FAQs about Alcohol Consumption and Weight Gain Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
Beer, hard cider, sugary wine – they can all pack a powerful caloric punch. Liquor is generally lower in calories, but here’s the thing about that. We’ll focus primarily on the factors contributing to (seemingly) rapid weight gain. Although we need cortisol, it becomes unhealthy when cortisol levels are too high for too long. Alcohol also reduces inhibition and good decision-making, meaning you are much more likely to throw your healthy eating plan straight out of the window and make nachos after you’ve had a few.
Does alcohol cause weight gain?
Instead, your liver prioritizes breaking down alcohol rather than fat. The body can only metabolize a certain amount of alcohol every hour. How much alcohol you’re able to metabolize is dependent on your age, weight, sex, and other factors. After a night out drinking, you may also notice bloating in your face, which is often accompanied by redness. Alcohol is an inflammatory substance, meaning it tends to cause swelling in the body. This inflammation may be made much worse by the things often mixed with alcohol, such as sugary and carbonated liquids, which can result in gas, discomfort, and more bloating.
Don’t Drink Too Much (a.k.a. Mindful Drinking Habits)
You’ll also have higher hunger and less satiety after a night of drinking and poor sleep. Of course, this makes it easier to eat bad foods and even more alcoholic drinks. There’s a lack of evidence linking reduced alcohol consumption to weight loss. A study published in 2016 does alcohol make u gain weight found that decreasing light-to-moderate alcohol consumption did not significantly affect weight loss. Still, the researchers noted that reducing alcohol intake led to less impulsivity, like overeating. Eat more protein when consuming alcohol instead of carbs and sugars.
- How much alcohol you’re able to metabolize is dependent on your age, weight, sex, and other factors.
- Well, the good news is you can still lose bodyweight from consuming alcoholic drinks if you’re doing it right.
- I can’t thank you enough for writing this article and for putting down facts that will actually help people.
- Lack of exercising can keep you from burning off those alcoholic calories and eat bad foods the night before.
- The alcohol calories (like the cost of the cocktails) would be added to the total calories from the meal.
Alcohol and weight gain
Females may gain weight in their abdominal region after menopause when estrogen levels naturally decline. 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. Keeping an eye on your drinking, along with eating healthfully and getting enough exercise, can help you prevent a beer belly. All kinds of alcohol — beer, wine, whiskey, you name it — are relatively calorie-dense, topping out at about 7 calories per gram.
This means you will most likely store those additional calories as fat while your body is trying to clear the byproducts of alcohol calories (3). Having a glass of wine with dinner or a beer at a party here and there isn’t going to destroy your gut. But even low amounts of daily drinking and prolonged and heavy use of alcohol can lead to significant problems for your digestive system.
- Talk with a doctor if you’re finding it hard to limit your alcohol intake or if you have questions.
- “Excessive alcohol consumption can cause nerve damage and irreversible forms of dementia,” Dr. Sengupta warns.
- “Across the board, for people who are trying to lose some weight, cutting out empty calories is a good place to start,” emphasizes Dr. Heinberg.
How alcohol could cause weight gain
Alcoholic beverages are often high in empty calories, with about seven per gram. Drinking alcohol can impair the functions of your glands that release hormones, which may cause weight gain. Beyond bloating, make sure you remember alcohol should be consumed in moderation. Besides weight gain, alcohol can also lead to irritation of your gastrointestinal tract, which can cause bloating. Wine and beer can clock in at anywhere from 120 to 200 calories per serving respectively. “People will opt for a flavoured vodka like one infused with blueberry and mix it with soda water, or they’ll mix regular vodka with fruit-infused water.
Other Factors That Influence Weight Change After Drinking
They often drink rather than eat, believing that alcohol consumption will suppress their appetite. Moreover, in order to compensate for the calories ingested from alcohol, these individuals will starve themselves. However, added calories aren’t the only aspect of alcoholic drinks that can affect your health. For example, liquors may be lower in calories than some beers but have a higher concentration of alcohol. Alcohol may have various effects on your health that link to weight gain.
Does Drinking Alcohol Make You Gain Belly Fat
Sugary Cocktails (500 Calories per 8 oz Serving)
Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight? 5 Ways It Sabotages Weight Loss
They also help fend off inflammation and support healthy metabolism. But when you ingest too much alcohol for your liver to process in a timely manner, a buildup of toxic substances begins to take a toll on your liver. Dr. Sengupta shares some of the not-so-obvious effects that alcohol has on your body. Force yourself does alcohol make u gain weight to choose nutrient-dense food, lots of water, and get moving – even if it’s just a walk for fresh air. If you want to fight that post-drinking bloat and digestive distress, one of the best things to do is get back on track as soon as possible. Alcohol consumption can also interfere with your digestive system.
Why You Get Sugar Cravings After Quitting Alcohol
The United States General Services Administration also offers a list of resources for alcohol use disorders.
Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain?
It’s essential to be aware of both the direct and indirect effects of alcohol on your weight. If you’re determined to improve your health and lose some weight, one of the most effective things you can do is cut out binge drinking. A recent research survey reported that the average tipping point – the point at which people go on to make poor choices with food and alcohol – is 9.3 units of alcohol.
How To Avoid Gaining Weight The Day After Drinking
As a result, people with diabetes may need to practice caution with alcohol. Drinking alcohol with diabetes medicine, especially on an empty stomach, may cause low blood sugar. 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.
Cancer risk
Here are the best and worst types of alcohol to drink if you’re watching your weight. Your metabolism plays a key role in how alcohol affects your weight. Nutrition is for losing belly fat, and overpriced, medicated goop is for hair loss—that’s how most of us are conditioned to think. Food is for physical wellness, and pharmaceutical products are for mental health conditions—that’s where most of us land when it comes to nutrition psychiatry. Lastly, an indirect way that alcohol can make you gain weight is by impeding your workouts.
Indirect effect: poor sleep quality
- The calories from alcohol won’t make you feel full leading you to eat more and more.
- Drinking alcohol with diabetes medicine, especially on an empty stomach, may cause low blood sugar.
- “Beer belly” refers to that protruding stomach some men carry around.
- According to the Cleveland Clinic, both daiquiris and piña coladas have about 280 calories per 5 oz serving.
However, heavy drinking may increase your risk of weight gain and other health effects. Many alcoholic drinks, such as wine, beer, and liquor, are made by fermenting natural starches and sugars. Opt for low-calorie options like light beer, and skip mixed drinks with a lot of liqueur, juice, and syrup. Ensure you eat a hearty meal before going out, and keep healthy snacks on hand if you get hungry. Cocktails and mixed drinks often have more calories than beer and wine. For example, a piña colada has as many as 500 calories per seven-ounce serving.
Increases Abdominal Fat
- Despite containing a lot of energy, alcohol also doesn’t have the same satiating effect as solid food.
- And if you drink alcohol, you may have thought about that as well.
- When you are done, have a non-alcoholic drink, such as water or low-calorie soda, before having more alcohol.
The exact number of calories can vary widely by drink and serving size. The latest health and medical news emailed to you every Sunday. While you might initially fall into deep sleep more quickly, you wake up frequently at night and have poorer sleep overall. Also, you experience less REM sleep, meaning you can wake up exhausted.
