How To Drink Alcohol Without Gaining Weight
While this may sound all doom and gloom, there are benefits of alcohol. Moderate alcohol consumption increases your HDL cholesterol, and studies show that people who have a couple of drinks each week live longer. So, here’s how drinking alcohol and weight loss can, in fact, work together:
Pay attention to serving size. When you drink, know your alcohol-serving size. A glass of wine is not a glass filled to the brim, but 5 oz .
Nix the mix. Minimize the calories from mixers. Make margaritas with real lime juice, use diet tonic water, or even naturally calorie-free club soda instead of regular tonic water and other high-calorie carbonated drinks. (These low-sugar margaritas will satisfy your craving while minimizing your sugar consumption.
Think ahead. If you’re aggressively pursuing a weight loss goal, consider your schedule before popping open a post-work bottle of wine. Although it’s essential to treat yo-self, you might want to save that glass for, say, your BFF’s birthday dinner on Saturday night. This can help reduce drinks’ impact on your overall fat burning.
Get to know calorie counts. This does not mean you need to start calorie-counting But having an idea of the lowest calorie alcohol options can help you make smart choices before you sip and, in turn, keep to your weight-loss goal. Here, a few types of alcohol with the least calories per serving, according to the National Institutes of Health .
Fact: Alcohol Affects You Faster If You Drink It On An Empty Stomach
Without food in your stomach to slow down the rate at which alcohol passes into your bloodstream, it only takes a few minutes after you take the first sip for the alcohol to reach your brain. It means youll hit a higher blood alcohol level sooner than someone whos eaten a meal, and when that happens it can be harder to judge how many drinks are too many.
New Study Claims Vodka Makes You Skinnier
A new interview published at Delish with Blue Ice Vodka president Tom Gibson has delved into the science behind making vodka, and how its a sure fire way to help you get skinnier.
It is all based on the fact that to be called vodka, the spirit must legally be at least 40% alcohol – also known as 80-proof liquor.
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Alcohol Is High In Calories
A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight, and its no secret that alcohol is high in calories: A large glass of wine, for example, contains around 228 calories. If youre aiming to eat, say 1,600 calories a day, a glass or two can make it incredibly hard to hit your calorie target while not providing any nutrients that youd get if you consumed the same in food.
One shot of the average clear spirit like gin or vodka is generally a lower calorie option its often the mixers that lead to calories tallying up.
A post shared by Alix Turoff MS, RD, CPT
If you want to make lower calorie choices, Turoff recommends:
- Skipping the simple syrup
- Getting ice on the side so you can add it to your drink as you go and make it last longer
- Avoiding frozen and creamy drinks like frozen margaritas or piña coladas
- Adding club soda to your drinks to add more volume, such as a wine spritzer
- Asking for a splash of juice or more sugary ingredients so you get the flavors but less sugar
- Adding flavors with garnishes like muddled cucumbers, mint, fresh ginger, and strawberries.
If doing all of the above is only going to leave you dissatisfied and looking enviously at your friends piña colada, you might be better off just getting one and savoring it, instead of drinking three vodka, lime, and sodas and not really enjoying them at all.
How Is Vodka Made
Vodka is a relatively versatile liquor that can be made from any type of grain. It is also varied because there are no set rules and regulations regarding its production, which means anyone can try different ingredients or alter the process as they wish.
In Poland, vodka has traditionally been distilled using potatoes. However, many distillers have started to experiment with other ingredients like beets and grapes in recent years.
As a rectified spirit, vodka is distilled at least three times, with some others going for five times or even more. A vodka brand would naturally announce or let known the number of times their vodka has been distilled.
It is because of the assumption that the more times vodka is distilled, the cleaner and smoother it becomes. To an extent, this is, in fact, correct. When it is distilled more, the vodka becomes purer and more pristine, removing more impurities along the way.
A difference it has with wine is that it does not need aging. Therefore, it can be sold and drunk right away.
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Vodka Vs Beer Calories: Options That Wont Ruin Your Diet
If your New Years resolution is to get fit, eat healthier, or diet, you are not alone. Many people resolve to work on their health when we enter a new year. For some people, the idea of dieting can be a scary thing. Oftentimes, when we think of a diet, we think of restriction and eating less food, which does not have to be the case.
A lot of people also think of cutting back on their alcohol intake when they diet, but diets dont have to force you into a totally different lifestyle. A better way to look at it all together is just making healthier habits for yourself and resolving to eat a little better. That way, you do not feel restricted, and you wont drive yourself crazy when you really want to treat yourself to a tall glass of your favorite beer or vodka mixed drink.
There are a lot of misconceptions about alcohol and eating healthy. There are many who believe the two cannot go hand in hand. No matter what, when it comes to what you eat and drink, there is only one thing you need to remember: moderation is key.
