How To Drink + Not Gain Weight

This is equivalent to only 3.7 pints of beer or 3.1 large glasses of wine. At Second Nature, you’re provided with a registered nutritionist or dietitian who can support you manage your alcohol intake to suit your lifestyle and preferences. A glass of wine is not a glass filled to the brim, but 5 oz (red wine glasses can hold oz when filled). Overall, Simon says, that the best protection against weight gain is “sticking to that average of four or less drinks a week for women, and less than two drinks a day for men.” Cortisol can stimulate hunger and affect your metabolism. In other words, elevated cortisol could contribute to weight gain, especially around the belly.

Even the hangover the next morning can have you making a fast-food choice (Denny’s, anyone?). In general, clear liquors like vodka have the fewest calories. For example, one 12-ounce pint of a stout beer provides about 220 calories, which is the same as eating a snack with three tablespoons of hummus, ten baby carrots, a stalk of celery, and an apple.

Alcohol can affect your organs

Consequently, alcohol is considered a high-energy substance. That means, even if you skip the sugary cocktail, there are still plenty of calories in your whiskey neat. “Beer belly” refers to that protruding stomach some men carry around. But you don’t have to be male or drink beer in order to gain weight from alcohol. Also, researchers does alcohol make you gain weight have found that alcohol affects an area of the brain that controls appetite and this can cause intense hunger, especially the day after drinking. According to a 2017 study published in Nature Communications, the nerve cells in the brain’s hypothalamus that are generally activated by actual starvation can be stimulated by alcohol.

This Miami native has become a champion of mental health and an active believer in the power of positive thinking. When she isn’t at the beach, Tyler enjoys running, jigsaw puzzles, and snuggling with her cat, Poof.

…and makes you want to eat everything in sight

It digests alcohol first before processing sugar, carbs, or fat. The mission of Northeast Addictions Treatment Center is to provide the best continuum of care for not only adult men and women struggling with addiction, but also their families. NEATC will always strive to offer the highest quality of care in the Northeast region, while priding itself on a foundation of integrity, transparency, and compassion. Sleep is incredibly important to your overall health, but alcohol can decrease how much you sleep. Belly fat in the midsection does more than reduce your chances of winning the swimsuit competition. It’s linked to a variety of health problems, from type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Tyler is a writer with dual degrees from the University of South Florida. Having grown up with an alcoholic father, she understands both the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that addiction can affect the family unit.