Some evidence suggests that eliminating alcohol among people who drink heavily helps control weight. In a study published in 2018, people who stopped drinking lost 1.6% more weight than those who did not change their alcohol intake. Still, the researchers noted that more research is needed to understand how eliminating or limiting alcohol intake affects weight loss. Alcohol has also been shown to influence a number of hormones linked to satiety. The results of several studies propose that alcohol may influence energy intake by inhibiting the effects of leptin, or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) 56, 57. To date, the evidence suggests that alcohol does not appear to increase appetite through the action of peptide YY (PYY), ghrelin, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), or cholecystokinin (CCK) 57–61.

Alcohol makes you more sedentary.

If you’re watching your waistline, many lower-calorie mixers keep the flavor intact—try seltzer water or light tonic, or sip yours neat with just a splash of club soda or lime juice. Another thing that’s fun to consider is whether pre-mixed spirits are a healthier option than regular vodka. As you might know, pre-mixed spirits are lower in alcohol content than your traditional vodka (about 7% ABV, or alcohol by volume). And some people think that this might be a healthier option because it’s lower in calories and alcohol. First, diet mixers contain a mixture of artificial sweeteners and flavorings with zero calories, giving drinks a sweet taste. So, your drink will remain calorie-free if you drink a vodka soda or cranberry and use a diet mixer.

Does Alcohol Really Kill Brain Cells?

So, if you’re heroin addiction drinking too much at one time, those calories will start adding up, and your waistline will feel the effects over time. Not eating or taking diabetes medication can cause blood sugar to lower too much. Drinking too much may raise blood sugar and contribute to heart disease, nerve damage, or weight gain. Research has found that light drinking has no effect on blood pressure, but moderate and heavy drinking can. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks for men if you have diabetes.

Factors that may Explain the Conflicting Findings between Alcohol Intake and body Weight

• However, more studies are needed to validate the relationship between moderate drinking and these benefits.
• So yes, it’s possible to gain weight from alcohol, but it’s not inevitable.
• Still, the researchers noted that more research is needed to understand how eliminating or limiting alcohol intake affects weight loss.
• Also, since alcohol delays your liver’s ability to break down fat, you will likely accumulate unhealthy fat the more you drink.
• A 1.5-ounce serving of diet vodka contains just 65 calories, while a 1.5-ounce serving of regular vodka contains 97 calories — a difference of 32 calories per serving.

He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he’s a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) by American Council on Exercise. He’s worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the high school and college levels. He has over 15 years of experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach.

Make losing weight feel Second Nature

Rather, pretty much every organ in your body takes a beating when you overindulge in alcohol in different ways, and none of them are pretty. Have you noticed that ever since you started drinking vodka every night that you’ve been more likely to get sick during cold and flu season? Did you used to never get sick, but now you can’t seem to avoid it? If so, it’s possible that your daily vodka intake is responsible for you getting under the weather, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

• If consuming alcohol in the evening, do so at least 3 hours before going to bed.
• This refers to the amount of alcohol it takes for your inhibitions to be significantly lowered such that your energy intake substantially increases over the following 48 hours.
• The association between alcohol intake and body weight is generally stronger in men than women 15, especially because of the amount and type of alcohol consumed by men.
• He has over 15 years of experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach.
• Talk with a doctor if you’re finding it hard to limit your alcohol intake or if you have questions.

Vodka: Are There Health Benefits?

We’ll focus primarily on the factors contributing to (seemingly) rapid weight gain. For example, Simon says that alcohol can affect levels of reproductive hormones like testosterone and estrogen. That can make it easy to inadvertently consume more calories than you need. So yes, it’s possible to gain weight from alcohol, but it’s not inevitable. The more you drink, the more you wake up to increasingly unstable moods and stress, leading you to drink (and eat) more.

If you drink vodka every night in large quantities, you might become dependent on alcohol

• People with diabetes who choose to drink need to take extra care to keep food, medications, alcohol, and blood sugars in balance.
• Studies have also found that moderate vodka consumption can reduce hypertension risk and help dilate blood vessels.
• This means alcohol can be stored as fat and cause weight gain over time.
• Eating a greasy breakfast to cure a hangover is a myth, but many people do it anyway and end up consuming hundreds of extra calories.
• Several experimental studies have been conducted to examine the short-term effect of alcohol intake on feeding behavior and appetite control 3•, 5.

There are several direct and indirect ways that heavy drinking can make you gain weight or, more specifically, gain body fat. But even if you don’t consume massive amounts of alcohol, you could still be subjecting yourself to serious weight gain. Weight loss — or, more appropriately, fat loss — has to do with a number of factors, including genetics. But at its core, it relies on creating a calorie deficit, or consuming fewer calories than you expend each day.

• So to recap where we are currently, you’ve just consumed anywhere from 1,000-2,000 calories at the pub, and now you’re inhaling another 1,500-2,000 calories of high fat, high sodium food.
• “One study suggests that vodka and wine may help improve cholesterol levels by boosting the HDL cholesterol (also referred to as ‘good cholesterol’) in the blood,” she told The List.
• Bloating can result from the inflammation alcohol causes in the stomach and may last a few days, or longer depending on your body and the amount of alcohol consumed.
• However, it’s not just beer that can cause weight gain from alcohol intake.
• The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.

Is vodka better than other spirits when it comes to calories?

Too much cortisol, however, encourages fat storage in the body (particularly in your mid-section) and is the hormone responsible for lowering testosterone levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone in your body responsible for the “fight or flight” response. This is because alcohol activates starvation mode in the brain, which is why you may suddenly catch yourself eating an entire bag of Doritos after a long night out as if your life depended on it.

Indirect effect: poor sleep quality

You’ve just poured 674 nutritionally empty calories into your body. With all of those devastating effects, it’s clearly a good idea to drink in moderation and to be careful not to overindulge. Vodka’s cleaning properties could also be used for your does drinking vodka make you gain weight mouth, according to James Cobb, a registered nurse. “If you swish vodka around in your mouth a bit before swallowing your dental hygiene might improve,” he explained to The List. “Vodka is an antiseptic.” He noted that vodka could potentially help prevent “dental cavities.” Cobb cautioned, however, that if you drink too much vodka the negative consequences will negate any oral benefits. It might sound a little weird given the wide variety of cleaning products at your neighborhood grocery store, but vodka, like other spirits, is an antiseptic, according to McGill University.