This issue is usually seen as black and white by fitness professionals dealing with overweight clients or elite athletes in a fat loss phase. Almost all nix alcohol consumption as completely counter to fat loss and optimal body composition. The party line is that alcohol is always a no-no if you’re trying to lose body fat.
In fact the book I’m reading, ‘The Cheat To Lose Diet’ claims you should even avoid so much as a beer on cheat days which are built into this program. A few studies indicate alcohol may inhibit fat loss - “alcohol ingestion decreases diurnal and nocturnal secretion of leptin in healthy individuals.” S. Rojdmark et all. Clin Endocrinol (Oxsf.)
And a Google of ‘alcohol and fat loss’ will get you a ton of links to blogs and fitness articles telling you alcohol halts fat burning. One states “while the liver metabolizes alcohol fat burning is put on hold.” Okay, so while my liver takes time to metabolize that one glass of wine I drank – that was within my calorie allowance – I won’t be burning fat. So what?
(A healthy liver oxidizes pure ethanol at the rate of about ¼ to ⅓ of an ounce per hour, which is less than 1 ounce of hard liquor. The burn rate varies from person to person and can even vary within a single person during a single drinking episode. Although alcohol replaces fat as a fuel source this does not necessarily equal less calories burned over the same 24 hour period.
"According to conventional wisdom, the infamous "beer belly" is caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. Yet, less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy." - Source: The Facts About Fitness)
Do you really believe your body burns fat (and only fat) 24/7 if you eschew a drink or two? And alternatively, if you have one drink in a 24 hour period in which you ate within your caloric target and worked out that you won't burn off anything at all? Rubbish.
"Myth: The body completely shuts off one fuel source when it turns on the other.
The Truth: What has often been misunderstood by both exercisers and exercise instructors alike (not to mention low carb dieters, ) is that the body relies on both fat and carbs for energy all the time, albeit in different ratios. In fact, as you sit here reading, you may be burning about 50-60 percent fat and 50-40 percent carbohydrates." - Source: Cross-Training For Dummies
You're not going to flick a switch and make your body burn only body fat. And when it comes to intense weight training and endurance training you would not want to due to decreased muscle glycogen and endurance. The bottom line in losing body fat is regularly creating a physical demand to burn fuel as well as burning more calories from all fuel sources. And if you really want to get lean build more muscle mass that automatically increases a demand for fuel. While regular excess carbohydrate consumption is bad for body composition so is excess calories from any source.
These people who insist you can never enjoy a drink while training and dieting remind me of the low fat camp who insist eating fat will make you fat, and the low carbohydrate camp who insist you cannot lose fat unless you're in ketosis. Hog wash all the way around.
There are no absolutes or perfect formulas when it comes to fat loss or muscle gain. Otherwise "calories in versus calories out" would work for everyone trying to lose weight all the time (3500 calories burned doe not always translate into a pound of body fat lost either). And we know a "low fat" diet does not always equal a "low fat" body. And there's no such thing as a perfect fat loss or muscle gain formula for every body and there's no perfection found in nature or anywhere else for a reason. Perfection is impossible and perfectionists along with "perfect" people are boring as hell.
Victoria at Confessions of a Carbohydrate Addict has lost over 65 pounds and enjoys wine regularly. She’s in peak physical condition because she works out hard and is careful with her overall diet. Teetotaler does not equal fit. I know dozens of non-drinkers who are positively fat. And I know lots of fit people who enjoy alcohol in moderation on a regular basis.
Another blogger says that alcohol blunts testosterone (whoa, maybe I can get rid of my beard. Just kidding). This may be a persuasive argument for male bodybuilders, especially ones taking costly testosterone shots. I’m not going to even consider this argument in the scheme of my personal fitness program seeing as I’m female and have less testosterone in my whole body than these guys have in their pinkies.
Alcohol consumption might also have a negative affect on leptin levels, a hormone that aids in fat loss. But does this mean drinking a glass or two of wine, or a beer, literally puts fat loss on the skids and undermines overall results? You can’t prove it by me.
When I came home from the hospital after I gave birth to my son on January 15th 2000, I weight 154 pounds. To put this in perspective, when I got pregnant I weighed 129 pounds and at the clinic where I got my pregnancy test the doctor told me I was “looking buff.” I’d been weight training quite intensely for about eight years and it obviously showed. And I was far from being a teetotaler all those years I trained and made progress. I enjoyed wine, or vodka and water, several times a week. If it impeded my progress I hate to think of what my results might have been! I’d have been the next Laura Creavalle – a body type I can admire must have taken a lot of work, but I truly do NOT want. I prefer a more feminine look like that of Rachael McLish.
