I know anecdotal evidence is trash, but I recently had great success in losing weight as a 40 year old woman by stopping drinking (I had been a moderate drinker prior). I took detailed daily notes/stats, and while I lost weight steadily in the first weeks from healthy eating (and fewer alcohol calories and the calories I ate while under the influence), the real benefit came at around the 8-week mark, when I began losing weight rapidly - like a pound per day! - until I reached my goal weight and re-introduced the occasional sweet or (monthly) glass of wine. My theory is that after 8 weeks of no booze, my liver told my cells that they could go ahead and release the water they were holding on to, hence the rapid loss near the end. Overall, I lost over 30 lbs and have kept them off for 6 months without trying - I just eat healthily with regular treats and have one drink per month, if that. It is absolutely worth it. Also my skin is amazing. I definitely notice my friends my age who are still regular drinkers have the "booze bloat" in their faces that I had last summer. I would highly recommend trying this method! Stick it out until 8-10 weeks.
11
For some reason wine helps me maintain my weight and sometimes helps me to lose weight. I have no idea why. I drink both white and red, and sometimes it does stimulate my appetite. It seems to rev up my metabolism in some way.
4
The body stores toxins in fat and increased toxins result in increased fat deposits, so it stands to reason that increased levels of alcohol results in weight gain. I know a woman who now drinks a bottle of wine every night and is huge. She used to be stick thin. There's no doubt in my mind that the sugar and alcohol in booze is a dangerous combination and should be tackled responsibly.
3
I have been on a successful weight loss program and have reduced my alcohol (mainly wine) consumption from 4-5 glasses per week (at least) to 1-2 per week (at most). I think wine is essentially liquid sugar (think grape juice) and increases insulin resistance (or whatever it is that sugar does to insulin) and thus makes you hungrier and less efficient at burning calories. I think there really is little doubt that sugar creates great challenges for losing weight and alcohol falls under the sugar umbrella.
10
Calories and the gym are irrelevant if you want to lose weight. It's the carbs.
Get yourself on a ketosis diet (it's free and pretty painless). Just Google 'keto diet.' Borderline Type-2 diabetic? Get on the keto diet.
And you can have all the vodka you and your liver can stand. And in spite of this writer telling you it's OK to drink wine, it isn't. Lay off the beer and wine (loaded with carbs).
Get yourself on a ketosis diet (it's free and pretty painless). Just Google 'keto diet.' Borderline Type-2 diabetic? Get on the keto diet.
And you can have all the vodka you and your liver can stand. And in spite of this writer telling you it's OK to drink wine, it isn't. Lay off the beer and wine (loaded with carbs).
13
Dr. Chaput said he is able to keep from gaining weight and body fat despite consuming “about 15 drinks a week”
Not a Wellness factor. The American Cancer Society recommends if you drink, no more than two for men; and one for women. Also recommends that if you don't drink, don't start. There is too much risk associated with excessive alcohol intake for obesity and 7 kinds of cancer.
Not a Wellness factor. The American Cancer Society recommends if you drink, no more than two for men; and one for women. Also recommends that if you don't drink, don't start. There is too much risk associated with excessive alcohol intake for obesity and 7 kinds of cancer.
4
Assuming 130 calories in each alcohol serving, this equals 1,950 calories a week or 278 calories a day from alcohol. Assuming a 2500 daily calorie consumption and burn, you would be getting 11 percent of your daily calories from alcohol - an almost zero nutritional value substance. I guess if the rest of what you ate, I mean the other 89 percent, was ultra healthy, fresh fruits, vegetables, lean fish/chicken, etc. this is doable. But who would want to devote 11 percent of their diet to the one "cheat" food of alcohol? I prefer to vary my poisons.
1
It's simple math folks. Calories consumed versus calories burned.
5
@Ed Mahala:
Keeping a plane in the air is simple math, just lift versus gravity.
Winning a basketball game is simple math, just score more points than the other team.
Hunger/satiety, metabolic rate, and fat storage are all variable and interdependent. Different types and qualities of foods have different effects on these processes, _independent of calories_. Or did you think that sugar, fish, and kale were all the same thing, based on "calories"?
Energy balance is supposed to be automatic and unconscious, like breathing, blood pressure, fluid balance, etc. If we have to consciously count calories, then something is already wrong.
Keeping a plane in the air is simple math, just lift versus gravity.
Winning a basketball game is simple math, just score more points than the other team.
Hunger/satiety, metabolic rate, and fat storage are all variable and interdependent. Different types and qualities of foods have different effects on these processes, _independent of calories_. Or did you think that sugar, fish, and kale were all the same thing, based on "calories"?
Energy balance is supposed to be automatic and unconscious, like breathing, blood pressure, fluid balance, etc. If we have to consciously count calories, then something is already wrong.
6
I'm with you. Calories in, calories out. It's about choices. One vodka martini is at least 400 calories. Do you want to drink your calories or eat them?
3
The rub is that calories out is dynamic, mediated by physiology and influenced by the kind not just the number of calories in.
11
I lost 30 lbs on Atkins which allowed me free access to whiskey, but not beer and wine, etc.
11
This article focuses on weight gain, which is a health, rather than just an aesthetic issue. It should have mentioned other health risks associated to alcohol consumption, such as breast cancer. See the link below https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcoh.... Quoting from this link:
" Breast cancer: More than 100 epidemiologic studies have looked at the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer in women. These studies have consistently found an increased risk of breast cancer associated with increasing alcohol intake. A meta-analysis of 53 of these studies (which included a total of 58,000 women with breast cancer) showed that women who drank more than 45 grams of alcohol per day (approximately three drinks) had 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer as nondrinkers (a modestly increased risk) (7). The risk of breast cancer was higher across all levels of alcohol intake: for every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day (slightly less than one drink), researchers observed a small (7 percent) increase in the risk of breast cancer.
The Million Women Study in the United Kingdom (which included more than 28,000 women with breast cancer) provided a more recent, and slightly higher, estimate of breast cancer risk at low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption: every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a 12 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer (8)."
" Breast cancer: More than 100 epidemiologic studies have looked at the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer in women. These studies have consistently found an increased risk of breast cancer associated with increasing alcohol intake. A meta-analysis of 53 of these studies (which included a total of 58,000 women with breast cancer) showed that women who drank more than 45 grams of alcohol per day (approximately three drinks) had 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer as nondrinkers (a modestly increased risk) (7). The risk of breast cancer was higher across all levels of alcohol intake: for every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day (slightly less than one drink), researchers observed a small (7 percent) increase in the risk of breast cancer.
The Million Women Study in the United Kingdom (which included more than 28,000 women with breast cancer) provided a more recent, and slightly higher, estimate of breast cancer risk at low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption: every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a 12 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer (8)."
3
What a ridiculous and self-serving piece. Want to lose weight? Treat your body like a temple and cut out all the caffeine, tobacco and alcohol (they are after all, poisons), one slice of bread a day is enough carbs, unless, you're a child, no real need for dairy. Then stick to foods you cook yourself, at home, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much better you feel and how fast you shed those extra pounds. Oh and NO snacking at the office.
6
I do treat my body like a temple, I do pilates, cycling, walking, springboard, lift weights, enjoy a cup of organic cold brew in organic grass fed milk every morning, along with one or two glasses of Oregon or California wine, with organic fruits and veggies, lovely home-made pasta and grass fed poultry, pork or beef, and don't stress about putting "poisons" in my body, I live each day in moderation and enjoy local home made chocolates in moderation. Life is too short for a "purist" holier than thou point of view.
39
Alas. I find that drinking a glass of wine in the evening contributes to weight gain. I need to exercise and eat carefully every day in order to maintain my weight. I am what you refer to as in the older group. All of my siblings developed diabetes and my Doctor has advised me not to gain weight. So I follow a fairly strict routine. So I have my glass of wine and then walk a few miles.
4
Does this article address visceral fat?
I am a white male, 66 and fit, having easily maintained +-170lb @6'ht. since birth. Though I have little "body fat", I do get a "visceral belly bulge" and I know empirically that when I stop having a glass of red wine every night, this "bulge" goes away within a month. Visceral fat is a different issue entirely...
I am a white male, 66 and fit, having easily maintained +-170lb @6'ht. since birth. Though I have little "body fat", I do get a "visceral belly bulge" and I know empirically that when I stop having a glass of red wine every night, this "bulge" goes away within a month. Visceral fat is a different issue entirely...
6
There is no scientific evidence to substantiate the claim that physical exercise plays a part in losing weight. There is only a huge industry of gyms exercising the human capacity for superstition.
The only thing that happens when you exercise is that you get hungry. The same reaction as when you drink alcohol. It encourages your appetite. To lose weight skip alcohol and beware of exercise. I lost 100 pounds on this recipe during a period of 8 months.
The only thing that happens when you exercise is that you get hungry. The same reaction as when you drink alcohol. It encourages your appetite. To lose weight skip alcohol and beware of exercise. I lost 100 pounds on this recipe during a period of 8 months.
6
The exercise is NOT for weight loss. It can help reve up your metabolism -- make it more efficient at burning fat and stabilizes your blood sugar.... Do not, not exercise briskly. A slow walk will do next to nothing. A brisk walk will help. (I have diabetes 2 and lipids in the eye.. and I am no saint when it comes to food... often.
Actually if you drink and skip dinner...;-D have veggies and oysters on the happy hour... you should be able to not want more than small portions for dinner.
Actually if you drink and skip dinner...;-D have veggies and oysters on the happy hour... you should be able to not want more than small portions for dinner.
I agree and disagree that exercise plays a part in losing weight. True, it does make you hungry. But assuming you get to a healthy daily calorie reduction to lose weight, say 1,800 calories, by exercising you will burn an additional 300-600 calories that day. This allows for more eating that day - 2,100 to 2,400 calories instead of 1,800. OR, it allows for faster weight loss, turning your 1,800 calories into a 1,200 to 1,500 day. Assuming you actually follow a diet, excise can have significant effect on your weight loss - not to mention your health. Exercise can also incentivize you to eat right and vice versa. If you look at what people in the 1700s-1800s ate, you will find they ate way more than we did - but they moved 24/7 and worked very hard, generally. But I completely agree that people who exercise today thinking it is the key to weight loss, but then go and eat mindlessly, will NOT lose weight and will actually gain weight. It's just too easy to eat more than you can burn.
That is crazy ....burning calories is what loses weight.....and has many other healthy benefits. At 2-3 hrs a day of brisk exercise, I can eat anything and everything and still have a very very good weight and BP and pulse and blood chemistry.
If its a period of just moderate exercise then I watch what I eat and drink much more closely.
Exercise and calorie intake balance to that amt of exercise IS THE EQUATION!
If its a period of just moderate exercise then I watch what I eat and drink much more closely.
Exercise and calorie intake balance to that amt of exercise IS THE EQUATION!
2
This article is just incorrect. You will weigh more with alcohol than without it.
Alcohol is a processed carbohydrate. The sugar and fiber are separated and the fiber is discarded. Sugar is a fast-burning fuel. When we dump sugar into our body, we can't burn it all as fuel, so we store it as fat.
And here's the point: The role of fiber is to slow the rate at which sugar is digested so it remains in the stomach longer, more of it is burned because it is digested more slowly, and since more is burned, less is stored as fat. That is why nature pairs sugar and fiber is so many foods -- think sugarcane.
