Are Alcohol and Boozing Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Goals?
Find out everything related to alcohol consumption and weight loss!!
Maintaining healthy body weight is one of the top concerns that indicate a healthier approach towards lifestyle.
And for good reasons! Being overweight can lead to several health issues, such as obesity as well as other risks of heart diseases.
Well, getting in shape is doable by making little tweaks in your lifestyle.
Though, one common concern, when it comes to lifestyle, always lies around alcohol consumption.
Is it really good or bad, especially for losing weight, and how does alcohol affect weight loss?
Can alcohol sabotage your exercise routine and diet plan?
Here is everything you need to know about how alcohol affects weight loss.
How Does Alcohol Affect Weight Loss?
Alcohol consumption has been so normalized in our culture that we often tend to underestimate the risk that it carries with it.
But so far studies have not been apparent about the cause and effects of drinking alcohol and How Does Alcohol Affect Weight Loss.
Nevertheless, consensus shows us that more than a moderate amount of alcohol can lead you towards weight gain.
Moreover, binge alcohol drinkers are more likely to face obesity and weight issues than those who are non-drinkers.
To be precise, drinking alcohol in moderation doesn’t signify any major impacts on your hormonal balance. However, it still induces some temporary effects on your system.
Something that we can suggest right at the moment is that you must keep an eye on the type of drinks and keep a check on the amount you consume as well.
But there’s much more to explore than this simple statement.
Moving on to the next section, let’s get to know more about how much does alcohol affect weight loss.
Is Drinking Alcohol Bad For Weight Loss?
If we look at alcohol consumption from the caloric perspective, we would say that it is not a good pick for you.
You must know that alcohol doesn’t possess any sort of nutritional value which might be a red sign in terms of health.
Moreover, alcohol is really high and rich in empty calories that ultimately lead you towards weight gain.
Basically, when you keep your alcohol game strong, you are putting extra calories in your body even without realizing it.
If you are someone who is concerned about all other lifestyle measures and still not getting any visible difference, you need to quit drinking.
One of the other indirect reasons how drinking causes weight gain is by lowering your inhibitions.
For instance, when you are drunk, you tend to pay very little attention to what you are actually eating.
You don’t stay conscious enough to care about your caloric intake and what kind of meal you are eating.
So, it’s better to drink in moderation so that you don’t drop your weight-loss strategies midway.
Not only does consuming alcohol affect your weight loss goals but also causes hindrance towards an optimum health state.
It also lowers the rate of testosterone production inside your body.
You must have got a fair understanding of how alcohol affects weight loss. Now is the time to also understand how does alcohol affect metabolism!
How Does Alcohol Affect Metabolism?
You must have understood till now that actively consuming alcohol can undermine all the efforts you put into weight loss.
Moreover, it can cause fat storage, which, in turn, slows down the resting metabolic rate of your body.
For your body, alcohol is more like a toxin that simply lowers the process of metabolism that eventually signifies weight gain.
The fat storage isn’t necessarily restricted to certain areas. The fat can also get stored in places like the liver leading you to face liver diseases.
Moreover, your metabolic rate is generally defined by the ability of your body to consume fat cells as a source of energy you require.
So, regular consumption of alcohol might not be a good choice if your primary concern is to stay fit and energetic throughout the day.
Along with that, alcohol tends to increase your appetite, which ups your calorie intake.
So, we can say that limiting alcohol intake is the need of the hour if you really want to gain a healthier body shape.
Here are the exact ways through which alcohol causes a hindrance to your weight loss goals.
Alcohol Consumption Prevents Weight Loss | Here’s How!
There is a reason why most health experts and fitness freaks cut off alcohol drinking from their lifestyle. It might give you pleasure in the beginning but can induce long-term negative health impacts.
Mentioned below are some of the ways through which alcohol can have a negative impact on your weight-loss strategies:
#1. It drains your energy which makes you less physically active than you usually are.
#2. Alcohol can overwhelm you with immense pleasure, which, in turn, increases your appetite in a way.
#3. Excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks can lower the production of testosterone inside your body.
#4. The active intake of alcoholic drinks makes it complex for your body to process the fat burning. So, it might take you a lot longer to burn those fats when you are consuming alcohol.
#5. Relying on the consumption of alcohol leads you towards a loss in your interest in exercising daily.
#6. Your body becomes less likely to get the required nutrients if you booze as a replacement for your meals.
Let’s move on and find out how much you should drink.
How Many Drinks are Safe with Weight Loss?
Well, heavy drinking and weight gain in females is quite a common issue. Some studies suggest that moderate drinking doesn’t really associate with weight gain.
