How Alcohol Makes You Fat

If you glanced at the title of this article, you might have cringed. When it comes to fitness, nutrition, weight loss, and overall health, many of us have trouble areas. There are some individuals who have a glass of red wine with dinner every night. Others skip the drinking completely on the weekdays, then start throwing a few back on Thursday or Friday night, and keep it up until Sunday. Still others won’t drink for two to three weeks, then have a weekend binge of a few dozen drinks or so (you know who you are!). Finally, while there are scores of individuals out there who don’t drink any alcohol at all and really won’t find this article personally useful, I encourage you (if you are one of those people) to read it anyways, and share the information with someone you think it might help.

So…how does alcohol make you fat, especially when it doesn’t have any fat in it? To understand how this process occurs, let’s examine the consumption of a 5 ounce glass of red wine by a fictional character named Vinny.

Vinny takes a drink. As the alcohol enters into digestion, it is split into two compounds: fat and acetate. The fat is taken through the bloodstream and stored wherever Vinny tends to deposit fat. The acetate is taken into the bloodstream and used as Vinny’s primary energy fuel.

If you take anything away from this article, read that last sentence again. The acetate is used as Vinny’s primary energy fuel. This means that rather than burning carbohydrates, protein, or fat as a fuel, Vinny’s body relies on the acetate for energy. It completely stops burning anything else. Suddenly, Vinny has a surplus of carbs, protein, and fat circulating in the body with nowhere to go. So where does it all end up? You guessed it…it’s converted to fat and deposited on Vinny’s waistline.

But that’s not the only effect on Vinny. Alcohol also acts as a potent appetizer. Ever heard of anapertif? It’s an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to increase the appetite, and many restaurants realize that this is a great way to get you to order more food! Several studies exist that show a sharp increase in caloric intake when an alcoholic drink is consumed before a meal (compared to a glass of water, or even a soda!). So now Vinny wants either:  A) another glass of wine or B) food (probably something salty or greasy).

That’s not all! Let’s say that Vinny succumbs to his appetite and finishes the bottle. Just a single bout of heavy drinking will vastly increase the levels of the hormone cortisol, while significantly decreasing the levels of the hormone testosterone. In addition to his headache, here’s why Vinny should be concerned: cortisol causes the body to breakdown muscle and suppresses recovery from exercise, while low testosterone makes the body less likely build lean muscle or to burn fat as a fuel. So Vinny’s getting a big belly, and skinny arms and legs.

Now let’s consider the actual caloric content of the glass of red wine. Before we begin, bear in mind that at most parties, social gatherings, and restaurants, a typical glass of red wine is really more like 6-8 ounces. But we’ll be conservative. So Vinny’s glass of wine contains about 110 calories. Contrary to popular belief, there are very few carbohydrates in the wine – only about 5 grams. This is because when grapes are made into wine, most of the fruit sugars are converted into alcohol. For purposes of comparison, this glass of wine has about the same amount of alcohol and calories as a 12 ounce light beer or a shot of 80 proof spirit (yes, that means a shot of tequila = about a whole glass of wine). A regular, non-light beer, is even higher in calories, since it contains over twice as many carbohydrates as light beer.

But realize that alcohol itself contains about seven calories for gram, making it almost twice as calorie-laden as carbohydrates or protein, which contain only four calories per gram. However, these calories contain no beneficial nutrients, vitamins, or minerals. Sure – Vinny gets some benefit from the compounds present from the grapeskins and grapejuice, butif he drinks a big glass of red wine every night with dinner, he consumes over 1000 additional calories per week, and gains a dozen extra pounds of fat a year!

I haven’t really discussed mixed drinks and won’t say too much. If you read my article on how sugar makes you fat, you know about sugar’s potent effect on fat levels in the body, and if you’ve read the label lately on any soda or mixer, you know how much sugar it contains. A ton! Basically, you can take everything I just illustrated in the case of Vinny, and multiply by 4-5. Margaritas, Long Island Iced Tea, Mudslides, and other sweet mixed drinks can do more damage to your diet than a Big Mac with cheese.

