How Alcohol Affects Weight Loss

If you are in the process of losing weight, we highly recommend that you avoid alcohol. Once you reach your goal weight, you may add it back in if you wish, as long as you do so in moderation.

Here's why alcohol is so detrimental to your weight loss efforts:

1. Extra calories. One beer per night = 1,000 calories per week = 15 pounds per year!

2. Liquid calories. Studies show that when people consume calories in liquid form, they do not make up for it by eating fewer calories.

3. Alcohol is a depressant. It slows everything down in your body, including your metabolism.

4. Alcohol raises your levels of cortisol, a hormone that steers fat toward the belly.

5. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions & impairs your judgment. This can cause you to make poor nutritional choices.

To help you cut back, here are some tips on limiting your alcohol consumption. We've also listed the lightest choices to keep in mind when you do decide to imbibe.

Tips On Cutting Back

1. Drink mineral water with lemon or lime out of a cocktail glass. Sometimes just having a drink to hold makes you feel like you're participating in the festivities.

2. Bring your own non-alcoholic beverage, such as sparkling apple juice or non-alcoholic beer or wine.

3. Focus on socializing and participating in activities (like dancing). The more actively involved you are, the less you'll think about drinking (or eating).

4. Drink one glass of water for each glass of alcoholic beverage you consume.

If you choose to drink anyway.... choose drinks with the fewest calories:

1. A 5-ounce glass of red or white wine or champagne has about 100 calories.

2. A 12 oz. bottle or can of beer has 150 calories. The same amount of light beer has 100 calories and non-alcoholic beer has 65 calories.

3. A 5-ounce margarita or screwdriver has about 200 calories.

4. A shot of vodka, rum, tequila, brandy or scotch has less than 100 calories. (That's ONE shot!) Mixing it with water, mineral water or club soda will help keep the calories down.