Effects of alcohol on fatloss

[Ivan088816]

So I've been reading through the blog on leangains.com and found the post on alcohol and how it affects fatloss to be interesting. Martin writes that the alcohol itself won't contribute to fat gain significantly so much as all of the carbs and fats that tend to go along with a night out drinking.

Basically if one were to stick to shots and keep his macros within limits he wouldn't hinder fatloss.
Did I misread this or is my rationale correct. Basically I'd be ignoring the calories from the alcohol itself.

[korykory]

So I've been reading through the blog on leangains.com and found the post on alcohol and how it affects fatloss to be interesting. Martin writes that the alcohol itself won't contribute to fat gain significantly so much as all of the carbs and fats that tend to go along with a night out drinking.

Basically if one were to stick to shots and keep his macros within limits he wouldn't hinder fatloss.
Did I misread this or is my rationale correct. Basically I'd be ignoring the calories from the alcohol itself.

I believe him despite what every other "dietitian" says... but maybe it's because I really really want to =P

In all seriousness, I found that as long as I take shots (rum & diet coke ftw) and I don't start drunk munching, I look and feel skinner the morning after. Yes it's probably because I'm dehydrated but overall drinking has not made me fatter.

I, too, ignore alcohol calories but I do try to make a caloric buffer before going out just in case.

[Ivan088816]

Thanks for the reply. Its interesting to me that alcohol is listed as 7cals per gram but which are not utilized by the body. I thought that alcohol cals were intact the first to be used.

As far as the skinnier look that definitely has to do with the dehydration. Perhaps we just formulated a new form of contest prep; binge drinking the night before to get all the extra cuts visible the next morning...

[adamj575]

Well, it doesnt matter matter either way to me....if ive cut 40 lbs in 2 months and drank virtually every saturday night..i drink beer and lots of it when i drink...lol...usually in the neighborhood of 15-18 beers on a typical saturday night....if it starts to hinder me later on then i might check it a bit...but for now i say drink up....the way i figure it...if i am at a 7000 calorie deficit by the end of the week and drink 1500 cals worth of beer im still at a 5500 cal deficit...i know they are bad cals but still.....

[tydavin]

i believe in moderation. every week once a week i will go out usually saturday night and enjoy having drinks. i will start off with a couple glasses of wine and then after that just have a few shots of straight vodka. just make sure the next day you get a good workout in!

[fiveten]

Thanks for the reply. Its interesting to me that alcohol is listed as 7cals per gram but which are not utilized by the body. I thought that alcohol cals were intact the first to be used.

As far as the skinnier look that definitely has to do with the dehydration. Perhaps we just formulated a new form of contest prep; binge drinking the night before to get all the extra cuts visible the next morning...

if you read the article properly, he explains that its more like 5 cals per gram because of the thermic effect of alcohol metabolism

so if you stick to spirits with zero cal mixers like diet cola or whatever you like then it shouldn't affect your dieting too much if you be sure to get some dancing into it

and yes alcohol is a potent diuretic, it does dehydrate you and make you look more defined for a few hours...

[Cape1]

So I've been reading through the blog on leangains.com and found the post on alcohol and how it affects fatloss to be interesting. Martin writes that the alcohol itself won't contribute to fat gain significantly so much as all of the carbs and fats that tend to go along with a night out drinking.

Basically if one were to stick to shots and keep his macros within limits he wouldn't hinder fatloss.
Did I misread this or is my rationale correct. Basically I'd be ignoring the calories from the alcohol itself.

Alcohol will completely screw up the process of Fat Metabolism and Protein Synthesis. I know there are guys who do it and can look/perform great. Chances are they would be even sharper without it.

Like anything else though, You have to live life. I don't know what's worse: the guy whose Fat, Drunk and Stupid; or the guy who brings rice cakes to a Party, who is affraid to ever put his precious Abs in harms way.

You have to pick your own goals. The mirror will reflect those choices. A few drinks here and there will not mess it up too bad unless your goal is competitve bodybuilding. Too much alcohol will ruin your body though. That much I can promise you. HEy, I love to drink! I don't see myself ever quiting it completely; but, then again, this is one reason I will probably never win a pro card. That's ok with me. That's the choice I made.

And dude, the macros in the drink only matter insofar as how they impact your calorie/macro goals. The far larger problem, physiologically, is how the Alcohol disrupts your system.

[636zx6r]

A wise man once told me, "Moderation instead of prohibition".

But I agree, alcohol F**K's up your diet.
I got wasted Wed,Thur,Fri,Sat last week and feel terrible.

