Protein, Fibre, Apple Cider Vinegar: weight loss hacks to help you lose kilos faster

Diet tricks to help you lose weight faster this year

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Whether you're looking to trim down fast or just tired or trying fads and trends that just don't work, then these might be your answer. Losing weight doesn't need to be hard. By making simple swaps and adding a few extras to your diet you can see great results in no time.

1. Eat More Plant Based Foods

Plant based foods are loaded with vital nutrients and phytochemicals our bodies need to for good health and for healthy weight management. They are high in dietary fibre to promote better digestion and bowel regularity, and are generally low in saturated fats and calories.

2. Don't Skip Breakfast

You’ve heard it many times before, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but still over 50 per cent of Australians choose to skip eating in the morning. Having a nutritious breakfast will set you up for a day of healthy eating and is beneficial for healthy weight management. It helps you maintain stable blood sugar levels and prevents you from overeating high calorie and sugary foods mid-morning.

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Breakfast provides a good dose of our daily nutrient intake too, including fibre, protein and important nutrients like calcium and B vitamins we need for energy production, bone health, and growth and repair of the body.

3. Include Good Quality Proteins With Meals

Protein sources such as raw nuts and seeds (including chia and quinoa), tempeh, legumes, oily fish, dairy (yoghurt, kefir, cheese), eggs, chicken, and red meat, are digested slower so they keep you fuller for longer and will prevent post-meal spikes in blood sugar levels and insulin. Grains like teff and lupin (a legume) contain good levels of protein too, so they make a nice alternative to regular flour when cooking.

4. Eat More Fibre

Foods containing fibre are filling, so they wont leave you feeling hungry and wanting seconds. Some of the best fibre-rich foods are fruits and vegetables, legumes, wholegrains (whole oats, brown rice, grainy breads, buckwheat, teff), nuts, and seeds.

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5. Make Healthy Drink Swaps to Cut Calories

Instead of fruit juice, which is high in fructose, have veggie juice or a piece of fruit instead. Give soft drink the flick, it’s loaded with chemicals, and either high levels or sugar or artificial sweeteners and void of any goodness. Go for sparkling mineral water, you can add a little of your favourite unsweetened juice or fresh lemon. Herbal teas can be enjoyed hot or cold with some fresh fruit and mint.

Don’t forget to drink around 2 Litres of water daily for good health. Drinking water in between meals can be beneficial for reducing overeating and unwanted snacking too. If you are a coffee drinker cutting out sugar or syrups will greatly reduce your daily calorie intake. Chai lovers need to be careful not to buy sugary powdered chai that’s full of sugar, always go for real leaf chai.

6. Watch Portion Sizes

Overdoing any food can lead to weight gain. If you are ingesting more calories than you are burning, then you will naturally put on weight. Enjoy a variety of foods from different food groups in moderation. 

Your protein portions eg. fish, chicken, red meat, tofu, should be roughly the size and thickness of your palm, then fill the rest of your plate with vegetables or salad. This doesn’t mean a huge serving of mashed potato though, include plenty of green leafies, some brassicas and variety of different coloured veggies.

7. Have Healthy Snacks On-Hand

Always have some nutritious snacks on hand to beat afternoon sugar cravings and unhealthy snacking. Keep healthy snacks ready-to-go in your fridge, bag or work desk draw. Some ideal snacks are trail mixes, fresh fruit, small tubs of sugar-free yoghurt, homemade protein balls, apple wedges with almond butter, hummus or guacamole with veggie sticks or flax crackers, green smoothies and veggie juices.

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Natural protein powders like whey, pea or brown rice, are also handy to keep on hand, especially at work, to add to smoothies or as a quick pick me up with some chilled water or milk of choice. Great to add to protein balls too.

8. Go Alcohol Free For a Few Months

Give your liver a break in the new year and loose weight in the process by going alcohol free for a couple of months. Alcohol is very high in calories and will contribute to unwanted weight gain if you drink regularly. The average full strength middy of beer and glass of wine contains around 105 calories, which takes around 25 minutes to burn off walking briskly.

9. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Before Meals

Taking apple cider vinegar (ACV) before main meals is an excellent way to give your digestion and metabolism a boost. ACV is a thermogenic food, so it's helpful for enhancing fat burning and assisting with weight loss. It will also help improve digestive issues such as reflux and indigestion, and prevent bloated distended stomachs. Try 1tsp-1tbsp of ACV diluted in a little water around 15 minutes before eating. ACV can also be used in salad dressing.

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24 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting

Time Your Meals

Set a timer for 20 minutes and reinvent yourself as a slow eater. This is one of the top habits for slimming down without a complicated diet plan. Savor each bite and make them last until the bell chimes. Paced meals offer great pleasure from smaller portions and trigger the body's fullness hormones. When you wolf your food down in a hurry, your stomach doesn't have time to tell your brain it's full. That leads to overeating.

Sleep More, Weigh Less

Sleeping an extra hour a night could help a person drop 14 pounds in a year, according to a University of Michigan researcher who ran the numbers for a 2,500 calorie per day intake. His scenario shows that when sleep replaces idle activities -- and the usual mindless snacking -- you can effortlessly cut calories by 6%. Results would vary for each person, but sleep may help in another way, too. There's evidence that getting less than 7 hours of sleep revs up your appetite, making you uncommonly hungry.

Serve More, Eat More Veggies

Serve three vegetables with dinner tonight, instead of just one, and you'll eat more without really trying. Greater variety tricks people into eating more food -- and eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to lose weight. The high fiber and water content fills you up with fewer calories. Cook them without added fat. And season with lemon juice and herbs rather than drowning their goodness in high-fat sauces or dressings.

When Soup's On, Weight Comes Off

Add a broth-based soup to your day and you'll fill up on fewer calories. Think minestrone, tortilla soup, or Chinese won-ton. Soup's especially handy at the beginning of a meal because it slows your eating and curbs your appetite. Start with a low-sodium broth or canned soup, add fresh or frozen vegetables and simmer. Beware of creamy soups, which can be high in fat and calories.

Go for Whole Grains

Whole grains such as brown rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, and whole wheat also belong in your stealthy weight loss strategy. They help fill you up with fewer calories and may improve your cholesterol, too. Whole grains are now in many products including waffles, pizza crust, English muffins, pasta, and soft "white" whole-wheat bread.

Eyeball Your Skinny Clothes

Hang an old favorite dress, skirt, or a smokin' pair of jeans where you'll see them every day. This keeps your eyes on the prize. Choose an item that's just a little too snug, so you reach this reward in a relatively short time. Then pull out last year's cocktail dress for your next small, attainable goal.

Skip the Bacon

Pass on those two strips of bacon at breakfast or in your sandwich at lunch time. This simple move saves about 100 calories, which can add up to a 10 pound weight loss over a year. Other sandwich fixings can replace the flavor with fewer calories. Think about tomato slices, banana peppers, roasted red bell peppers, grainy mustard, or a light spread of herbed goat cheese.

Build a Better Slice of Pizza

Choose vegetable toppings for pizza instead of meat and you may be able to shave 100 calories from your meal. Other skinny pizza tricks: Go light on the cheese or use reduced-fat cheese and choose a thin, bread-like crust made with just a touch of olive oil.

Sip Smart: Cut Back on Sugar

Replace one sugary drink like regular soda with water or a zero-calorie seltzer and you'll avoid about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Add lemon, mint or frozen strawberries for flavor and fun.

The liquid sugar in soda appears to bypass the body's normal fullness cues. One study compared an extra 450 calories per day from jelly beans vs. soda. The candy eaters unconsciously ate fewer calories overall, but not so for the soda drinkers. They gained 2.5 pounds in four weeks.

Sip Smart: Use a Tall, Thin Glass

Use a tall, skinny glass instead of a short, wide tumbler to cut liquid calories -- and your weight -- without dieting. You'll drink 25%-30% less juice, soda, wine, or any other beverage.

