You’ve heard it all when it comes to alcohol: it makes you gain weight, it should be consumed in moderation, you should cut it out entirely… Whatever the case, you’d love to know whether your daily glass of wine or your weekend drinks are actually affecting your figure. Read on to find out more about alcohol and whether giving it up could help you slim down.
What impact does alcohol have on weight?
1- Alcohol: a source of “empty calories”
Let’s cut to the chase: alcohol makes you gain weight. The medical community is unanimous: consuming alcohol, even in small amounts, has an impact on your health — starting with your weight. There are two main reasons for this.
- Alcohol is high in sugar: one gram of pure ethanol (the scientific name for alcohol) contains 7 kcal — nearly twice as much as one gram of pure sugar (4 kcal). That glass of wine you enjoy with dinner therefore “costs” around 70–80 kcal, roughly the equivalent of three sugar cubes. And it has to be said: these are entirely empty calories — they provide nothing useful to the body, other than perhaps a moment of pleasure. The sugar in alcohol is therefore a nutrient your body has no use for, and it will inevitably be stored.
- The way alcohol is metabolised actively promotes weight gain: once alcohol is ingested, the body works quickly to eliminate it, since it serves no purpose. Alcohol is metabolised primarily by the liver, which processes ethanol by producing certain enzymes. This process not only has negative effects on cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis, but also on fat burning. The result: alcohol metabolism doubly encourages fat storage, particularly around the stomach.
2- Alcohol disrupts your sense of fullness
Alcohol has another surprise in store for you… Did you know that even a small glass of bubbly — which you might think is completely harmless — can disrupt your sense of fullness? Satiety is the feeling you get after eating, when you’re satisfied enough to stop. Alcohol, as a psychoactive substance, influences the brain. It acts on the hypothalamus — a gland located at the base of the brain — and inhibits the production of leptin, the satiety hormone. The effect is straightforward: when we drink, we tend to eat more (on average 30% more!), because our sense of fullness is thrown off…
3- Alcohol changes our food choices
Have you noticed that every time you’ve had a drink, you feel an irresistible pull towards fatty foods ? You’re not alone: a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism revealed the links between alcohol consumption and dietary habits. Researchers studied the behaviour of 1,864 individuals and found that their food choices differed depending on whether they had been drinking. On days when alcohol was consumed, diets were higher in fat and salt and lower in fruit and dairy products.
How does this happen? It’s quite simple: alcohol acts not only on the neurons in the area of the brain that regulates food intake, but also on the frontal cortex, the seat of judgement and self-control. When we drink, we lose not only control over how much we eat, but also over the nutritional quality of the foods we consume… often for the worse! Weight gain follows.
Does giving up alcohol help you get your figure back?
The answer is simple and clear: yes. As shown above, alcohol is not only calorie-dense — it also has a direct impact on our relationship with food. If you stop drinking alcohol, you’ll quickly notice a positive effect on your weight and your figure. Of course, the impact of cutting out alcohol will vary depending on how much you usually drink. The results will be more noticeable for someone who drinks every day than for someone who only drinks occasionally.
That said, watch out for frustration! Over time, it could catch up with you and push you to compensate for giving up alcohol with other habits that are just as bad for your figure: sweets, fizzy drinks, fast food. So what’s the solution? Perhaps mindful, conscious consumption. Having a glass of champagne at your BFF’s wedding, a cocktail at a get-together with friends, or a glass of wine over a lovely dinner with your partner isn’t going to undo your efforts to slim down. The key is to drink in moderation and only when you genuinely feel like it. Let go of peer pressure, automatic habits (like reflexively refilling an empty glass), and excuses (because no, alcohol doesn’t actually lift your mood…).
Finally, it’s worth keeping in mind that cutting out alcohol is not the only step to take when it comes to slimming down. Without a varied, balanced diet and regular physical activity, getting back in shape remains a challenge.
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Useful categories : Weight Management.