Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight?

Specifically, while under the influence of alcohol people tend to eat foods heavy in fat, sugar, and carbs and avoid foods with healthy whole grains, fruit, and milk. There are several direct and indirect ways that heavy drinking can make you gain weight or, more specifically, gain body fat. There are a few reasons why alcohol and weight gain are linked, some of which are direct and others are indirect. Also, researchers have found that alcohol affects an area of the brain that controls appetite and this can cause intense hunger, especially the day after drinking. One study found that nerve cells in the brain’s hypothalamus that are generally activated by actual starvation can be stimulated by alcohol. Those intense hunger cues can make you reach for high-calorie foods, like pizza and burgers. “Since alcohol has sedative effects that can induce feelings of relaxation and sleepiness, it can help an individual unwind and get settled for bed,” explains Maurin.

Drinking alcohol close to bedtime is initially a sleep aid; this is where the idea of ‘a drink before bed’ came from. However, alcohol impacts the critical stages of your sleep, such as deep and REM sleep. Most of us are probably aware that we prefer stodgy foods after drinking and are less inclined to be active the next day, but when the numbers are added up, it can be quite shocking. You may or may not be surprised to hear that alcohol consumption can have a significant effect on your weight, but not necessarily in the way you might think. As a general rule, the higher the alcohol content of a beverage (a.k.a. alcohol by volume or ABV), the more calories, Keith Wallace, founder of the Wine School of Philadelphia, previously told Shape.

“The body recognizes alcohol as toxic and shuts down its ability to access all other stored macronutrients—carbs, proteins, and fat—in order to utilize and burn off the alcohol first,” Maurin explains. “Alcohol isn’t treated like other nutrients in food; in fact, the digestive system works extra hard to eliminate it from the body, prioritizing the elimination of alcohol ahead of all other nutrients,” Maurin says. “If you were to have a meal with your alcoholic beverage, the nutrient uptake from the meal would be greatly decreased due to the body working so hard to eliminate the alcohol from the body.” You might have heard the term “empty calories” used in relation to alcohol. If you or a loved one have an alcohol addiction or another substance use disorder, you do not have to go through it alone.

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While you might initially fall into deep sleep more easily, you then wake up frequently during the night and have poorer deep sleep overall. Also, you also experience less REM sleep, meaning you can wake up feeling exhausted. Poor decisions after drinking and reaching our tipping point can last up to 48 hours. Alcohol’s ‘tipping point’ refers to the amount of alcohol it takes to significantly lower our inhibitions and affects our choices. However, certain food groups also have benefits when it comes to helping with the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and detoxification. These aren’t even all the ways alcohol can affect your body—there are many more.

If you have changes in either of these neurotransmitters, it can lead to multiple effects, including increased heart rate, aggression, and depression. Typically, carbohydrates are the body’s first choice to digest for energy from food, but that completely changes when alcohol is consumed.

Multiple studies have shown that people tend to eat unhealthier foods while under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol disrupts the fat-burning process by forcing the liver to burn alcohol instead of body fat, greatly slowing down the process. Alcohol also suppresses testosterone production for up to 24 hours, which is the primary metabolic hormone. Directly, drinking alcohol makes it very easy to consume an excess of energy.

Can Alcohol Abuse Lead To Weight Loss?

This can help reduce drinks’ impact on your overall fat burning. Alcohol does contain calories, which, yes, can cause weight gain. It is also the metabolic priority that your body places on alcohol that causes the damage.

Drinking raises estrogen levels and this has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. When you drink, a significant portion of the alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and then it is distributed through most tissues in your body. Theimmediate effects of alcoholcan include impaired coordination and judgment, memory problems and slow reflexes.