How can this work? Brian Wansink, PhD, says visual cues can trick us into consuming more or less. His tests at Cornell University found all kinds of people poured more into a short, wide glass -- even experienced bartenders.

Sip Smart: Limit Alcohol

When an occasion includes alcohol, follow the first drink with a nonalcoholic, low-calorie beverage like sparkling water instead of moving directly to another cocktail, beer, or glass of wine. Alcohol has more calories per gram (7) than carbohydrates (4) or protein (4). It can also loosen your resolve, leading you to mindlessly inhale chips, nuts, and other foods you'd normally limit.

Sip Smart: Go for Green Tea

Drinking green tea may also be a good weight loss strategy. Some studies suggest that it can rev up the body's calorie-burning engine temporarily, possibly through the action of phytochemicals called catechins. At the very least, you'll get a refreshing drink without tons of calories.

Slip Into a Yoga State of Mind

Women who do yoga tend to weigh less than others, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. What's the connection? The yoga regulars reported a more "mindful" approach to eating. For example, they tend to notice the large portions in restaurants but eat only enough to feel full. Researchers think the calm self-awareness developed through yoga may help people resist overeating.

Eat at Home

Eat home-cooked meals at least five days a week. A Consumer Reports survey found this was a top habit of "successful losers." Sound daunting? Cooking may be easier than you think. Shortcut foods can make for quick meals, such as pre-chopped lean beef for fajitas, washed lettuce, pre-cut veggies, canned beans, cooked chicken strips, or grilled deli salmon.

Catch the 'Eating Pause'

Most people have a natural "eating pause," when they drop the fork for a couple of minutes. Watch for this moment and don't take another bite. Clear your plate and enjoy the conversation. This is the quiet signal that you're full, but not stuffed. Most people miss it.

Chew Strong Mint Gum

Chew sugarless gum with a strong flavor when you're at risk for a snack attack. Making dinner after work, socializing at a party, watching TV, or surfing the Internet are a few dangerous scenarios for mindless snacking. Gum with a big flavor punch overpowers other foods so they don't taste good.

Shrink Your Dishes

Choose a 10-inch lunch plate instead of a 12-inch dinner plate to automatically eat less. Cornell's Brian Wansink, PhD, found in test after test that people serve more and eat more food with larger dishes. Shrink your plate or bowl to cut out 100-200 calories a day -- and 10-20 pounds in a year. In Wansink's tests, no one felt hungry or even noticed when tricks of the eye shaved 200 calories off their daily intake.

Get Food Portions Right

The top habit of slim people is to stick with modest food portions at every meal, five days a week or more. "Always slim" people do it and successful losers do it, too, according to a Consumer Reports survey. After measuring portions a few times, it can become automatic. Make it easier with small "snack" packs and by keeping serving dishes off the table at meal time.

Try the 80-20 Rule

Americans are conditioned to keep eating until they're stuffed, but residents of Okinawa eat until they're 80% full. They even have a name for this naturally slimming habit: hara hachi bu. We can adopt this healthy habit by dishing out 20% less food, according to researcher Brian Wansink, PhD. His studies show most people don't miss it.

Eat Out Your Way

Restaurant meals are notoriously fattening, so consider these special orders that keep portions under control:

• Split an entrée with a friend.
• Order an appetizer as a meal.
• Choose the child's plate.
• Get half the meal in a doggie bag before it's brought to the table.

Complement a smaller entrée with extra salad for the right balance: half the plate filled with veggies.

Reach for the Red Sauce

Choose marinara sauce for pasta instead of Alfredo sauce. The tomato-based sauces tend to have fewer calories and much less fat than cream-based sauces. But remember, portion size still counts. A serving of pasta is one cup or roughly the size of a tennis ball.

Go Meatless More Often

Eating vegetarian meals more often is a slimming habit. Vegetarians tend to weigh less than meat eaters. While there are several reasons for this, legumes may play an important role. Bean burgers, lentil soup, and other tasty legume-based foods are simply packed with fiber. Most Americans get only half of this important nutrient, which fills you up with fewer calories.

