So much information on weight loss has been put out there over the years. New diets here and a new gadget over there. There has not been a lot of information give to us on the effects of alcohol when you’re trying to lose weight. That is what we will look at here today.
While alcohol is caloric, as are virtually all foods and beverages, it differs in important ways from other substances. The first problem is that the calories that you get from alcohol are worthless, and not one calorie from alcohol has any nutritional value.
As with other calories, those from alcohol are converted in the liver in the body. Alcohol calories are kind of like bullies, as they must be burned first, all other calories are patiently stored. And we all know what stored calories are, they are fat.
Adding to the problem is the fact that alcohol provides twice as many calories as carbohydrates and proteins. What this means is alcohol provides seven calories per gram as opposed to carbohydrates, which contain four calories per gram. To put it in even simpler terms when you drink four 12-ounce beers you have consumed 600 calories! It is easy to see how prolonged use of alcohol could pack on the pounds.
One last note about the caloric effects of alcohol are the mixers. Many popular alcoholic drinks are actually a mix of different substances. These additives can add to the calorie count in a hurry. For example, one long island ice tea has an astounding 740 calories. In one drink, you could get half of the day’s recommended daily allowance!
Metabolism is another key ingredient to weight loss. The sum of the physical and chemical reactions in your cells that produce energy is your metabolism. Or more simply put the rate at which your body processes calories into energy. A study published in New England journal of Medicine shows how alcohol slows this entire process. A person on a 1250 calorie diet where 250 of the calories were from alcohol could see as much as a 36% reduction in their metabolism. In reality what happens is that the calories that you taken in are not being processed as fast as the should be. So you need to be more active and if you are then the calories will be burnt off a lot faster.
Many people who consume alcohol regularly inform that at first they feel much better. On the other hand, you can suffer from depression if you drink to excess, since alcohol is actually a depressive substance. If you are feeling depressed it will feel a lot harder to diet, actually people are known to eat more as a way of comforting themselves. A vicious cycle if you stop and think about it. Depression can cause lack of motivation as well as making you less likely to want to continue any kind of exercise routine.
Water is an important factor in basic health but it is also important in muscle building. Muscles require a sufficient amount of hydration to function properly, without it, they can become weak and inefficient. Alcohol dehydrates the body because of the massive amounts of water the kidneys require to process the toxin from the body.
Too much drinking causes damage to various organs, but one drink a day is actually good for most people’s health. Besides the issues it may cause for weight reduction, there are also medical concerns to keep in mind. If you are over weight, and are trying to drop it, you will loose more weight if you do not drink alcohol. Until you get control of your weight, red wine is the best choice if you must drink.
Tags: diet, fat burning, health, society
