Alcohol vs. Weight Loss

Have you ever wondered if drinking alcohol would have any effect on weight loss?

This has been a common question that I’ve gotten from many clients over the years.

Let’s face it, drinking alcohol is an integrated part of our culture, and most don’t want to give it up.

It’s even been found that “alcohol has been a part of the human diet for millions of years; allowing our ancestors to eat rotting fruit when necessary for survival” (Carrigan et al., Dudley, 2004).

So what’s the deal?

While we may be able to consume alcohol for the sake of survival, you may be disappointed to hear that alcohol can contradict your weight loss goals.

“Alcohol is a nutritionally void toxin that provides 7 calories per gram, in addition to any other carbohydrates present in beer, wine or mixed liquor beverages.

Alcohol increases appetite and calorie intake in a dose-response fashion; this means that more alcohol leads to greater food intake” (Caton et al., 2004: Caton et al., 2007).

“Alcohol also inhibits the body’s ability to use other nutrients as an energy source, which increases the likelihood of additional storage as body fat until the alcohol is metabolized” (Shelmet et al., 1988).

Lastly… “in addition to increasing appetite and facilitating fat storage, alcohol and it’s metabolites impair muscle protein synthesis” (Preedy et al., 1992; Steiner & Lang, 2014).

So should you stop drinking?

I am of the firm belief that everything is best done in moderation.

When speaking to clients, the first thing we need to address is sustainability.

Dietary and lifestyle changes need to be realistic and able to be upheld.

The problem most people face is they cut everything all at once in a drastic way, causing them to “rebound” and make it feel as though a healthy lifestyle is “not for them.”

So be honest with yourself - make a change that is realistic and aligned with yourself and your goals that can be sustained long-term.

How to have your cake and eat it too.

There are a couple different tips that I have given to clients throughout the years who wanted to be able to continue drinking but also lose weight.

First and foremost, the 80/20 rule - living according to your goals 80% of the time and 20% of leeway. I have seen people do extraordinarily well with this when executing it honestly.

Second, be mindful of when you consume alcohol. Knowing that calories consumed while drinking are likely to be stored as body fat, try to draw a line between meal time and drinking time. Don’t forget to keep muscle soreness and recovery in consideration too since alcohol impairs muscle protein synthesis.

Third, define a stopping point. If you know that you need to eat 2,000 calories a day (hypothetically) to lose weight, and you’ve already had 1,700 calories, make sure that your stopping point is at 300 calories from your drinks. While planning ahead like this may seem like a daunting task, you can use apps like MyFitnessPal to average out what each drink contains with a quick search.

In conclusion…

I will admit - I am a huge fan of a good IPA or Imperial Stout, and it’s unlikely that I will exclude these from my diet entirely.

With that being said, you need to be honest with yourself and the goals you have set for yourself.

Hopefully this article helps clarify some questions you might have about alcohol and weight loss so you can reach your goals!

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