When Bruno was around six months old I’d lost about 15 pounds and was ready to take it to the next level. (See my BFL "Before" photo on the sidebar. This past summer I had to throw out that leopard print bikini because it literally fell off of me). While doing Body For Life I followed the rules of no alcohol for 12 LONG weeks (after a over a year of no alcohol while pregnant and breastfeeding). I found the diet rather higher in carbohydrates than I like – potatoes, oatmeal, whole wheat toast, pasta, and rather dubious 'carby" and expensive "nutrition" bars were all allowed.
I went from 138 pounds down to 124 pounds. 14 pounds in twelve weeks is nothing to sneeze at when you’re 5 feet tall and female. But my body fat percent only went from 35.5 percent down to 28.5 percent, a decent but somewhat disappointing 6.5 percent loss of body fat.
(Note that Body For Life workouts are considerably less intense than the Power 90X workouts I do now, and this difference in intensity could directly affect how successful your results will be).
Now let’s compare my BFL results with my Power 90X results 7 years later. Power 90X has looser food restrictions calories wise – Thank God – and I chose to drink on occasion. I had wine, or vodka, lime and water at least several evenings a week. I always compensated by skipping a carbohydrate portion or two of equal calories. (I wish now I'd done that during Body For Life. A 100 calorie glass of wine would have made me a lot happier and relaxed than the 200 calorie portion of spaghetti). Many Saturdays I had a Killian’s Irish Red with my pizza at lunch. My 12 week results? Only a 7 pound shift on the scales – BUT a more impressive 10 percent in body fat lost which also translates to more lean muscle mass gained on P90X than BFL.
(Note that while I was six months post partum on BFL I’m peri-menopausal now and during that first P90X round. So quirks of hormonal climate apply to both examples.
Of course this is anecdotal evidence. And I was previously fit with a decent amount of muscle mass considering my small frame. More muscle does equals more fat burning capacity. But I say whatever mild negative affect moderate alcohol consumption has on fat loss can be compensated for and even overridden by workout intensity and carbohydrate control.
Personally, I’ll happily add an hour of aerobics on to my day if I want to enjoy a few glasses or a bottle of wine with my husband that evening. I’ll do my weight lifting in the morning, then in the afternoon I set up my steppers and other machines in front of the television and do circuit training while I catch up on my TIVO’d episodes of “Celebrity Apprentice” and / or “The Biggest Loser”.
Former Ms. Olympia Competitor Rachel McLish at Age 49
After reading Joel Marion’s recommendations in “The Cheat To Lose Diet’ to avoid alcohol EVEN ON CHEAT DAYS, my immediate thought was a flashback to ‘Pumping Iron II - The Women’, a 1970’s film about elite female bodybuilders – including the still exquisite Rachel McLish. These women were the legendary ground breakers in the bodybuilding world and they sometimes partied hearty - even on film. Drinking alcohol wasn’t a training taboo for these ladies. I’m sure they didn’t get falling down drunk regularly. Who could and still weight train intensely and compete as a ripped bodybuilder? But they enjoyed their liquor guilt free during their “mass building” phases.
Super Fit Jackie Warner of "Workout" - Another Party Girl Who Tipples
Then there’s “Workout” the hit show on BRAVO about Jackie Warner and her Beverly Hills gym Sky Sport & Spa. Jackie and her trainers are super fit. And at least once an episode they go out drinking. In one episode they actually discussed how much these elite trainers like to drink and party hearty. We're not talking a glass or two either. It may be a once a week or once a month indulgence but it’s not restrained and neither is it derailing their training or ruining their stellar physiques.
This proves – again anecdotally - that enjoying a few drinks does not have to equal being over fat and under muscled. How do I know? My own years of personal experience and anecdotal evidence prove that moderate alcohol consumption is not detrimental to fat loss and muscle building.
And the fact is, everything is relative. If you struggle with weight I’d recommend avoiding extra calories from alcohol AND refined carbohydrates AND any other foods you tend to over consume. (For most Americans that's every food they get their hands on). If you're fit and in a fat loss phase completely foregoing alcohol is certainly a reasonable move if you're comfortable with that.
But giving up alcohol is not magical when it comes to fat loss. If any of your nutritional and training approach is not optimal - like eating too many calories, eating portions that are too big, eating the wrong ratios of macro nutrients, not getting enough of one or several micro-nutrients, not eating enough calories, or being stressed out and sleep deprived which also screw royally with hormones and inhibit fat loss and muscle growth - it may not even give you an edge.
