Weight Loss: Clearing Up The Carbohydrate Question - Alcohol -Part 7
Posted by Brett Riesenhuber on Sat, Feb 12, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
OK, so I know the word ALCOHOL creates a heated debate about weight loss...probably because so many people love to get a heater!
But how does alcohol work with your weight loss diet?
We have all heard the benefits currently associated with "moderate" alcohol consumption.
Many feel a glass of wine with dinner is excellent. Others feel that a bottle is better. Yet others...well, you see where this is going!
When we have a desire to lose weight, we have to group everything into 2 simple categories:
- This is "Good For Me"
- This will help me reach my GOALS.
So which are you looking for?
I said it several times in this series on carbohydrates...Good for me or good for weight loss.
YOU have to choose.
Let's take a look at what alcohol is (the simplified version as always):
Sugar in a liquid form that has been transformed to alcohol through a process of fermentation by yeast or distillation (or both).
So with a lot of the alcohol out there, no sugar exists. An there are some alcohols that do still have sugar.
From the previous articles we know that sugar is not in the weight loss game plan...so let's just focus on straight alcohol for this lesson.
We know from school and the labels on packaging that Protein and Carbohydrates each have 4 calories to the gram, and fat has 9 calories to the gram.
But Alcohol has 7 calories to the gram...
Keep reading...
There are 2 schools of thought when it comes to the body processing alcohol.
- Alcohol is turned BACK into Sugar in the body.
- Alcohol is processed as a toxin in the body and burned out as its' own fuel source.
Lets think about this for a minute...
Do we believe that the body has some kind of reverse fermenter in it? Can the body take alcohol and turn it into sugar after nature has EATEN all the sugar and spit out Alcohol?
Or does the second school of thought make a bit more sense?
You can make your own decision...but I think the first school is completely idiotic.
But what is true:
Either way, alcohol is not going to help the body burn fat!
If alcohol is turned back into sugar, it is BAD.
If alcohol is looked at as a toxin and the body strives to burn it out, it is going to burn it out FIRST, leaving everything else to be stored as fat along with the excess calories inherent with alcohol...BAD.
Add to either equation the extra sugar added into mixed drinks, residual sugar found in wines, and sugar fortified alcohols...and you are left with a bunch of bad sugar and a ton of calories. BAD.
Sure alcohol might have some good benefits...
Sure alcohol might be a great addition to an "off diet day."
But there is just no place for alcohol in a weight loss program on a daily basis.
Now on your cheat day, go have fun...but be prepared not to burn fat on that day!
Tomorrow: Putting it all together - Carbohydrates Weight Loss
Now Go Workout!
And Please Leave Your Comments Below
