorie content. When alcohol is consumed, it’s burned first as a fuel source before your body uses anything else. This includes glucose from carbohydrates or lipids from fats. When your body is using alcohol as a primary source of energy, the excess glucose and lipids end up as fat.
Alcohol can also affect your organs. The primary role of your liver is to act as the “filter” for any foreign substances that enter your body, such as drugs and alcohol. The liver also plays a role in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Excess alcohol consumption can lead to what is known as alcoholic fatty liver. This condition can damage your liver, affecting the way your body metabolizes and stores carbohydrates and fats. Changes in the way your body stores energy from food can make it very difficult to lose weight.
Alcohol can also contribute to excess belly fat. The “beer gut” isn’t just a myth. Foods high in simple sugars, such as those found in candy, soda, and even beer, are also high in calories. Extra calories end up stored as fat in the body. Consuming foods and drinks high in sugar can quickly lead to weight gain. We can’t choose where all that extra weight ends up. But the body tends to accumulate fat in the abdominal area.
Alcohol affects judgment calls… especially with food. Even the most die-hard diet fan will have a hard time fighting the urge to dig in when intoxicated. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and can lead to poor decision-making in the heat of the moment — especially when it comes to food choices. However, the effects of alcohol surpass even social drinking etiquette.
A recent animal study found that mice given ethanol over a period of three days demonstrated a significant increase in food intake. This study suggests that alcohol can actually trigger hunger signals in the brain, leading to an increased urge to eat more food.
Alcohol can also negatively affect your sleep. A nightcap before bed may sound like a ticket to a good night’s rest but you may want to reconsider. Research suggests that alcohol can lead to increased periods of wakefulness during sleep cycles. Sleep deprivation, whether from lack of sleep or impaired sleep, can lead to an imbalance in the hormones related to hunger, satiety, and energy storage.
So what are the best alcoholic drinks for weight loss?
This may all sound as if alcohol is ruining your chances of that beach body. But fear not — watching your weight doesn’t necessarily mean having to cut alcohol entirely out of your diet. Rather than reaching for drinks high in sugar or calories, enjoy some of these 100-calorie options instead:
1. Vodka: Choose low-calories mixers such as club soda (with fresh lime) and avoid soft drinks and fruit juice mixers.
2. Whiskey: Ditch the cola and take your whiskey on the rocks for a low-calorie alternative.
3. Gin: Try flavoured gin with soda water or diet tonic water.
4. Aperol Soda: If you enjoy Aperol Spritz, swap the processo for soda water.
While cutting alcohol completely out of your diet isn’t necessarily the only way to lose weight, there are many improvements that can be made in your health journey by simply cutting back on the booze. You can enjoy a healthier body, improved sleep, better digestion, and fewer of those excess “empty” calories.