Most of you taking the time to read this blog probably drink alcohol. Guess what? Me too!!! Yes, this Scottsdale personal trainer loves an icy cold BUD LIGHT. ( fancy eh? )

Drinking is a part of most people’s lives to some degree. It’s impossible to go to a dinner, family function, party, or sports event without alcohol being served. Because of this, it is important for an already obese nation to know the affects alcohol has on America’s waistline.

Does alcohol really make you gain weight?

To answer this thoroughly allow your Scottsdale personal trainer to start from scratch.

Calories provide the body with the energy it needs to function. Calories come from the carbs, protein, fat and alcohol that you eat. Everyone has a set amount of calories per day that their body needs in order to function. Eating excess calories will lead to weight gain. This statement is the backbone of this Scottsdale personal trainer’s blog.

Carbs have 4 calories per gram

Protein has 4 calories per gram

Fat has 9 calories per gram

Alcohol has 7 calories per gram

Vitamins, minerals and water are calorie free nutrients found in certain foods. This type of food is considered nutritious, nutrient dense or “good” calorie food. Something considered to be “empty” calorie food would be something with low to no amounts of vitamins, mineral, and or water. (nutrients)

Sorry guys, alcohol falls in to the “empty” calories category. It simply has next to no nutrients in it.

Another factor that makes alcohol uniquely different from protein, carbs, and fat is that your body can not store alcohol. Alcohol must be used right away. This means that as you drink your body must go to work immediately to metabolize(use) the alcohol you ingest, thus putting on hold all other calories that need to be metabolized. Alcohol basically barges in to your metabolic process and cuts in line in front of other things you have eaten. So instead of metabolizing the sandwich you had for lunch, your body will first metabolize the beer that you had at lunch too.

So if you drink and consume more calories than you need in a day than your body is first going to burn off the alcohol and THEN it will eventually get to your snack of tortilla chips… thus making the chance for “storing” other food much greater. Remember, eating more calories than your body needs is in essence what “storing” calories is, and this is what leads to weight gain.

Check out this study from Germany. 49 people had to follow one of two 1500 calorie diets. One diet included a glass of white wine and the other diet had a glass of grape juice instead of the wine. Believe it or not, but the alcohol drinking group lost a little(barely) more weight than the juice drinking group. This study shows that you can drink alcohol and actually lose weight. Yet, it has nothing to do with the alcohol and EVERYTHING to do with a controlled CALORIE DIET.

So technically ALCOHOL doesn’t make you gain weight…it’s the excess calories and the metabolic process of alcohol that make you gain weight. BUT, let’s be real guys, alcohol packs high calories in small volume…thus making it VERY easy to over do your calorie intake for the day. In addition, studies show that alcohol temporarily stimulates hunger and food cravings. Another study showed a 20 percent increase in calories consumed during a meal when alcohol was drank right beforehand.

All these factors should be considered, but above all else, practice MODERATION! As a Scottsdale personal trainer, I must emphasize how important this is! If you normally have two glasses of wine a night, try one. Or maybe try drinking every other night? Instead of 7 beers on Saturday night, space out those 7 beers over the week. (Check out this great article on binge drinking to find out why binge drinking is bad news)

OTHER DRINKING TIPS FROM YOUR SCOTTSDALE PERSONAL TRAINER:

1. Have a glass of water in between every alcoholic drink. (wine/water/wine/water)

2. Choose “light” when possible, but still drink with control and caution. Light does not mean calorie free.

3. Don’t chug your drink. Learn to sip it.

4. Care more about your belly than a buzz. (ouch)

5. Keep count of your drinks and KNOW the calories in them. Check out this DRINK CALORIE CHART

So to recap:

Alcohol does not go straight to your waistline, BUT it does hugely interfere with your body’s ability to burn other fat while alcohol is being metabolized in your body. Alcohol can pack on pounds just like the calories from carbs or fat can when eaten in excess. So take into account the calories of what you are drinking and plan accordingly…and above else PRACTICE MODERATION! This is not only good for your waistline but it will also teach you valuable lessons in self-control and discipline.

Cheers!