A calorie made of a processed carbohydrate with the fiber removed behaves differently in the body than do other calories, so merely counting calories is not enough. It is what kind of calories you consume that matters, and if you consume sugar with its fiber extracted you will weigh more than you would if you did not consume such sugar. Period end of story.
You cannot exercise enough in day to work off the calories. You may be able to eat differently to offset the effect of alcohol, but that does not change the fact that if you drink alcohol you will weigh more than you would if you did not.
If you want to understand more about sugar, look for Robert Lustig and "The Bitter Truth About Sugar" on YouTube. If you don't have 90 minutes, look at his 20 minute Ted Talk.
Alcohol is a processed carbohydrate. The sugar and fiber are separated and the fiber is discarded. Sugar is a fast-burning fuel. When we dump sugar into our body, we can't burn it all as fuel, so we store it as fat.
And here's the point: The role of fiber is to slow the rate at which sugar is digested so it remains in the stomach longer, more of it is burned because it is digested more slowly, and since more is burned, less is stored as fat. That is why nature pairs sugar and fiber is so many foods -- think sugarcane.
A calorie made of a processed carbohydrate with the fiber removed behaves differently in the body than do other calories, so merely counting calories is not enough. It is what kind of calories you consume that matters, and if you consume sugar with its fiber extracted you will weigh more than you would if you did not consume such sugar. Period end of story.
You cannot exercise enough in day to work off the calories. You may be able to eat differently to offset the effect of alcohol, but that does not change the fact that if you drink alcohol you will weigh more than you would if you did not.
If you want to understand more about sugar, look for Robert Lustig and "The Bitter Truth About Sugar" on YouTube. If you don't have 90 minutes, look at his 20 minute Ted Talk.
7
I exercise daily and eat healthy. I had difficulty shedding some weight in an effort to reduce my "love handles", even though I was being very careful about my diet. I also had a daily drink and decided to try giving up the alcohol. Lo and behold, those last difficult to lose pounds dropped right off and the love handles are greatly reduced. It was a real eye-opener for me.
4
Some thing for me...no drinking for three months, feel better, sleep better and lost 10 pounds!
3
I recommend moderation (not that I always take my own advice).
Overly strict behavior and judgmentalism of others are a bad combination.
Enjoyment is not a crime. It's too bad so many people sneer at moderate alcohol use.
Overly strict behavior and judgmentalism of others are a bad combination.
Enjoyment is not a crime. It's too bad so many people sneer at moderate alcohol use.
24
Oh, I so wish this were true! But the fact is, at least for me, alcohol defnitely
makes me gain weight, all other things being equal. Especially 'hard' drinks,
wine not so much, obviously because of the much lower alcohol content.
Two years ago I dropped 16 pounds in 6 months just by skipping my beloved pre-dinner double vodka/rocks, while still having wine and my favorite foods.
It's a daily battle between vanity and enjoyment, I'm not obsessed with the health issues.
makes me gain weight, all other things being equal. Especially 'hard' drinks,
wine not so much, obviously because of the much lower alcohol content.
Two years ago I dropped 16 pounds in 6 months just by skipping my beloved pre-dinner double vodka/rocks, while still having wine and my favorite foods.
It's a daily battle between vanity and enjoyment, I'm not obsessed with the health issues.
7
This is a silly article. Unless you are a like drinker, it is self evident to any drinker that it is virtually impossible to lose weight and engage in moderate drinking. Drinking equals loss of willpower for food and the foods most likely to be consumed are high fat and carbs. This article is not doing a service to those who are trying to lose weight.
9
Ahhhhh... "alternative facts" again. Forget the mountains of research the writer waded through. "Brad" says it's all bunk, so--- case closed, I guess.
12
I think the point is that although alcohol itself may not cause weight gain, alcohol stimulates the appetite, thus making it harder to eat less and thus harder to lose weight.
(Alcohol flips brain into hungry mode - BBC News
www.bbc.com/news/health-38562048)
(Alcohol flips brain into hungry mode - BBC News
www.bbc.com/news/health-38562048)
2
I am 5 ft tall, weighing in from 103- 108 as my range and I do notice that during winter when I'm drinking red, I'm on the higher end. In summer I drink Rose by the gallon and am more toward the lower end of my range. It's all about physical activity. Life is too short to not drink wine. I'd rather give up white and processed foods to drop a few. Yoga helps.
19
it's also all about age - what works when you're 30 doesn't work when you're 50
7
And what worked when I was 50 doesn't work now that I'm 70! Ugh.
7
It worked well enough that you are 70 and still I assume happy and healthy!
2
No worry, only happy? Just drink water. That too in moderation. Have a nice life.
5
Until quite recently we were beret of Water here, so the "Moderation" part came easily.
3
You may not need to lay off of the booze to lose weight, but you certainly need to lay off it if you want to avoid all chance of lung cancer.
Yes, alcohol is a known cause of lung cancer. Like smoking is. This is no joke. Look it up if you don't believe it.
Yes, alcohol is a known cause of lung cancer. Like smoking is. This is no joke. Look it up if you don't believe it.
3
It's your suspect claim that should have sources appended. Do your homework.
9
Here's the fastest one I could find. Finding it took about 20 seconds. There are many more. I always do my homework.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_cancer
And now you should take your own advice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_cancer
And now you should take your own advice.
1
Elaine, your research perhaps needs more depth. The study cited by the Wikipedia article you referenced found only a weak and possibly confounded (by smoking) link between alcohol consumption and lung cancer, and a small absolute risk compared to other factors. "Because smoking is such a strong risk factor for lung cancer and because smoking is correlated with alcohol consumption, the major concern in the examination of an association between alcohol consumption and lung cancer is failure to fully control for confounding by smoking. Measurement error in measured aspects of smoking (ie, smoking status, duration of smoking, and amount smoked) and variations in other unmeasured aspects (ie, depth of inhalation and length of time that smoke is held in the lungs) may have an effect on the estimation of the risk of lung cancer from other factors correlated with smoking, such as alcohol. . .An additional potential source of residual confounding could be the effect of passive smoke exposure. . .the group of nonsmokers who were included in the highest category of alcohol consumption might have a heavier exposure to smoke if they drank in smoke-filled environments. . .In fact, there was some indication in both men and women that there was a lower risk of cancer in those reporting moderate consumption than in nondrinkers. . .The finding of an increased RR in male never smokers is notable, although the absolute risk of lung cancer in this group is, of course, small."
2
I need a more nutrient rich beer it sounds like. Is there like a beer/juice combo out there?
2
Yes, it's called a Michelada. Beer + tomato juice + lime + spices. Refreshing on a warm day. Que rico!
6
Toss a raw free-range egg in with a 16 oz. glass of quality beer not unlike Pliny the Slacker. As convenient as shampoo-conditioner.
2
I agree with those who point out that sugar and refined carbohydrate intake is perhaps the most serious bad dietary habit we can have. There's so much evidence for this now that is is ceasing to be controversial. And two or three drinks a day in a sugar-free diet sounds fine. But, if you don't want to drink, well don't drink.
6
This is certainly true if your two or three drinks a day are water. But when you drink alcohol, you are mainlining sugar. That is why drinking is so fattening.
1
"Drinking is so fattening." I suppose you didn't read the part where it says, "The most common finding was that, in men on average, drinking was 'not associated' with weight, whereas among women, drinking either did not affect weight or was actually associated with a lower body weight than among nondrinkers." And "'no clear picture' of the relationship between alcohol and weight." Pesky facts! But we'll take your intuition over evidence, sure. Alcohol is not metabolized in the same way as sugar.
4
I like to drink a 20 oz glass of diet tonic water with a capful of gin in it. A capful is about 1/3rd of an oz. It's basically impossible to drink more than 3 of these 20 oz drinks, but if you drink 3 you are still at only 1 oz of gin. If you buy the big bottles of diet tonic, it's a cheap drink too, much less expensive than wine.
5
What's the point? You wouldn't feel a thing from 1 oz of gin diluted in 60 oz of water.
3
"Given that moderate drinkers tend to live longer than teetotalers..." not sure about that one.
8
Despite the claims, alcohol is not "good" for anyone. Eliminate it and live a better, fuller, life. Period.
1
As a moderate wine drinker, I've seen no weight gain and occasionally I will snack more or eat a bit more if I'm having more than one wine.
My weight range is 118-120 and I'm 5'1".
I do feel, package labeling , carb & calorie info should be on everything we eat & drink. It isn't the entire answer but it's better than no information about ingredients at all. Now we have no idea if fillers, sugars, hfcs are added to alcoholic beverages....., it's important missing info and are we consumers not entitled to have that?
My weight range is 118-120 and I'm 5'1".
I do feel, package labeling , carb & calorie info should be on everything we eat & drink. It isn't the entire answer but it's better than no information about ingredients at all. Now we have no idea if fillers, sugars, hfcs are added to alcoholic beverages....., it's important missing info and are we consumers not entitled to have that?
7
We are entitled to find that information on their websites. The only one responsible for avoiding potentially harmful ingredients in a product is you. Innocent sounding 'caramel color' is on a list of possible carcinogens and many breweries add it to their beverages, along with others in the processed food industry. In the days before google, I would dial the phone number listed on a product and ask a representative if a certain ingredient was in their food or beverage, they were usually more than happy to oblige.
No one is looking after your health and safety in the food and beverage industry, but you.
No one is looking after your health and safety in the food and beverage industry, but you.
1
No magical foods - no magical calories - including alcohol calories.
If calories out > calories in; then you will lose weight.
If calories out > calories in; then you will lose weight.
3
@Steve RR:
If one team scores more points, then that team will win the game.
If more people enter a room than leave, then the room will become full.
"Calorie logic" is true but also useless. Different types and qualities of foods have different effects on fat storage, metabolic rate, and hunger/satiety, all independent of calories. It's not "magic," it's physiology.
You have reached an absurd place where you think 500 cal of sugar will have the same effects on the body as 500 cal of fish + vegetables.
If one team scores more points, then that team will win the game.
If more people enter a room than leave, then the room will become full.
"Calorie logic" is true but also useless. Different types and qualities of foods have different effects on fat storage, metabolic rate, and hunger/satiety, all independent of calories. It's not "magic," it's physiology.
You have reached an absurd place where you think 500 cal of sugar will have the same effects on the body as 500 cal of fish + vegetables.
21
I factored in the carbs on a low carb diet of a glass of wine whenever, and lost over 30 lbs. I also know that if I'm not paying attention, a glass, or two perhaps, of wine definitely produces a happy, 'what the heck' feeling and I'll overeat. Really, whatever. Onward.
4
This is a rather frivolous article which skirts the main issue of the nefarious quality of alcohol on society as a whole.
Even though I oppose the current regime in place in Washington, I think it would be apt for a teetotaling president to add his weight to health care reform by penalizing individuals who are afllicted with alcohol-related issues. Society as a whole already pays a considerable price for millions of drinkers' severe problems with alcohol : domestic violence, automobile accidents, random acts of violence, lower worker production, greater number of sick days, etc. Short of reactivating another Prohibition of dubious efficiency, it would be better to simply penalize and render drinkers' lives altogether more difficult.
The weight loss aspect is fluff : soda and most refined sugars are horrendous, too.
