How is Alcohol Affecting Your Weight

Author: lisabeverley | Posted: 26.11.2011

So you've been exercising regularly and reduce your calories to meet their weight loss goals. Everything is going very well with the new changes, but look at the number on the scale is not moving much and your body is changing as fast as expected. No more can be a habit interferes with their efforts-alcohol-weight loss. Perhaps you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, have a couple of beers while watching the big game, or even cocktails on a Saturday night with friends. All common practices but they can get in the way of your weight loss efforts.

Alcoholic beverages have been enjoyed throughout history. For some, a drink with dinner may be relaxing. Others may enjoy the inhibitions that alcohol can create a "drop" with friends. Many people drink for health benefits. After all, the evidence shows that moderate consumption of alcohol, especially red wine, may reduce the risk of heart disease. No matter what your reasons for drinking, alcohol can interfere with your weight loss goals.

Alcohol is a product of fermentation of carbohydrates-sugars and starches. This means that do not add calories. Specifically, it provides 7 calories per gram compared to 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate and protein and 9 calories per gram of fat. Drink 4 (12 ounces) of beer supply 600 calories. To burn the calories, a person would have to walk continuously for 3 hours. Skipping the cab and walk home can be a strategy, but for most of us a 3 hour walk is a bit daunting, even when we're in good shape.

Although wine contains fewer calories than beer, this can also lead to extra calories. Drink a glass of wine provides 100 calories, but this depends on the size of the crystal. A portion of wine 5 ounces. The larger wine glasses are about 10 ounces turning your one glass of wine in two glasses. To put this in perspective, drinking two glasses of wine with dinner each night to add an extra 200 calories each day. If these calories are not burned through exercise and daily activity that can lead to weight gain 20 pounds in a year.

Adding juice, creams and soft drinks to cocktails will increase the calorie level beyond what is already providing alcohol. Be careful what you are drinking. In some cases, a drink provides more calories than a complete meal! Here are the drinks that top the scales for most calories-

Long Island Iced Tea: 780 calories

Margarita: 740 calories

Piña Colada: 644 calories

Russian White: 425 calories

Sex on the beach: 356 calories

Mai Tai: 350 calories

Lemon Drop: 223 calories

Besides adding calories, alcohol can affect your weight for other reasons. Some evidence suggests the consumption of alcohol can stimulate the appetite and make you eat more than normal. It also lowers your inhibitions so you do not care how much you are eating. How many times have you enjoyed chips and salsa with your margaritas, while with friends? How many chips do you eat? Who knows, all I remember is the waiter bring three or four cup refills chip.

Another factor to consider is that your body processes alcohol first, before fat, protein or carbohydrates that can slow down fat burning. There is also evidence that heavy drinking seems to increase the fat in the stomach leads to the area, also known as the beer belly. Studies show that people with a greater amount of fat in the abdominal region are at increased risk of heart disease.

Ok, this is looking sad, but this does not mean you can never enjoy alcohol again. It just means it's time to do an inventory to know how much you drink and pay attention to the amount of calories in your favorite drinks supply. Learn how to enjoy alcohol in moderation so as not to end up sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

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