So let’s be practical and assume that you are not going to completely give up drinking but want some tips for your next social event. Here’s some ideas:

  • Dilute alcohol with diet soda. While there are health problems with the artificial sweeteners and chemicals in diet soda, this will reduce your overall caloric intake.
  • Use lots of ice. It makes your drink seem bigger without adding actual calories.
  • If you have to choose between fruit juice and soda in a mixer, choose fruit juice.
  • Avoid the salty snacks. They’ll make you want to drink more.
  • At the bar, restaurant, or grocery store, try to find a top shelf product or good wine that you enjoy, then pay those extra bucks and sip it slowly. Savoring a drink will reduce overconsumption.
  • Drink as much water as possible.  Try to have two drinks of water for every one drink of alcohol.

I frequently perform nutritional evaluations for my clients, as well as anyone else who wants to have a fitness professional look at their diet. Greenfield Fitness Systems offers a complete and detailed nutritional evaluation for $49.99 (less than a personal training session!). Using a convenient online log that I will provide you with, you will write down everything in your diet for 3 days – amounts, times, descriptions, extenuating circumstances and food details. I will then sit down with your diet, perform a complete evaluation, then give you a detailed e-mail on exactly which changes you should make to get the results you desire. For a more personalized online fitness coaching, fat loss, human performance or nutrition consulting, please visit http://www.pacificfit.net.

If you’d like my FREE newsletter and weekly audio podcast, simply visit https://bengreenfieldfitness.com.

Until then, train smart!

Ben Greenfield
M.S. PE, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

69 Responses to “How Alcohol Makes You Fat”

  1. Roger July 14, 2018 at 1:46 pm #

    It’s all about balance people, of course if you drink like a fish and literally never exercise you’re going to gain weight!! Calories in vs. Calories out, you have to burn more calories than you ingest in order to lose weight wether that’s a pizza, a beer, wine, vodka, or a Big Mac, if you eat 3000 calories a day and metabolically burn 2500 you will gain weight, if you eat 2200 calories a day and metabolically burn 3000 you will lose weight. Drinking should always be kept to moderation, but there are so many factors to weight loss and gain which all boil down to intake vs. output.

  2. Abraham April 25, 2018 at 11:58 pm #

    I am a chemist, but not a biochemist or nutitionist. I was wondering if you could go into more detail on how ethanol C2H2OH becomes a fat(fatty acid) and acetate(C2H3O2-)

    Thanks

    -The Curious Chemist

  3. Sammers March 27, 2018 at 10:09 pm #

    Wellp either way, I don’t drink alcohol and I never will. :p #nobeerbelly #noalcohol #screwdrinking #ripyouppl

    • John May 22, 2018 at 6:44 pm #

      Why are you hashtaging? This isn’t Twitter.

  4. Martin February 23, 2018 at 3:22 pm #

    Ben, you’re an absolute moron. The fat content of a food is not what allows you to gain fat. Your claim that it’s odd for alcohol to be fattening without fat is incredulous. You are an imbecile. Please stop advising those on nutrition. I’m a licensed nutritionist. Stop writing alcohol articles.

    • Peter March 5, 2018 at 11:26 am #

      Um, please check your use of “incredulous.” Wrong word.

    • Abraham April 25, 2018 at 11:38 pm #

      I feel that he is writing to a specific audience. An audience who is unfamiliar with the idea that non fat items can cause you to gain fat. In this case his statement seems just. Imagine yourself as an uneducated fat man/woman who consumes a heavy amount of alcohol, and may only drink straight liquor. It may not occur to them that alcoholic substances that while in them selves do not contain fat, may cause weight gain in the form. Of fat. He is writing to a specific audience and not a professional. You of all people should understand that, since you are a “professional nutritionist”

      Yours truly

      -A Chemist

  5. Luna February 13, 2018 at 3:58 pm #

    Who’s Vinny?