However, increased energy intake from alcoholic beverages is not the main reason that excessive alcohol results in weight gain. What’s more interesting is the number of ways excessive alcohol affects your weight indirectly. Research has shown that drinking a lot of alcohol on a frequent basis can result in weight gain, and in some cases, weight loss. Not only does alcohol affect the body’s fat-burning processes, but it also affects appetite and food choices. Though you may have heard the term “beer belly” before, Maurin says the belief that alcoholic beverages cause increased fat stores around the stomach area actually isn’t accurate. In fact, a very small percentage of the calories you drink from alcohol itself are turned into fat.

That means a shot of hard liquor like gin, whiskey, or vodka ( proof) will have about calories per ounce. An ounce of beer or wine, on the other hand, will have about 12 and 24 calories per ounce, respectively. Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term. Many of the effects of drinking every day can be reversed through early intervention. Wesurveyed 2,136 American adultswho either wanted to stop drinking alcohol or had already tried to . “This is paired with the fact that alcohol lowers inhibitions, meaning many people reach for foods that they’d normally avoid, such as those high in fat or sodium,” Hultin adds. Hormones play a crucial role in the healthy functioning of all the body’s tissues and organs.

How Alcohol Affects Body Weight

That can be over a day’s worth of energy needs just from the alcohol. Plus, most alcoholic beverages have a lot of energy but little nutritional value, which is where the term ‘empty calories’ comes from. Here, a few types of alcohol with the least calories per serving, according to the National Institutes of Health . We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.

• Again, you can drink and still lose weight—just keep it within moderate levels and you should be fine.
• You might have heard the term “empty calories” used in relation to alcohol.
• However, certain food groups also have benefits when it comes to helping with the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and detoxification.
• Alcohol tends to have a high sugar and high calorie count, though this will vary significantly by type of alcohol.

“The extra calories from moderate drinking can certainly fit into the calorie allotment for weight maintenance,” Angelone says. The important thing is that you factor those calories in along with what you eat, she says. It is important to be aware of both the direct and indirect effects of alcohol on your weight. If you’re determined to improve your health and lose some weight, one of the most effective things you can do is cut out binge drinking. Just by doing this, you could inadvertently lose weight without making any other changes to your lifestyle.

Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how much alcohol causes this increase in cortisol. “There’s no black and white answer here; everyone is unique in how their bodies react and break down alcohol,” Maurin explains. She notes that many studies on this topic include an “intoxicated” study group and/or alcohol-dependent individuals, who may require a larger amount of alcohol to be affected. Speaking of syrups and whipped cream, some cocktails can be sneakily high in calories. “Some margaritas, daiquiris, and pina coladas can be very high in added sugar and saturated fat,” Hultin adds. Our treatment specialists at Bedrock Recovery Center can answer any questions and direct you to the best rehab program for you.

Poor sleep increases appetite, cravings for junk food and decrease energy expenditure, which all indirectly lead to weight gain. First,alcohol can cause weight gain simply because it has calories. Not only does the actual alcohol have calories, but additives and mixers that are included with many alcoholic beverages can be packed with calories as well as sugar.

Do You Need To Give Up Alcohol To Lose Weight?

Drinking in moderation means having no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman and no more than two a day for men. If you’re drinking more than this, it could be considered problematic, and if you drink more than five drinks a day as a man or four as a woman, that’s considered binge drinking. You’re also likely to eat more unhealthy foods than you would if you weren’t drinking. There’s also evidence that alcohol can influence hormones linked to feeling full, such as leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which inhibits food intake. One study found that the ingestion of “moderate” amounts of alcohol inhibits leptin secretion in healthy subjects. “Protein and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, fat has 9 but alcohol has 7,” Ginger Hultin MS, RDN, and owner of ChampagneNutrition in Seattle tells Health.

When you drink, it causes your stomach to make an excessive amount of acid, which can contribute to a variety of conditions like irritation and inflammation of the stomach lining. After a couple of drinks, the munchies often kick in—meaning you’re more likely to grab whatever quick and easy snack without really thinking about it.