Sure, if you are drinking a couple of beers every single day, you are going to get a beer belly. That is not healthy because of the excessive amount youre drinking. On the other hand, having one beer two or three nights a week is much different.
Why Drinking Can Make Exercise Harder
If you drink alcohol it can be harder to shift stubborn fat with exercise.
Drinking alcohol reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy.5 Our bodies cant store alcohol. So when you drink alcohol your body wants to get rid of it. All of your bodys other processes that should be taking place, like burning fat, are interrupted while it does that.
To burn off the 180 calories in a standard strength pint of lager a typical man would have to spend: 13 minutes running on the treadmill or playing football 15 minutes cycling or 20 minutes swimming or half an hour on the golf course.
Drinking before exercise can have a negative effect on your body while any attempt to exercise the morning after drinking can be thwarted as the effects of alcohol can make you feel tired, nauseous and lacking in energy or motivation.
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Eat A Sizeable Meal Before You Go Out
We know this sounds slightly counter-productive from a weight loss perspective, but hear us out. How many times have you picked up a light bite on your way to the pub, to line your stomach, only to grow ravenously hungry over the course of the night as the hours pass and the drinks go down? Youre not going to order that exorbitantly-priced salad on the menu your beer brain will simply not allow you to even consider it, and your body needs something more substantial anyway. Its just not healthy to stave off hunger or drink on an empty stomach! Even if you do manage to resist ordering that burger/Sunday roast/sharing platter of nachos, youre only kicking the can down the road towards the kebab shop, where youll soon be jabbing at a big styrofaom box of meat and chips.
Why Do Some Alcohols Have More Calories Than Others
Just like fat, protein, and carbohydrates contain a specified amount of calories per gram, so does alcohol. One gram of fat is nine calories protein and carbs are both four calories per gram. Pure alcohol contains seven calories per gram. But when you drink a shot of vodka, a beer, or a glass of wine, youre not drinking pure alcohol.
Rather, these alcoholic beverages have alcohol, plus other substances that add to the calorie count. For instance, wine is made from grapes, which means there will be sugar left over after the grapes ferment. Beer is made from grain, and often, sugar is left that couldnt be broken down by yeast during the brewing process.
Regarding liquor, there are usually no carbohydrates or other additives that add calories to straight spirits. However, some spirits may come with flavoring that adds sugar. Sticky, sweet, and highly flavored liquors will contain more calories. Additionally, some producers may add sugar to reduce the bite of the liquor.
The real problem, when it comes to spirits, is what you drink it with. If youre drinking bourbon and coke, youre going to get a lot more calories compared to bourbon on the rocks.
Similarly, other cocktails, like , may have many mixers and additives that add sugar and calories. Thus, the best way to drink alcohol while wanting to lose weight is to drink spirits and drink them with few mixers or additives.
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What Does Vodka Taste Like
Despite its lack of distinct flavor, vodka is a complex spirit. It shows variation in its mouthfeel or texture instead. These textures can range from delicate, oily, watery, and silky to medicinal. As there are no set regulations in its production, it’s difficult to categorize all vodka into two or three categories due to the vast number of variations that exist today.
Contrary to widespread assumption, vodka is not void of taste and odor. In fact, there are noticeable differences in taste between vodka if you look hard enough.
There is a subtle flavor, and more often, it tastes like grains. With constant trying of different brands and observing, together with years of drinking alcohol, it will be possible to ascertain the differences they have with each other.
Another distinction between varieties of vodka would be the “heat.” It refers to the burning feeling you get on your tongue or the back of your throat when drinking vodka. Cheaper vodkas tend to have this burn, while more expensive brands are smoother.
If You Drink Vodka Every Night In Large Amounts It Could Impact Your Cognitive Function
If you only drink one vodka cocktail every night, you’re not going to wind up slurring your speech or stumbling around. But if you are knocking back shot after shot, that can have a real impact on your cognitive function, according to Dr. Nick Knight. “A number of processes slow down,” he shared in an interview with the BBC’s Newsbeat. “You get a reduction in your executive function, so judgement, your decision making.” He added, “You become less inhibited and you are tempted to take more risks than you would usually.”
That’s why you should absolutely never drive after drinking a lot of alcohol, as it can be extremely dangerous, as noted by Dr. Knight. “In the case of driving, you think you can make that corner, you think there is enough space between you and the car in front, and so on,” he continued. “There’s the physical aspect too: the motor skills. This is how we use our arms and legs and our hands, how we make that decision to turn the wheel when we drive.” So, if you want to drink vodka every night, be sure to limit yourself.
