Is alcohol slowing down your weight loss?

The Calories

Although it’s not just the calories, we can’t just forget about them.  Whether we like it or not, alcohol adds calories.  Lots of them. And it is the alcohol itself that does it. People often talk about the sugar in alcohol but there’s surprisingly little sugar in many drinks. Even where there is sugar, it’s still the alcohol that is contributing most of the calories.

In red wine, 98% of the calories come from the alcohol.  Alcohol accounts for 96% of the calories in dry white wine and 84% in medium white wine.  So although sugar can be part of the calories, it’s mainly the alcohol.

What’s in a serving?

A 175ml serving of wine (one of those little bottles) has around 140 calories.

But if you are pouring from a bottle you can easily pour a 250mls glass which is almost 200 calories.

Spirits are a little lower in calories with around 75 calories pub measure.  If you go with a sugar-free mixer, you can limit the calories.  A bottle of beer can have up to 130 calories. 

Alcohol and Appetite

People often talk about getting the “munchies” when they drink.  This is because alcohol stimulates your appetite – making you want to eat more and reducing your ability to resist temptation.  So, with alcohol, it’s not just the calories you drink, it is the calories you eat along with it.  Limit how often you do drink or take a break for a week or two if you find your weight is not going the way you want it.

Alcohol and Sleep

Experts now know that too little sleep or broken sleep makes it harder for people to lose weight and to keep it off.  When you drink, alcohol makes it harder for you to stay a sleep or to get the good, deep, sleep that you need.  Even one glass of wine or one beer is enough to impact your sleep.  Broken sleep makes you want to eat more and makes it harder for you to feel full – leading to lots of extra calories.  This is one of the reasons you’ll often find that you eat more the day after you’ve had a few drinks.

Do you need to give up alcohol?

Like everything in Unislim it’s about balance,  the occasional glass of wine is fine.  But if you’re struggling with your weight, it is worth looking at how much you drink, how often you drink and think about keeping it to one or two nights a week at most.  The benefits will be worth it!

For lots of more great tips on how to reach your weight loss goals, come along to one of our fun and motivating classes. Click here and get started today!