Burn 100 Calories More

Lose 10 pounds in a year without dieting by burning an extra 100 calories every day. Try one of these activities:

• Walk 1 mile, about 20 minutes.
• Pull weeds or plant flowers for 20 minutes.
• Mow the lawn for 20 minutes.
• Clean house for 30 minutes.
• Jog for 10 minutes.

Celebrate

When you've kicked the soda habit or simply made it through the day without overeating, pat yourself on the back. You've moved closer to a slimming lifestyle that helps people lose weight without crazy or complicated diet plans. Phone a friend, get a pedicure, buy new clothes -- or on occasion, indulge in a small slice of cheesecake.

Comment below what some tips and tricks you've found helpful to lose weight without resorting to dieting :)


Source
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-no-diet-weight-loss

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Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD on 2/, 014

This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information

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Alcohol and Weight Loss

Alcohol and weight loss are enemies, but an occasional drink can have a place in a healthy lifestyle. In fact, many experts note the potential health benefits of consuming a single drink per day, including a reduced risk for high blood pressure If, however, you are exceeding one drink daily, you might be sabotaging your weight loss plans.

Alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Under normal conditions, your body gets its energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which are slowly digested and absorbed within the gastrointestinal system. However, this digestive process changes when alcohol is present. When you drink alcohol, it gets immediate attention (because it is viewed by the body as a toxin) and needs no digestion.

On an empty stomach, the alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall quickly and can reach the brain and liver in minutes. This process is slower when you have food in your stomach, but as soon as that food enters the small intestine, the alcohol grabs first priority and is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream.

As the alcohol reaches the liver for processing, the liver places all of its attention on the alcohol. If you drink very slowly, all the alcohol is collected by the liver and processed immediately—avoiding all other body systems. If you drink more quickly, the liver cannot keep up with the processing needs and the alcohol continues to circulate in the body until the liver is available to process it. That's why drinking large amounts of alcohol (or drinking alcohol quickly) affect the brain centers involved with speech, vision, reasoning and judgment.

When the body is focused on processing alcohol, it is not able to properly break down foods containing carbohydrates and fat. Therefore, these calories are converted into body fat and are carried away for permanent storage on your body.

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes water loss and dehydration. Along with this water loss you lose important minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc. These minerals are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation.

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers NO nutritional value. It only adds empty calories to your diet. Why not spend your calorie budget on something healthier?

Alcohol affects your body in other negative ways. Drinking may help induce sleep, but the sleep you get isn't very deep. As a result, you get less rest, which can trigger you to eat more calories the next day. Alcohol can also increase the amount of acid that your stomach produces, causing your stomach lining to become inflamed. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to serious health problems, including stomach ulcers, liver disease, and heart troubles.

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which is detrimental to your diet plans. Alcohol actually stimulates your appetite. While you might be full from a comparable amount of calories from food, several drinks might not fill you up. On top of that, research shows that if you drink before or during a meal, both your inhibitions and willpower are reduced. In this state, you are more likely to overeat—especially greasy or fried foods—which can add to your waistline. To avoid this, wait to order that drink until you're done with your meal.

Many foods that accompany drinking (peanuts, pretzels, chips) are salty, which can make you thirsty, encouraging you to drink even more. To avoid over-drinking, sip on a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.

Skipping a meal to save your calories for drinks later is a bad idea. Many drinkers know they'll be having some alcohol later, whether going to a bar, party, or just kicking back at home. Knowing that drinking entails extra calories, it may be tempting to "bank" some calories by skipping a meal or two. This is a bad move. If you come to the bar hungry, you are even more likely to munch on the snacks, and drinking on an empty stomach enhances the negative effects of alcohol. If you're planning on drinking later, eat a healthy meal first. You'll feel fuller, which will stop you from overdrinking. If you are worried about a looming night out with friends, include an extra 30 minutes of exercise to balance your calories—instead of skipping a meal.