  6. Debra February 1, 2018 at 7:19 pm #

    I have been a social drinker most of my life (5 possible engagements a year)

    Over the last year and a half I stumbled upon FIREBALL, a cinnamon whiskey, and started with shots on occasion…worked up to a half pint a night…then to a fifth a night and decided after the blackouts and no longer giggling but actual alcoholism…have slowed it down to a pint a night and hopefully lesser and lesser within the next couple of months. I have gained about 20 pounds this year (devastating) as I was 125lbs for the last 30 years and now can’t even fir my clothes without spraying them with water to loosen them up… I eat 1 very good medium dinner nightly and stopped snacking all day. It has not affected the weight gain, I’m sure its the liquor. I will not be stopping drinking all together but would really like to find a way to better the weight gain and activity again. Any advice? Kind regards

    • Debra February 1, 2018 at 7:29 pm #

      PS, I just turned 49, recently divorced my husband of 30 years, sold my home and my two sons are old enough and now living on their own. Regardless that stress, it is not why I drink. I started drinking because every job checks for marijuana. That seems silly I suppose, but I needed something and its now taken over my personality, exercise, desire to get out and active and has completely impacted my once professional life…

      I feel like a lost soul and have lost my direction along with gaining 20 pounds and feeling ashamed

      • Ben Greenfield February 3, 2018 at 8:40 am #

        Debra, I'm sorry to hear you're going through a rough time. I am not a doctor and this is not to be taken, interpreted or construed as medical advice. I would recommend you talk with a licensed medical professional about this. The best resource I could offer you though is my book at http://GetFitGuy.com. I'd also be happy to help you via a one-on-one consult. You can sign up for that at http://GreenfieldFitnessSystems.com/coaching Hope this helps!

      • Abraham April 25, 2018 at 11:49 pm #

        Holy shit Debra, I know exactly how you feel. My best device for your drinking is to find a healthier outlet. Don’t get me wrong; that is hard a fuck. But there is always something that can help you aside from a substance.

        I have dealt with marijuana abuse, and professional jobs led me to alcohol abose(since marijuana is not socially acceptable) and I am still struggling to find a way to quit any substance abuse. But a passion; any passion you have outside of substances is a possible outlet. I for one am opsessed with screamo musicc so that is something I latched on too. Anytime I feel like using a substance, I count to ten and then start singing/screaming so that I won’t use.

        On short, find something you have passion in, even if you’re not good at it or it’s just a pipe-dream. And do it instead of succumbing to your urges. I know it will be hard. But who are we if we do not try? Try and fail; it’s okay. BUT ALWAYS TRY AGAIN!

        I hope this helps.

        Yours truely

        -someone who understands.

    • John May 22, 2018 at 7:03 pm #

      Exactly what happened to me. Was a weed smoker for years and was always skinny. Had to stop smoking because of a job that drug tested. So to get my fix I started drinking alcohol and the weight came on fast. The first thing out of people’s mouth that I haven’t seen in a year or more was “wow you got fat”! Later on I got a new job that doesn’t drug test, so what did I do? Yep, I came back to my old love Mary Jane. If I did drink it was a couple shots on a Friday night about once a month but that’s nothing compared to my intake before. After about 4-5 months I shed 50 lbs. Weed is only a mental addiction while alcohol is mental and physical. It’s literally poison and destroyed my mind and body. It’s ridiculous that in the year 2018 the government wants to keep up the charades and keep it illegal in almost every state to pad their pockets in fine money and criminalize people. And even more ridiculous that even in states where it is legal, employers still test you and will fire you if it’s found in a drug test.

  7. Stephen December 21, 2017 at 10:43 am #

    Ben,

    Great Article. I like the science and the scenario that you used to tell a story and give us facts.

    I think that most people are social drinkers, especially around the holidays. If a person drinks 4 beers 4 days a week, what kind of weight gain over a years time would you expect them to gain?

    • Ben Greenfield December 22, 2017 at 12:53 pm #

      Too many other factors at play that could influence weight gain (exercise, diet, person's general lifestyle).

  8. Daniel December 12, 2017 at 7:02 am #

    It all comes down to input out. Many days I drink, 16 standard drinks (beer) about 8000kj. Thats all the kilojoules I need. Other days I fast, just a few servings of vegetables some fish. No bert. . I’m 45, 68kg, 182cm. I’ve been a heavy drinker for 25 years. It’s all about input out and genes.

