Does Alcohol Keep You Fat?

[Nuprin]

I'm a hefty girl I have to admit. Not necessarily Shamu size or anything, but I could lose 1, 2 or 20 lbs. I'm 5'4" and 140 lbs, and I would like to lose about 15 lbs. I eat healthy and exercise enough, but I can't seem to lose the complacent fat cells that have settled into my midsection like its Florida and they have gone there to retire and refuse to die. Is it that I like to booze up once in awhile (like 1-2 times a week) that causes a bolster of Medicare programs to my fat cells in that area?

 

I now only drink wine or vodka with soda to lessen the caloric intake, but nothing has changed! Da** you gut cells! Just go away already!

[skydiveaddict]

From what I understand, the body metabolizes alcohol just like sugar. What it cant use right off is stored as fat. I'm sure there are others on here who know a lot more about it than me.

[Nuprin]

I understand that it stores it like sugar.... so usually after a weekend night out drinking I go on a run the next day. I run about 9-10 miles. It gets rid of the hangover but makes me feel like crap still afterwards, probably because it's tiring.

 

Any exercises I can do to counteract the nasty effects of alcohol love in my tummy area?

[Shakz]

From what I understand, the body metabolizes alcohol just like sugar. What it cant use right off is stored as fat. I'm sure there are others on here who know a lot more about it than me.

 

Not exactly, SDA, more like a carbohydrate.

[USMCHokie]

Does alcohol keep you fat?

 

In a word, yes.

 

 

Any exercises I can do to counteract the nasty effects of alcohol love in my tummy area?

 

No, you can't spot reduce. You have to start a rigorous training program that incorporates both weight training and high intensity interval training to really see any results. Running isn't enough.

[Nuprin]

But I do high intensity training and weight lifting. Well I think so. I lift weights about 2 times a week with a friend of mine, do interval hills on the tredmill/ arc trainer/ plyometric exercises once a week, and participate in a high intensity kickboxing class that includes squats, jumps, and bag work once a week. Oh yeah, plus I run on the weekends. I feel like I'm always at the gym, and I hate every moment of it.

[USMCHokie]

But I do high intensity training and weight lifting. Well I think so. I lift weights about 2 times a week with a friend of mine, do interval hills on the tredmill/ arc trainer/ plyometric exercises once a week, and participate in a high intensity kickboxing class that includes squats, jumps, and bag work once a week. Oh yeah, plus I run on the weekends. I feel like I'm always at the gym, and I hate every moment of it.

 

 

Hmmm, then diet is the likely culprit. Take a look at what you eat...you may have to clean up your diet a bit and perhaps reduce total caloric intake to notice results...which may include reducing alcohol consumption...

 

Also, alcohol has been shown to drastically hinder athletic performance. I honestly had to make certain sacrifices and give up alcohol to reach the next level...

[Nuprin]

I did keep a food journal for a month and showed it to one of the gym trainers. He found it amusing that while my diet is super clean (no processed foods, no junk, and no sweets) I did drink excessive amounts of booze. That's why I switched to wine and vodka with soda and cut back the number of times a week. Still no change.

 

Does that mean I have to sacrifice partaking in the sweet ambrosia? There will be no more moments then when the world and the people in it look more attractive without the pleasantness of booze-goggles.

 

So sad. So sad.

[monkeymaid]

1g of alcohol (its the ethanol actually) is 7 calories

1g of fat is 9 calories

1g of carbs is 4 calories

1g of protein is 4 calories

 

add your alcohol intake to the journal and then do the math.

 

if you are burning the same or more calories you take in, then get your thyroid checked (if your still gaining or not losing anything).

 

if you take in more than you are burning then you arent doing much of anything except storing slower

 

alcohol or too much food at 1 sitting will drastically lower your metabolism for at least a few hours effectively destroying the positive aspects that exercise has on your metabolism which is why you must spread your intake out over many smaller meals rather than 3 or 4 bigger meals. for those few hours, you are storing fat at an acceleraeted rate also negating your exercise in terms of fat loss.

