Yes, You can take alcohol in a calorie deficit. To lose fat, however, you need to take alcohol moderately to be in a negative energy balance. Otherwise, your body may start storing fat and derail the process of weight loss.
That said, it is very beneficial to have a meal combined with a glass of wine. Some studies show that red wine is beneficial and has phytonutrients and antioxidants that have many benefits to the body. The problem comes in when a glass of wine turns into a bottle since wine is very addictive and when this happens, all its benefits are suppressed. You can drink your alcohol and still lose weight but this will only happen if you do the following:
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If you decide to drink, don’t go overboard.
It is very much okay to take a glass of wine or two with your meal when in a calorie deficit. Plan yourself and your mindset to drink a limited amount of wine. Train your mind and body and stick to it.
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Pick an option that is healthier.
Make sure you choose your drinks wisely. This is another way that will help you to still take a drink and lose weight at the same time. You can go for a drink that has fewer calories like clear spirit with soda or water and you can go for a glass of wine instead of a cocktail.
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Stay hydrated.
When you hydrate as you drink helps you manage your alcohol intake level. Try to alternate water with alcohol and you might even get used to it and reduce your alcohol intake completely.
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Don’t skip your normal workout time.
Make sure you schedule your workouts in the morning as it will help you jumpstart your day well and be lively. Don’t go for a day without your usual workout sessions.
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Don’t skip meals and regulate your intake.
Ensure that you don’t miss dinner and go for alcohol later on at night. Alcohol won’t be able to stand in for a meal. Consume a healthy dinner with lean proteins combined with good fats moderately before drinking. This will be of great help as it will limit the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
CAN I TAKE ALCOHOL WHILE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT?
When it comes to losing weight, alcohol can be consumed. It is recommended that drinking 30 g of alcohol for men and 15 g of alcohol for women per day is very much allowed and it is not considered a cause of weight gain. Therefore, taking a glass of wine or two is very much allowed as long as you drink in moderation to avoid accumulating fats in your body.
On the other hand, truth be told, you won’t be able to see the fruits of losing weight when you frequently consume alcohol. On normal occasions, your body utilizes fats to get energy and this is very much needed when losing weight to carry you through the day. When it comes to alcohol while on a weight loss plan, it breaks down easily to provide a quicker form of energy for your body as compared to the burning of fats.
DOES ALCOHOL STOP FAT BURNING?
Alcohol in general stops the burning of fats. Metabolic processes remove alcohol from the body after consumption. This turns into the suppression of fat oxidation, as a result, fat is inhibited from being oxidized when ethanol is converted into acetyl-CoA which makes ATP. Most people believe that alcohol makes you fat but that is not the truth, what alcohol does is that it suppresses the accumulated fats to be oxidized and this is not good. This will derail fat burning since you will be exercising and not losing weight.
HOW LONG DOES ALCOHOL STOP FAT BURNING?
Depending on the level of alcohol intake, on average alcohol ceases the burning of fats for about 24-48 hours. It takes a lot of effort to remove alcohol from your body this is, for example, a person weighing 70kg can remove 170-240g of alcohol in their system per day depending on their metabolic capacity.
There are factors that enhance the removal rate of alcohol in the body and they include:
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Sex
Majorly, women get rid of alcohol from their bodies quicker than men. This is because, as compared to men, women have low lean body mass, therefore, they have a higher removal. This also shows that women have a quick absorption rate since they eliminate alcohol faster hence a higher alcohol concentration in their blood as compared to men.
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Age
Young people in their 20s can drink more alcohol than older people in their 50s. As aging kicks in, there is a decrease in alcohol tolerance, alcohol rate of absorption, and alcohol elimination rate and this is due to the volume of total water in the body.
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Food intake
Taking a well-balanced meal with lean proteins and alcohol will metabolize faster as compared to when one takes alcohol with no food. The enzyme that breaks down food (ADH) will be much higher when you take food and this will facilitate the faster elimination of alcohol from the body.
WILL ONE NIGHT OF DRINKING RUIN MY MUSCLE GAINS?
Muscle gains can be slowed down with one night of drinking. On average, alcohol intake hinders the synthesis of proteins, prevents the oxidation of fats, and raises your appetite. A night of drinking according to research can derail your muscle gains, but it won’t destroy them.
Therefore, one night of drinking will affect your muscle gain but not that much, more damage will only take place if it becomes frequent. This depends on your priorities because you cannot just train so hard and put in all your effort and then not take care of your wellness.
WILL I LOSE BELLY FAT IF I STOP DRINKING ALCOHOL?
In general, you will lose belly fat if you stop taking alcohol. This is because there will be an increase in the process of fat oxidation. When this is done on a short-term basis, then, there will be a significant drop in body weight BMI, blood pressure, and insulin resistance. Therefore, not taking alcohol occasionally will not only reduce belly fat but the general body’s health.
WILL 2 BEERS A NIGHT MAKE ME FAT?
You can still consume beer and still lose weight if done in a proper way. If beer is taken moderately and occasionally then it’s not likely to lead to weight gain. On the other hand, drinking beer heavily on a daily basis will lower the processes of the metabolism in the body and this can lead to weight gain. If you have the habit of enjoying a bottle of beer after a week, then you are okay but, if you can’t function without beer every night then this will lead to massive weight gain.
Within a year while taking 2 beers a night, you can add 18 kg of body fat. With 2 beers a night, you will be able to add 400 calories, and if calculations are done, taking 400 calories in 12 months’ time equals calories amounting to 146,000. Drinking 2 beers a night might not look like a big deal or a small amount but when calculated in a year’s time, then that is a lot of fats you have accumulated in the body.
If you are a beer lover and at the same time you want to lose weight, then just sacrifice and reduce beer consumption than putting yourself on the hedge to burn fat. Also, remember that good beer has carbs in it, and this cuts across all types of beers.
SUMMARY
In general, life is to be lived and enjoyed to an extent. Taking any alcoholic drink while trying to burn fats won’t prevent you from losing weight. You will still be able to lose weight but only if your alcohol intake levels are not high. Consuming alcohol on a daily basis without any control will hinder you from losing weight.
Eat well-taking alcohol because it always provides calories with no nutrients and this may significantly bring health issues. If you want to get rid of stubborn fats like belly fats and at the same time want to drink, then plan yourself well to avoid getting out of control. This is very important since when taking alcohol, you might be tempted to take a lot of carbs. Some drinks like cocktails have a lot of sugars and calories and they should be avoided when trying to lose weight.
Therefore, if you really crave a cold beer or any other alcoholic drink and at the same time want to achieve your weight loss goals, then it’s very important you find a balance by ensuring you consume healthy foods with lean proteins so that your body will be able to still burn fats for fuel to carry you throughout the day.