  9. Kevin August 16, 2017 at 8:04 am #

    In my 20’s I was a raging alcoholic. No,sleep,no food,nothing but booze. And I was around 185lbs. I’m around 5’8″ by the way. Now I’m 32, I’ve cut down on the booze a bit. But it’s the same diet,little food, light snacks here and there. But I’ve ballooned to 217 lbs. Is it cause of my fatty liver? Or that I’m older and can’t metabolize alcohol as fast as I used to? I do need to lose weight and cut down on the booze. It’s hurting my stomach. What’s your take?

    • Ben Greenfield August 28, 2017 at 8:31 am #

      Very likely a cluster of factors, from liver issues to cell membrane damage to gut problems. I'd start with at least 30 days of about 8 NatureCleanse INCLUDE LINK each night with a large glass of water…and for more details, I'd be happy to help you via a personal one-on-one consult. Just go to http://greenfieldfitnesssystems.com/product/ben-g… and then choose a 20, 30 or 60 minute consult, whichever you'd prefer. I can schedule ASAP after you get that.

  10. Dewy April 28, 2017 at 2:50 pm #

    Drink is disgusting anyway it doesn’t just make you fat red faced and bloated it destroys your precious liver. It’s a poison and will eventually kill you.

    • Weijin August 2, 2017 at 3:51 pm #

      i’m with you on that comment!!

      our society places so much on promoting alcoholic drinks wether it be in the conversation, television and print ads, they all disgust me big time!

  11. James March 2, 2017 at 1:50 am #

    How can this happen – “As the alcohol enters into digestion, it is split into two compounds: fat and acetate”.

    When you have earlier stated “So…how does alcohol make you fat, especially when it doesn’t have any fat in it?”

    • Ben Greenfield March 5, 2017 at 1:31 pm #

      I am referring to the fact that alcohol has no fat macros

      • Ben February 3, 2018 at 5:09 am #

        So how does alcohol upon digestion split into fat?

        • Ben Greenfield February 3, 2018 at 6:43 pm #

          Alcohol does not become fat, but it is burnt in preference to fat.

  12. Sam F February 25, 2017 at 3:47 pm #

    Hi! This has been an eye opener! Do you know how long it takes to leave your system? I’m a weekend drinker and have found that although I have quit a lot of high sugar products and check the labels of the food i eat to make sure they are low sugar, I’m still holding a lot of fat round my middle and thighs? I’ve always been a beer drinker and decided not to quit this because i felt it was to much to live with out! I recently started to drink wine to see if it was the beer that was keeping me fat! I’m now thinking i have to quit it all! Could the bet still be in my system in the week causing me not to lose any weight?

    Thanks

    • Ben Greenfield February 26, 2017 at 7:52 pm #

      Very well could be. Each and every person is different when it comes to metabolizing alcohol. However, if everything else is on point- your workouts, your rest, your recovery, your stress- then it might just be the booze– in any form. Why not try a 30 day fast from all alcohol and see how your body responds?

  13. Kenna November 29, 2016 at 11:14 pm #

    I have battled PTSD for a year now and also broke my leg and have been down for over 2 months. I’m a 5ft 7in female that’s used to being around 130 lbs. I an now 190lbs. Any suggestions? I still can’t walk on leg. I am on Atkins, however I am not losing any weight and enjoy my alcohol. Doc gave me diet pills, but even they aren’t working. Thanks

    Desperate mom and wife

    • Ben Greenfield December 3, 2016 at 7:19 pm #

      ONE THING I'd check out is NatureCBD as that has good efficacy for these type of issues based on what you can read at http://www.projectCBD.org. I am not a doctor and this is not to be taken, interpreted or construed as medical advice. Please talk with a licensed medical professional about this. These are just my own personal thoughts and not a prescription or a diagnosis or any form of health care whatsoever.

  14. Dana September 22, 2016 at 5:27 pm #

    I drink every night….(wine and flavored vodka mixed) and have noticed where I never was heavy, stomach area, I am now gaining weight. I also drink vodka/soda during daytime hours. Is that the reason for my weight gain in the mid section????

    Any advice/tips u can offer. I am a young mother with a disabled child with a tremendous amount of stress. This is the only thing I have found some serenity in.

