ALCOHOL VS FITNESS – FRIENDLY OR WORST ENEMY – Well Being Wednesday
- SLIMher
- Jun 23, 2015
- 3 min read
Alcohol is the main attraction at most dinners, events, parties, and gatherings, but something that we aren’t aware of is how alcohol truly affects externally in our waistlines by what it’s doing us internally from that first drink.
Several aspects about alcohol are known by most of us that it has “empty” calories, so stay away from mixed beverages with lots of sweeteners in them, and if you do drink make sure to eat something beforehand.
A reason for the contribution of alcohol of weight gain is probably the least known, how alcohol is metabolized. We focus on calories, carbs, and sugars in alcohol but never really look at how the alcohol is metabolized by our body. Once alcohol is consumed our bodies start to make it a priority to get it out, not such a bad thing right, wrong! Since alcohol can’t be metabolized by our body it will put the brakes on metabolizing protein, carbohydrates, and fat. So while you are worrying about the amount of calories you are drinking your body simply registers the foreign substance in your body and won’t let you break down any calories, making you more likely to store fat! Once you stop drinking alcohol leaves your body at about .01% per hour, so if your blood alcohol content is .08 (legally drunk) it will take you 8 hours to get all of the alcohol out of you, then maybe you can start losing some fat!
Don’t think that coffee, a cold shower, or greasy food will help you get rid of the toxins in your body, TIME is the ONLY thing that will help!
Now that you have the reasons why alcohol can contribute to weight gain, but also dehydration, blood pressure issues, and even more...
But Don't worry, I’m going to be realistic here, we are all going to have another drink at some point, so let see what we can do to prevent maximal weight gain and eventual hangover The Day After?
Never drink on an empty stomach!
Do NOT drink before a meal, you will eat even more calories and crap food, save the booze for after the meal!
For every one drink you have drink a glass of water between to stay hydrated and limit the overall amount of alcohol you consume in an evening.
Stay AWAY from sugary mixers; if you want to add something to your drink add water, soda water, lemon, lime, orange slice, or fresh grapefruit juice. Or simply have a vodka or tequila on the rocks, which will save you calories.
Don’t think a bottle of red wine is good for you; yes a glass may have some “beneficial” properties, but so do Grapes.
No shots!! your waistline, health, and your hangover will thank you.
Drink slowly!
Stay away from Beer pressure, we aren’t in high school anymore! Now, we are social beings, and with that social drinkers. It’s OK to say NO thanks!
Set a limit for yourself! If you say you are only going to have 2 drinks tonight, only have 2, you willbe proud of yourself in the morning when you feel great and not like a truck hit you!
Talk to yourself! What? Next time you get ready to have that occasional drink after work go over this article in your head, is that drink really worth all of the hard work you have put in to get healthy, is it worth me feeling bad about myself when I didn’t reach my goals, is it worth increasing my risk of diabetes, is it worth the hours of fun for the hours of regret the next day?
So here is the Best And The Worst List….
Try to remember it the next time you are out:
And in case of an Hangover, here is a good Guide to follow the Next day to avoid the worst side of it:
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