Do you enjoy alcohol but aren’t sure how it will affect your journey with weight loss? Alcohol is a regular part of many people’s lives and that is perfectly fine! When it comes to weight loss, alcohol itself isn’t bad to have during your weight loss journey. However, depending on what kind of alcohol and how you prefer your alcohol might affect your weight loss journey.
Is alcohol affecting my weight loss journey?
First off, alcohol can be very high in calories. Mixed drinks are very popular when people go out to drink. These drinks are super tasty but usually have a lot of sugar as well as calories in them. If you eat balanced meals and a variety of foods all day and then drink a bunch of these mixed drinks, this might be affecting your weight loss. The calories found in alcohol are considered “empty” calories. This means that the calories you are consuming with alcohol don’t contribute to your overall health. Foods like cucumbers or milk have calories that contribute to the functions of the body. They make your bones stronger or help your brain function but the calories in alcohol are just extra calories that your body just doesn’t need.
Another reason alcohol may affect your weight loss is it can actually slow down some of the processes your body goes through. For example, alcohol can slow down the fat-burning process. This doesn’t mean every time you drink you will gain weight, but you should be aware of how much you are drinking. The amount you drink is also very important because the more you drink the harder it is for your body to do all the processes it needs to do like burning fat. When out drinking, many people become hungry and eat food. These foods you may be consuming are likely to be higher in sugar and calories. This is because when you are drinking alcohol, your self-consciousness is lowered, and your cravings for sugar increase. You are also more likely to become less interested in exercise while drinking alcohol.
How can I drink alcohol without it affecting my weight loss?
Some tips for drinking alcohol are to drink wine or beer. The mixed drinks have extra calories from the mixers that are used. You can still have these mixed drinks but try to limit your number of mixed drinks consumed. You can also have one alcoholic beverage and then a glass of water, so you aren’t continuously drinking alcohol. You should also try to limit the number of alcoholic drinks you are having in one sitting, so you don’t eat unnecessary calories! These tips can allow you to consume alcohol while still losing weight. If you are consistently using these tips, you are more likely to see changes! Consistency is key! Doing all of these tips won’t guarantee weight loss but it will definitely help!
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