People also tend to underestimate how much they’re drinking, Stanford says. A serving of wine, for example, is five ounces, but you probably pour more than that when you’re having a glass at home. “Whatever you think you’re having, you probably need to cut that in half,” Stanford says. At social events, try alternating between sparkling water and alcoholic beverages. Eliminating alcohol is not necessary for weight loss; there is nothing wrong with enjoying a drink.

Alcohol Keeps Your Body From Burning Fat

A lack of sleep, or poor quality of sleep, increases your appetite and cravings for junk food and decreases your energy expenditure on the following day. As well as the result of passing your tipping point, research shows that poor quality of sleep following binge drinking has a significant effect on weight. When people discuss alcohol’s effect on weight, they typically refer to the calories in alcohol as the leading cause of weight gain. Make margaritas with real lime juice, use diet tonic water, or even naturally calorie-free club soda instead of regular tonic water and other high-calorie carbonated drinks. (These low-sugar margaritas will satisfy your craving while minimizing your sugar consumption. Your liver is one part of the body that is most significantly impacted by drinking.

• You’re also likely to eat more unhealthy foods than you would if you weren’t drinking.
• Reach out to us and get started on your recovery and wellness journey today.
• That means a shot of hard liquor like gin, whiskey, or vodka ( proof) will have about calories per ounce.

“When you look at mixers like juices, soda, syrups, cream, whipped cream, or coconut milk, the calories in an alcoholic beverage can be really high.” Bedrock Recovery Center deploys an individualized approach that treats the underlying causes of addiction by placing our patients needs first. Located near the historical Boston metropolitan area in Massachusetts, our mission is to help individuals seeking treatment from substance abuse from all over the country. Bedrock Recovery Center offers 100% confidential substance abuse assessment and treatment placement tailored to your individual needs. Someone trying to achieve a faster effect from drinking on a regular basis may lose weight as a result. There is also evidence that alcohol stimulates nerve cells in the brain that stimulate appetite, which causes people to eat more while they drink alcohol.

Disrupts The Fat

The Shape staff is made of up seasoned writers, editors, journalists, and artists who are experts in our field. Some of us even hold fitness or health certifications that allow us to add even more knowledge to the stories you read and the advice you’re given. Weight gain is just one of the many health considerations to keep in mind when it comes to your alcohol use and limiting how much you drink. Medically Reviewed By Benjamin Caleb Williams, RNA licensed behavioral health or medical professional on The Recovery Village Editorial Team has analyzed and confirmed every statistic, study and medical claim on this page.

Reach out to us and get started on your recovery and wellness journey today. The survey also highlighted that the day after passing their tipping point, 50% of people cancel planned physical activity, which is often replaced with sedentary activities such as watching TV or staying in bed. Alcohol provides a lot of energy, and it can be easy to consume too much. Connect with Dr. Mike to get more simple diet and nutrition tips by following @mikeroussell on Twitter or becoming a fan of his Facebook page .

People who are concerned about their waistline, beer belly, or weight loss goals can try low-calorie mixers like soda water, or try to limit the amount of alcohol they consume in general. Whether alcohol consumption leads to increased risk of weight gain or obesity will vary and depend on the individual, as there are many other factors besides alcohol that can contribute to weight gain or loss. Alcohol addiction may also result in a person starving themselves of food, especially because the less they eat the more the effects of excessive alcohol intake can be felt.

How Your Body Handles Alcohol

“The main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body can burn for energy,” she explains. “You are basically shutting down your metabolism, which then leads to weight gain.” Binge drinking also indirectly promotes weight gain by reducing the quality of our sleep, which increases our appetite and cravings while decreasing energy expenditure the following day. Heavy Can You Gain Weight Because of Alcohol alcohol use can also cause the opposite effect and cause people to lose weight. This is because heavy drinkers will develop the sense of being full from drinking alcohol and no longer feel a desire to eat. It is not necessary to eliminate alcohol to lead a healthy lifestyle and lose weight, but it is important to be mindful of our alcohol intake and try to reduce binge drinking.