Temporary Weight Gain After Drinking Alcohol: What’s Going On There?

Overall, it’s thought that the more you drink, the higher your risk of gaining weight and developing a beer belly (8, 19). Interestingly, other studies have suggested that drinking beer in moderate amounts of less than 17 oz (500 ml) per day may not carry this risk (7, 8, 16). In fact, one study found that men who drank more than three drinks per day were 80% more likely to have a lot of belly fat than men who didn’t drink as much (15). Because of their phytoestrogen content, it has been suggested that the hops in beer might cause hormonal changes in men that increase the risk of storing belly fat. It’s been suggested that beer drinking may increase belly fat in a number of ways. Since alcohol calories are linked to belly fat, cutting back on alcohol is a good place to start.

Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain? Tips to Manage Drinking & Weight

• One group received intensive lifestyle interventions, and was told about the number of calories in alcohol.
• The next way to avoid the wine belly is to limit wine consumption.
• Even those who are usually conscious of their diet struggle to resist the urge to eat when intoxicated.
• Moreover, in order to compensate for the calories ingested from alcohol, these individuals will starve themselves.
• It’s used by medical professionals to assess your risk for alcohol dependence.

Even regular low-to-moderate consumption can influence weight if paired with unhealthy eating habits or sedentary lifestyles. Over weeks or months, those extra empty calories gradually translate into noticeable weight changes. It can cause weight gain when you consider which other foods are typically consumed with alcohol. Another reason men may be at more risk of getting a beer belly is due to alcohol’s effect on the male sex hormone testosterone. Drinking alcoholic drinks like beer has been shown to lower levels of testosterone (27, 28, 29).

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• Lack of exercising can keep you from burning off those alcoholic calories and eat bad foods the night before.
• Tropical mixed drinks tend to be very high in sugar, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.
• Whiskey promotes weight gain in that it allows the consumption of empty calories.
• Pepsin is an enzyme in the stomach that is responsible for the digestion of proteins into polypeptides (2).

Before Fong conducted research into this topic, she would advise those she worked with as a dietitian to cut calories by moderating their alcohol intake. I think I still would because it still could have other benefits, with a bonus being weight loss,” she says. Moderate alcohol consumption shouldn’t cause any significant weight gain as long as you do everything else right. But if you aren’t able to eat right when drinking, it’ll significantly affect how you accumulate fat. Insulin resistance is also higher after not getting enough proper sleep after consuming alcohol, making it more likely your body will preferentially store calories as fat (8). So achieving insulin sensitivity is a big part of losing weight and getting rid of abdominal fat.

It makes it difficult to choose healthy options

For example, a glass of red wine with a meal is completely acceptable. Drinking alcohol in moderation may help you control your urges to eat and keep you in the right mind to make better food choices. This way, you can be more calculated in what you order and avoid making choices that can lead to eating junk food. Alcohol can impair judgment and decision-making skills,  potentially leading to poor food choices. Even those who are usually conscious of their diet struggle to resist the urge to eat when intoxicated. Sleep deprivation increases hormones that increase appetite and fullness.

Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight and Affect Your Shape?

Please post only when sober; you’re welcome to read in the meanwhile. So, while drunk, you’re more likely to seek out that high-carb greasy burger and fries you’ve been craving all week instead of the low-calorie salad you had planned. That may be why your friend who always nursing a glass of wine or cocktail throughout dinner never gains a noticeable ounce. More on how much is “1 drink” in the Guideline’s Drink-Equivalents chart. This is why after weighing yourself on Monday, your weight may have skyrocketed up a handful of pounds but a couple of days later Sober living home is back down to its normal weight once you get back on your diet.

Alcohol also reduces inhibition and good decision-making, meaning you are much more likely to throw your healthy eating plan straight out of the window and make nachos after you’ve had a few. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, which is does alcohol make you gain weight fast more than carbohydrates and protein (4 kcal/g) but less than fat (9 kcal/g). The following quiz is called the AUDIT, which is short for Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.

Alcohol Inhibits Fat Oxidation and Slows Metabolism

One ounce of whiskey, which approximately has 70 calories, contains no carbohydrates (6). This distilled alcoholic drink is made by fermentation of different grain mash types such as wheat, barley, maize, rye, and buckwheat. It is for this reason that various whiskeys appear and taste different. For example, Jack Daniels tastes different from Jameson or Johnny Walker. Therefore, the objective of this article is to provide an update on the link between alcohol intake and obesity.

Appetite Stimulant

You’re more likely to lose weight by combining alcohol reduction with healthier lifestyle choices. Alcohol can worsen depression by altering brain chemistry and increasing feelings of sadness. This cycle of emotional eating and alcohol use can result in weight gain and other health issues.

Body parts

Mixed drinks are another culprit, often including sugary mixers like fruit juices and syrups, which significantly increase their calorie content. For instance, a pint of cider can have around 216 calories, leading to substantial calorie intake during a night out. Alcohol is high in both sugar and calories, containing 7 calories per gram, which is almost as much as 1 gram of fat.