Even though I oppose the current regime in place in Washington, I think it would be apt for a teetotaling president to add his weight to health care reform by penalizing individuals who are afllicted with alcohol-related issues. Society as a whole already pays a considerable price for millions of drinkers' severe problems with alcohol : domestic violence, automobile accidents, random acts of violence, lower worker production, greater number of sick days, etc. Short of reactivating another Prohibition of dubious efficiency, it would be better to simply penalize and render drinkers' lives altogether more difficult.
The weight loss aspect is fluff : soda and most refined sugars are horrendous, too.
3
Though he certainly has a lot of 'weight' to throw around, I can't see our near obese president as an advocate for health.
14
All I know is when I gave up alcohol completely my weight loss was so much faster. While I eventually lost over 100 pounds, weight loss slowed the weeks when I included wine in my meal plan, even when I stayed within the calorie limit. I've had a hard time maintaining that weight loss with alcohol added back on my menu.
7
The beer belly, or booze belly, is the first thing that will shrink if one stops drinking alcohol. Combined with a bit of exercise, your clothes should fit better. Eat less meat and processed foods and more cruciferous veggies to sweep the colon clean.
5
I have edited medical research papers for 6 years, mostly concerning problems of the elderly. For several thousand papers, there has never been even one that showed any benefit associated with drinking alcohol. Instead, it is a contributing factor in all the usual suspects. A non-inclusive list: dementia, depression, cancers of many types, fatty liver disease, obesity, heart disease, paralysis, hip replacements, atherosclerosis. I usually do not edit papers for the social sciences, but by personal experience I'd say that alcohol (as well as other drugs) destroys relationships, especially child/parent. I like alcohol, but anyone over the age of 50 is a fool to continue with it, in any amount whatsoever, and people younger than 50 can only benefit by avoiding it, as a poison, which is what it is.
10
Thanks for this data-driven response. There are too many "wink-wink" articles in the Times implying that you can party regularly and remain healthy. You can't, at least not over the long run. I don't know why the Times chooses to ignore well-established scientific data, other than to offer up juicy, click-baity headlines that appeal to our desire to believe the unbelievable: that we can have our cake and eat it too.
The less you drink, the better.
The less you drink, the better.
5
I was a medical researcher and had to interview subjects as well as measure their blood fat profile. The best (high HDL-cholesterol, low triglycerides) was often in older men who drank too much alcohol by medical standards (3-5 drinks per day).
7
I lost 140 pounds after 25 years of obesity and dieting failure with the behavior therapy techniques I learned as an addictions therapist, and I never had to give up moderate use of alcohol. I've kept it off for 30 years. Some people need to give up alcohol to solve their weight problem, but that is more of an alcohol problem. The caloric load and disinhibiting effect of alcohol can make weight control challenging, but not impossible for those who can control their drinking.
2
Drinking's never been a problem for me, despite what my relatives might have told you. Never trust a fella ya can't get drunk, arrested, and flagged from the corner taproom with, I say. Seriously though, the stain on the hardwood bedroom floor where I'd regurgitated a pint of Tiger Rose wine in 8th grade was ineradicable, as was the memory of the hangover, 53 years ago. "Booze is a killer," my father said in 1965, when one of his investments was the Melody Lounge in boozy Atlantic City. Even the post-Vietnam era, and alternative remedies, did not displace "liquor, which is quicker," but the Jersey shore and an Irish-Catholic subculture includes unique sacraments.
3
Your colourful anecdotes justify why health care coverage reform should omit addictions such as the ones you evoke in your commentary. Why should temperate folk pay the penalty for alcoholics' slow suicide and harm to others?
Why, for the same reason that childless married couples have to pay an onerous property tax to help subsidize the daycare centers and public schools, mon ami.
15
In Belgium it's not unusual to see elderly people having a glass of beer with breakfast. They have the highest beer consumption in Europe, I read years ago. But I draw the line at pommes frites with mayonnaise!
5
Pommes frites and mayo are delicieux-- and there's a German beer Froh for Fruhstuck.. In by gone days people drank beer for calories, for taste and because plain water was awful and dangerous, and it's kind of a tranquillizer/anti-depressant!! Impt.
1
That's because you haven't tasted Belgian mayonnaise. It's the "real thing". I, too, was revolted when first I heard of the combination, until I had the opportunity to taste it. Sublime! Nothing like the mayonnaise we have over here, and neither are the fries, at least in my experience.
Dr. Chaput said he is able to keep from gaining weight and body fat despite consuming “about 15 drinks a week” by eating a healthy diet, exercising daily and monitoring his weight regularly.
In other words, we need to do sacrifice tasty junk food in order to counteract the fattening effects of alcohol?
In other words, we need to do sacrifice tasty junk food in order to counteract the fattening effects of alcohol?
3
I think junk food is disgusting, but love my beer, wine and whiskey. But with good quality food (vegetables, salads, lean meats and fish). I'm 45 and weigh the same as 20 yrs ago (155lbs, 6'). I do exercise quite rigorously though 3-4 times a week.
4
I find it interesting when the caloric load of food and beverage is presented as though it were well known and understood. As far as I know, food calories are still determined by a device developed in the late 1800's with little modification since, the bomb calorimeter.
This device measures the caloric load of a food or beverage simply by burning it to measure how much energy (as heat) it gives off. It should come as no surprise that a beverage containing alcohol, when burned, would create a lot of heat for this device and indicate that it was very high in calories.
I submit that perhaps we are still in the "stone age" of understanding human nutrition and that until data is available showing how foods really interact with the body, and how they interact in the complexity of a typical meal, that relying on bomb calorimeter data as fact is likely misleading, especially when trying to assess how alcoholic beverages fit into a typical diet.
Unfortunately, a real study of human nutrition and how foods and combinations of foods really interact with the body would be difficult and expensive. Although all of humanity might benefit, it's hard to imagine that industry or government would have the will and resources to initiate such a study.
I think it's time for nutritionists to dig a little deeper and realize how little is actually known on the subject. Such honesty might just add to the confusion on diet but I'm not certain that discussion isn't terminally confused already.
This device measures the caloric load of a food or beverage simply by burning it to measure how much energy (as heat) it gives off. It should come as no surprise that a beverage containing alcohol, when burned, would create a lot of heat for this device and indicate that it was very high in calories.
I submit that perhaps we are still in the "stone age" of understanding human nutrition and that until data is available showing how foods really interact with the body, and how they interact in the complexity of a typical meal, that relying on bomb calorimeter data as fact is likely misleading, especially when trying to assess how alcoholic beverages fit into a typical diet.
Unfortunately, a real study of human nutrition and how foods and combinations of foods really interact with the body would be difficult and expensive. Although all of humanity might benefit, it's hard to imagine that industry or government would have the will and resources to initiate such a study.
I think it's time for nutritionists to dig a little deeper and realize how little is actually known on the subject. Such honesty might just add to the confusion on diet but I'm not certain that discussion isn't terminally confused already.
5
I have been teaching a method of weight loss and weight control for 30 years with thousands of clients, relying on creating habitual behavior that results in caloric deficits. Most clients include alcoholic beverages in their habits. I have never had, in thousands of cases, a client not lose weight by eating fewer calories (using easily available resources for caloric values in foods) than they burn (using the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation to estimate metabolic rate). Just because a method of scientific method is old and has not changed does not mean it is invalid. After all, balance scales used to find weights of things have been around since before Bomb Calorimetry. That does not mean they are not reliable.
@William Anderson:
Everyone loses a little weight at first upon caloric restriction. The trick is maintaining it, and is the weight lost fat or muscle? Upon _prolonged_ caloric restriction, the body compensates by increasing hunger and decreasing metabolic rate. This is a well-replicated finding.
Different types and qualities of foods have specific metabolic and hormonal effects, independent of calories. A hundred calories of alcohol affects the body quite differently from a hundred calories of meat or vegetables.
Focusing on calories misses the point of _why_ the body is gaining or losing weight, and the regulation of hunger/satiety to achieve nutrient balance.
Everyone loses a little weight at first upon caloric restriction. The trick is maintaining it, and is the weight lost fat or muscle? Upon _prolonged_ caloric restriction, the body compensates by increasing hunger and decreasing metabolic rate. This is a well-replicated finding.
Different types and qualities of foods have specific metabolic and hormonal effects, independent of calories. A hundred calories of alcohol affects the body quite differently from a hundred calories of meat or vegetables.
Focusing on calories misses the point of _why_ the body is gaining or losing weight, and the regulation of hunger/satiety to achieve nutrient balance.
I have and my clients have 30 years of experience achieving permanent weight loss by reducing caloric intake sufficiently, and reports published by the National Weight Control Registry confirm this with their 6000 study subjects, indicating no effect on metabolic rate or increased hunger even after long-term caloric reduction to achieve weight loss.
Ha! My problem is that if I have a drink or two, I am likely to say yes to poor food choices. So, in a roundabout way, alcohol absolutely lends itself to me gaining weight!
11
I love the Ebonics variant of "Genevieve," patron saint of Paris, Texas.
Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol has never interfered with weight loss in the patients using my behavioral methods, described in my book about weight loss. I lost 140 pounds 30 years ago having a regular beer and glass of wine, and thousands of my patients and readers have been able to succeed too. If one is not able to avoid drinking too much, that indicates a problem with alcohol that must be addressed, in addition to weight control.
1
You post almost the same comment (just a few words tweaked) as nauseum (often shilling for yourself). I wish the moderators would take note of this--I'm sure I'm not the only one tiring of your incessant self-promotion (and who is really rethinking the decision to subscribe to the New York Times).
2
Passing strange to have a regular beer, followed by a glass of wine.
It's not that I have a regular beer followed by a glass of wine. I was trying to get the point across that success in weight loss is very possible even though you have these drinks as a regular part of your life.
2
Jane Brody, terrific reporting and writing. She wrote:
“Unlike protein, fats and carbohydrates, alcohol is a toxic substance that is not stored in the body. Alcohol calories are used for fuel, thus decreasing the body’s use of other sources of calories. That means people who drink must eat less or exercise more to maintain their weight.
Dr. Chaput said he is able to keep from gaining weight and body fat despite consuming “about 15 drinks a week” by eating a healthy diet, exercising daily and monitoring his weight regularly.”
This article is very valuable. I use one of the recommended techniques. I weigh myself everyday, to remind myself not to overeat, which in my natural inclination.
This article is also archived at blog 2, On Vietnam and the world.wordpress.com in category Weight Weight don't tell me.
“Unlike protein, fats and carbohydrates, alcohol is a toxic substance that is not stored in the body. Alcohol calories are used for fuel, thus decreasing the body’s use of other sources of calories. That means people who drink must eat less or exercise more to maintain their weight.
Dr. Chaput said he is able to keep from gaining weight and body fat despite consuming “about 15 drinks a week” by eating a healthy diet, exercising daily and monitoring his weight regularly.”
This article is very valuable. I use one of the recommended techniques. I weigh myself everyday, to remind myself not to overeat, which in my natural inclination.
This article is also archived at blog 2, On Vietnam and the world.wordpress.com in category Weight Weight don't tell me.
2
Not hearing much here from the pro-cannabis evangelists, oddly. The stoned teetotalers always have lots to say about Demon Run and its ilk, root of all evil and lack of couth, etc.
3
Does cannabis have the same effect of contributing to loss of control on calorie intake?
1
A.: "Munchies." Q.E.D.
5
Let's go over this again guys....let's bottom line it.
A calorie, is a calorie is a calorie.