What are more important, calories or carbs? You might think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer do contain carbs. But dieters need to watch calories, and liquor only has a few calories less than beer or wine. Plus, it is often mixed with other drinks, adding even more empty calories. Hard liquor contains around 100 calories per shot, so adding a mixer increases calories even more. If you are going to mix liquor with anything, opt for a diet or club soda, instead of fruit juice or regular soda. Sweeter drinks, whether liquor or wine, tend to have more sugar, and therefore more calories. In that respect, dry wines usually have fewer calories than sweet wines.

The list below breaks down the number of calories in typical alcoholic drinks. Compare some of your favorites to make a good choice next time you decide to indulge in a serving of alcohol.

Drink	Serving Size	Calories
Red wine	5 oz.	100
White wine	5 oz.	100
Champagne	5 oz.	130
Light beer	12 oz.	105
Regular beer	12 oz.	140
Dark beer	12 oz.	170
Cosmopolitan	3 oz.	165
Martini	3 oz.	205
Long Island iced tea	8 oz.	400
Gin & Tonic	8 oz.	175
Rum & Soda	8 oz.	180
Margarita	8 oz.	200
Whiskey Sour	4 oz.	200

Alcohol can easily be the enemy when it comes to weight loss. It adds extra calories to your diet, encourages you to eat more food, and alters the normal digestive process. Not only are the extra calories a hindrance, but the changes in food breakdown sends turns those extra calories into unwanted body fat. Alcohol does have a bad reputation when it comes to weight loss, and rightfully so, so be smart about your alcohol choices if you're watching your weight. This article has been reviewed and approved by Spark People's nutrition expert Becky Hand, MS, Licensed and Registered Dietitian.


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http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=563&page=2

How to lose weight by cutting alcohol

What's the key to successful weight loss? Nutritionist and Ocsober ambassador Lola Berry tells you what you need to do

Weight loss is always a big topic for discussion. We all want to know the latest tricks and tips, like if there is some new exotic fruit which will speed your metabolism up or if there's some magical shake that will make you less hungry. Sure, these things do exist but what happens when you go off these special weight loss supplements and go back to normal eating? You guessed it, the weight piles back on, and often with interest. Take it from me, I’ve tried and seen it all. So what are the true pillars of weight loss?

Eating real food

The things you want to go for are fresh fruit, veggies, nuts and seeds, and when it comes to animal products I’d be going for organic or free range when you can. I know they cost more but that's just my preference both ethically and from a health perspective. 

Giving up alcohol (for awhile)

Now what about the booze? If you're really serious about dropping weight then it's got to go, just for a little while. Use a campaign such as Ocsober as motivation to keep off the alcohol, if only for a month. It's not even the fact that you're drinking empty calories, but there's more to it than that. When you drink alcohol your body needs to burn it off straight away, so if you're out for dinner, then that meal you’re eating is being stored rather than burned off. 

Think about how often we have a few drinks at dinner time. On top of that, we want our liver to be in tip top shape to be losing weight as it's a key player in fat emulsification. So if you're liver is out of whack then it's going to be harder for your body to break down fats. When you are trying to lose weight, keep your water intake high as you'll be detoxing so staying hydrated is going to help keep you regular and flush whatever toxins your body is getting rid of.

Get regular sunshine

Getting a bit of sunshine every day is key. I’m not saying roast, but just a little walk in the sun most days will give you a nice hit of vitamin D which is needed for your metabolism. 

Be happy

Finally, most importantly be happy. If you're not happy you won't be compliant and you'll keep reverting to the "easier" option. Plus when we're not happy we turn to other things to make us happy like sugar, carbohydrates or alcohol. So make sure you're doing things to make you happy, things that feed the soul.

Comment below you thoughts, love hearing from you xx


Source
http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/weight+loss/lose+weight/how+to+lose+weight+by+cutting+alcohol,27635

Self-help tips to fight fatigue

Many cases of unexplained tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Use these self-help tips to restore your energy levels.

Eat often to beat tiredness

A good way to keep up your energy through the day is to eat regular meals and healthy snacks every three to four hours, rather than a large meal less often.

Read more about healthy eating.

Perk up with exercise

You might feel too tired to exercise, but regular exercise will make you feel less tired in the long run, and you’ll have more energy. Even a single 15-minute walk can give you an energy boost, and the benefits increase with more frequent physical activity.

