Alcohol Consumption During a Weight Loss Journey
It’s very common for the average person to cut out alcohol from their diet cold turkey when trying to lose weight. Or even more commonly, to put off starting your weight loss journey because you refuse to stop drinking.
I”m here to assure you there is a happy-medium. But I also want to take the time to note that an inability to step away from drinking alcohol for any period of time may be a sign of a bigger issue.
While there are many opinions out there on alcohol and its effects on the body, I’m going to stick to the facts and help further explain the different ways that alcohol can influence your motivation, workouts, and success in a weight loss journey.
Alcohol itself is not fattening. It takes a calorie surplus to gain weight/fat. Drinking alcohol can make reaching a calorie surplus easier.
Alcohol can limit muscle recovery and growth.
Chronic alcohol consumption can cause a decrease in testosterone and progesterone production.
Alcohol can cause dehydration in the body due to frequent urination and loss of fluids.
Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk to a weakened immune system, which can lead to many different types of illnesses and chronic diseases.
So, it sounds like all I have to say is bad things about alcohol and its effects on the body, right?
There are some good things that come with alcohol as well including the community and socialization aspect of it. Most commonly alcohol is enjoyed with others. When you are around other people (assuming you enjoy their company), you can boost hormones like oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.
Lastly, alcohol has always been argued to help reduce stress levels. However, drinking to get drunk or heavily intoxicated isn’t an ideal way to positively impact your sympathetic nervous system and deal with stress.
So, what is this recommended amount of alcohol to help decrease or alleviate stress after a long day and help improve sleep quality? Depending on what you're drinking, it could look anywhere between 1 to 2 standard drinks in order to assist in sleep quality and stress levels.
My final tip to enjoying your few glasses of wine while trying to reach a weight loss goal is to remember that alcohol has calories too.
When you consume alcohol, your body technically looks at it as a poison and wants to burn it off first. So, if you’re planning on eating while consuming alcohol your body will store those calories consumed by food and prioritize burning off the calories consumed by alcohol.
If you’re planning on going out on the town for the night or you know you have an event coming up that you’re going to be drinking heavily at, plan for it throughout your day. Don’t eat that extra cookie, cut out the unnecessary snacks, and plan for a high quality meal.
Apply these tips to your current lifestyle and you can learn to enjoy your alcohol and reach your goals too.
