Alcohol & Losing Weight

If you happen to be one of the millions of people across the country who needs to lose a few pounds, it is important to lay off drinking alcohol. For many individuals, alcohol is a common beverage for social occasions and may have helped to contribute to your excess weight. Well, in order to shed extra pounds, abstaining from adult beverages is key to success.

The Facts

U.S. News and World Reports talked to experts who agree that while a drink a day has some health benefits, excessive consumption of alcohol makes it very difficult to lose weight. Alcohol contains an excess amount of empty calories and carbohydrates that simply are digested and turned into fat. An average beer has well over 100 calories, a glass of wine can have as much as 200 calories, and a shot of liquor can have close to 100 calories. Alcohol also provides little to no nutritional value to your body.

Significance

Due to the excess calories and carbohydrates in alcohol, coupled with how it turns into fat, then it is clear how extra pounds can be added. If you happen to consume alcohol on a fairly frequent basis, then by eliminating that from your diet, you will see an improvement in your weight over an extended period of time. Consuming alcohol regularly will result in your body's vitamin and nutrient balance being off and can result in long term medical problems. Reducing or eliminating alcohol from your diet can help to improve your overall health and help you get down to a healthier weight.

Time Frame

Long-term consumption of alcoholic beverages added pounds to your body over an extended period of time; therefore it will take time to lose it all. In order to speed up your weight loss, abstain from alcohol and add exercise to your daily routine. This will help your body shed the weight quicker and allow you to look and feel better over time. Fitness experts at Sparkpeople.com, recommend losing a maximum of two pounds a week, so decide how much you want to lose and plan your exercise and diet regimen accordingly.

Effects

If you reduce how much alcohol you consume, you will see your weight slowly begin to drop. Along with that, you will notice that your appearance will improve. It will take several days to get all of the alcohol out of your system and once that happens, your weight loss plan will slowly take off. Because alcohol use results in your liver being overworked and your stomach swelling, by reducing your intake, the liver will be able to function normally again and your stomach will shrink over time back toward its normal size.

Benefits

There are additional benefits to reducing your alcohol consumption that can go hand in hand with weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. The most important is that the vitamins and minerals in your body will be replenished, which often are reduced by alcohol use because the drinks serve as diuretics. Heavy drinking can also lead to problems with your stomach and liver, so by steering clear of alcoholic beverages, you will give your body time to heal, in addition to losing weight.