Does Drinking Alcohol Prevent You From Losing Weight?

If you’re working on losing weight, then you know it can involve a lot of ups and downs (literally). You’ve likely considered what you’re eating, what you’re not eating and of course, how much you’re moving. And if you drink alcohol, you may have thought about that as well.

How exactly does alcohol factor in? Can having a beer with your co-workers or a glass of wine when you get home make a big impact on the number on the scale? 

“Alcohol has calories,” explains psychiatrist Leslie Heinberg, PhD. “And depending on what we’re drinking, the number of calories can be excessive.”

Does alcohol cause weight gain?

So, yeah, you’ve probably heard that alcohol has empty calories. But how many happy-hour cocktails really make a difference?

A 2019 study looked at how our relationship with alcohol might be associated with obesity. Researchers examined results from adult men and women who took part in a national nutrition survey. They compared how much alcohol participants drank in the past year, their weight status and if they were attempting to lose weight.

Here’s the kicker: The study connected weight gain not with how often you drink but with how much you drink in one sitting. “For both men and women, the individuals who drink more often actually had lower rates of obesity,” shares Dr. Heinberg, who did not take part in the study.

“But the results showed that for women, heavier drinking, or binge drinking, was associated with an increased risk of obesity.”

Women who participated in binge drinking were not only more likely to have obesity but were also more likely to be attempting weight loss.

How alcohol affects your weight

You may already be aware of some of the more unsavory side effects of alcohol, especially when you overdo it. It can increase anxiety, heighten your blood pressure and even affect your brain. But there are a few specific ways it can affect your weight, too.

Alcohol can affect your weight by:

• Providing empty calories. Alcoholic beverages are often high in calories. For instance, a standard drink (about 14 grams of pure alcohol) contains around 100 to 150 calories. Mixed drinks, beers and wines can have even more calories due to added sugars and other ingredients.
• Slowing your metabolism. When you consume alcohol, your body prioritizes metabolizing it over other nutrients. This can slow down the fat-burning process, as your body focuses on processing the alcohol first.
• Causing food cravings. As Dr. Heinberg notes, alcohol also impairs judgment. That means we may go out to eat with the best intentions for making healthy choices. But once we’ve had a cocktail, we might be inclined to go for a deep-fried appetizer instead of vegetables.

“Often, any beverages are a big source of empty calories — whether it’s soda, juice, sweet tea, beer, wine or cocktails,” she clarifies. “Any of those things add calories, but really, without nutrition and without the sense of feeling full.”

To give you an idea, here’s about how many calories are in common alcoholic drinks:

• Beer: 150 calories in a 12-ounce glass.
• Wine: 100 calories in a 5-ounce glass.
• Distilled alcohol (gin, rum and vodka): About 100 calories in a 1.5-ounce serving.

And when it comes to sweeter drinks like pina coladas, those can get you up to 500 calories for a 7-ounce glass (or more!).

Are there ways to lose weight while still drinking alcohol?

“Across the board, for people who are trying to lose some weight, cutting out empty calories is a good place to start,” emphasizes Dr. Heinberg.

But will drinking any alcohol prevent you from losing any unwanted fat? Not necessarily. You can strike a balance if you’re looking to lose weight while still enjoying an occasional drink with friends.

Dr. Heinberg adds that it’s a good idea to develop healthy alcohol habits early in adulthood. “That’s because binge drinking at any age is likely to set us up for health problems down the road.”

Here are some strategies to help you balance alcohol consumption while pursuing weight loss:

• Drink in moderation. There’s no way to sugarcoat it — it’s always better to limit how much you drink. For women and people assigned female at birth, this means up to one drink per day. For men and people assigned male at birth, this means up to two drinks per day. Drinking less frequently and in smaller amounts can help reduce overall calorie intake. Remember: Five or more standard drinks within a few hours for males and four or more standard drinks within a few hours for females is considered binge drinking.
• Choose low-calorie options. It may also help to choose alcoholic beverages with fewer calories like light beer or dry wine. You can also try mixing your cocktails with low-calorie mixers like soda water.
• Keep an eye on your portion sizes. Be mindful of serving sizes. A standard drink is typically 14 grams of pure alcohol, which translates to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.
• Stay active. Make sure you’re regularly exercising, like through walks, aerobic exercise or lifting weights. This may help offset some of the extra calories from alcohol.
• Plan ahead. If you know you’ll be drinking, plan your meals and snacks accordingly. Opt for healthier, lower-calorie foods throughout the day to make up for the extra calories from alcohol.
• Drink plenty of water. Drinking water before, during and after consuming alcohol is a must (on all fronts). This can help you stay hydrated, reduce the likelihood of drinking too much, and prevent confusion between thirst and hunger.

By working in these strategies, you can still enjoy alcohol in moderation while working toward your weight loss goals.

The long and short

If you’re looking to lose weight, you may not need to cut out alcohol completely. But cutting back on your alcohol intake can have plenty of health benefits either way. And from what we know, it won’t exactly hurt your weight loss journey. If you do plan to drink, there are ways to reduce your intake of calories and stay healthy.