[doit4dame]

Daily alcohol consumption will slow or stop your results. The drawbacks are probably going to far outweigh any health benefits. Your liver can't metabolize alcohol and fat at the same time. It will always get rid of the toxic substance (alcohol) first. That means that as long as there's alcohol in your system you won't be burning any body fat. If you have one or two drinks, you might stall your fat loss for a few hours. If you have quite a few drinks, it might be as long as four days before you're metabolizing fat again.

[seifelbadrawy]

Daily alcohol consumption will slow or stop your results. The drawbacks are probably going to far outweigh any health benefits. Your liver can't metabolize alcohol and fat at the same time. It will always get rid of the toxic substance (alcohol) first. That means that as long as there's alcohol in your system you won't be burning any body fat. If you have one or two drinks, you might stall your fat loss for a few hours. If you have quite a few drinks, it might be as long as four days before you're metabolizing fat again.

this is definately not true.. alcohol is a metabolic poison and your body will try getting rid of it as fast as possible. Plenty of alcohol is wasted in your urine. I lose the most weight when i am on vacation. I'll be drinking 1000-1200 cals worth of hard liquor and diet mixed drinks a day and just have nothing but protein and a carb source for breakfast and i'd lose way more than i ever did on a sober week.

I am always self-conscious on how i look during a vacation, so i am sure what i am saying is true..

your logic makes absolutely no sense... if that was the case, then they'd give kids in ****lia two shots of vodka so they wouldn't have to eat for 2 days..

[PBateman2]

alcohol will completely screw up the process of fat metabolism and protein synthesis. I know there are guys who do it and can look/perform great. Chances are they would be even sharper without it.

Like anything else though, you have to live life. I don't know what's worse: The guy whose fat, drunk and stupid; or the guy who brings rice cakes to a party, who is affraid to ever put his precious abs in harms way.

You have to pick your own goals. The mirror will reflect those choices. A few drinks here and there will not mess it up too bad unless your goal is competitve bodybuilding. Too much alcohol will ruin your body though. That much i can promise you. Hey, i love to drink! I don't see myself ever quiting it completely; but, then again, this is one reason i will probably never win a pro card. That's ok with me. That's the choice i made.

And dude, the macros in the drink only matter insofar as how they impact your calorie/macro goals. The far larger problem, physiologically, is how the alcohol disrupts your system.

^this.

[Nutshell20]

Alcohol will completely screw up the process of Fat Metabolism and Protein Synthesis. I know there are guys who do it and can look/perform great. Chances are they would be even sharper without it.

Like anything else though, You have to live life. I don't know what's worse: the guy whose Fat, Drunk and Stupid; or the guy who brings rice cakes to a Party, who is affraid to ever put his precious Abs in harms way.

You have to pick your own goals. The mirror will reflect those choices. A few drinks here and there will not mess it up too bad unless your goal is competitve bodybuilding. Too much alcohol will ruin your body though. That much I can promise you. HEy, I love to drink! I don't see myself ever quiting it completely; but, then again, this is one reason I will probably never win a pro card. That's ok with me. That's the choice I made.

And dude, the macros in the drink only matter insofar as how they impact your calorie/macro goals. The far larger problem, physiologically, is how the Alcohol disrupts your system.

Very true. Some people can't consume anything in moderation...that's when problems can start with anything in life.

[Retrotiger]

It does. I believe. Alcohol is carbo. Carbo = weight. Depends on your intake too though.

[Jacobus1919]

Depends really I think. Alcohol has its benefits. But too much of everything will always be bad. And I heard it ain't good to drink alcohol specially if you just had tons of supplements down.

[BiGnNasty]

When i drink its in moderation and i like Gentleman Jack and Coke Zero plus i drink 4-5 bottles of water and hell yes i piss a lot but oh well beats being hungover and having flatter muscles. Also after a few i usually have a blunt Ready to toke on always helps the situation. So in my opinion just Toke it up after 2-3 shots and 4 bottles of water.

[bigollie2006]

http://www.criticalbench.com/muscle-alcohol.htm

good article on the effects of alcohol

[bigtrey37]

A wise man once told me, "Moderation instead of prohibition".

But I agree, alcohol F**K's up your diet.
I got wasted Wed,Thur,Fri,Sat last week and feel terrible.

This is true with anything

[Rugger7]

Calories are the main thing... lowers testosterone for us males on a side note.. on a second side note.. you only live once, have a good time while you're at it.