    • Ben Greenfield October 3, 2016 at 5:43 pm #

      Yes – the advice would be to stop drinking or minimize it as much as possible and the add in a healthy diet and exercise like here: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/e…

    • Me November 9, 2016 at 11:44 pm #

      Hi Dana – I read your post and thought of myself. Not vodka, just the wine…maybe with some Mike’s Hard. I’ll try to make this short and to the point. I have had husband issues I’ve been going through for YEARS. Years ago, when it all started, I started drinking too…yea, it makes you numb. Then, I got into sprint triathlons through a neighbor who had started a tri-club. I looked better than ever, felt great, drank less, and felt stronger – and had an outlet. BTW – I have 3 kids at the time they were 5,5, & 6. As much as I was going through, I took care of myself and had another outlet…and maybe, like someone said, the brain released chemicals that did make me feel better through exercise?? Forward to the future…same shit different year. I just turned to drinking wine because I thought it made me feel better. It’s been about 3 years and I’ve gained 40 pounds!!! I’ve stopped working out and I feel and look like crap. I am SO disgusted with myself…If you are young, find a way to find happiness and an outlet in the some form of exercise or something that betters you. It must be extremely difficult to take care of your child – maybe you are having a kind of “caretaker’s syndrome” but you have to take care of you too. The fatter you get, the worse you will feel, and the more depressed you will become. Trust me…Yes, it’s alcohol from experience. I found an excellent article on drinking to make yourself feel better that I think you might appreciate: http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/types/stopped-d… – I found it spot on. As well, I think this is an excellent article -Thank you Ben! Sorry for rambling…and thank you for the great incentive and information!

    • Weijin August 2, 2017 at 4:02 pm #

      hi, I’m sorry to read about your stress in your daily life.

      Please stop drinking and hit the gym or go for a brisk walk everyday with your child(if its possible). I’m 54 years old, 5’6” weighs 117 lbs of muscle and have more energy than anyone i know, get up 5:30 in the morning and work at an elementary school with none stop physical and mental activities with pre-k youngsters, I work out d1-2 hours daily, not counting house and yard work, i rarely sit am always on my feet moving and walking around, by 10 pm hits i’m ready for a good night sleep. For your own health and your family’s health sake please live a healthy life style that way you can give everyone around you the best that you can offer.

      By the way, never drank a day in my life, luckily I grew up with no alcohol influence around me.

      Best of luck!

  15. Ben September 12, 2016 at 2:45 am #

    After a meal how long should one wait before consuming alcohol, is you want to manage the ‘dead calories’ in alcohol by not introducing them into the body while it is still full of calories from food? I drink red wine and also lots of water in the process.

  16. jamal June 30, 2016 at 11:38 pm #

    I like the article very informative.

  17. jamal June 30, 2016 at 8:36 pm #

    Calorie intake is imperative to keep track of. But what about brain cells, we lose them when we consume alcohol. That is a sad reality. I think man made drugs is killing our great societies, we can learn a whole lot from countries, who do not consume alcohol to have a good time.

    Why is it that we need alcoholic beverages to socialize and have fun? I think the idea is absurd, where gatherings must take place, contingent on what drinks will be in there. I think manufacturers of alcoholic beverages have done a great job in making their products part of our culture.

    Here is an article a 4 minute read, on why we should steer away completely from alcohol.

  18. leslie May 18, 2016 at 4:19 pm #

    Awesome information, thanks a million.

  19. JD February 17, 2016 at 8:10 am #

    “Dilute alcohol with diet soda. While there are health problems with the artificial sweeteners and chemicals in diet soda, this will reduce your overall caloric intake.”

    Monday night: I have 6 oz of vodka that I have allotted for the evening and I do them as shots.

    Wednesday night: I have 6 oz of vodka that I have allotted for the evening and I do them as mixed drinks with a zero-calorie mixer.

    How did I just end up with fewer calories? Is the implication that I’ll be less thirsty and won’t drink as much?

    • Ben Greenfield February 24, 2016 at 4:13 pm #

      I wouldn't use diet soda, period. Use stevia, for example, along with sparkling water and fresh juiuce like lemon. And for cying out loud…6oz of vodka is ALOT! Try backing off.

      • Jim fed September 21, 2016 at 4:01 pm #

        Sanctimonious douchebag. No it isn’t. Twat.

