Does alcohol make you fat?

I'm trying to cut out things that make me gain weight and have been researching the caloric content of booze
Anyway, I was surprised to find out that my cocktail of choice does not have as many calories as I thought...
but I still think it's making me fat (ter)
What do you guys think?

if its a sugary drink then yes!

sugar and carbs are no bueno for a diet!

I *think* alcohol is metabolized to sugar in your body and adds calories that way, but I'm not 100% on that. At any rate, I do know alcoholic beverages pack on calories and pounds, so staying away from drinking can def change your weight loss for the better.

That said, obviously if you're drinking mixed cocktails with lots of sugary juices and stuff, that adds a lot more calories.

Here's a pretty decent article with a caloric table

http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/page3.htm

It may not be making you fatter but it may be preventing your body from filtering the toxins properly which can cause to weight gain and stuff!! You should drink TONS and TONS of water for 11 days and I bet you will notice a HUGEE difference... FH and I just did the Isagenix diet and we were only allowed to drink water for 11days and no alcohol or any other beverage (we were allowed to eat) and I lost 6 lbs and he lost 20!!! HTH

When I'm buzzed I will order crappy food from a bar menu, and when I'm hungover I end up eating like a pig.

Personally, it's the food that is consumed during drinking and as a hangover cure that contributes to weight gain.

There's a lot of easy switches you can make to make your drinks lower in calories.

And water while drinking helps because a) you're not drinking empty calories and b) you keep yourself hydrated, thus making a chance of a hangover much smaller.

My favorite mixes are
Rum and diet coke
Whiskey and diet coke
Burbon and diet coke....

Yes, even if your mixer isn't loaded with sugar, alcohol is a major cause of weight gain for a few reasons.

Your liver metabolizes alcohol into acetate (which is like vinegar), which your body actually burns quicker than any other fat, sugar or other type of calorie. This makes it harder for your body to burn anything else you're ingesting, so the cheeseburger (or whatever!) you ate when you were drunk/hungover will be stored instead. haha. This means it's MUCH harder for your body to burn fat that is already there, i.e., in the gym or with any physical activity the following days after drinking.

But seriously, no matter what you are eating along with the alcohol, it inhibits healthy caloric burning, which I think is the main reason it is unhealthy for weight loss.

Drinking in moderation while on a diet is fine. Just know what 'moderation' means.

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Posted by kris_gets_hitched

When I'm buzzed I will order crappy food from a bar menu, and when I'm hungover I end up eating like a pig.

Personally, it's the food that is consumed during drinking and as a hangover cure that contributes to weight gain.

There's a lot of easy switches you can make to make your drinks lower in calories.

And water while drinking helps because a) you're not drinking empty calories and b) you keep yourself hydrated, thus making a chance of a hangover much smaller.

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100% THIS

I have been on Weight Watchers since Feb and have discovered many things about my weight gain/loss! I thought that cutting back on beer and drinking would make me lose a lot of weight, which I am sure it would, however the weeks that I go without drinking I end up losing the same amount of weight, as long as I am not binge drinking like crazy every week. A few drinks here or there really doesn't make much of a difference surprisingly!

I would go a week eating right and not drinking at all and then go a week eating right and drinking and I would still lose the same amount. I agree with what some people said that when I used to drink I would eat a lot (drunk pizza!) and I think that's what was doing most of the damage. But if you are able to cut back on the binge eating when you 're drinking and have drinks that aren't as fattening (like sugary drinks etc) then it shouldn't affect you too much!

I try to stick to beer (3 WW points) and wine (also 3 WW points) and I have been fine!

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Posted by FutureMcBride

I have been on Weight Watchers since Feb and have discovered many things about my weight gain/loss! I thought that cutting back on beer and drinking would make me lose a lot of weight, which I am sure it would, however the weeks that I go without drinking I end up losing the same amount of weight, as long as I am not binge drinking like crazy every week. A few drinks here or there really doesn't make much of a difference surprisingly!

I would go a week eating right and not drinking at all and then go a week eating right and drinking and I would still lose the same amount. I agree with what some people said that when I used to drink I would eat a lot (drunk pizza!) and I think that's what was doing most of the damage. But if you are able to cut back on the binge eating when you 're drinking and have drinks that aren't as fattening (like sugary drinks etc) then it shouldn't affect you too much!

I try to stick to beer (3 WW points) and wine (also 3 WW points) and I have been fine!

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That's definitely true! It's all about moderation. If you're drinking the liquor with diet soda, the drink is only 2 points.

Future McBride - 4 oz of wine (typical serving) is actually 2 points, so you gain a point! And if you had light beer, it's only 2.

You're never going to believe this buttttt my friend just had a baby and because she cut out drinking (obv) she actually LOST weight during her pregnancy rather than gain the 40+ lbs that people usually do. She can't wear any of her pre-preg clothes now!!

So, I would say the answer is yes, alcohol can add inches to your waist...

my friend cut out alcohol for 6 months before her sisters wedding and she lost 8lbs! she was already skinny to begin with

i thought i'd do the same...if only stress weren't a problem!

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Posted by S00n2beWifey

It may not be making you fatter but it may be preventing your body from filtering the toxins properly which can cause to weight gain and stuff!! You should drink TONS and TONS of water for 11 days and I bet you will notice a HUGEE difference... FH and I just did the Isagenix diet and we were only allowed to drink water for 11days and no alcohol or any other beverage (we were allowed to eat) and I lost 6 lbs and he lost 20!!! HTH

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Woowww!!! 20lbs in 11 days! Go your FH!!!!!

If you are going to drink alcohol, stay away from the fruity drinks....aka the good stuff. lol.

The best alcoholic drink to have when on a diet is a bacardi and diet coke.