[TurbulentEnergy]

Alcohol in moderation is fine... but not many people really know what moderation is...

Reason why people lose weight when they drink alcohol is because alcohol inhibits antidiuretic hormone, and thus increased urine output...

When someone drinks alcohol, they can... depending on their bodies overall physiology, can urinate up to 2 liters within hours... So that can account for the dramatic weight loss..

Alcohol is a toxin and the liver goes into overdrive to break it down into a harmless substance and it is even then excreted through urine, sweat, digestion, and respiration...

But hey... with all that aside.... drink alcohol in moderation, and you shouldnt have to worry about stacking on much weight or impacting your routine.... Unless, you are a pro bodybuilder and then it will make a difference depending upon your desired results.

Have fun and keep it lean

[Tunes]

If you think you might be drinking too much you probably are. That is not to say you shouldn't be drinking at all. Just keep in mind alcohol is calories without the nutritional benefit.

[Driver86]

Alcohol itself won't hurt you. Feel free to have a drink with the boys just make sure you're drinking alcohol and not carbs. Beer=bad. Whiskey, Vodka, Gin etc = good. Anything mixed with fruit juices, mixers, red bull or anything else sugary = bad.

Also keep in mind that the body will burn the alcohol first so when you drink try to avoid eating or if you do eat then don't eat carbs. Cheese and Slim Jims = good. McDonald's french fries =bad.

[thehappypanda]

remember a shot has about 80-90 cals. for most guys we can knock down about 12-15 shots lol. although the dehydration takes effect and i usually end up lighter after a night of drinking. i stopped drinking a couple weeks ago though because i'm one of those guys who never ends up having a good night lol

[MobiusHeartbreak]

yeah beer is lethal

[veedawg82]

Alcohol itself won't hurt you. Feel free to have a drink with the boys just make sure you're drinking alcohol and not carbs. Beer=bad. Whiskey, Vodka, Gin etc = good. Anything mixed with fruit juices, mixers, red bull or anything else sugary = bad.

Also keep in mind that the body will burn the alcohol first so when you drink try to avoid eating or if you do eat then don't eat carbs. Cheese and Slim Jims = good. McDonald's french fries =bad.

Thank god! I like to sip on Bourbon every night and was wondering how bad that was for me, sounds like I can still sip and not have to worry too much LOL!

[whine]

With all this talk about alcohol not being so bad after when working out I have to disagree. Of course, if an individual is able to keep in check and casually drink a few beers then I dont see any drawbacks, but for example when I "go out" it will not stay in the few beers. Next day will propably be a hangover and I will eat ****, also things in the gym dont feel right until the halfway of the week.

Fatloss? Feels like taking 6 steps ahead and 7 back with drinking.

But isnt it so that moderation in everything is good. I just cant do it, so for me its either ON or OFF.

[martina92685]

s in the drink only matter insofar as how they impact your calorie/macro goals. The far larger problem, physiologically, is how the Alcohol disrupts your system.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

[Inthearena]

Alcohol itself won't hurt you. Feel free to have a drink with the boys just make sure you're drinking alcohol and not carbs. Beer=bad. Whiskey, Vodka, Gin etc = good. Anything mixed with fruit juices, mixers, red bull or anything else sugary = bad.

Also keep in mind that the body will burn the alcohol first so when you drink try to avoid eating or if you do eat then don't eat carbs. Cheese and Slim Jims = good. McDonald's french fries =bad.

Alcohol pretty much shuts off all breakdown of fat. The fat in slim jims and cheese will be stored.

[coals]

Oh hi:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=125340301

[Arsenic]

If you are serious about losing fat. Cut out alcohol entirely. If you must have a glass of red wine with dinner(antioxidants aren't bad). The rest is up to you, because alcohol in abundance is a poison for the body and the mind and the soul. I am an alcoholic. It's in my DNA, my father was until he turned 30. I haven't had a drink since New Years. And I got so drunk that I don't remember ringing in the new year at all LMAO Good night regardless.

[kodyt21]

there is a lot of bro science out there, but the real answer is or bodies only absorb 5% of the actual calories in alcohol, so is not the amount of calories being ingested. Evidence had shown alcohol completely stops protien synthesis and fat burning, so your body only breaks down the alcohol and uses it for energy while your drinking it. 90% of drinkers go 6- 7 hours of not eating when drinking then plow a huge meal down at 3am and go to sleep..bottom line everything you eat when drinking gets thrown away or stored as fat on your body...
Y es even protien can be broken down and stored also!