Yo Kass answered
The question of whether alcohol contributes to weight gain has always been a burning issue.
The answer is unfortunately that it does - although working out the way this happens and to what degree alcohol is responsible for those extra calories is a little less straightforward.
How does drinking alcohol make you fat? For many people, drinking alcohol and losing weight are the main objectives of life. In this context, the idea that the two could be working against each other is pretty bad news.
The most direct way alcohol will encourage you to pile on the pounds is through the calories that are contained in alcohol and alcoholic beverages. Consider this:
What this means for your waist is that your body may not be using up the energy from the bacon and cheese pasta you had for lunch, or the Reece's Pieces you snacked on because it's already got all the energy it needs from the glass of Cabernet Sauvignon you were sipping on earlier.
Whilst all this doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to put on weight when you drink alcohol, it does mean that you'll need to be extra careful about what you eat if you plan to drink regularly.
High alcohol high fat diet Research shows that the most efficient way to rack on the pounds is to follow a high fat and high alcohol diet. This is because alcohol also interferes in the body's ability to burn fat. Chowing down on high fat food whilst alcohol is in your system is a guaranteed way to get fat.
Based on this, you'd think no-one would ever contemplate following such a diet. You'd be wrong!
If you were to visit any fast-food outlet on a Saturday night (after all the bars and clubs have closed), you'd likely come across a throng of inebriated individuals munching on fried chicken, burgers, kebabs and the likes, oblivious to the fact that all the fat in their drunken meals is being fas-tracked straight to the hips!
The answer is unfortunately that it does - although working out the way this happens and to what degree alcohol is responsible for those extra calories is a little less straightforward.
How does drinking alcohol make you fat? For many people, drinking alcohol and losing weight are the main objectives of life. In this context, the idea that the two could be working against each other is pretty bad news.
The most direct way alcohol will encourage you to pile on the pounds is through the calories that are contained in alcohol and alcoholic beverages. Consider this:
- A small glass (125ml) of Campo Viejo Rioja will add 85 calories to your daily intake.
- A pint of Budweiser will whack a considerable 227 calories onto your love handles.
What this means for your waist is that your body may not be using up the energy from the bacon and cheese pasta you had for lunch, or the Reece's Pieces you snacked on because it's already got all the energy it needs from the glass of Cabernet Sauvignon you were sipping on earlier.
Whilst all this doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to put on weight when you drink alcohol, it does mean that you'll need to be extra careful about what you eat if you plan to drink regularly.
High alcohol high fat diet Research shows that the most efficient way to rack on the pounds is to follow a high fat and high alcohol diet. This is because alcohol also interferes in the body's ability to burn fat. Chowing down on high fat food whilst alcohol is in your system is a guaranteed way to get fat.
Based on this, you'd think no-one would ever contemplate following such a diet. You'd be wrong!
If you were to visit any fast-food outlet on a Saturday night (after all the bars and clubs have closed), you'd likely come across a throng of inebriated individuals munching on fried chicken, burgers, kebabs and the likes, oblivious to the fact that all the fat in their drunken meals is being fas-tracked straight to the hips!