    • Amanda April 6, 2016 at 10:31 am #

      No. They are implying that using diet INSTEAD of non diet, you will have consumed less calories. They just word things oddly.

  20. Jit January 17, 2016 at 9:38 am #

    I want to gain weight my weight is low.. can you please tell me which is best beverages for gain weight

    Beer or whisky or scotch which one is best for weight gain..and what time it will be drink for best result…!!

    • Ben Greenfield January 17, 2016 at 1:40 pm #

      Have a read through this: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/2009/04/podca…

    • jen November 19, 2016 at 3:08 pm #

      Drink 4 cots savannah dry after 7. Eat as much as u like. All mixed food. After eat. Go to bed. Ul b fat

      • bill December 1, 2017 at 12:25 pm #

        lololol

    • Weijin August 2, 2017 at 4:05 pm #

      You don’t want to gain weight by drinking alcohol, work on your diet to see what food will give you the most benefit of gaining good healthy muscle and gain the weight you want….and don’t forget to excise and work out regularly.

  21. bobby September 27, 2015 at 3:40 pm #

    I have this same problem. Anything I eat after drinking alcohol gets turned into instant fat around my belly. I can gain a pound in one day if i eat something as simple as a banana after drinking alcohol. I have to eat a meal and wait 2 hours before I can drink alcohol so that I don't gain weight. I also can't eat food for the rest of the night until I wake up the next morning as well. I learned this trough a LOT of trial and error. I wonder what is wrong with my liver as this doesnt seem to happen to other people. If there is a fix for this I would love to know.

  22. Oliber September 17, 2015 at 6:38 am #

    Hi I've been drinking alcohol continuously for over a couple of months now. I also take anti depressants, I've always been the skinny guy with that strong metabolism. Recently in the last 2 months or so I've put on some weight (which is good because I wanted too anyway) but I was wondering if this is due to my alcohol binging?. I was 135 and now I'm around 150 I'm 5"11 btw.

    • Ben Greenfield January 15, 2016 at 1:43 am #

      It could be, but its hard to know without more detail.

  23. Loopy70 August 28, 2015 at 8:32 am #

    My word that is so interesting and makes complete sense. A brief history. I have been drinking wine and vodka and diet coke and gin and tonics and enjoyed them since I was a young adult. I'm now 44. In the last 3 years I have put on a lot of weight around my midriff. I have been eating less and less but I have not wanted to lower my alcohol intake because it just relaxes me when i'm tense and makes me sleepy when it is time to sleep. BUT I do not like the way my tummy pops out and ruins every feel good moment as soon as I see myself in the mirror. My husband says it is the drink that makes my tummy big. I looked up calories in alcohol and sugar free mixers and I allowed for the calories in my diet yet I still have a big tummy. My husband also has a protruding tummy, despite his 3 strenuous tennis sessions a week. He was also diagnosed with diabetes 2 a couple of years ago. He has lost weight but not around his tummy. I tell him if he stops eating so many sticky toffee puddings and biscuits, I will stop drinking so much. He says it is not the same. He says drinking will kill me, puddings will not. However, thanks to this forum it would seem that fructose IS similar to alcohol, and he may well have the fatty liver that I have recently been diagnosed with, hence our matching belly bumps! When he gets in from work I feel suitably armed with this new knowledge to set him a double challenge. He and I need to both abstain from our vices. Am I on the right track, or is fructose different to sugars in biscuits and puddings. Whether he listens or not I am feeling quite positive about trying the no alcohol for two weeks and then counting 3oz carbs for each drink thereafter, based on a 25 – 50oz carbs a day, and only drinking alcohol two hours after a meal. That is what I have read on other sights this evening. Does anyone have any other ideas except from stop drinking altogether and for husband to stop eating puds and biscuits altogether.

  24. tye August 10, 2015 at 11:56 pm #

    one glass of red wine is beetween 120-300kcal depending on the size thats no much as the average man needs 2500kcal a day ,could he be eating more than he thinks or drinking , i am a recovering alcoholic i had no want to eat at all and lost mega weight! mainly as i had nill intrest in food. I surjest he has his thoroid checked as 1 glass is nothing really ! all the best Tye xx

    • Mewore September 17, 2016 at 12:06 am #

      Not eating enough is just as bad as eating too much – that way your body misses out on essential nutrients, which it obviously needs to function properly. Also, while calories are good for a rough estimation of how much energy you’re consuming, you aren’t taking into account *what* you’re consuming. Alcohol seriously messes with your whole digestive system, so the calories are the last thing you should worry about.