While some "fattening" foods like avocados are healthy and chocolate sundaes are not, otherwise I have learned in life that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
If you want to lose one pound....you have to stop eating four 800 calorie hot fudge sundaes or app. 20 glasses of re wine.
This is not rocket science. I have used this form of simple weight watchers to maintain a health weight over the last 50 yrs. (I said it is simple not easy)..
You can whine, rationalize, cherry pick, finger point, intellectualize etc. etc. but if you want to lose weight you have to stop eating the required number of calories. Period.
A calorie, is a calorie is a calorie.
While some "fattening" foods like avocados are healthy and chocolate sundaes are not, otherwise I have learned in life that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
If you want to lose one pound....you have to stop eating four 800 calorie hot fudge sundaes or app. 20 glasses of re wine.
This is not rocket science. I have used this form of simple weight watchers to maintain a health weight over the last 50 yrs. (I said it is simple not easy)..
You can whine, rationalize, cherry pick, finger point, intellectualize etc. etc. but if you want to lose weight you have to stop eating the required number of calories. Period.
7
@paul:
Let's go over this again. What we eat and how much we eat are _interdependent_. Types and qualities of foods have specific metabolic and hormonal effects, which include effects on hunger/satiety and fat storage.
Or do you suppose 800 cal of sugar vs. 800 cal of fish, veggies, and olive oil will have the same effects on the body?
Let's go over this again. What we eat and how much we eat are _interdependent_. Types and qualities of foods have specific metabolic and hormonal effects, which include effects on hunger/satiety and fat storage.
Or do you suppose 800 cal of sugar vs. 800 cal of fish, veggies, and olive oil will have the same effects on the body?
4
It's true a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
But your body does not operate like a calorie bucket.
It's acts like a thermostat, raising its metabolism up and down.
Some calories are oxidized sooner by increased metabolism.
Others are converted to fat by reduced metabolism.
So we need to watch the type of calorie going in.
But your body does not operate like a calorie bucket.
It's acts like a thermostat, raising its metabolism up and down.
Some calories are oxidized sooner by increased metabolism.
Others are converted to fat by reduced metabolism.
So we need to watch the type of calorie going in.
2
Sorry!!! a calorie is a calorie is old school thinking- not all foods are digested the same. A 100 calories of almonds will not be completely digested in the intestinal tract whereas a 100 calories of sugar - say a energy drink or pop will enter ones system as a 100 calories. Therefore food choices are more important than counting every calorie.
5
I very much enjoy a glass or two of wine with my evening meal. But whenever I want to lose 5 or so pounds I give it up for a week ( I like food more and can't countenance any modification there). Five or so pounds gone. Never fails.
1
Give it time, it will fail. Your metabolism will slow down, and you will to give it up will diminish also.
5
You must be young Sean! That technique doesn't work over 60 anymore. Boo, hoo!
6
The sex and of the weight watcher are everything when it comes to what works and what doesn't....my 30-year-old self could just drop desserts or alcohol or whatever and come up with a certain result. My 50-year-old self does not have such luck, and knowing that some guys can do these tricks and get results is about the only time I have ever been jealous of the male body.
Just to clarify your lead premise, only 100% ethyl alcohol (i.e. 200 proof) has 7 calories per ounce. The usual drunkard can count on about 100 calories per shot of 80 proof vodka or the like, which is far less depressing to overweight drinkers like me. Just saying.
1
I lose weight without feeling deprived on a sane calorie-restricted, quasi low carb diet. I also have several Scotches (neat) before bed and continue to lose weight. Why? The Scotch has zero carbohydrates. I sleep like a baby.
2
Alcohol at bedtime is often used to induce sleep, which it does. It also reduces sleep quality. Sleep physicians, not opposed to alcohol in general, strongly discourage nightcaps.
3
A somewhat nonsensical article. Alcohol consumption adds to one's total daily calorie intake. So whether or not drinking puts on weight depends on what else you are eating and how much exercise you are getting.
4
Basic biochemistry, the human liver has no pathway to metabolise alcohol to energy therefore alcohol in itself is non calorific. The carbohydrate that is in the beverage is calorific, hence beer is on a par with soda and wine with fruit juice. Pure alcohol like vodka and whiskey alone will not make one gain wait. The rest is pure physics, energy in vs energy out and exercise is unlikely to exceed the average diet in our current abundant world.
3
Most of the sugar in grapes gets turned into alcohol during fermentation, so wine is actually negligible in terms of sugar, and thus carbs. Most of the rest of it is common sense, beer is very high carb and most mixers (tonic, sour, etc) are very sugary and thus high carb.
When I went low carb, I did read that because of its toxicity, the body will prioritize alcohol metabolization over ketogenesis. I still lost weight with the occasional bourbon old fashioned made with a demerara sugar cube and bitters.
When I went low carb, I did read that because of its toxicity, the body will prioritize alcohol metabolization over ketogenesis. I still lost weight with the occasional bourbon old fashioned made with a demerara sugar cube and bitters.
1
It's not true that "the human liver has no pathway to metabolise alcohol to energy." The liver converts alcohol to acid acetaldehyde, and acetaldehyde to acetate (CH3COO-). Acetate can react to form Acetal-CoA, which in turn can be metabolized in the Krebs cycle to generate energy. (Acetate can also react to form glucose or fat...which can be converted to energy.)
3
the "disinhibiting" effect sounds right to me. weight loss is all about mindset. if you have a strong mindset towards exercise and diet, you will lose weight whether or not you drink booze. but booze may have the effect of chipping away at that strong mindset...and then you may be slip sliding away.
3
As Director of The New York Center for Eating Disorders, I believe that everyone's eating and drinking issues are unique as a fingerprint. People fall on a continuum: Some of our patients abuse both food and alcohol to the detriment of their physical and emotional health while some can learn to drink moderately and eat moderately. Others use food and alcohol as a way to medicate anxiety and depression and others simply need awareness and mindfulness techniques. The solution? An individualized, comprehensive approach where each person is helped to find the path that works best for them in their relationship with food and alcohol.
9
Well said. Weight control is a matter of behavior control, a thoroughly complex issue. Real behavior therapy is the answer.
@William Anderson:
Fat storage, metabolic rate, and partitioning of energy in the body are all a matter of hormones, insulin chief among them. Hunger/satiety are driven by physiology, too, with influences from psychology.
Lots of people successfully lose weight by dropping sugar and refined carbohydrates, without any special behavior modification.
Fat storage, metabolic rate, and partitioning of energy in the body are all a matter of hormones, insulin chief among them. Hunger/satiety are driven by physiology, too, with influences from psychology.
Lots of people successfully lose weight by dropping sugar and refined carbohydrates, without any special behavior modification.
1
How many calories does an hour of therapy burn?
The best solution would seem to be low calorie and alcohol drinks.
4
Well done article. In the end we are all different and everything effects us in different ways. In the end, moderation and self control are the keys to all things.
1
All things in moderation, including moderation...
2
The article seems to ignore the possibility that alcohol is simply metabolized differently. For me at least, alcohol leads to almost-immediate body warmth, and this suggests that perhaps alcohol creates temporary excess body heat, with no net impact on the body's stored calories.
Also, calories are (often) determined by burning the food. Alcohol burns really well!
Also, calories are (often) determined by burning the food. Alcohol burns really well!
1
Alcohol makes you feel warm because it causes your capillaries to dilate. Blood floods your extremities. In people with a particular allele, alcohol also causes facial flushing (I believe this genotype is more common in the Asian population). One of the reasons it's not a good idea to drink alcohol (St. Bernards carrying kegs of brandy notwithstanding) when you're stuck outside during cold weather is that it will cause you to lose body heat faster.
3
I stopped drinking and started eating more in the evening. No change in weight. I'm not overweight. I think it was a subconscious substitution of calories. I miss drinking sometimes, but at least I get to enjoy a little more food everyday.
3
Exactly the same for me! Enjoying the food, still kind of miss the drinks though.
1
Please! Define your fundamental terms! What constitutes a "drink"? Are you drinking fifteen tall glasses of bourbon a week or fifteen flutes of sparkling wine? Until a consistent definition is applied, this article is floating on a sea of conjecture.
5
Running beer miles is a proven way to combine weight management and alcohol consumption. Puking may negate the beer mile rules, but is an added bonus as there are lots of negative calories in that.
4
I almost never drink because I don't like the taste of liquor, wine or beer. Too bad because if I gave it up, I might lose some weight.
7
Ugh!!! I m so sick of this contrary misinformation given by the NYT's to people who are desperate to lose weight. I lost over one hundred pounds by counting calories. That's it guys. That's all you have to do...(see previous articles in NYT health section). One pound equals 3500 calories. Be deficient of 3500 calories and you will lose one pound no matter if the calories come from lettuce, cake or pizza.
17
Sorry, but you're wrong.
Blood sugar, fat accumulation, hunger, and weight gain are all carb-related.
Cutting carbs cuts calories and hunger and blood sugar issues and fat storage.
It very much matters what you eat for weight loss. Ask a diabetic.
Blood sugar, fat accumulation, hunger, and weight gain are all carb-related.
Cutting carbs cuts calories and hunger and blood sugar issues and fat storage.
It very much matters what you eat for weight loss. Ask a diabetic.
6
Sure, it's that simple in one sense - but it is not simple in that if you eat junk calories they can throw your appetite into disarray causing much more difficulty in maintaining appropriate consumption levels. All calories are not equal. Some food is junk, and that which is often causes people to feel unsatisfied and eat more junk. Eat good food, feel full longer, be healthier in general.
5
@Leslee:
If it worked for you that's great, but this doesn't work for the vast majority of people who try it. The body is not a toaster oven. You have reached an absurd place where you are considering pizza, cake, lettuce, or any other food to be of equal value based solely on calories.
BTW, the "one pound = 3500 calories" thing never works in practice because both metabolic rate and energy partitioning between various tissues are variable and interdependent.
If it worked for you that's great, but this doesn't work for the vast majority of people who try it. The body is not a toaster oven. You have reached an absurd place where you are considering pizza, cake, lettuce, or any other food to be of equal value based solely on calories.
BTW, the "one pound = 3500 calories" thing never works in practice because both metabolic rate and energy partitioning between various tissues are variable and interdependent.
7
"Genetics are also a factor, Dr. Chaput said, suggesting that alcohol can be more of a problem among people genetically prone to excessive weight gain."
It is very rare to see any acknowledgement that a person's tendency to obesity has a genetic component. Nearly all advice regarding weight control and obesity is based on psychology.
It is very rare to see any acknowledgement that a person's tendency to obesity has a genetic component. Nearly all advice regarding weight control and obesity is based on psychology.
11
Like so many other articles in "Well", the bottom line is: "We actually don't know". But, it fits, it can be printed, so the NYT does it ...
5
You want a definitive statement when the facts don't warrant one? Ditch the NYT and watch Fox News instead.
14
I want to commend the author for a nice summary of the scientific literature available on this question and for not over-stretching the results ("Everyone is different"). And also note that individual observations ("stupid question, just look a France!) and personal anecdotes ("I gave up alcohol and I lost weight!") are not science. For those of us trying to treat individuals with weight and eating disorders, randomized control trials are more informative than a story about a trip to Europe.
4
Still need to keep in mind scientific evidence for the role of alcohol in cancer risk, such as colon or breast cancers. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/diet-physical-activity/alcoh...
