Alcohol and Weight Loss

The relationship of alcohol and weight loss is the topic of much debate for most fitness gurus, doctors and even for the end users themselves. Two main debates focus on whether alcohol makes people gain weight or lose weight. In the same manner, some argue on alcohol being the source of ‘abdominal obesity’.

Although, we would not go to all the technical details. This is just to address whether alcohol has a negative relationship or a positive one with weight loss.

The negative relationship entails that the alcohol does not contribute to weight loss, moreover makes people gain weight. In a practical application, and more common knowledge, alcohol contains carbohydrates and thus, consumption of it means added carbohydrates in the system. Alcohol also stimulate appetite, thus contributes to eating more, thus increase caloric intake. Another effect of alcohol is the energy that it contributes, in the order of energy consumption, the energy from the alcohol comes first, then the glucose and lastly the body fats. The main goal of most weight loss methods is for the stored energy or body fats to be used up. Thus, alcohol pushed body fat consumption on the tail of the list.

A positive relationship between alcohol and weight loss means alcohol contributes to weight loss. There were studies that state that when a person consumes alcohol, the veins are ‘forced’ to exert more effort in functioning. This would mean that the metabolism rate will be faster, thus, better digestion of foods. And that it would mean that the calories that would be burned are far more than the caloric contents of the alcoholic beverage. In the same manner, there is excessive loss of water though perspiration and urination. This loss can contribute with losing weight. Another study boldly stated that alcohol alone does not contribute to weight gain since it does not really store as fat.

On top of all the technical debates, there is just one key that everyone on a diet must remember. A diet encourages healthy living, and with healthy living, this includes virtually no alcohol in the diet. The calories and energy added on top of your ‘diet’ is already an excess since a diet is designed in a way that there is no excess in calories. Extra calories shorten the distance between the calorie deficit and the calorie requirement. Remember that the calorie deficit makes the body consume the stored energy in form of the fats.