The Truth About Alcohol and Your Weight

19 Jun The Truth About Alcohol and Your Weight

Posted at 08:44h in Drinks, Weight Loss by

One question that comes up time and again at our clinic is: ‘can I drink alcohol and still lose weight?’ The answer is yes, most people can, but alcohol does impact weight loss in a number of ways.

How alcohol affects weight varies from person to person. Your gender, your genes, your lifestyle and your diet all play a role. Be mindful and notice how alcohol affects you personally.

Here are some of the ways that alcohol can affect your weight:

ALCOHOL SLOWS FAT BURNING

 
Studies show that alcohol temporarily reduces lipolysis (fat burning) by 73%. In other words, when alcohol is in your system, it’s harder for your body to burn your stored body fat, pausing your weight loss.

DRINKING STRESSES YOUR BODY

 
While drinking might help you feel relaxed, alcohol actually stresses your body. It increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, known for promoting weight gain around the abdomen. If you want to minimise fat around the middle, keeping your cortisol level in check is key.

MORE HUNGER, LESS WILLPOWER


Drinking alcohol often decreases your willpower whilst increasing your appetite. If you are the type of person who can happily have a drink and maintain your willpower, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy the odd glass here and there. However, if you struggle to stop at one, or you know drinking leads to you making poor food choices, then it might be a good idea to take a break from alcohol for a little while.

HIDDEN SUGAR AND CALORIES


As you might have guessed, alcoholic drinks do contain sugar and calories, but the amount differs significantly depending on what you drink. Next time you see a bartender make a cocktail, just watch how much sugar (or sugar syrup) goes into it! Cider, especially the flavoured kinds, are also exceptionally high in sugar. On the other hand, dry wine contains less than 5g sugar per litre (that’s less than a teaspoon per bottle) so it’s one of the best choices.

THE BOTTOM LINE…

 
If you are trying to lose weight then the bottom line is, drinking is likely to slow down your weight loss. If you’re committed to losing weight as quickly as possible then you might want to consider cutting alcohol out altogether for a period of time. (There are plenty of health benefits too).

However, if you aren’t in a hurry to lose weight, try drinking a moderate amount of alcohol and monitoring your progress. If you find that you can enjoy a couple of drinks a week and still lose weight then great. On the other hand, if you find that you struggle to lose weight then you might have to cut it out for a while to see results. We are all different so there is no one-size-fits-all rule.
 
Here are six tips for healthier drinking that can help you to enjoy alcohol in the healthiest way possible and maximise your chances of weight loss.

ARE YOU LOOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT?

 
If you’re looking to lose weight, we can help you overcome your weight challenges, reach your happy weight and maintain it long term. Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 mintue call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

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AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

 

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of th clinic.

 

Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning.

 

A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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