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Alcohol Can Affect Your Organs
The primary role of your liver is to act as the filter for any foreign substances that enter your body, such as drugs and alcohol. The liver also plays a role in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Excess alcohol consumption can lead to what is known as alcoholic fatty liver.
This condition can damage your liver, affecting the way your body metabolizes and stores carbohydrates and fats.
Changes in the way your body stores energy from food can make it very difficult to lose weight.
Wine: A Healthy Option
Wine isnt the lowest calorie winner but does have some science-backed benefits when consumed moderately. Drinking a glass or two of red wine boosts healthy gut bacteria, which may help reduce cholesterol levels and even, obesity, research shows. Along with your Malbec, you can also benefit from a flood of antioxidants or polyphenols derived from grape skins. Polyphenols can help protect the lining of the heart, the Mayo Clinic says. White wine isn’t as helpful health-wise as red wine, but it still has some cardio-protective benefits, research shows.
But wine isnt a low-calorie beverage so if weight loss is your game, vino probably wont help you win. One glass of wine has about 121 to 125 calories. Champagne and prosecco are slightly lighter calorie-wise and contain some polyphenols, so drinking the bubbly could be a solid option.
Still, it’s important to note that while some scientists say these drinks are linked to health benefits, other scientists say it’s not really fair to use the word “benefits” at all. According to a much-discussed 2018 study published in Lancet, any alcohol consumed worsens health and that effect, its argued, outweighs the other study-backed benefits.
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Alcohol Is Used As A Primary Source Of Fuel
There are also other elements that can cause weight gain outside of calorie content.
When alcohol is consumed, its burned first as a fuel source before your body uses anything else. This includes glucose from carbohydrates or lipids from fats.
When your body is using alcohol as a primary source of energy, the excess glucose and lipids end up, unfortunately for us, as adipose tissue, or fat.
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The Ideal Solution For Whisky Connoisseurs
The human body is capable of metabolizing a standard peg of whisky or alcohol every hour and its toxic derivatives can be eliminated rather easily. If you limit your consumption to one peg an hour, you are unlikely to get fat. Consuming several pegs every hour or drinking half a bottle in one session creates problems. If you intend to indulge in generous consumption, avoid foods and beverages that are rich in calories or have empty calories. Eat light and nutritious snacks. Avoid fried, processed and heavily sweetened, flavored and colored foods. Consuming several pegs of whisky will make you feel hungry. This is a false alarm. You are not actually hungry but you may eat anyway. It is best to skip the usual meal after you have drank enough whisky.
- 1½ ounces Cocchi Americano Rosa
- ½ ounce thyme-lemon syrup
- Step 1
Add Cocchi Americano Rosa and thyme-lemon syrup to glass gently stir. Add ice and top with soda water. Garnish with lemon peel, and enjoy immediately.
- Step 2
Bring 3 cups water to a boil, and add the zest of 1 lemon. Add a handful of thyme, and take the water off the heat, letting it steep for 10 minutes. Add 3 cups sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Strain into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
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You May Lose Weight If You Drink Vodka Every Night
The choice to drink vodka every night in and of itself isn’t going to magically make you lose weight, though that would be a pretty incredible thing. But if you opt for vodka over beer and wine for your go-to drink, or are switching to vodka instead of something like schnapps to see what happens, you might lose weight, as noted by registered dietitian Laura Krebs-Holm. “Like other distilled spirits, vodka is lower in calories than beer or wine per serving,” she revealed to The List. “One shot of vodka has about 90 calories.” And because you presumably won’t need to drink as much vodka as you would beer or wine to feel the same effects, that caloric count really isn’t bad!
Just remember to be mindful when you pair your vodka with any mixers to offset the taste of the alcohol. “However, if it is mixed with sugar-sweetened mixers, juices, simple syrup, or high calorie sodas, it may impact your efforts to lose weight,” Krebs-Holm added. So stick to seltzer water, a hint of lime juice, or diet sodas or juices if you’re looking to drop a few pounds.
How Effective Is Alcohol Recovery And Rehab
Unfortunately, only about ten percent of those with alcohol addiction seek treatment. However, for those who do, there is good news. Regardless of the severity of the alcohol addiction, most people who enter a treatment program benefit from it. One-third of them require no further treatment to remain clean, sober, and productive. Others show a significant reduction in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems.
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How Does Alcohol Affect Weight Loss
Find out why drinking could be making it harder to lose weight.
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Losing weight can benefit your health and wellbeing. The key is to burn more calories than you consume and reducing the amount you drink is a great way lower your calorie intake.
And its not just the calories youll cut out that could help you get in shape. Cutting back on alcohol will mean youll get a better nights sleep so youll feel refreshed and perhaps have a little more motivation to exercise.1
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