Start with a small amount of exercise. Build up your physical activity gradually over weeks and months until you reach the recommended goal of two-and-a-half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

Read more about exercise.

Lose weight to gain energy 

If your body is carrying excess weight, it can be exhausting. It also puts extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired. Lose weight and you’ll feel much more energetic. Apart from eating healthily, the best way to lose weight is to be more active and do more exercise.

Read more about how to lose weight naturally.

Sleep well

It sounds obvious, but two-thirds of us suffer from sleep problems, and many people don’t get the sleep they need to stay alert through the day. The Royal College of Psychiatrists advises going to bed and getting up in the morning at the same time every day; avoid naps through the day, and have a hot bath before bed (as hot as you can bear without scalding you) for at least 20 minutes.

Read more about Sleep More, Weigh Less

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Reduce stress to boost energy 

Stress uses up a lot of energy. Try to introduce relaxing activities into your day. This could be working out at the gym, or a gentler option, such as listening to music, reading or spending time with friends. Whatever relaxes you will improve your energy.

Read more about how to stress and weight gain.

Talking therapy beats fatigue 

There’s some evidence that talking therapies such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) might help to fight fatigue. See your GP for a referral for talking treatment on the NHS or for advice on seeing a private therapist.

Cut out caffeine

The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine. It says the best way to do this is to gradually stop having all caffeine drinks (this includes coffee, tea and cola drinks) over a three-week period. Try to stay off caffeine completely for a month to see if you feel less tired without it.

You may find that not consuming caffeine gives you headaches. If this happens, cut down more slowly on the amount of caffeine that you drink.

Drink less alcohol

Although a few glasses of wine in the evening helps you fall asleep, you sleep less deeply after drinking alcohol. The next day you’ll be tired, even if you sleep a full eight hours.

Cut down on alcohol before bedtime. You’ll get a better night’s rest and have more energy. The NHS recommends that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units a day. Women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day. "Regularly" means drinking every day or most days of the week.

Read more Does Alcohol Prevent Weight Loss, or Cause Fat Gain?

Drink more water for better energy 

Sometimes you feel tired simply because you’re mildly dehydrated. A glass of water will do the trick, especially after exercise.

Read more How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight


Source
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-fatigue/Pages/self-help-energy-tips.aspx

How to beat your biggest weight loss hurdles

Want to shift a few kilos? Tackle your lifestyle and diet hurdles and make losing weight just a little bit easier. We show you how.

You eat when you're not hungry

We're all guilty of eating when food is in front of us, even if we're not hungry. To combat this try and keep a food diary of everything you eat for a week then look at how much of what you ate was to satisfy real hunger and how much was because you were bored or eating out of habit. Pay close attention to your body's hunger signals and be more mindful of how hungry you are - this can help curb non-hungry eating.

Your motivation levels are non-existent

Set concrete goals. If you want to lose weight by your 30th birthday at the end of the year then use it as something to work towards. Setting a time frame on a weight loss goal will make it a real objective. Visual inspiration is always good (that's what Pinterest is for!) so collect images of things that will inspire you to lace up your sneakers when you'd rather hit the couch, and look at it when your motivation is waning.

You're time poor

Not everyone has an hour to spare each day to train so make your workout time work harder. Commando Steve says training smart is the key. Put together exercises that are high intensity, functional and target as many muscles as possible. Not sure where to start? Here's a workout for every time frame - whether you've got 20 minutes or you've only got five minutes to spare! 

You have a sweet tooth

If sugar is your diet's worst enemy try starting your day with a savoury meal and a good dose of protein such as an omelette as opposed to sugary cereal will ensure the blood-sugar pendulum swings in the right direction and you don't experience a hypoglycaemic slump aka the 3pm trip to the vending machine for a chocolate bar. Also going cold turkey and steering clear of sweets will help curb the cravings. The reason being if you just taste sugar once you'll crave it again!