[norajane]

I did keep a food journal for a month and showed it to one of the gym trainers. He found it amusing that while my diet is super clean (no processed foods, no junk, and no sweets) I did drink excessive amounts of booze. That's why I switched to wine and vodka with soda and cut back the number of times a week. Still no change.

 

Does that mean I have to sacrifice partaking in the sweet ambrosia? There will be no more moments then when the world and the people in it look more attractive without the pleasantness of booze-goggles.

 

So sad. So sad.

 

How much exactly is "excessive" amounts of booze?

 

You're eating clean, but how much of it are you eating? Could your problem be portion control?

 

Because it sounds like you're doing a lot of exercising, so it has to be the "calories in" part of the equation that is the problem. So, how many calories a day, average, and how many calories in alcohol per drinking night? Or how many glasses of wine/vodka per drinking night, if you don't know the calories?

 

And how long have you been working on this weight loss with both exercise and calorie control?

[Lizzie60]

Yes.. alcohol makes you fat. it also makes your skin old and leathery.

and tobacco makes your skin green.. and yucky..

[Enema]

I drink an ass tonne of scotch. I was looking into the calories the other day and one bottle of scotch has about 3600 calories. Jimminy christmas!

 

Anyway, onto your post. Fat cells never go away. Once you've got them, they're there for life. When you "lose weight" all you're doing is dehydrating the fat cells, but they're still ready and eager to get filled up again whenever you're bad.

 

The only way to get rid of fat cells properly is lipo, suck them out of you completely. I'd suggest that in addition to your cardio, you do some weights. Specifically squats / deadlifts. It'll increase your basal metabolic rate and make it easier to keep the fat cells under control without taking ginormous amounts of cardio.

[GrayClouds]

Does Alcohol Keep You Fat?

Yes, and makes everyone else more attractive and you easier. So I say keep drinking and cut back on the mocha lattes instead.

[Meaplus3]

YES! I am a prime example. When I was a drinker.. I loved my beer. Do you know how many calories Beer has? Needless to say, when I quit 2 years ago.. within a few months I lost 12 pounds.

 

Mea:)

[PrettyinInk]

do not use soda as a mixer, use water. if you need the sugary taste then use diet.

cut down to drinking once a week; small changes generally make a difference.

i will never ever ever give up beer or wine, but i do practice moderation just as with anything else

[xpaperxcutx]

Okay first of all, you can't get rid of fat cells unless you get lipo, and second, working out and cardioing it up will help reduce your overall weight and shrink fat cells.

 

The whole alcohol controversy is that alcohol is pure carbs. The more you drink the more likely the body will store it as fat if it doesn't burn it off. Alcohol also messes up your metabolism and dehydrates you. The more dehydrated you are, the more the body retains water.

 

If you have to drink stick to shots over guzzling beer and only drink once a week. If you have self control, you can just eliminate alcohol altogether.

 

If you weight train and you drink, it's best to replenish with a protein drink after a night out.

[xpaperxcutx]

I did keep a food journal for a month and showed it to one of the gym trainers. He found it amusing that while my diet is super clean (no processed foods, no junk, and no sweets) I did drink excessive amounts of booze. That's why I switched to wine and vodka with soda and cut back the number of times a week. Still no change.

 

Does that mean I have to sacrifice partaking in the sweet ambrosia? There will be no more moments then when the world and the people in it look more attractive without the pleasantness of booze-goggles.

 

So sad. So sad.

 

 

Well ask yourself, do you really need to drink? I used to guzzle down shot after shot of straight vodka until I'm either completely drunk or puking my guts out, and it made me felt horrible ( even though I don't get hangovers).

 

Nowadays I don't even drink except socially and I'd still decline the offer.

