Monday, December 1, 2008

Weight Loss, How Alcohol Will Make You Fatter

By Ricardo d Argence

So much information on weight loss has been put out there over the years. New diets here and a new gadget over there. There has not been a lot of information give to us on the effects of alcohol when you're trying to lose weight. That is what we will look at here today.

Alcohol contains calories like everything else, but there are a few differences. Extra calories from alcohol might not seem like a bad thing, but these calories have no nutritional value to your body. These empty calories are worthless and you will still need to ingest quality calories in addition to these useless ones.

Like other calories, the ones you get from alcohol are processed in the liver. Alcohol calories are kind of like bullies, they must be burned first, this leaves all other calories patiently stored and we all know what stored calories are, they are fat.

Not only is alcohol a bad choice because it inhibits your judgement and harms your health, it is also bad for your diet. Alcohol contains twice as many calories as carbohydrates and proteins. What this means is alcohol provides seven calories per gram as opposed to carbohydrates, which contain four calories per gram. To summarize if you consume four 12-ounce beers you have ingested 600 calories! It is easy to see how prolonged use of alcohol could pack on the pounds.

One last note about the caloric effects of alcohol are the mixers. Many popular alcoholic drinks are actually a mix of different substances. These additives can add to the calorie count in a hurry. For example, one long island ice tea has an astounding 740 calories. In one drink, you could get half of the day's recommended daily allowance!

An important factor in losing weight is speeding up your metabolism. A definition of metabolism is the cumulative energy resulting from cellular electrical, physical, and biochemical activites and interactions. Or more simply put the rate at which your body processes calories into energy. It has been proven by a study from the New England Journal of Medicine that alcohol slows down the body's metabolism. It states that a person on a 1250 calorie diet, who has ingested 250 calories from alcohol could have reduced their metabolic process by as much as 36%. This indicates your body is handling calories almost forty percent less effectively.

It has been reported that people who drink everyday state they feel a lot better. But, alcohol is a depressant and actually move to true clinical depression. When you're depressed you may find it difficult to diet because food is sometimes used to make yourself feel better. A vicious cycle if you stop and think about it. Depression can cause a person to have no motivation along with also making you feel as if you cannot continue on with any type of exercise program.

Water plays a significant role as far as basic health is concerned, but it is also vital for muscle building. Muscles need a pretty big amount of hydration so that they can preform correctly, with having this, there is a chance they will become week and inefficient. When alcohol is consumed the kidneys need a great quantity of water to flush toxins from the system thus causing dehydration.

Drinking to much is harmful, however a moderate amount of alcohol is good for your system. As well as the problems it can cause with weight loss, medical issues are now an added concern. When all is said and done, if you are trying to be healthier and lose weight, you should avoid alcohol. If you must drink, red wine is considered the safest alternative until your weight is under control. - 15359

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