You can gain body fat eating too much of anything including fruits, whole grains, legumes, meats, fats, nuts, and even vegetables. An obesity specialist on a recent Discovery Health Channel show had to explain to an obese man why he was fat when the guy only ate oranges all day. “Forty five of anything can make you fat,” said the doctor.
It all comes down to moderation and balance, something most Americans just don’t get. We as a society have adopted an all or nothing attitude. We else drink to excess or do not drink at all. We workout like maniacs to look like a fitness model or we sit on the couch and stuff our faces until we look like Shamu. We become debt ridden compulsive spenders in danger of foreclosure and bankruptcy or we become penny pinching spendthrifts who resent purchasing even the bare necessities.
It’s time to embrace balance and moderation in all areas of our lives.
I’m not into workouts and good nutrition to look like a fitness model. Hell, I’m 48 years old and fighting an uphill battle with natural aging. Between a full schedule with a home business, a husband, and child, a household including over a dozen pets, working out and eating nutritiously is a very small part of my day. And having Cerebral Palsy in itself puts some limits on what I can accomplish physically like I’m restricted to pool jogging as opposed to regular jogging due to balance issues. On the other hand, being fit and working out regularly has positive effects on living and coping with CP.
I just want to be healthy, reasonably fit, and look good for myself and my husband. Muscle & Fitness Hers won’t be banging on my door no matter how strict I get with my diet and workouts. So what? Working out hard is something I genuinely enjoy, a challenge that enhances my personal growth, and something I do for me. And I enjoy some wine in the evening when I please. Guess what? When I enjoyed my wine while working out and watching my overall diet my body fat percentage went down anyway! Ha!
This morning while discussing going out this weekend, I told Jerry I wanted to eat out somewhere I could stick to my diet. (Bruno wants to go to McDonald's - Rolling MY Eyes). I told Jerry while on the first seven day phase of ‘Cheat To Lose’ I had to be strictly low carbohydrate (the second week is low GI/GL, week three is higher GI/GL, and day 22 is the first Cheat Day). He said, “I don’t know why you bother, you look great!”
Well, yes I do. And I damned well have earned it. But I want that little extra accomplishment, to look the best I can in a bikini this summer. I want my body fat around 15 percent and to weigh around 110 pounds. But I refuse to turn into a complete Spartan to do it. I’m going to workout regularly and eat right.
But I'm not turning into some hard-assed, uptight, super strict killjoy to do it. I won't lay a guilt trip on myself or anyone else for occasionally indulging in alcohol, chocolate, chips, or greasy fast food. That's not living your best life.
Life is not just about discipline, and strict diet and training. In fact, the scientific evidence behind 'The Cheat To Lose Diet' supports the very premise that occasional CHEATING RAISES LEPTIN LEVELS AND SUPPORTS GREATER FAT LOSS. And Joel Marion sites scientific, medical, and his real life experience with hundreds of people to prove his method works.
All those super strict dieters out there who never or very rarely indulge themselves are probably the ones missing out on their optimal results. Joel Marion talked of one of his clients who was having mediocre results and when he finally uncovered the reason it was surprising from a classic diet model standpoint - she had foregone all of her scheduled cheat days. Once she relented and followed his precise diet and cheat day schedule she achieved phenomenal results. (Book review on 'The Cheat To Lose Diet' and a full report of my results are in the works).
Following the 90 percent rule is a wiser and happier approach to nutrition, fitness, and alcohol consumption. (Denise Austin swears by the 80 percent rule - and some amateur and professional bodybuilders claim a 50-75 percent approach works for them). This simply means eating clean and healthy 90 percent or 80 percent or 75 percent of the time and eating whatever you're craving in moderation - be it a cheeseburger, fries, a Mars bars, a beer, or a handful of Pringles - the other small percentage of the time. This approach considers the fact we all have "mental health" days and cravings when we need a treat or a glass of wine. Expecting perfection and even achieving perfection 100 percent of the time is not healthy. In fact, it's insane.
I’m betting I can have my cheesecake body and some wine too. That way I won't GO insane.
cheese·cake /ˈtʃizˌkeɪk/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[cheez-keyk] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
2. Informal. Also called leg art. Photographs featuring scantily clothed attractive women.
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From Diet Blog
Alcohol and Fat Loss
What effect does alcohol have on both fat loss or weight maintenance? While there are general rules, you can always find an exception.
I know one person who has two alcoholic drinks per day - and yet has lost 15% of their body weight - virtually all fat. At the same time they have experienced strength increases (from intense weight training).
Some diet plans encourage wine consumption (Sonoma Diet) others will allow it (South Beach Diet), while others completely restrict any alcohol.
Like many other issues in nutrition - there are no hard and fast rules - it is up to you to see what works for you. Read More.
