As you enjoy a night out with friends or unwind after a long day, that glass of wine or beer may seem harmless at first. But over time, alcohol consumption can slowly impact your waistline and overall health. Recent studies show over 30% of adults battle the bulge due to booze. At Evoke Wellness at Miramar, we understand the complex relationship between alcohol and weight gain. Our holistic alcohol addiction treatment programs help you examine and overcome the root causes of overdrinking. With personalized care, we create an integrated recovery plan tailored to your needs. This may include:
- Medically-supervised drug and alcohol detox
- Residential treatment program
- Extended residential program
- Intensive inpatient program
- Holistic therapy program
- EMDR
Through a customized mix of these offerings, we empower you to break free from alcohol dependence and achieve lasting wellness. The path to your ideal weight and healthiest self starts here.
Together, let’s embrace the journey to recovery and the promise of a new beginning. Call us at (833) 819-6066 today or reach out online.
How Alcohol Causes Weight Gain
Empty Calories & Metabolism
Alcohol contains empty calories with little to no nutritional value. When consumed in excess, it can displace healthier food choices and disrupt the body’s metabolism, leading to weight gain over time. Alcohol also slows down the body’s ability to break down fat and burn calories efficiently.
Increased Appetite
Drinking alcohol can increase appetite and lead to overconsumption of calories from unhealthy snacks. It suppresses leptin, a hormone that signals feelings of fullness, while stimulating ghrelin that increases hunger. This hormonal imbalance often results in overeating.
Metabolic Impact
Alcohol consumption causes the liver to produce more fat, while also interfering with fat burning by affecting hormones like glucagon that regulate blood sugar and energy usage. This disrupts metabolism, making it harder for the body to use stored fat as fuel, leading to additional weight gain over the long term.
Calories in Alcoholic Drinks
Beers & Wines
- Light beers contain around 100-120 calories per 12 oz serving
- Regular beers range from 150-200 calories
- A 5 oz glass of red or white wine has about 125 calories
Mixed Drinks
- A vodka tonic contains around 180 calories
- Cocktails like piña coladas or margaritas can have 500+ calories
- Using diet sodas or fresh juices cuts calories significantly
The bottom line – those liquid calories add up quickly. Moderation is key when enjoying alcoholic beverages to prevent unwanted weight gain.
Effects of Alcohol on Fat Burning
Alcohol’s Impact
You may not realize it, but alcohol significantly hinders your ability to burn fat. When you consume alcohol, your body prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol over burning fat for energy. This temporary shift in metabolism can stall weight loss efforts.
Nutrient Processing
Alcohol is classified as a toxin by the body. To eliminate it as quickly as possible, all other nutrients take a backseat – including fat burning. Alcohol calories are burned first before any food calories. This makes it extremely difficult to achieve a calorie deficit required for fat loss.
Disrupted Sleep
Heavy drinking can fragment sleep and reduce sleep quality. Poor sleep leads to increased hunger hormones and cravings the next day. It also lowers metabolic rate, making it harder to burn calories and lose fat effectively.
Alcohol’s Impact on Appetite and Cravings
Alcohol can significantly influence appetite and cravings through its effects on the brain and body. As a depressant, it slows down the central nervous system, impacting hormones that regulate hunger and fullness signals. This can lead to increased appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods, contributing to excess calorie intake.
Hormonal Imbalances
Alcohol consumption disrupts the balance of hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which play crucial roles in appetite regulation. Reduced leptin levels can increase hunger sensations, while elevated ghrelin can stimulate cravings for high-calorie, fatty foods.
Impaired Decision-Making
Under the influence of alcohol, decision-making abilities become impaired, making it harder to resist cravings and make mindful food choices. This often leads to overconsumption of calorie-dense snacks and meals.
Reward System Activation
Like many addictive substances, alcohol activates the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine and creating feelings of pleasure. This can reinforce cravings for alcohol and associated foods, setting the stage for a cycle of addiction.
Addressing alcohol’s impact on appetite and cravings is an essential aspect of comprehensive addiction treatment programs, combining evidence-based therapies and holistic approaches for lasting recovery.
Choosing Lower Calorie Alcoholic Beverages
Watching your calorie intake from alcohol can help minimize potential weight gain. Lower calorie options allow you to indulge while keeping calories in check.
Lighter Beers and Wine
- Light beers contain fewer calories, around 100 per 12 oz serving.
- Dry wines like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc have roughly 120 calories per 5 oz glass.