  25. HALIFAX July 28, 2015 at 4:17 pm #

    Please i want to be fat,so is there any drug or drink that i will take and gain weight?

  26. Jay July 25, 2015 at 8:22 am #

    There are a couple of factual errors in this article, but the information is still correct: There isn't much fat in alcohol, alcohol is converted to Acetylcholine in the body, which goes directly into the TAA cycle or, if energy needs are met (i.e. there is sufficient ATP, which inhibits the TAA cycle), acetylcholine makes its way to fatty acid synthesis in the cytosol. Also, "anapertif" does not exist, it is "an apéritif," which is an alcohol typically served before or in between meals.

    The overall information is correct, but these discrepancies made me giggle.

    • Julia January 20, 2016 at 6:55 am #

      “Anapertif” I laughed when I read that. As someone who grew up in Europe, I knew what she meant but also giggled at the spelling. This article REALLY did help me though. I dropped 10lbs immediately by JUST cutting alcohol out of my diet. Now with exercise and eating right. The weight is falling off! I’m finally not dreading my wedding!

      • Lola March 27, 2016 at 7:13 pm #

        When you say the weight dropped off how long did this take?

  27. Boris June 4, 2015 at 10:40 am #

    He should try the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program, by Tom Venuto.

  28. nick May 31, 2015 at 1:23 pm #

    The problem is the fact that he is drinking in the morning. By drinking in the morning, he is ruining his metabolism and ruining his liver to properly take care of the toxins in the body. It also increases insulin level to get rid of the glucose and thereby making him lethargic as well. Alcohol also stop his metabolism from using fat as energy and stores everything he eats into fat and uses the glucose that is broken up for energy instead. So, if he really wants to drink, tell him to drink about couple hours after a meal.

  29. marge thiessen May 23, 2015 at 4:12 am #

    Hello

    I'm writing on behalf of my husband. He doesn't know I'm doing this.

    In the last year or so my husband has gained a lot of weight around his middle. He drinks a glass of red wine every morning. (apparently his mother says its good for the heart) Is it good for the heart and will drinking the wine be what caused his big weight gain?His food intake is way less than what most men eat. He is very depressed that he can't lose any weight. Can you help please?

    Sincerely Marge

    • Nat February 2, 2016 at 1:43 am #

      Hi Marge,

      I certainly believe this article is correct. I’ve always trained an hour a day (intense), 7 days a week, and ate reasonably well. I used to binge drink once a week on Friday nights. I didn’t drink at all on any other nights. I was 74 kilos and I couldn’t get my weight down no matter what I did. Then I just cut out that night of drinking and dos nothing else. Dropped 8 kilos. I really do believe that alcohol is the devil with regards to weight. Trial him to cut the drink out and see what happens.

    • Sud February 14, 2016 at 10:30 pm #

      must try to do some physical exercises like push-ups , running etc etc.

    • Engy Ibrahim May 18, 2016 at 10:31 am #

      Dear Marge,

      Main causes of weight gain is depression. Finding a hobby or something physical to do can release fatty depression molecules. Let him drink that glass of wine, but make him realize that he needs an active daily routine.

      Yours Truly,

      Engy Ibrahim (NoojaDaily)

      • Debbie September 9, 2017 at 10:02 am #

        I was diagnosed with severe alcoholic fatty liver and I have gained 20 pounds mainly around my stomach but all over. Is it true that you cant lose belly weight with fatty liver?

        Thanks,

        Debbie

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  1. Why Fructose In Soft Drinks Make You Fat | Alkapedia - March 31, 2014

    […] A lesser known fact is how similar fructose is to alcohol. The two are both produced from sugar plants, both perform like toxins in the liver, and both produce fat way faster than other nutrients. Unfortunately, we can’t get drunk from drinking grape soda, but we can still get a beer belly. […]

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