Alcohol and weight loss are not compatible. I’ll tell you why, but I’ll also tell you how you can drink alcohol and still lose weight.

Alcohol hurts your body’s fat burning mechanisms!

Your body has built in storage areas for fats and carbohydrates. Your body does not have the ability to store alcohol.

Because of this, your body will oxidize alcohol ahead of carbohydrates, fat and protein.

Fat burning is severly suppressed when you drink alcohol because fat is at the bottom of the oxidative chain.

The main takeaway here is that when alcohol is present in your system, your body will convert more of the food you eat into body fat.

Here’s how alcohol and weight loss can go hand in hand…

If you want to drink occasionally, the following tips can stop you from derailing your weight loss efforts.

1. Choose low calorie mixed drinks and light beer. Most of the delicious mixed drinks are loaded with sugar. I love fruity margaritas, but when I found out how much sugar is in them I was absolutely shocked.

Look for alternatives that are low in sugar or sugar free. Use diet sodas or something like Crystal Light.

Bajabob.com has a list of sugar free drink mixes to choose from.

2. If you’re counting calories, add the alcohol calories into your daily total. You can easily find out the calorie content of different drinks by searching Google.

If you drink but stay within your calorie limits you may still be able to burn off fat.

3. Eat before you drink. You do not want to drink then go fill up on lots of junk food.

Think about this – you drink 800 calories or more worth of alcohol and then eat a bunch of junk food. You’ll probably store enough fat to mess up days of workouts and good eating.

Try eating a filling meal 2 to 3 hours before you get your drink on. The food will have time to digest and this should decrease the likelihood that you’ll binge on junk after you drink.

4. Drink water. Alcohol causes dehydration. When you’re dehydrated, you don’t burn fat efficiently.

In addition to your regular daily water intake, drink 8 ounces of water for every alcoholic drink that you have.

5. Practice self control. When you drink try to limit yourself to just a couple of drinks to minimize the damage.

6. Don’t drink often. When I said limit yourself to just a couple of drinks, that doesn’t mean have a couple of drinks everyday!

Alcohol and weight loss can fit together if you make use of those 6 guidelines.

The Top Eight Reasons Why Alcohol Can Make You Fat

There has been a good amount of research over the last few years about the benefits of red wine and safe limits for alcohol consumption, but what about alcohol when you’re trying to diet? The truth may be surprising to you.

Drinking alcohol, whether in the form of wine, liquor, or beer, can negatively affect weight loss. People who try to find the best diet but also drink alcohol have a harder time losing weight than those who do not drink at all. Here are some facts:

o Alcohol slows your metabolism.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a Swiss study showing that if you’re on a 1,250 calorie diet and get just 250 of those calories from alcohol, it can slow your metabolism by 36%.

o Alcohol stops your body from burning fat.

Alcohol and fat are both processed in the liver. When the liver is processing alcohol, it can not effectively metabolize fat.

o Alcohol is a depressant.

Although you may initially feel better after drinking alcohol, the ultimate effect is a depression, which has a negative effect on the dieter overall.

o Alcohol increases fatigue, making you less likely to exercise

Alcohol decreases the liver’s output of glucose, resulting in the lowering of the amount of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) entering the cells. ATP is the fuel for muscle contraction and immediate bursts of energy and so your ability to exercise will be impaired.

o Alcohol causes dehydration.

Dehydration causes your body to retain water and thereby cause water weight gain.

o Alcohol is also a sugar and so can trigger carbohydrate cravings and hunger.

In addition, people often snack or eat in combination with drinking alcohol.

o Alcohol also makes you more likely to stop your weight loss program, as it decreases your resolve to stick to it.

o Some alcohol (like beer) is high in both carbs and calories.

The ugly truth is that these calories are truly “empty” meaning they have no nutritional value. For example, a five-ounce glass of wine contains approximately 110 calories, which represents 10% of a person’s calories if they consume 1,000 calories per day. That is 10% of their intake which did them no good.

Now we are not saying you need to become a teetotaler (a person who abstains from alcohol completely) to lose weight. An occasional glass of alcohol is fine but if you are exceeding 2 servings a week and you’re overweight, you may want to cut back.

Drinking alcohol and eating high carb foods are related in the fact that they are both activities which cause a serotonin boost in the brain and can give you a relaxed, happy feeling which can be addictive.