Spirit-Based Drinks
Stick to lower calorie mixers like soda water, diet tonic, or fresh citrus. Vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and whiskey contain minimal calories when served straight or on the rocks.
Avoid Sugar-Laden Cocktails
Creamy, syrupy cocktails like piña coladas, daiquiris, and mudslides can pack over 500 calories per drink. Limiting these sugary indulgences can help control liquid calorie intake.
While being mindful of calories from alcohol, it’s also important to drink responsibly and in moderation. Evoke Wellness offers comprehensive addiction treatment programs if overconsumption becomes an issue.
Tips for Avoiding Weight Gain From Drinking
Cut Back on Calories
Alcoholic beverages are calorie-dense and nutrient-poor. To prevent weight gain, limit your intake of beer, wine, and mixed drinks – especially sugary cocktails. One strategy is to alternate alcoholic drinks with glasses of water.
Choose Wisely
Opt for lower-calorie alcoholic options like dry wines, light beers, or spirits mixed with zero-calorie sodas or seltzers. Avoid drinks loaded with sugary juices, syrups, and creams.
Eat Mindfully
Drinking can stimulate appetite and impair judgment, leading to poor food choices and overeating. Stay hydrated and eat a balanced meal before indulging in alcohol to curb cravings.
Stay Active
Increasing physical activity can help offset some of the calories consumed from alcohol. Engage in regular exercise like brisk walking, jogging, swimming or cycling to burn extra calories.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment at Evoke Wellness at Miramar
Alcohol addiction is a serious health issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Left untreated, alcoholism can cause irreversible damage to your health, relationships and career. At Evoke Wellness at Miramar, we provide comprehensive and evidence-based alcohol addiction treatment that helps clients achieve lasting sobriety and recovery.
Our alcohol addiction treatment program follows a holistic approach, addressing the physical, psychological and social aspects of alcoholism. We offer both inpatient and outpatient options depending on a client’s needs and severity of alcohol use disorder. Our treatment begins with medically supervised detox to safely manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Clients work closely with a team of addiction specialists including doctors, therapists and recovery coaches. Through individual and group therapy sessions, clients learn coping skills, relapse prevention techniques and how to address any co-occurring mental health issues. We utilize a variety of evidence-based therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and more.
Along with therapy, our program incorporates nutrition counseling, physical activity, wellness activities and aftercare planning to support long-term sobriety. We offer family programs to educate loved ones on how to best support the client’s recovery process. For clients with more severe addictions, we recommend an intensive inpatient program that provides 24/7 support and medical supervision for at least 30 days.
If you or a loved one is struggling with an alcohol use disorder, please contact us. We understand that seeking help with alcohol addiction treatment can be difficult. We are here to listen, answer your questions and determine the best treatment options based on your individual needs. Our goal is to help you achieve sobriety and long-lasting recovery so you can regain control of your life.
Does Alcohol Make You Fat? FAQs
Alcohol and Weight Gain
Alcohol provides empty calories that can contribute to weight gain over time. A standard drink contains around 100-150 calories, mainly from alcohol’s sugar content. Frequent or heavy drinking leads to consuming more calories than your body burns, causing excess to be stored as fat.
Alcohol’s Impact on Metabolism
Alcohol is treated as a toxin by the body, prioritizing its metabolism over burning fat. This slows down fat metabolism, making it easier to gain weight from overconsumption. Binge drinking episodes can have a particularly negative impact on metabolism and weight management.
Reducing Alcohol for Weight Loss
Limiting alcohol intake is often recommended for those trying to lose weight. Replacing alcoholic drinks with lower-calorie, non-alcoholic beverages can help reduce overall calorie consumption. Moderation is key – moderate drinking within recommended limits may have less impact on weight gain.
Conclusion
In closing, while alcohol does contain empty calories, drinking in moderation likely won’t lead to significant weight gain. However, heavy or binge drinking can sabotage weight loss efforts. If you feel you may have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, support and treatment resources are available. With commitment and lifestyle adjustments, achieving your health goals is within reach. The journey begins with the first step, so be encouraged to start anew today.
Begin Your Journey with Evoke Wellness at Miramar
If you or a loved one is considering treatment, Evoke Wellness at Miramar invites you to contact us. Our compassionate team is ready to answer your questions, discuss your needs, and help you take the first steps toward recovery. In Miramar, you’ll find more than just a treatment program – you’ll discover a community dedicated to your wellness and success. Together, let’s embrace the journey to recovery and the promise of a new beginning. Call us at (833) 819-6066 today or reach out online.