You're not eating the right portions

Most of us are eating food portions that are much bigger than what we actually need. Get out the weighing scales and measuring cups and see just how much you're eating. You'll be surprised how much extra you're actually consuming on a day to day basis. As a basic rule your plate should consist of half vegetables or salad, a quarter carbs and a quarter protein.

Your alcohol intake

Most of us forget about the fact alcohol contains calories. For example a small glass of wine often contains the same number of calories as a row of chocolate! Because we're drinking it, we often don't think it counts. Watch what you sip!

Source
http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/weight+loss/lose+weight/galleries/how+to+beat+your+biggest+weight+loss+hurdles,26166

Does Alcohol Prevent Weight Loss, or Cause Fat Gain?

Did you know that alcohol consumption can decrease testosterone in men by 23%? What about how alcohol directly affects your ability to lose fat?

Alcohol is deeply entrenched in our culture as a way to have fun, let loose, and be social. Companies that market alcohol from vodka, to whiskey, to beer know the right buttons to push. Our brains are seemingly wired to desire a cold refreshing alcoholic beverage after a tough day at work.

But, the truth is that alcohol, when not consumed in moderation (1-2 drinks a few times per week) has very negative effects on weight loss. This article will delve into the physiology of how alcohol affects your ability to successfully lose weight and keep it off for good.

What is a “Drink” of Alcohol?

Research considers an alcoholic drink to be about 15 grams of ethanol alcohol. Fifteen grams of alcohol is found in 5 ounces of wine, 1 1/2 ounces of an 80 proof/40% drink such as vodka or whiskey, and 12 ounces of beer. Because these are general guidelines, clearly some drinks may be stronger than others. For example, light beer is slightly weaker than regular beer. Most restaurants and bars serve 16 oz beers (making it one and a third drink) while pouring more than 1 1/2 ounces in a mixed drink.

Every gram of alcohol that you drink counts for 7.1 calories. However, because you burn up some of those as your body processes them (thermic effect), the total calorie per gram is closer to 5.7.

Let’s say you order a beer at dinner. With 20 grams of alcohol x 5.7 calories + the total amount of carbs, you end up with a drink that contains 150 calories. The range of caloric intake for beers ranges from 64-250+. Wine and shots also average about the same amount of calories. Watch out for mixed drinks, because besides the alcoholic calories they inherently have, depending on what’s mixed in, you could be drinking an excessive amount of calories in just one drink.

Alcohol & Weight Loss | After Your First Two Drinks

After your first drink, your body starts to get rid of the alcohol quickly using the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) pathway.1 In this pathway, ADH converts the alcohol into acetaldehyde, which gets further broken down to acetate. These by-products (acetaldehyde and acetate) are considered to be highly reactive and can increase oxidation throughout the body, but especially in the liver.

Because your body sees these by-products as dangerous, it wants to use them as fuel. This means your body will significantly blunt fat-burning close to 75% after just one and a half drinks.2 And it will stop using carbs for energy. Therefore, although very little alcohol will be stored as fat (less than 5%), the fat and carbs you are eating have an increased risk of being stored as fat.

Your liver can process these toxins through the increased use of certain vitamins, such as the water soluble vitamins B1, B3, B6, folate and C, while also possibly depleting some of the fat-soluble vitamins, A, E and K1. Over-time these decreases in vitamins can play a secondary role in loss of motivation, energy, and well-being.

After your first couple of drinks, your brain also starts to increase its usage of GABA. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and is a large reason why alcohol is known as a “depressant.” Over time, the GABA receptors get used to the effects of alcohol, which is a reason why people may need more and more alcohol to feel the effects from alcohol consumption.3GABA is also the neurotransmitter, principally responsible for allowing you to stay asleep. Therefore when your brain uses more of it before you go to sleep, you have less while you’re actually sleeping, causing a disruption in restful sleep.

Alcohol also affects the higher processing areas of the brain, the cerebral cortex, while leaving the lower areas of the brain somewhat unaffected. This leaves you more emotional than you would normally be. If you’ve ever experienced “drunk logic” while doing or saying things you would never think to do sober, then you’ve experienced the inhibitory effects of having your cerebral cortex taken out of the equation.

