Does Alcohol Really Help in Losing Weight?

While it is common news that alcohol consumption leads to weight gain, recent studies have made a startling discovery, wherein long term moderate drinkers have shown symptoms of maintaining an optimal weight, even losing excess fat more than those who abstain from drinking at all. While harder alcoholic drinks are more likely to affect the liver and hence the level of fat in the body, weight gain because of alcohol is also dependent on a number of other factors like how often you drink or how much you drink in one session. This is compounded by each individual's capability to metabolize the alcohol, or work it off.

It is important to know how many calories your drink accounts for:

1. Tequila, whiskey, rum and their other variations have more or less the same amount of calories.
2. Beer constitutes a little more calorific value than those mentioned above, while wine and champagne have the least amount of calories among proper alcoholic drinks. This is why wine should be the preferred drink for those more susceptible to weight gain.
3. Cocktails like margaritas or pina coladas have at least four times the number of calories than unmixed drinks. So, one must proceed with caution while ordering endless free cocktails at a party.
4. If cocktails are your thing, opt for a Bloody Mary, it has lesser calories. People more prone to consume a high calorie diet on a regular basis, or are already overweight, tend to put on more weight even after moderate alcohol consumption.]
5. Also remember that drinking small amounts frequently leads to weight loss rather than the misconception of drinking copious amounts at long intervals.
6. Doctors even prescribe a daily glass of wine with and after dinner nowadays. Studies stipulated the optimal number of drinks per week to four, maximum five.
7. One drink per day in case of women, and two for men is a good regimen to get you started with losing weight through alcohol consumption.
8. You must also be careful about the food you accompany your drinks with; make sure their high calorie value does not unsettle the entire process.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!