The Enlita Weight Loss Program is designed to teach people how to stop self-medicating with food or drugs and how to feel energetic, alive and joyful from living a natural lifestyle in harmony with nature. For more information about the Enlita Program and natural weight loss, click here.

Most women feel desperate when they see that extra flab in their body. How to lose 30 lbs in 2 months? If that is your question too then you are in the right place. Shedding those extra pounds can be easily possible by following diets, which are especially known for their fat burning properties.

You can easily burn 30 pounds of fat in 2 months by consuming diets that are rich in proteins and vitamins while low in carbohydrates and fats. You should also avoid excess alcohol consumption and smoking during your dieting session. You should eat more home cooked meals and should avoid junk food completely.

You should also regulate your sleep timings in order to lose weight fast. Burning 30 pounds of fat in 2 months can be only possible if you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Diet & Foods For Women To Burn 30 Pounds Of Fat In 2 Months

- Diets For Women To Lose Weight includes more green leafy vegetables and fruits in order to create more metabolisms in your body. Avoid carbohydrates and fats completely because they increase the fat content in your body. It will help them lose 30 Lbs In 2 Months.

- Drink more glasses of water everyday in order to regulate the temperature of your body that may increase due to the burning of fats in your body that helps to reduce lose 30 Lbs In 2 Months. Water also keeps your digestive system clean and stimulates more digestion. Fishes and lean meat can be consumed during your dieting session.It can be one of the best diets For women to lose weight.

- You can burn 30 Pounds Of fats In 2 Months by taking smaller meals. You should take at least 6-8 small meals in order to keep the metabolism rate higher in your body. They are usually more beneficial than taking 3 large meals in a day. Diets For Women To Lose Weight should fat free and healthy.

Having type 2 diabetes means you need to be more careful about your intake of alcohol than you may have been in the past. However, alcohol doesn’t need to be avoided completely when you have type 2 diabetes, but you should know how much alcohol you can drink safely and which types of drinks are better for you than others.

Your liver is the key organ in your body involved in processing alcohol… it also happens to be where blood glucose is released. This means when you drink, your liver focuses on eliminating alcohol from your body and, depending on the amount you drink, may not be able to release enough glucose into your bloodstream to take care of your needs.

Alcohol and Hypoglycemia:

If you imbibe a bit too much, you may find yourself with a drop in blood sugar levels. These can go low enough to cause hypoglycemia, which means there isn’t enough glucose in your blood. Too low blood sugars can result in a life threatening situation and, at the very least, cause dizziness and confusion. Since these can also be symptoms of intoxication, no one may know that you need immediate treatment for low blood sugars.

Your slip into hypoglycemia can be even quicker if you take insulin or oral medications for diabetes type 2. It only takes two ounces of alcohol, or roughly 2 servings, to drop your blood sugar levels. One serving of alcohol equals 1 shot of liquor, 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. Thus, a six-pack of beer is equivalent to six servings.

Most doctors recommend no more than two drinks for men and one for women per day. This is, of course, based on your weight and how much your diabetes is controlled by either diet or medication. If your diabetes is not in the controlled range, (HbA1c level under 7), you should not drink alcohol at all.

Be Selective About Drinks:

Even if you are in the controlled range for diabetes type 2, you still need to be careful about what kind of alcohol you consume. Many drinks loaded with sugar really should be avoided. These include:

daiquiris margaritas, and drinks which are often mixed with ice cream, such as Kahlua, which is a coffee-based liqueur

These types of mixed drinks can easily pile on the pounds or kilograms and if you’re like most type 2 diabetics, you are trying to lose weight.

Any drink which contains alcohol is high is calories… higher than calories in carbohydrates by almost fifty percent. Plus, they are empty calories. They contribute nothing at all to your body’s nutritional needs. Not only that, most people do not drink alcohol without chomping on foods and snacks that are also “off-diet”.

It is really important for you to focus on maintaining the rest of your diabetes eating plan if you want to make room for alcohol. Drinking too much, three or more servings per day, over time can cause liver damage and cause diabetic complications to progress more quickly.

Seek Low-Calorie Options:

So, what are the best choices for alcohol? Choose drinks which are low in calories and lowest in alcohol. These can include using sugar-free mixers and colas with liquor, or light beers and dry wine. Stay away from liqueurs and port wines which are sugar and calorie intensive.