While your body has started to use the alcohol as energy, your body releases anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) to help your body rid itself of the alcohol. This basically means that your urine volume increases significantly (about 100 ml per 10 grams of alcohol).4 If you’ve ever “broken the seal,” you know that the more you continue to drink, the more frequently you use the restroom.

Since your kidneys are working over-time, your body releases an increase in certain minerals and electrolytes especially calcium, magnesium, copper, selenium and manganese. All of these play important roles not only in blood volume, but in bone health, blood pressure and the anti-oxidant pathways.

In addition to everything above, a small increase in cortisol typically occurs with moderate drinking while testosterone levels will drop about 6.8% in men (not so much in women).5Aromatase will also increase. Aromatase is an enzyme that helps to convert testosterone to estrogen and is obviously not something that is welcomed by many guys.

Alcohol & Weight Loss | After Six to Eight Plus Drinks

If you’re drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, those things listed above are the main effects, at least short-term. If you drink heavily and drink often, another system called the Microsomal Ethanol-Oxidizing System (MEOS) system kicks in at the point when the ADH pathway becomes overwhelmed.

This system is interesting because it causes your body to generally burn off more energy as useless heat and probably saves your life from too high of a blood alcohol level. It is primarily controlled by a special enzyme that plays an important role in utilizing certain medications and the metabolism of fatty acids. This increased rate of medication breakdown can decrease their effectiveness, while the incomplete breakdown of fatty acids can cause an increase in oxidation. This increase in oxidation becomes exacerbated as the body’s main anti-oxidant (glutathione) is also impaired, decreasing your ability to fight the oxidation.

As your drinking levels continue to increase, testosterone levels drop from 6.8% with 4 drinks to 23% with 8 drinks.6 This drop, combined with a slowdown in protein synthesis, can cause havoc when trying to recover from a workout.

In addition to that, fluid loss will generally become more significant, causing dehydration that might affect you for days afterwards. Finally, with heavy drinking, the breakdown of alcohol can occur for up to 48 hours after your last drink. This means less glucose is reaching your brain and working muscles, making you both more tired and quicker to fatigue if you do exercise.

If You’re Going to Drink Alcohol, Drink in Moderation and Not Too Often

You would think after listing all that happens in your body after consuming alcohol, the no-brainer suggestion would be to not drink. What is missing though are some of the benefits from consuming moderate amounts of alcohol.

Alcohol is shown to increase insulin sensitivity, which basically means that your body needs less insulin to do its job. In addition to that, research has shown that women who drink a moderate amount will have the same or slightly lower BMI, as those who don’t drink.7 The same effect is not seen in men. Those who moderately drink are also at less risk of dying from heart disease and cancer while decreasing one’s risk of Alzheimer’s8 and even slightly improving your immune system.9

In other words, complete abstinence may not be needed while trying to lose fat as long as it’s done in moderation and not very often (think one time per week). If you don’t drink, obviously don’t start, but if you want to have a couple of drinks on the weekend, there is nothing necessarily wrong with having one or two. In future articles, I will list some of the best and worst drinks to have when going out and 5 strategies you can implement to decrease the deleterious effects of having a night of heavy drinking.

Alcohol & Weight Loss | Wrapping It Up

In any fat loss plan, there are three main components that should be priority: Diet, Exercise, and Sleep.

As stated throughout the article, a moderate amount of alcohol can increase total calories, decrease your motivation for exercise, and negatively affect your sleep. Despite this, many people can enjoy a drink or two, without throwing those three components completely out of whack.

On the other hand, drinking heavily can significantly derail energy levels, has a larger influence on dehydration, negatively impacts hormonal levels, and can significantly disrupt your sleep. Therefore, limit your overall levels of alcohol and put yourself in the best position to reap some of the benefits of alcohol consumption, while not derailing your overall progress.

What do you think of the article? Anything new that you learned? Have any questions?

Source
http://www.builtlean.com/2012/11/26/alcohol-weight-loss/