[Feelin Frisky]

I'm a hefty girl I have to admit. Not necessarily Shamu size or anything, but I could lose 1, 2 or 20 lbs. I'm 5'4" and 140 lbs, and I would like to lose about 15 lbs. I eat healthy and exercise enough, but I can't seem to lose the complacent fat cells that have settled into my midsection like its Florida and they have gone there to retire and refuse to die. Is it that I like to booze up once in awhile (like 1-2 times a week) that causes a bolster of Medicare programs to my fat cells in that area?

 

I now only drink wine or vodka with soda to lessen the caloric intake, but nothing has changed! Da** you gut cells! Just go away already!

 

Yes, alcohol will negate a lot of dieting and exercise. It will keep you on a hampster wheel never getting anywhere. Plus alcohol blocks one's ability to absorb "B" vitamins which are essential to physical and mental wellness. Stay sober for 6 months and really work a program, you'll see that you can reach or surpass your goals. Once you're at your ideal save the drinking to rare or special occasions. But don't let it knock you off your helthful life style. It's an insidious think and I've beeen through it--I stay off it, make great strides, do it once, and it becomes a big pull to do it again and start procrastinating about working out and planning my meals.

[threebyfate]

Alcohol is all wasted calories.

 

The caloric count in a 4 fl. oz glass of wine can vary from 70 - 195.

 

The caloric count in 1 fl. oz of vodka without mixers is 64. Since you're hopefully using club soda the caloric count on soda is 0.

 

Two glasses of dry white wine are approximately 154 unnecessary calories. This would equal around 13% of an entire day's reasonable caloric intake for someone trying to lose weight.

 

Two vodka and sodas aren't much better.

 

If you're serious about wanting to lose weight, cut the alcohol. If you can't live without alcohol, then it's time to seriously consider why you can't.

[TouchedByViolet]

The alcoholics I have seen are deathly skinny. Just keep drinking and I'm sure you will be at your ideal weight in no time

[spriggig]

Actually, it's the hormone insulin that "makes" you fat. Insulin's job is to tell the body to convert sugar (carbohydrates and starches) into fat storage.

 

If you avoid triggering insulin, your body will not store fat--simple as that.

 

How to avoid triggering insulin? Cut way, way back on sugar, carbohydrates and starches.

 

Pretty much you need to take everything you probably believe about nutrition and throw it away:

 

Saturated fat is good.

 

High carbohydrate foods including all wheat, corn, beans and rice are bad--this is what is making us fat.

 

Cholesterol blood levels are unaffected by diet.

 

Soybeans are not fit for human consumption unless fermented. Tofu is not fermented and should be avoided completely.

 

Humans are omnivores, not herbivores. "Healthy vegetarian diet" is an oxymoron.

 

Bottom line, if you want to lose fat: Stop eating out--or at least limit restaurant visits to once a month at most. Give up most sugar, wheat, corn, rice and beans. If you can get it, drink RAW milk, otherwise cut back on dairy products. Eat plenty of eggs--a nearly perfect food. Eat beef, pork, chicken, low-mercury seafood and colorful vegetables (if you can afford it, grass-fed beef and organic veggies). Eat lots of butter, olive oil and coconut oil and palm oil.

 

Walk outside, in the sun for two miles at least five days a week (to lose fat, that is all the exercise you need). Sunshine on your skin makes tons of vitamin D.

 

The pounds will fall off and you'll feel 1000 times better.

[tman666]

Actually, it's the hormone insulin that "makes" you fat. Insulin's job is to tell the body to convert sugar (carbohydrates and starches) into fat storage.

 

If you avoid triggering insulin, your body will not store fat--simple as that.

 

How to avoid triggering insulin? Cut way, way back on sugar, carbohydrates and starches.

 

Pretty much you need to take everything you probably believe about nutrition and throw it away:

 

Saturated fat is good.

 

High carbohydrate foods including all wheat, corn, beans and rice are bad--this is what is making us fat.

 

Cholesterol blood levels are unaffected by diet.