5
There are well-documented benefits to drinking red wine - and very possibly other forms of alcohol - that this article doesn't touch upon. Having just returned from a lengthy trip to Spain and France, which I do yearly, I can tell you that you rarely encounter obesity (and when you do, it's often a tourist). Yet their idea of drinking moderately is 3-5 glasses of wine a day, seven days a week, both genders. And said wine is invariably paired with cheese and bread (lots of it), along with many fried and rich foods. Yes, walking is common, but no more so than in NYC.
It's time we stop making alcohol the boogeyman. If you're a problem drinker, give it up. The rest of us can - and should - enjoy alcohol on a regular basis, probably far more than we do.
It's time we stop making alcohol the boogeyman. If you're a problem drinker, give it up. The rest of us can - and should - enjoy alcohol on a regular basis, probably far more than we do.
40
I've lived in Europe 13 years now and can tell you that few Europeans drink more than 1-2 glasses of wine per day. Three or more and you've got a drinking problem. Stop deluding yourself.
1
I think I can make a relevant and timely comment on this.
I've struggled with my weight for several years and have been on and off Weight Watchers several times. This new year was saw me at 230lbs and almost 63 years. I knew I had to make changes to my lifestyle if I wanted to live long enough to enjoy retirement.
Based on some of what I've read here, I decided to stop eating anything with added sugar and to stop using alcohol in early January.
It seems hard but is not. Drink your coffee black. Make your own food. Skip dessert. Skip the drinks.
I am pleased to say that my weight has been dropping slowly but steadily... 15 lbs so far. And to my great surprise, with little effort. I also have much more energy.
My previous attempts to lose weight required a tremendous amount of self control when I would pass the 10lbs lost stage. At 10 lbs, I would become gnawingly hungry. Enough that it would become difficult to concentrate.
Again, to my great surprise, skipping foods with added sugar and swearing off alcohol seems to have been the key for myself to stop dropping weight without my body rebelling.
Would this work for everyone? I frankly can't say.
I think we are all a built a little bit differently.
But, I can say, it is absolutely working for me.
So, give it a try. It's not that hard.
I've struggled with my weight for several years and have been on and off Weight Watchers several times. This new year was saw me at 230lbs and almost 63 years. I knew I had to make changes to my lifestyle if I wanted to live long enough to enjoy retirement.
Based on some of what I've read here, I decided to stop eating anything with added sugar and to stop using alcohol in early January.
It seems hard but is not. Drink your coffee black. Make your own food. Skip dessert. Skip the drinks.
I am pleased to say that my weight has been dropping slowly but steadily... 15 lbs so far. And to my great surprise, with little effort. I also have much more energy.
My previous attempts to lose weight required a tremendous amount of self control when I would pass the 10lbs lost stage. At 10 lbs, I would become gnawingly hungry. Enough that it would become difficult to concentrate.
Again, to my great surprise, skipping foods with added sugar and swearing off alcohol seems to have been the key for myself to stop dropping weight without my body rebelling.
Would this work for everyone? I frankly can't say.
I think we are all a built a little bit differently.
But, I can say, it is absolutely working for me.
So, give it a try. It's not that hard.
17
The lesson here is "enjoy your life" and that scientists tend to have a very narrow dull take on human existence. I never would have met my wife without alcohol and many of our best moments were alcohol enhanced. It makes me a better husband in every respect. We used to take a sunset commuter ferry ride together with a bottle of wine. Just romantic and beautiful every time. Then in the rush one time I didn't bring the wine. What had been a romantic exotic adventure became a dull commute. I looked at the other non drinking passengers and thought "is this what your commute is like! I pity you!!" If wine does put one a few pounds it's worth every one in my view.
21
O! The days of wine and roses!
2
that, my friend, is an alchoholics view of things. not everybody needs a bottle of wine to enjoy their time in the world. in fact, you don't either. but it's a lesson you will never learn.
4
I'm sorry Ms. Brody, but this is unbelievable nonsense. Has it occurred to you that individuals who limit their consumption of alcohol to one or tow drinks a day are individuals who, generally speaking, are moderate in their consumptive habits? Your article cites correlations that ignore this possibility. Give me a break!
3
Everybody's different, and anecdotes aren't data. But:
Over a 14-month period in 2014-2015, I lost 60 pounds (about 25% of my body weight), and have kept it off until now. I did not cut out alcohol -- nor bread, nor cheese, nor desserts (though I did cut down on all three). What I did was calorie count, period. Baked salmon for dinner would leave plenty of room for cocktails or a cookie or two; tacos at lunch might mean forgoing any further treats. But as long as I followed Michael Pollan's general advice -- “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” -- nothing was categorically off limits, and I got the results I wanted.
I suspect we spend far too much time trying to identify easy dietary heroes (protein! yay!) and villains (carbs! boo!) and too little time confronting our all-American penchant for overindulgence in all things.
Over a 14-month period in 2014-2015, I lost 60 pounds (about 25% of my body weight), and have kept it off until now. I did not cut out alcohol -- nor bread, nor cheese, nor desserts (though I did cut down on all three). What I did was calorie count, period. Baked salmon for dinner would leave plenty of room for cocktails or a cookie or two; tacos at lunch might mean forgoing any further treats. But as long as I followed Michael Pollan's general advice -- “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” -- nothing was categorically off limits, and I got the results I wanted.
I suspect we spend far too much time trying to identify easy dietary heroes (protein! yay!) and villains (carbs! boo!) and too little time confronting our all-American penchant for overindulgence in all things.
48
For the benefit of readers, it is absolutely clear to me that if I am drinking I put on weight. If I am not drinking I Iose weight, rapidly. In my opinion, and I have no medical evidence to back this up, if I am drinking my body stores water to help the liver cope, starts with tummy, then neck, and if unlucky it can go all the way to swollen ankles. When you stop, in first week you will lose 7 pounds, bed is soaking, your body starts dumping the water through sweat, because it realises it does not need this water reserve anymore. Weight (fluid loss) comes off in reverse, ankles neck and then tummy.
1
I lost 25lb only through diet while carrying on drinking. Initially, I limited myself to vodka but later introduced red wine and I have not regained any weight.
I walk 5-10,000 steps per day, which is my only exercise. I follow a true Ketogenic dietary regime, thus reducing carb intake to about 15-20g per day (including wine). So I do believe that giving up alcohol is unnecessary as a means to lose weight but giving up carbs is. So yes to tequila but no to Margaritas, yes to vodka and soda but no to Screwdrivers. Easy.
I walk 5-10,000 steps per day, which is my only exercise. I follow a true Ketogenic dietary regime, thus reducing carb intake to about 15-20g per day (including wine). So I do believe that giving up alcohol is unnecessary as a means to lose weight but giving up carbs is. So yes to tequila but no to Margaritas, yes to vodka and soda but no to Screwdrivers. Easy.
12
I have gained weight since November 8th, 2016.
This is not a coincidence.
This is not a coincidence.
132
Happy fat, no doubt!
Was in Italy 3 summers in a row and honestly 15 drinks is consumed every 2 days and yet did not notice one beer gut !! Maybe as walking 20k steps a day being the norm and not the exception as is the case in North America has something to do with it !!
This is in a small village where you had to walk to buy your needs etc and was fascinated by how thin everyone is even though they ate like every meal was their last !!
Walk that much a day I'm guessing is comparable to being on a treadmill for an hour every day and I was close to the town centre as some must walk even more than that , I kid you not that I did not see one beer gut and some men would drink beers like we drink water and to top it off eat pasta every day( carbs are the demon )
Was baffled and the only theory is yes maybe genetics has a role but honestly some in North America don't even walk 25k steps a month !!!
Just spent a week in New York sightseeing etc which included more walking than usual and my whole family lost a few pounds and we did not hold back on eating but simply walked about 20k steps a day !!
Eat , drink , move and your fine but don't move and your looking for trouble .
This is in a small village where you had to walk to buy your needs etc and was fascinated by how thin everyone is even though they ate like every meal was their last !!
Walk that much a day I'm guessing is comparable to being on a treadmill for an hour every day and I was close to the town centre as some must walk even more than that , I kid you not that I did not see one beer gut and some men would drink beers like we drink water and to top it off eat pasta every day( carbs are the demon )
Was baffled and the only theory is yes maybe genetics has a role but honestly some in North America don't even walk 25k steps a month !!!
Just spent a week in New York sightseeing etc which included more walking than usual and my whole family lost a few pounds and we did not hold back on eating but simply walked about 20k steps a day !!
Eat , drink , move and your fine but don't move and your looking for trouble .
12
Do you know the best thing about giving up alcohol?
It's knowing that you can give it up.
One lent, I gave up a glass of wine a day habit.
Lent that year lasted 18 months.
And yes I lost weight.
Knowing that you can say no to the habit of drinking alcohol every day is a great liberation.
It's knowing that you can give it up.
One lent, I gave up a glass of wine a day habit.
Lent that year lasted 18 months.
And yes I lost weight.
Knowing that you can say no to the habit of drinking alcohol every day is a great liberation.
1
Ms. Brody cites Weight Watchers if one wants to enjoy alcohol and still lose weight. (Followers COUNT "points" for alcohol substituting them for satisfaction of food). But, even one glass of wine or cocktail prompts some to eat nuts & chips & pretzels that "go with."
I have lost (and kept off) a lot of weight on Weight Watchers with the points-counting system, and I haven't been a "member" - online or otherwise - for several years. Like millions who have abandoned WW, resulting in its decreasing market share over the past 5 years, I loathe the antiquated and condescending group meetings (dreadful public weigh-ins!) with silly "badges" and applause as if we're Girl Scouts!
The REAL benefit of WW, now superseded by apps and other online systems (I use one that costs ~$5) is having to think about (i.e. Mindfulness), count, and write down everything one eats or drinks, and record exercise. It's very quick and easy with online systems: bite it, write it; takes seconds! And, FORGET dietitians prattling "moderation" (propaganda by their trade association to keep taking $$$ from Big Food) or, God forbid, the M.D. Brody quotes in the article (really, Doc, 15-20 alcoholic drinks in a week??!!).
I have lost (and kept off) a lot of weight on Weight Watchers with the points-counting system, and I haven't been a "member" - online or otherwise - for several years. Like millions who have abandoned WW, resulting in its decreasing market share over the past 5 years, I loathe the antiquated and condescending group meetings (dreadful public weigh-ins!) with silly "badges" and applause as if we're Girl Scouts!
The REAL benefit of WW, now superseded by apps and other online systems (I use one that costs ~$5) is having to think about (i.e. Mindfulness), count, and write down everything one eats or drinks, and record exercise. It's very quick and easy with online systems: bite it, write it; takes seconds! And, FORGET dietitians prattling "moderation" (propaganda by their trade association to keep taking $$$ from Big Food) or, God forbid, the M.D. Brody quotes in the article (really, Doc, 15-20 alcoholic drinks in a week??!!).
3
In France we drink wine every day and we don't have obesity problems like Americans.We live longer too.
We eat better and better food.We walk. We communicate ,talk and we have sex too.
We eat better and better food.We walk. We communicate ,talk and we have sex too.
14
Consume pot as a sub for alcohol. In time you won't have munchies. Unlike alcohol you'll take what you need then stop. The same is not true for alcohol.
4
We old timers may remember "The Drinking Man's Diet" by Robert Cameron from the 60's. Low carb. Effective. Ahead of it's time.