Check with your doctor before drinking alcoholic beverages. You might have different requirements depending on what medications you are taking. People with high cholesterol should avoid drinking entirely as alcohol can block lipid (fat) removal from your body. Try to make your drink last as long as possible by slowly sipping it and having it wash down a healthy snack like light popcorn or raw nuts.

Watching what you drink, to say the least, will help you to avoid passing out with low blood sugar levels.

So you’ve been exercising regularly, and cutting back on your calories to meet your weight loss goals. Everything is going great with your new changes but you notice the number on the scale isn’t moving much and your body isn’t changing shape as quickly as you’d hoped. There may be one more habit interfering with your weight loss efforts- -alcohol. Perhaps you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, have a couple of beers while watching the big game, or even cocktails on a Saturday night with friends. All common practices but they may be getting in the way of your weight loss efforts.

Alcoholic beverages have been enjoyed throughout recorded history. For some, a drink with dinner may be relaxing. Others may enjoy the inhibitions that alcohol can create to “let loose” with friends. Many people drink for the health benefits. After-all, evidence shows that moderate drinking, especially red wine, may lower the risk of heart disease. No matter what your reasons are for drinking, alcohol can interfere with your weight loss goals.

Alcohol is a product of fermenting carbohydrates- both sugars and starches. This means it does provide calories. Specifically it provides 7 calories for every gram compared to 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates and protein, and 9 calories per gram of fat. Drinking 4 (12 ounce) beers will supply 600 calories. To burn those calories, a person would need to walk non-stop for 3 hours. Skipping the cab ride and walking home may be a strategy but for most of us a 3 hour walk is a bit daunting even when we are in good shape.

Although wine contains fewer calories than beer, this can also lead to extra calories. Having a glass of wine provides 100 calories, but this is dependent on the glass size. A serving size of wine is 5-ounces. The larger wine glasses hold about 10 ounces turning your one glass of wine into two glasses. To put this into perspective, drinking two glasses of wine each night with dinner will add an extra 200 calories each day. If these calories are not burned through exercise and daily activity it can lead to a 20 pound weight gain in a year.

Adding juice, creams, and sodas to cocktails will increase the calorie level beyond what the alcohol is already providing. Be careful of what you are drinking. In some cases, one drink provides more calories than an entire meal! Here are the drinks that top the scales for most calories-

Long Island Iced Tea: 780 calories

Margarita: 740 calories

Pina Colada: 644 calories

White Russian: 425 calories

Sex on the Beach: 356 calories

Mai Tai: 350 calories

Lemon Drop: 223 calories

Besides adding calories, alcohol may affect your weight for other reasons. Some evidence suggests drinking alcoholic beverages may stimulate your appetite and cause you to eat more than you normally would. It also decreases your inhibitions so you don’t care how much more you are eating. How many times have you enjoyed chips and salsa with your margaritas while out with friends? How many chips did you eat? Who knows- all you remember is the waiter bringing three or four refills of the chip bowl.

Another factor to take into account is that your body processes alcohol first, before fat, protein, or carbohydrates which may slow down the burning of fat. There is also evidence that drinking too much seems to increase fat carried in the stomach area- otherwise known as the beer belly. Studies show that people with a higher amount of fat in the abdominal region are at a greater risk of heart disease.

Ok, this is looking dreary but it doesn’t mean you can never enjoy alcohol again. It just means that it is time to take inventory to see how much you are drinking and pay attention to how many calories your favorite drinks supply. Learn how to enjoy alcohol in moderation so you don’t end up sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are composed of sugar elements. Every carbohydrate is different. Each carbohydrate is categorized in two ways: according to the number of sugar elements it contains, and how the bond is linked together. Carbohydrates is a macronutrient that needs to be consumed in the largest amount; these consist of molecules made up of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen.

The body acquires energy through calories produced from consuming carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. One gram of carbohydrate produces four calories. Carbohydrates make up the body’s most efficient fuel source for energy. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose (blood sugar) and routed around the body to supply energy to muscles and other organs. If there is no glucose available, the body begins to pull energy from secondary sources such as proteins and fats. Healthy carbohydrates consist of mostly plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grain, potatoes, and yogurt. A smaller amount of carbohydrates are also found in vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, milk and cottage cheese. Through the consumption of carbohydrates, an individual receives many benefits. Carbohydrates function in the body in the following ways:

- Energy source.
- Stored in the muscles and liver, which can be used for energy at a later time.
- Regulates sugar circulation.
- Provides nutrients for the digestion process.
- Helps absorb calcium.
- Dietary fiber helps decrease cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Necessary for the central nervous system, kidneys, brain, and muscles to function properly.
- Important for intestinal health and waste elimination.
- Serves as a protector to muscles.