 

Soybeans are not fit for human consumption unless fermented. Tofu is not fermented and should be avoided completely.

 

Humans are omnivores, not herbivores. "Healthy vegetarian diet" is an oxymoron.

 

Bottom line, if you want to lose fat: Stop eating out--or at least limit restaurant visits to once a month at most. Give up most sugar, wheat, corn, rice and beans. If you can get it, drink RAW milk, otherwise cut back on dairy products. Eat plenty of eggs--a nearly perfect food. Eat beef, pork, chicken, low-mercury seafood and colorful vegetables (if you can afford it, grass-fed beef and organic veggies). Eat lots of butter, olive oil and coconut oil and palm oil.

 

Walk outside, in the sun for two miles at least five days a week (to lose fat, that is all the exercise you need). Sunshine on your skin makes tons of vitamin D.

 

The pounds will fall off and you'll feel 1000 times better.

 

While what you say is partially true (with regards to fats), low carbohydrate diets have been shown to be successful not because of the macronutrient breakdown, but primarily because of a generally lowered caloric intake. Carbs are not inherently bad. Timing of intake and the quantity of carbs is generally more important. Since carbs trigger the greatest insulin response of the three basic macronutrients (fat triggers no insulin response), they need to be taken in closer proximity to exercise in order to avoid being shuttled to storage (fat cells).

 

Food avoidance pretty misguided practice in general, with exceptions taken for medical conditions (of which obesity is one, I'll concede). Variety and moderation is a better way to go for overall health and performance. Protein intake can be modified depending on the needs of the individual (strength/power athletes vs. endurance athletes).

[TheLoneSock]

I'm a hefty girl I have to admit. Not necessarily Shamu size or anything, but I could lose 1, 2 or 20 lbs. I'm 5'4" and 140 lbs, and I would like to lose about 15 lbs. I eat healthy and exercise enough, but I can't seem to lose the complacent fat cells that have settled into my midsection like its Florida and they have gone there to retire and refuse to die. Is it that I like to booze up once in awhile (like 1-2 times a week) that causes a bolster of Medicare programs to my fat cells in that area?

 

I now only drink wine or vodka with soda to lessen the caloric intake, but nothing has changed! Da** you gut cells! Just go away already!

 

If you're shedding fat at a reasonable rate elsewhere yet the tummy fat is staying put, it may be due to stress. Stress causes production of the hormone cortisol, which forces storage of triglycerides (pure fat) directly to your midsection.

 

You can combat this by cutting as much unnecessary bad stress out of your life as possible, and replacing it with good stress. If your life actually isn't very stressful, you might take a closer look at the types of workouts you're doing. If your workout consists of long winded runs or treadmill work, that may be the problem. These do little to shed fat, and increase production of the cortisol hormone.

 

Also (obviously) cut out all processed foods, foods with trans fats (triglycerides), and foods with hydrogenated anything in it.

 

Hope this helped. There's obviously a few of us fitness junkies around on the board. I'm sure you'll get plenty of assistance.

Edited July 11, 2010 by TheLoneSock

[Chocolat]

Yes, alcohol can make you fat. The body metabolizes alcohol first, so anything else in your system is more likely to be stored as fat. Alcohol also interferes with absortion of nutrients and increases your appetite -- even though it's high in calories, it lacks nutrients, so your body seeks them from other sources.

 

If you are serious about losing fat and being healthy, you need to cut back on alcohol consumption.

[D-Lish]

For a couple years, when I was abusing alcohol, I was 105 lbs at almost 5'8"- you could see my ribs.

 

Now that I have my crap together, and I only drink on social occasions- I am back to almost 130lbs.

 

Why? When I was a drinker, I only drank, I really didn't eat anything.

 

If YOU LIKE TO PARTY, AND eat- you're going to get fat.

Alcohol is laden with calories.

 

If you have 3 square meals a day and then go on to party every night- you're going to get fatter.