4
On 28 March, 2016 I gave up a 44 year smoking habit. On 1st August, 2016 I joined Weight Watchers. It's now 13th March, 2017 and I haven't smoked once and I have lost 37 pounds. I drink 2 glasses of white wine 5-6 days a week. I eat fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, little dairy and few carbs. I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps per day and swim 40 minutes a day four days per week. At 63, I look and feel great. Try it.
5
Regardless of whether alcohol can contribute to weight gain or not, congress should pass a law or the FDA should implement a rule abolishing the alcohol industry's exemption from nutrition and ingredient labeling. Purchasers have no way of knowing if their whiskey or rum has artificial colors, their beer spiked with artificial flavoring or unpronounceable preservatives, or the amount of calories in a "serving" of white or red wine or sherry.
9
Alcohol - the cause of, and solution to, all of man's problems. -- Homer Simpson
18
Be smart, don't start!
5
Has anybody looked at negative effect of the American diet yet? As well as the American habit of driving everywhere? I spent six weeks in Spain during the summer of 2014 and ended up losing a lot of weight.
While I was there I was a little more active physically as I did not drive for the entire six weeks. Gas is very expensive in Europe so very few people there own cars. Mass transit is excellent so you can easily move all over the country using only trains, buses and cabs.
Food is a lot better there, a healthy Mediterranean diet that has a lot less fat and sugar. Eating Spanish food helped me lose thirty five pounds during those six weeks. I went from 240 pounds to 205 pounds during that period.
As far as alcohol, I drank two Guinness dark ales as a night cap every night, right after eating two scoops of ice cream for dessert. In spite of all those extra calories I could not stop myself from losing weight.
In my experience the doctors are correct in calling for moderation in alcohol use; however they should stress increasing physical activity more.
Doctors really should try harder to make changes in the American diet. In Europe you get food, here you get the products of a food industry.
I am fighting hard to keep from regaining those 35 pounds even though I am drinking way less and have almost cut ice cream from my diet. I hope I can keep the weight off until I finish graduate school so I can move to Spain, which should help as far a my health and longevity.
While I was there I was a little more active physically as I did not drive for the entire six weeks. Gas is very expensive in Europe so very few people there own cars. Mass transit is excellent so you can easily move all over the country using only trains, buses and cabs.
Food is a lot better there, a healthy Mediterranean diet that has a lot less fat and sugar. Eating Spanish food helped me lose thirty five pounds during those six weeks. I went from 240 pounds to 205 pounds during that period.
As far as alcohol, I drank two Guinness dark ales as a night cap every night, right after eating two scoops of ice cream for dessert. In spite of all those extra calories I could not stop myself from losing weight.
In my experience the doctors are correct in calling for moderation in alcohol use; however they should stress increasing physical activity more.
Doctors really should try harder to make changes in the American diet. In Europe you get food, here you get the products of a food industry.
I am fighting hard to keep from regaining those 35 pounds even though I am drinking way less and have almost cut ice cream from my diet. I hope I can keep the weight off until I finish graduate school so I can move to Spain, which should help as far a my health and longevity.
10
@Ben Alcala:
The quality of ingredients and preparation of meals around the Mediterranean is surely far superior to ours. But NO Mediterranean cuisine is low fat. This obsession with fat has made Americans grow obese!
The quality of ingredients and preparation of meals around the Mediterranean is surely far superior to ours. But NO Mediterranean cuisine is low fat. This obsession with fat has made Americans grow obese!
3
You've slammed American food quite a lot in your comments but American food offers many, many options, reflecting the heterogenous makeup of the population and the incredible amount of free choice we have here. Who's forcing you to eat anything in particular? In another country, such as Spain, where the population is basically of the same cultural background, there will be far less choice in food selection. Good for you that you like their food but if become tired of it, you may find that you're stuck with it.
3
The article should point out the obvious and important distinction between beer - which has the most calories per ounce of alcohol, dry wine - in the middle, and spirits - with the least. I lost 35 lbs by eating less overall, including stopping drinking beer, but still having a couple drinks a day. And have kept it off for 4 years.
1
So the problem for me is that when I drink I lose my inhibitions about eating and drinking. One drink at the beginning of dinner leads to another drink and to seconds (and thirds) on the food and to snacking and more drinking through the evening. If I have a fizzy water to begin dinner instead of a glass of wine I end up with way less than half the food consumed and no calories from alcohol. By not drinking I've lost 25 lbs. in 25 weeks.
8
I lost 22 pounds in 5 months while not giving up my 3-4 beer a night (more on some weekends), simply by eating smarter:
lowering carb intake, veggies,
daily exercise (essentially an hour walk with my dog) and eliminating snacks or when I want to snack eat carrot stix.
I went from 217 to 195 and I'm able to maintain while now enjoying a pizza (thin crust) or burger once/twice a week--even a pasta dish on a regular basis
Don't blame and banish a pleasure, adopt to allow it. if not, you get frustrated and cheat your diet commitment this losing
lowering carb intake, veggies,
daily exercise (essentially an hour walk with my dog) and eliminating snacks or when I want to snack eat carrot stix.
I went from 217 to 195 and I'm able to maintain while now enjoying a pizza (thin crust) or burger once/twice a week--even a pasta dish on a regular basis
Don't blame and banish a pleasure, adopt to allow it. if not, you get frustrated and cheat your diet commitment this losing
1
The more one drinks, the less one cares about weight, budget or anything else.
3
It's not just the liquid calories that contribute to weight gain... When someone drinks too heartily, they tend to acquire a huge appetite. Then they will have another meal at midnight or 1:30 am, when they already had a more than adequate meal at 8:00 pm.
1
It would seem that a glass of wine or a vodka on the rocks every now and then (assuming moderate, non-bingey food intake) wouldn't really "make you fat." I imagine if you were to swap out those several glasses of wine per week with the same number of servings of, say, Bailey's Irish Creme, the outcome would be quite different.
4
You may not need to give up alcohol to lose weight, but it's a great tactic. I lost 25 lbs in a month by giving up nightly wine with meals 5 of seven days a week
1
Alcohol has the same level of addictive properties as tobacco, having sedative and stimulating effects at the same time. There are three chemicals in all alcoholic beverages: sugar, alcohol and ether. Ether creates a mild euphoria, alcohol sedates/stimulates and sugar creates a craving for more. No doubt tobacco is the more toxic substance hands down, but in my experience habitual drinking of any kind, as one becomes older and more sedentary, almost always increases, and at times can become uncontrollable.
By my experience I mean a large cross-section of seniors whom I have known since we were in our 30s, when 3 bottles of wine at dinner would serve 12 or 15 adults. Every 7 years the number of bottles grew by 1—some stopped drinking, others became pure lushes and wound up going to 12-step programs to stop. Alcohol is also quite elusive in that many people tell me they drink "1 or 2" glasses a day and when we are out they certainly abandon that rule quickly.
And yes, everyone was fatter by 60—some outright obese—also hard to pinpoint the source there since alcohol stimulates appetite so which came first the chicken or the egg?
By my experience I mean a large cross-section of seniors whom I have known since we were in our 30s, when 3 bottles of wine at dinner would serve 12 or 15 adults. Every 7 years the number of bottles grew by 1—some stopped drinking, others became pure lushes and wound up going to 12-step programs to stop. Alcohol is also quite elusive in that many people tell me they drink "1 or 2" glasses a day and when we are out they certainly abandon that rule quickly.
And yes, everyone was fatter by 60—some outright obese—also hard to pinpoint the source there since alcohol stimulates appetite so which came first the chicken or the egg?
4
Its important to define what 1 drink actually constitutes. I've always been a beer guy so I'll speak to that...using the medical definition of 1 "standard drink" this would be 14 g of alcohol. That's just 5 oz of wine or 1.5 oz of 80 proof liquor. For beer its 12 oz of "regular" beer, which could contain anywhere from 3.5% to 10+% alcohol by volume (abv) depending on what you drink. 14g of alcohol in 12 oz of beer would equate to an ABV of 5%. So, if you want to have 2 drinks you should only be drinking, for example, Budweiser (ABV of 5%)! If you're a craft beer guy/gal, 1 glass of 9% double IPA would actually be considered 2 drinks.
For beer its 12 oz of "regular" beer, which could contain anywhere from 3.5% to 10+% alcohol by volume (
---------------------
Where do you find that 10+% beer, and what does it taste like? Malt liquor? The absolute strongest beer in any local brew pub is about 8%, and you're only allowed to have 2 of them, the same limit as with Long Island Iced Tea.
---------------------
Where do you find that 10+% beer, and what does it taste like? Malt liquor? The absolute strongest beer in any local brew pub is about 8%, and you're only allowed to have 2 of them, the same limit as with Long Island Iced Tea.
2
All I know is that when In doubt drink at all I sleep great and always make my early workouts. Last year I stopped my couple glasses of wine a night and dropped 23lbs in 90 days.
I think it's all about our personal generic makeup YMMV.
I think it's all about our personal generic makeup YMMV.
2
The fact remains that society has been boozing it up since the dawn of civilization but only become obese since the 80's.
The nutritionists got it wrong. Fat isn't the problem, sugar is the problem.
If people would just stop eating so many carbs (especially sugars), they can drink until their liver fails and not become obese.
The nutritionists got it wrong. Fat isn't the problem, sugar is the problem.
If people would just stop eating so many carbs (especially sugars), they can drink until their liver fails and not become obese.
80
Can't have alcohol without sugar and yeast.
2
It cant be either fat or sugar: sugar has been a commodity for over 250 years (and has been around - not as a commodity - even longer). Some research indicates that the microbiome of the Western (developed world) gut has changed radically since WW2 - due to many factors: antibiotics, processed foods, bottle feeding vs breast feeding, rising Caesarian births (not always truly necessary), and much else. It's not strictly 'calories in, calories out' so much as 'calories absorbed vs calories not absorbed' and the gut metabiome determines much /most of that equation.
2
Lots of people have "theories" about America's overweightedness. I've heard about a dozen of them. Most seem reasonable but could be, yes, could be, no. I'm more concerned with my own weight, of course. Keep in mind, this is not a US problem. This is across all cultures.
this article has no merit. The author says that weight watchers says alcohol has 7 calories per gram, but the very reference he gives at the end shows that a 6 oz glass of red wine has 150 calories. that is less than 1 calorie per ml (1ml=1gm). There is no way a gram of alcohol contains 7 calories, even if it were pure sugar (4 cal per gram). The rest of the article is fuzzy and inconclusive.
10
But alcohol does have 7 calories per gram. Google it.
11
um, pure alcohol has 7 calories per gram. wine is about 12℅ alcohol by volume.
1
not to mix up the calories of 1 g pure alcohol and wine!
1
The other problem teasing apart what alcohol does and does not do is that it often is consumed in sweet cocktails or liquers, which are chockfull of sugar--the more likely culprit. Old fashioneds, candy canes, chocolate martinis, mojitos, cosmos, southern comfort, redbull vodka, Baileys, etc ad nauseum.
25
Stop looking for reasons to justify drinking! If you can handle alcohol mentally and physically- that's nice- but don't even begin to pretend it's good for you. The problem is you may bring along with you many friends, relatives and peers who will latch on to anything to justify their drinking but they cannot handle it mentally or physically. It seems to me we should just be honest- and say- I had to pick my poison and this is the one I settled on. Might have done worse- could have done better. But I'm OK with that.