Carbohydrates can be broken down into two components comprised of simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates have a “simple” molecular structure. They are made up of one or two sugar molecules. Simple carbohydrates are known as monosaccharides and disaccharides. Monosaccharide are comprised of fructose, glucose, and galactose all containing one sugar element. Disaccharides contain two sugar elements and are made from a combination of monosaccharides. An example of a simple sugar containing one sugar element is fructose, also known as fruit sugar. Another example is glucose, which is blood sugar, produced when the body digests carbohydrates. Lastly, galactose is the sugar that is produced from digesting lactose, or milk sugar. A sugar containing two elements is known as sucrose, or table sugar. Sucrose is made up of one fructose element and one glucose element.

Simple carbohydrates can be digested very quickly, and are absorbed from the intestine into the bloodstream, which causes blood sugar to rise quickly. The quick rise in blood sugar levels results in a rapid drop, which brings everything back to normal. The release of high levels of blood sugar is followed by a quick response of insulin, which attempts to clear the blood sugar away to decrease the blood sugar levels. This can result in a dip in glucose accompanied by fatigue, dizziness, increase in appetite, and weakness. High levels of insulin can prevent fat from being properly burned. Obviously, simple carbohydrates are good for quick energy, but need to be consumed in moderation to prevent the rapid swings in blood sugar. The up and down effect of simple carbohydrates is unhealthy for a person’s body. Food sources of simple carbohydrates consist of white and brown sugar, fruit sugar, corn syrup, molasses, honey, white flour, white bread, candy and alcohol.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are made up of long chains of sugar molecules. Complex carbohydrates require digestion before the energy released can be used by the body. Complex carbohydrates are slowly absorbed from the intestine into the bloodstream, which causes a more gradual release of glucose and increase in blood sugar levels. It takes the body longer to digest these types of carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates consist of starches and dietary fiber. Rice, beans, pasta, wheats, grains, and potatoes are starchy complex carbohydrates. Fibrous carbohydrates are the indigestible portion of plant material that have a low calorie count, but are essential for keeping the digestive process running clean and healthy.

Dietary fiber is a very complex carbohydrate. The body is not able to metabolize dietary fiber, which causes it to pass through the body undigested. Fiber is essential for overall health because it helps process waste efficiently, provides a sensation of fullness, and helps protect against some medical diseases. Some foods high in fiber consist of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products.

There are two forms of dietary fiber, which consist of soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Fiber is classified according to whether it can dissolve in water. Soluble fiber lowers the amount of cholesterol circulating your bloodstream, while insoluble fiber absorbs water, causing a feeling of fullness without adding calories to one’s nutritional plan.

Consuming a balanced nutritional plan of fruits, vegetables, and grains will provide you with both soluble and insoluble fiber. Many plant foods contain both forms of dietary fiber, but the balance tends to tilt one way or the other with each food source.

- Soluble fiber: Fruits, oats, beans, cereal.
- Insoluble fiber: Whole grains, leaves (cabbage), skin (apple skin).

Men should consume approximately 30-40 grams per day, while women should consume 20-25 grams per day. Gradually increase dietary fiber consumption, allowing the body to adjust to the change. Add a little bit of fiber each day until you reach a proper amount. In addition, consume extra water when increasing fiber intake.

Complex carbohydrates should make up a bigger part of the diet than simple carbohydrates. They provide an individual with a more controlled release of blood sugar and the corresponding insulin response, while generally providing a better nutritional value.

Carbohydrate Intake

Experts suggest that your total carbohydrate intake should be approximately 45%-65% of your daily calories. In my opinion, keeping a carbohydrate intake in the ballpark of 40%-50% of your calorie intake is more realistic. Maintaining a well-balanced nutritional plan is the most important aspect of nutrition. A nutritional plan should consist mostly of complex carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, limiting the amount of simple carbohydrates being consumed. Carbohydrates are utilized by many parts of your body. A proper intake is necessary for your body to function properly.