How Alcohol Makes You Fat

If you glanced at the title of this article, you might have cringed. When it comes to
fitness, nutrition, weight loss, and overall health, many of us have trouble areas.
There are some individuals who have a glass of red wine with dinner every night.
Others skip the drinking completely on the weekdays, then Aluminum Christmas trees throwing a few
back on Thursday or Friday night, and keep it up until Sunday. Still others won't
drink for two to three weeks, then have a weekend binge of a few dozen drinks or
so (you know who you are!). Finally, while there are scores of individuals out there
who don't drink any alcohol at all and really won't find this article personally useful,
I encourage you (if you are one of those people) to read it anyways, and share the
information with someone you think it might help.

So...how does alcohol make you fat, especially when it doesn't have any fat in it? To
understand how this process occurs, let's examine the consumption of a 5 ounce
glass of red wine remorgaging a fictional character named Vinny.

Vinny takes a drink. As the alcohol enters into digestion, it is split into two
compounds: fat and acetate. The fat is taken through the bloodstream and stored
wherever Vinny tends to deposit fat. The acetate is taken into the bloodstream and
used as Vinny's primary energy fuel.

If you take anything away from this article, read that last sentence again. The
acetate is used as Vinny's primary energy fuel. This means that rather than burning
carbohydrates, protein, or fat as a fuel, Vinny's body relies on the acetate for
energy. It completely stops burning anything else. Suddenly, Vinny has a surplus of
carbs, protein, and fat circulating in the body with nowhere to go. So cost u less car insurance does it
all end up? You guessed it...it's converted to fat and deposited on Vinny's waistline.

But that's not the only effect on Vinny. Alcohol also acts as a potent appetizer. Ever
heard of an apertif? It's an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to increase the
appetite, and many restaurants realize that this is a great way to get you to order
more food! Several studies exist that show a sharp increase in caloric intake when
an alcoholic drink is consumed before a meal (compared to a glass of water, or even
a soda!). So now Vinny wants either: A) another glass of wine or B) food (probably
something salty or greasy).

That's not all! Let's say that Vinny succumbs to his appetite and finishes the bottle.
Just a single bout of heavy drinking will vastly increase the levels of the hormone
cortisol, while significantly decreasing the levels of the hormone testosterone. In
addition to his headache, here's why Vinny should be concerned: cortisol causes the
body to breakdown muscle and suppresses recovery from exercise, while low
testosterone makes the body less likely build lean muscle or to burn fat as a fuel. So
Vinny's getting a big belly, and skinny arms and legs.

Now let's consider the actual caloric content of the glass of red wine. Before we
begin, bear in mind that at most parties, social gatherings, and restaurants, a
typical glass of red wine is really more like 6-8 ounces. But we'll be conservative. So
Vinny's glass of wine contains about 110 calories. Contrary to popular belief, there
are very few carbohydrates in the wine - only about 5 grams. This is because when
grapes are made into wine, most of the fruit sugars are converted into alcohol. For
purposes of comparison, this glass of wine has about the same amount of alcohol
and calories as a 12 ounce light beer or a shot of 80 proof spirit (yes, that means a
shot of tequila = about a whole glass of wine). A regular, non-light beer, is even
higher in calories, since it contains over twice as many carbohydrates as light beer.

But realize that alcohol itself contains about seven calories for gram, making it
almost twice as calorie-laden as carbohydrates or protein, which contain only four
calories per gram. However, these calories contain no beneficial nutrients, vitamins,
or minerals. Sure - Vinny gets some benefit from the compounds present from the
grapeskins and grapejuice, butif he drinks a big glass of red wine every night with
dinner, he consumes over 1000 additional calories per week, and gains a dozen
extra pounds of fat a year!

I haven't really discussed mixed drinks and won't say too much. If you read last
week's article (click here to check it out), you know about sugar's potent effect on
fat levels in the body, and if you've read the label lately on any soda or mixer, you
know how much sugar it contains. A ton! Basically, you can take everything I just
illustrated in the case of Vinny, and multiply by 4-5. Margaritas, Long Island Iced
Tea, Mudslides, and other sweet mixed drinks can do more damage to your diet
than a Big Mac with cheese.

So let's be practical and assume that you are not going to completely give up
drinking but want some tips for your next social event. Here's some ideas:

Dilute alcohol with diet soda. While there are health problems with the artificial
sweeteners and chemicals in diet soda, this will reduce your overall caloric intake.

Use lots of ice. It makes your drink seem bigger without adding actual calories.

If you have to choose between fruit juice and soda in a mixer, choose fruit juice.

Avoid the salty snacks. They'll make you want to drink more.

At the bar, restaurant, or grocery store, try to find a top shelf product or good wine
that you enjoy, then pay those extra bucks and sip it slowly. Savoring a drink will
reduce overconsumption.

Drink as much water as possible. Try to have two drinks of water for every one drink
of alcohol.

I frequently perform nutritional evaluations for my clients, as well as anyone else
who wants to have a fitness professional look at their diet. Here's what to do if you
want help or guidance with your nutrition: Pacific Elite Fitness offers a complete and
detailed nutritional evaluation for $49.99 (less than a personal training session!).
Using the convenient online log that I will provide you with, you will write down
everything in your diet for 3 days - amounts, times, descriptions, extenuating
circumstances and food details. I will then sit down with your diet, perform a
complete evaluation, then give you a detailed e-mail on exactly which changes you
should make to get the results you desire. What are you waiting for?

Ben Greenfield runs Pacific Elite Fitness at www.pacificfit.net">www.pacificfit.net, an online portal for personal training, triathlete coaching, and free fitness and multi-sport advice. He resides in Liberty Lake, WA, where he works as director of sports performance for Champion Sports Medicine, a training and testing lab for athletes. Ben graduated from University of Idaho with bachelors and masters degrees in sports science and exercise physiology, and is certified as a personal trainer and coach by the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Ben also offers individualized personal training, multi-sport coaching, training program design for athletes, lifestyle wellness and diet advising, and corporate consulting for workplace fitness programs. To learn more, visit www.pacificfit.net">www.pacificfit.net or e-mail Ben at mailto:elite@pacificfit.net">elite@pacificfit.net.