23
I agree. I find it troubling that a writer of Jane Brody's intelligence and sensibility doesn't note in her article the specter and horror of alcoholism may be awakened in the unsuspecting casual drinker. Honestly, it should at least be mentioned forthrightly that the consumer depending on their DNA might be gambling with their life if, for health, they endeavor a two-glass nightly habit of wine.
2
But alcohol is good for you in moderation, or at least to avoid a causality argument, moderate alcohol consumption as defined is associated with lower rates of morbidity and mortality. That is written in the article.
Alcohol dependency has a genetic component and touches a small proportion of the population (10-20%). So it's your remark which is over the top, not the article's fact based argument and reasonable tone.
Alcohol dependency has a genetic component and touches a small proportion of the population (10-20%). So it's your remark which is over the top, not the article's fact based argument and reasonable tone.
3
It's interesting that you think that 10-20% of the population is a small amount.
I'll drink to that!
19
Beer with a high hops content is a bad choice for people with diabetes for all the reasons you would expect. It quickly metabolises to glucose, and raises triglycerides.
7
Don't exactly understand where the hops comes in here.
Among alcoholic drinks, beer is the one with the least amount of alcohol (safe for high-alcohol-content beer), much less than wine or spirits. And, with respect to Nate's post, doesn't lead to eating sweets.
Among alcoholic drinks, beer is the one with the least amount of alcohol (safe for high-alcohol-content beer), much less than wine or spirits. And, with respect to Nate's post, doesn't lead to eating sweets.
1
Beer is bad for Diabetes 2, and worse for full-blown Diabetes, leading to amputations of toes and feet, and more if need be, I learned during 5 months in a hospital and nursing home with such folks. Light beer it tolerable, though. Beer is too much like bread, or a potato, in liquid form. The safest bet is light beer if you have those issues, as I do from hereditary high trigylceride levels, as do my 3 brothers.
It isn't just alcohol that causes the weight gain. Drinks of all kinds in this country are packed with calories. Southerners drink sweet tea loaded with corn syrup by the gallon . Starbucks coffee drinks have more calories than an entire meal in some cases. Many Americans start and end their days with sodas.
Most people are conscious of the calories in the food they eat, but they completely disregard or forget about the calories in drinks.
Most people are conscious of the calories in the food they eat, but they completely disregard or forget about the calories in drinks.
24
Wait a minute, Ms. Brody. Your suggestion to try having a glass of wine to see if it stabilizes your weight or allows it to drop slightly - did you completely forget about the strong correlation between alcohol intake and breast cancer risk for women? While it is good to know that moderate alcohol intake likely does not have much impact on weight, if you are not much of a drinker and you are worried about breast cancer, there is NO good reason to increase your alcohol intake and strong correlative evidence that you should not increase it.
11
Most powerful drug dealer in the United States - Anheuser Busch.
Many ( including the NYTImes ) are hysterical about "opioids' and "Big Pharma".
No one touches Big Alcohol, and its subordinate - Big Restaurant.
No sentient human being washes down a 75.00 dollar steak with a diet Pepsi.
Or Mr. Top Chef's latest creation with iced tea.
With a 1 to 2 percent profit margin - restaurants know where the money is.
And without it, every one of them is out of business.
And then there are the 'Glass of wine' moms waiting to pick up the kid from daycare. Or the tailgaters at the big game. Or the Doctors with their "glass of wine a day keeps the heart attack away" bilge.
Drink it if you like it, drink it if you must, but spare me the apologias for alcohol - there are none.
Many ( including the NYTImes ) are hysterical about "opioids' and "Big Pharma".
No one touches Big Alcohol, and its subordinate - Big Restaurant.
No sentient human being washes down a 75.00 dollar steak with a diet Pepsi.
Or Mr. Top Chef's latest creation with iced tea.
With a 1 to 2 percent profit margin - restaurants know where the money is.
And without it, every one of them is out of business.
And then there are the 'Glass of wine' moms waiting to pick up the kid from daycare. Or the tailgaters at the big game. Or the Doctors with their "glass of wine a day keeps the heart attack away" bilge.
Drink it if you like it, drink it if you must, but spare me the apologias for alcohol - there are none.
29
I am obese (metabolic disorders) and I find that when I drink more, I lose weight. As I get older, the side effects are more severe and it does knock my blood sugar out of whack. I don't know the precise reason behind this, and I am not an alcoholic (but there are plenty in my family). I know my metabolism is different than most people. I eat 2000 calories a day, walk 20+ miles a week and do not lose weight. I can gain 20 pounds of water and lose it within 2 weeks. Very frustrating.
1. 2000 calories a day is 900 calories a day too much if you want to lose weight. Once you hit your ideal weight, you really need to hit 1500 or fewer on most days to maintain that ideal weight.
2. Very few of your 1000-1100 calories a day can come from carbs (like maybe 20%). It's hell for a week, but then you get used to it.
3. Exercise, while great for you, will not net you much weight loss.
You're frustrated because you've been lied to. You've been told you'll starve on less than 2000 calories a day (which is ridiculous), that you can exercise the pounds off (you can't), and that moderate alcohol is a bad thing (it's not).
If you keep doing what hasn't been working, you're going to keep getting the same results. What do you have to lose by slashing calories and carbs for 6 weeks?
2. Very few of your 1000-1100 calories a day can come from carbs (like maybe 20%). It's hell for a week, but then you get used to it.
3. Exercise, while great for you, will not net you much weight loss.
You're frustrated because you've been lied to. You've been told you'll starve on less than 2000 calories a day (which is ridiculous), that you can exercise the pounds off (you can't), and that moderate alcohol is a bad thing (it's not).
If you keep doing what hasn't been working, you're going to keep getting the same results. What do you have to lose by slashing calories and carbs for 6 weeks?
3
@Honeybee:
Depends on your size, sex, age, activity level, genetics, types of foods consumed, microbiome, hormonal status, medications taken, etc. Two different people can eat the same amount of calories, one can gain and the other can lose. Averaging 1,000-1,500 cal/day is starvation for most adults.
Depends on your size, sex, age, activity level, genetics, types of foods consumed, microbiome, hormonal status, medications taken, etc. Two different people can eat the same amount of calories, one can gain and the other can lose. Averaging 1,000-1,500 cal/day is starvation for most adults.
3
Don't use alcohol to control your weight, definitely not a good thing. Walking 20 mi/week is certainly good for your legs and your well-being but will only net you about 1200 cals if you were 200 lbs. So, don't think it's your crazy metabolism that's preventing you from burning cals from this. As for eating 2000 cals a day, if you're 5'6" or taller, it's ok, otherwise it's still too much intake. Don't be so sure you're different than everybody else.
Victory is a dish best served in a highball glass, 2 cubes, twist of lime!
9
Cut out alcohol for 9 months and also cut out sugars/sweets almost a year ago. Kept to my regular exercise routine of 3-4 times a week and dropped almost 20 pounds. Went from a size 8-10 to a 4-6. The pounds literally melted away and I feel much better at 56. For me it was the sugar trigger in alcohol that was the culprit- if I started having wine every night other sugar based things will start to creep in...and the pounds would come back on.
47
6 months behind you and yes, it's amazing. No added sugar and no alcohol and my weight is down from 230lb to 215lbs in 2 months. It's a joy to step on the scale each day. What a difference!
1
Indeed. Everyone knows wine is best with some high-carb bread and high-fat cheese. Nobody wants kale with their wine.
4
I know several thin, in-shape women who are functioning alcoholics (some not functioning). Alcohol may not make some people fat (the horror!), but it sure can ruin lives.
49
Please define "older adults". 40? 60? 75?
10
Right, almost everyone is older, even than they were. And now I am.
3
CDC guidelines are unequivocal and strict. One 5 ounce drink a day for women and up to 2 a day for men. That's it. And, they have a point. One inevitably feels better the next day without having drunk the night before.
Yes, it's hard to cut back and/or quit. However, that's what makes it worth it.
From the CDC website ...
• Alcohol consumption is associated with a variety of short- and long-term health risks, including motor vehicle crashes, violence, sexual risk behaviors, high blood pressure, and various cancers (e.g., breast cancer).
• To reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that if alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation—up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men—and only by adults of legal drinking age. This is not intended as an average over several days, but rather the amount consumed on any single day.4 The Guidelines also do not recommend that individuals who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any reason.
Yes, it's hard to cut back and/or quit. However, that's what makes it worth it.
From the CDC website ...
• Alcohol consumption is associated with a variety of short- and long-term health risks, including motor vehicle crashes, violence, sexual risk behaviors, high blood pressure, and various cancers (e.g., breast cancer).
• To reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that if alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation—up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men—and only by adults of legal drinking age. This is not intended as an average over several days, but rather the amount consumed on any single day.4 The Guidelines also do not recommend that individuals who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any reason.
9
You trust the federal government on this? They're the ones who told us to not eat fat, but eat carbs. Snackwells, anyone?
5
I absolutely do. They are correct.
Also, fyi, American Heart Association recommends similar restraint:
If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. This means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.) AHA
Other countries follow suit as well. Check out Wiki link to verify.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recommended_maximum_intake_of_alcoholic_be...
(And ... United States alcohol data can certainly be trusted since it was created prior to the election of the biggest liar this government has ever seen: Donald J. Trump.)
Also, fyi, American Heart Association recommends similar restraint:
If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. This means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.) AHA
Other countries follow suit as well. Check out Wiki link to verify.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recommended_maximum_intake_of_alcoholic_be...
(And ... United States alcohol data can certainly be trusted since it was created prior to the election of the biggest liar this government has ever seen: Donald J. Trump.)
1
Between xmas and new years I was 248lbs. I'm male, 49, and used to average 150-160lbs
So, I decided to make some changes in order to lose some weight.
1) No "resolution" or "dieting"
2)I was realistic, aiming for 10lbs a month, and vowing to weigh in only at the start of the month.
3) I started thinking more about calories.
4) I did not change what I ate (there is nothing I do not like), only the amounts.
5) I have not, as of yet, exercised at all, outside of walking to the bus and back in the morning (all of 0.3 miles there and 0.3 mile back). I didn't stop drinking beer. I did stop drinking sometimes upwards of 10 beers every day, especially on the weekends. The idea was that I remember when I didn't drink so much: I could not gain weight. Of course genetics and age came into play then, but my reasoning was that when my body isn't busy digesting food AND lots of alcohol, it can focus on one at a time.
So, I decided to make some changes in order to lose some weight.
1) No "resolution" or "dieting"
2)I was realistic, aiming for 10lbs a month, and vowing to weigh in only at the start of the month.
3) I started thinking more about calories.
4) I did not change what I ate (there is nothing I do not like), only the amounts.
5) I have not, as of yet, exercised at all, outside of walking to the bus and back in the morning (all of 0.3 miles there and 0.3 mile back). I didn't stop drinking beer. I did stop drinking sometimes upwards of 10 beers every day, especially on the weekends. The idea was that I remember when I didn't drink so much: I could not gain weight. Of course genetics and age came into play then, but my reasoning was that when my body isn't busy digesting food AND lots of alcohol, it can focus on one at a time.
5
Just curious. It's 2 1/2 months now. Have you lost 25 lbs yet?
Good plan. Have you lost some weight?
Ten beers a day? Are you still with us? Hope you didn't substitute something worse for them.
