Author: John Carter

Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight? 5 Ways It Sabotages Weight Loss

Alcohol can also influence hunger via several central mechanisms. The effects of alcohol on opioid, serotonergic, and GABAergic pathways in the brain all suggest the potential to increase appetite 62–65. A summary of the effects of alcohol on important appetite hormones and central neurological pathways in humans can be found in Table 2. A high alcohol intake may cause weight gain by increasing your calorie intake and appetite. However, more research is needed to fully understand the link between alcohol and weight gain. Alcohol can affect many areas of your health, such as digestion and your ability to think clearly.

Alcoholic beverages are often high in empty calories, with about seven per gram. For example, your adrenal glands, found on top of your kidneys, secrete cortisol, a stress hormone. Usually, cortisol helps your body respond to stress by increasing blood pressure and heart rate. Alcohol is “kind of a stressor for your body, so it can cause your body to lose proper cortisol secretion,” Lashinger says. Alcohol is known to lower inhibitions, impairing the logical decision-making sections of your brain like the prefrontal cortex.

What is light, moderate, and heavy drinking?

Alcohol can reduce your blood sugar level, which may increase hunger. Some evidence suggests that people may seek high-carb foods to satisfy their cravings if their blood sugar dips slightly. Overall, Simon says, that the best protection against weight gain is “sticking to that average of four or less drinks a week for women, and less than two drinks a day for men.” In other words, elevated cortisol could contribute to weight gain, especially around the belly. Alcohol can also affect hunger levels, which may lead you to snack more, which then causes you to consume more calories, which ultimately may cause weight gain. One of the main reasons alcohol has gotten such a bad rap is for this very reason.

Now you may fall asleep quicker after consuming alcohol, but your body will not achieve the deep sleep it needs for proper recovery in the night (6). If you drink every day, or almost every day, you might notice that you catch colds, flu or other illnesses more frequently than people who don’t drink. That’s because alcohol can weaken your immune system, slow healing and make your body more susceptible to infection. “Some people think of the effects of alcohol as only something to be worried about if you’re living with alcohol use disorder, which was formerly called alcoholism,” Dr. Sengupta says. Mixed drinks can set you back much further, with a restaurant margarita containing anywhere from 200 to 700 calories, for example.

Why Does Alcohol Give Me A Headache? (Even A Small Amount)

More research is needed to fully understand how much alcohol may affect weight and why it may do this. The exact number of calories can vary widely by drink and serving size. Most people intuitively know that alcohol equals unnecessary calories. The more you drink, the more you wake up to increasingly unstable moods and stress, leading you to drink (and eat) more. So you’ve had a rough night out, and the only remedy is to stress eat donuts, burgers, and crisps all afternoon while lying on the couch under a blanket of shame.

Increases Abdominal Fat

So achieving insulin sensitivity is a big part of losing weight and getting rid of abdominal fat. Alcohol could make you gain water weight overnight, but it will not cause true weight gain overnight. Many people recognize that they feel puffier after a night of heavier drinking, but that will go away once the alcohol leaves your system and you rehydrate.

It also impedes your ability to get a good night’s sleep, further contributing to belly fat. But calorie content is just the beginning of your alcohol-induced weight gain journey. Think again if you can circumvent this problem by drinking “skinny” margaritas or clear liquor with soda water. Some evidence suggests that sleep-deprived people eat more food and find it harder to resist tempting snacks than usual.

Habits to Offset Alcohol Weight Gain

  1. If you consume too much of it, you can develop alcohol poisoning or even die.
  2. These carbs will most likely be stored as fat, leading to the dreaded beer belly.
  3. He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he’s a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) by American Council on Exercise.

But cutting back on your alcohol intake can have plenty of health benefits either way. And from what we know, it won’t exactly hurt your weight loss journey. If you do plan to drink, there are ways to reduce your intake of calories and stay healthy. Alcohol has also been shown to influence a number of hormones linked to satiety.

You do not have to forego alcohol entirely to control your weight. Instead, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that you drink in moderation. That means, even if you skip the sugary cocktail, there are still plenty of calories in your whiskey neat. Pick a dry red wine or white wine and stay away from late harvest wine varietals that can contain a high amount of hidden sugars. You can also mix them with soda water or another mixer if it doesn’t have any calories.

Cortisol plays an important role in helping to regulate blood sugar and fight inflammation in the body. Or maybe you’ve had a rough day and treated yourself to half a standard bottle of Rosé. That can make it easy to inadvertently consume more calories than you need. Despite containing a lot of energy, alcohol also doesn’t have the same satiating effect as solid food. This is why after weighing yourself on Monday, your weight may have skyrocketed up a handful of pounds but a couple of days later is back down to its normal weight once you get back on your diet. You could blame your ancestors for this as they needed a way to store energy if they didn’t always have food.