Are you drowning your diet? Alcohol could be hindering your weight loss journey - Slimming Solutions

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Are you drowning your diet? Alcohol could be hindering your weight loss journey

scalesweightYou might find that you can cut down the calories of your food intake, but still not lose weight. Often the problem is down to alcohol; either drinking with your meals, or a weekend binge. There are more calories in alcohol than you might think, and that’s without the snacks that inevitably come with a trip to the pub.

FACT: One standard glass of wine has the same amount of calories as a piece of chocolate. And a pint of lager has the same calories as a packet of crisps.

FACT: On average, a regular wine drinker (one glass of wine every other day) will take in around 2,000 calories from alcohol alone every month.

FACT: Drinking five pints of lager a week adds up to 44,200 calories a year. You could eat 221 doughnuts instead.

Plus, most pub drinkers will increase their calories by snacking crisps, nuts or pork scratchings.

And what about the full English breakfast to help cope with the hangover the next day? Reaching for a fry-up instead of a bowl of cereal can add an extra 450 calories.

FACT: Most people wouldn’t even think about drinking a full glass of single cream, but don’t mind downing two pints of lager. Both are actually similar in calories.

Over time, this alcohol and related consumption will contribute to your weight gain.

Calories in alcohol:

  • A 175ml glass of wine contains 126 calories. The equivalent of a Cadbury Heroes miniature.
  • A pint of 5% beer contains 170 calories. The equivalent of a packet of McCoys crisps.
  • A 330ml bottle of 5% alcopop contains 237 calories. The equivalent of three teacakes.

If you’re counting calories for a diet and weight loss, make sure to include your alcohol calories so it doesn’t hinder your weight loss plans or put you at risk of malnutrition.

Metabolism and nutrition:

  • Alcohol contains empty calories and has no nutritional value.
  • Your body can’t store alcohol, so it must metabolise it straight away.
  • The body will prioritise metabolising alcohol over all other metabolic processes.
  • You won’t metabolise sugars and fats as efficiently during the metabolism of alcohol, and drinking heavily can cause your metabolism to slow.
  • Alcohol irritates your gastrointestinal tract, and can damage your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the food you eat.
  • Heavy drinking long term can impair your liver’s ability to activate vitamins, which contributes to the malnutrition often suffered by long term alcoholics.