Count carbs, not calories. Wine has very few carbs. Hard liquor has none. Mix hard liquor with a diet cola or club soda and you have a carb-free alcoholic drink. I lost weight rapidly (and have kept it off for several years) on a low-carb diet while consuming a gin and diet tonic most evenings.
13
Bombay Sapphire and diet tonic would be akin to a Peter Luger bone-in rib-eye with ketchup on it. Perish the thought.
Vodka supposedly has the fewest carbs.
2
"Genetics are also a factor, Dr. Chaput said, suggesting that alcohol can be more of a problem among people genetically prone to excessive weight gain. “People who are overweight to begin with are more likely to gain weight if they increase their alcohol intake,” he said."
This implies that people who are overweight to begin with are genetically prone to weight gain. I really cannot make head or tails of this article.
This implies that people who are overweight to begin with are genetically prone to weight gain. I really cannot make head or tails of this article.
2
An Irish-Catholic lineage increases the chance of a weight gain exponentially, especially this week. Slainte!
15
I drink three or four (light) beers every evening, and have maintained 7 or 8% bodyfat for years. Honestly, I'm leaner now than I was when I was in high school. The trick is to only eat as much food as you need to keep your weight where you want it. It's as simple as that. Either give up some of the food, or give up some of the alcohol. You can't have your cake and down it with beer, too.
106
@Freedom Furgle:
Different types and qualities of foods have different effects on hunger/satiety, fat storage, and metabolic rate, all independent of calories. If your "trick" worked as advertised, then there would be no obesity epidemic.
Different types and qualities of foods have different effects on hunger/satiety, fat storage, and metabolic rate, all independent of calories. If your "trick" worked as advertised, then there would be no obesity epidemic.
3
Three or four light beers a day? That is unusual and cruel. I rather have one Belgian sour quad.
9
As PaulN noted, for the price of 3-4 light beers, you could actually have a REAL beer.
3
Should a reader be concerned that one of the two researchers, Dr Chaput, says "he is able to keep from gaining weight and body fat despite consuming “about 15 drinks a week” by eating a healthy diet, exercising daily and monitoring his weight regularly"? Does that make the study potentially biased because he is able to justify his own drinking habit?
39
It does not contradict the study, it is simply presented as an additional anecdote. Calories in - calories out. It is as simple as that.
1
This article is a mess. Each paragraph contradicts the previous paragraph, mainly because the author is trying so hard to say drinking is healthy or won't make you fat when all honest non-politically influenced reading of the data shows that alcohol is unhealthy.
Bottom line as quoted from this article "alcohol is a toxic substance " It is a poison, a neurotoxin, it is not healthy for you.
Pretending it is, and using statistical anomalies in studies to say otherwise is, is foolish at best, and truly dangerous to our health and science.
Bottom line as quoted from this article "alcohol is a toxic substance " It is a poison, a neurotoxin, it is not healthy for you.
Pretending it is, and using statistical anomalies in studies to say otherwise is, is foolish at best, and truly dangerous to our health and science.
89
hmmm. and emotive and wrong representation Steve. Nowhere did the author try hard to say alcohol is healthy. it was all about whether alcohol is associated with fat gain.
bottom line is blue zone cultures that have the highest longevity and health in the world, share 1-2 alcoholic drinks most days of the week, apart from the Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda.
nevertheless, you are right that alcohol is a potent toxin with many adverse effects not talked about in mainstream media and culture - it kills healthy bacteria in the gut.
people who crave a drink at the end of the day are more likely dehydrated and after a sugar hit. they may also have adrenal insufficiency and excess stress related cortisol. teenagers at school don't need to drink in the evenings. so why do adults? most are in denial that they are drinking to compensate poorly managed stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices. The solution is in asking oneself why are healthy lifestyle choices considered less effective in managing stress than alcohol.
bottom line is blue zone cultures that have the highest longevity and health in the world, share 1-2 alcoholic drinks most days of the week, apart from the Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda.
nevertheless, you are right that alcohol is a potent toxin with many adverse effects not talked about in mainstream media and culture - it kills healthy bacteria in the gut.
people who crave a drink at the end of the day are more likely dehydrated and after a sugar hit. they may also have adrenal insufficiency and excess stress related cortisol. teenagers at school don't need to drink in the evenings. so why do adults? most are in denial that they are drinking to compensate poorly managed stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices. The solution is in asking oneself why are healthy lifestyle choices considered less effective in managing stress than alcohol.
Did you bother to even read the studies? He cannot put a spin on their data to say one group did not gain weight if they actually did. Alcohol contains calories that are no less expendable that other sources of fuel.
That's because the data is contradictory.
The author also doesn't pretend to tell any story other than that.
The author also doesn't pretend to tell any story other than that.
2
To answer the headline question, no, we do not need to give up alcohol to lose weight. But I gave it up and I feel so much better and I lost weight.
90
I like either a glass of wine or a small glass of beer with dinner, depending on the food I've prepared. As with everything else, moderation! Demonizing a whole category of food or drink is foolish. We know well what is healthy by now. If you prepare good quality food and don't overconsume food or drink, and you exercise, you'll be fine.
81
The most excessive wine drinker I know is a woman I dated who, in her 50's, has a body that compares favorably with women in their 20's.
60
My husband would say that:)
This means nothing by itself; she may or may not be healthy.
3
Except, possibly, her liver.
3
News flash--we don't have to give up cheese, either.
66
Comments regarding losing weight while on diets are of no interest to me. I like to drink moderately and I'd like to lose a few pounds. Day to day, drinking a beer is filling and cuts down my extraneous food consumption. Whiskey has fewer calories and doesn't satisfy my appetite at all, so a drink or two is purely extraneous. For me, weight loss is easier with a beer or two.
6
I've lost 40 pounds over the last year or so and never had to give up drinking. Just have to moderate it to ensure balanced nutrition.
37
It makes me truly sad to see these questions and they are embarassing even to ask. Do you think they ask this in France? In Mediterranean countries there's always wine and much better nutritional and weight outcomes. Our puritanical culture won't be happy until every last thing that makes the good life good is gone. P.S. Trump never drinks
286
It's an interesting theory, but I doubt that drinking alcoholic beverages contributes to "better nutrition and weight outcomes."
I never drink because I hate the taste/feeling from alcohol. I have never been drunk and am not an alcoholic. The last thing I would think about is a glass of wine at dinner or going out to drinks with friends. It never occurs to me and sounds unappealing, frankly.
I used to drink--very occasionally-when I was in my early twenties. It did nothing for me, so I gave it up. I resent the idea that non-drinkers like me are considered "puritans," and I am lumped with a generally disliked President. Seriously? That's your criteria for someone being a bad leader?
It's all about common sense. If you like to drink and can handle it, then go ahead. If you'd rather (or have to) abstain, then why the disdain? It's insulting.
I never drink because I hate the taste/feeling from alcohol. I have never been drunk and am not an alcoholic. The last thing I would think about is a glass of wine at dinner or going out to drinks with friends. It never occurs to me and sounds unappealing, frankly.
I used to drink--very occasionally-when I was in my early twenties. It did nothing for me, so I gave it up. I resent the idea that non-drinkers like me are considered "puritans," and I am lumped with a generally disliked President. Seriously? That's your criteria for someone being a bad leader?
It's all about common sense. If you like to drink and can handle it, then go ahead. If you'd rather (or have to) abstain, then why the disdain? It's insulting.
54
"Trump never drinks"
Are you sure? Have you seen his tweets at 3 a.m.?
Are you sure? Have you seen his tweets at 3 a.m.?
194
The "Mediterranean is better" myth was debunked decades ago, amongst others in Harvard research. At that time, it was statistically established that the "American" way of life and the "Mediterranean" way of life led to largely equal life expectancy - the good the Mediterranean way of life did to the cardiovascular longevity was negated by the early deaths and disease caused by rampant alcoholism. "Always wine" meant a bottle of wine or more PER PERSON at a family dinner, and the little kids got wine too, part of the culture.
1
"Given that moderate drinkers tend to live longer than teetotalers, I’d love a glass of wine or a beer with dinner..." Why? Because drinking occasionally increases life expectancy? As soon as I read this I discounted the rest of this piece. Repeat after me - correlation is not causation (eg. the height of children correlates nearly 100% with their reading scores). Weak correlations are probably meaningless.
29
But playing basketball makes you taller.
5
In 2003, my wife Linda, decided to lose some weight. While not a scientist, she had a masters degree in English Literature and her medical knowledge was beyond the average. After extensive research she decided to use the Atkin's Diet and I decided to join her. We carefully and meticulously followed the diet with only one exception. We continued to have a glass of vodka on the rocks and a glass of red wine with almost every dinner. Within 3 months we had both lost between 20-25 lbs. Cheers.
153
did you keep it off?
26
Curious as to the relevance of the MA in English. F Scott Fitzgerald? Malcolm Lowry? Jack Kerouac? Wm S Burroughs? Hunter Thompson?
4
I've done the high protein/low carb diet and when I drink alcohol, it makes no difference, I still lose. I was rather surprised by this.
8
I gave up my glass of wine with dinner for a few weeks without changing my diet or activity levels. The desired outcome was to shave a few calories that add up over time without drastic lifestyle changes. Oddly, I developed intense cravings for peanut butter and other nuts that were very difficult to ignore. I can't say for sure they were connected to teetotaling, but they disappeared when I resumed my nightly serving of wine or beer.
9
Why didn't you stay off the drinking and eat the nuts?
Not being critical, just curious. Regular consumption of nuts is correlated with all kinds of good things--lower weight, lower body fat, and if I remember correctly, longevity.
And if you're having "cravings" there might be a nutrient that you're not getting, and that the alcohol is masking the desire for...
Not being critical, just curious. Regular consumption of nuts is correlated with all kinds of good things--lower weight, lower body fat, and if I remember correctly, longevity.
And if you're having "cravings" there might be a nutrient that you're not getting, and that the alcohol is masking the desire for...
5
"Alcohol calories are used for fuel, thus decreasing the body’s use of other sources of calories."
Cheers, Jane! Wonderful that you outlined the implied metabolic pathway for ethanol. It would also be worth noting just how much misinformation most Americans operate under, with most of them believing ethanol causes fat, probably thanks to the silly "lite beer" product ads which seem to imply a direct pathway from alcohol to fat. There are plenty of examples of thin drinkers worldwide.
Cheers, Jane! Wonderful that you outlined the implied metabolic pathway for ethanol. It would also be worth noting just how much misinformation most Americans operate under, with most of them believing ethanol causes fat, probably thanks to the silly "lite beer" product ads which seem to imply a direct pathway from alcohol to fat. There are plenty of examples of thin drinkers worldwide.
9
My father in law was in the habit of having a drink (or two) every night. A peg (or two) of scotch, or cold chilled beer in the summers. That was fine. What didn't hep him was that he ate all kinds of fried snacks with his drink, because he didn't want to drink on an empty stomach before dinner. And all those "evil" snacks tasted oh so good with booze. His girth increased over the years..Poor thing died of congestive heart failure, after a long history of heart ailment plus two bypass surgeries that extended his life and quality of life for years. No regrets, he led a good life and was satisfied till the end.
13
Alcohol tends to make some people sluggish and depending upon the time one partakes may put a limit on their otherwise physical activity. If I drink a glass of wine or two I do feel more bloated. I do not like the feeling so tend to refrain.
7