Nevertheless, some, on the other hand, say that exceeding the limit would increase the chances of obesity.
So, how much drinking is safe enough to not cause any negative impacts on your weight loss journey?
Well, if your primary goal is to gain a leaner body and enjoy drinking at the same time, you just need to be cautious enough.
There is a certain amount of alcohol that wouldn’t let you gain weight or cause any other diseases related to obesity.
To be precise, beer tends to make you gain weight in a very short span of time if you keep the consumption high.
Well, if you are someone who constantly sips beer or keeps finding the reasons to drink it, you are probably risking your weight loss goals.
It is quite obvious that a small serving might not satisfy your sipping cravings, but you need to take action depending on your priorities.
As per the health expert’s suggestion, 1 drink per day is good enough for women. On the other hand, men must not exceed 2 drinks per day.
Moreover, you can also plan the consumption according to your daily caloric intake. Nevertheless, alcohol contains empty calories with zero healthy nutritional value in it.
If you still want to make alcohol a part of your weight loss journey, let’s talk about the tips to lose weight while drinking alcohol.
How to Lose Weight While Drinking Alcohol – Useful Tips
As we have discussed, moderate alcohol intake and weight loss can go along seamlessly.
However, in order to reach your health goals, you need to consume alcohol while following certain strategies.
Here are some tips that you must follow even if you consume alcohol and aim to meet your health goals.
#1. Keep Yourself Hydrated
With every glass of a drink, drink a glass of water right after that. Hydration is one of the best possible ways to cut back alcohol.
Not only it would keep you hydrated but it would also make you feel fuller so that you can put an end to the cravings of alcohol after that.
Most of the time, your mind compels you to grab a glass of drink even if you don’t feel the need for that glass. So, it’s your mind that you have to convince and rather go for lime and soda water.
The other effective strategy to lose weight while drinking alcohol is not skipping your workout.
#2. Don’t Skip Your Workout
An important thing you need to keep in mind is to fix your workout schedule and show consistency.
No matter how boozy your night out was, don’t break the spirit of your daily workout sessions.
Keeping the consumption at a moderate level will show no major impact if you are concerned about the other necessary things.
One big mistake that people make is skipping the gym after a night out. Well, that is not a wise step to reach your goals.
Now, the next tip is to track the calories before going for it.
#3. Track the Calories before Consuming Alcohol
It would be a lot easier for you to set a plan before consuming alcohol. Basically, you need to set a plan of how many calories you are taking in during the night.
Plan it in a way that your caloric requirement gets fulfilled while making sure that it isn’t affecting your weight loss plans.
You might find it a little complex to do.
However, it would allow you to experience long-term benefits as soon as you make it a habit.
Another big step that you can take to not let alcohol consumption interrupt your weight loss is switching to red wine.
#4. Switch to Red Wine
Well, red wine is way too beneficial than any other alcoholic beverage. Considering the health benefits, it induces a powerful antioxidant known as resveratrol.
According to what various evidence suggests, this component has major health benefits. Moreover, it can even extend your lifespan to a certain extent.
Most health experts also have their consent to the fact that red wine reduces the risk of strokes and early death.
So, you can drink 1-2 glasses of red wine on occasions rather than going for other beverages.
#5. Don’t Eat Instantly After Having a Drink
As soon as your body metabolizes alcohol, the macronutrients get converted into lipids which isn’t a good sign; most importantly, during the time when you are trying to lose weight.
Moreover, after drinking, you must have a strong desire to eat more unhealthy foods.
So, you need to stay conscious enough to not eat right after drinking.
#6. Eat Protein Throughout The Day
As we have already discussed, there is no specific nutritional content in alcohol.
So, in order to fulfill the calorie requirements, you need to rely on something that provides nutrients.
You must follow a balanced diet that includes all kinds of nutrients and minerals to complete your body’s requirements.
Moreover, eating protein-rich foods can allow you to gain sustainable weight loss results even if you are consuming alcohol.
So, this was all about the major tips and lifestyle changes that you need to follow. Marking the very end, let’s head towards the concluding part of the blog.
Final Words
Well, restraining yourself from excessive consumption of alcohol when you are on a weight loss journey is essential.
However, it’s not necessary to completely cut it off all of a sudden. Rather, you can try setting up your limits and gradually develop a habit of avoiding them most of the time.
We hope now you know how does alcohol affect weight loss!
Moreover, try following all the mentioned tips if you are actually concerned about your weight loss journey.
Hope you found this article informative. Feel free to comment down your queries and thoughts!
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