Do you drink alcohol...?

**Luci** · 12-09-2011 09:10 AM

I was shocked to find out how many of my mates don't really drink anymore because they reckon alcohol causes you to put on weight , Do you drink ? or am i the only one who still does

**lizzardb63** · 12-09-2011 09:19 AM

I drink. I drink wine, beer, and mixed drinks. As far as gaining weight from drinking, it all depends on if you're drinking regular beer or light beer, regular soda or diet soda, etc. Drinking the malt liquors (like Mike's Hard lemonade) can pack on lbs, just because there is so much sugar in it. There are lo calories drinks out there, light beer is about 96 calories per can/bottle, glass of wine is about 115 (white), and the lowest cal/carb would be Rum and Diet coke. Otherwise there is also Miller 64 (64 calories) or Bud Select 55 (55 calories). You can still drink and not pack on the lbs.

It also depends on the rest of your diet. Having a drink here or there or once in a while isn't going to make you "fat" if you have a good diet and exercise routine.

**ItsASecret** · 12-09-2011 09:27 AM

I rarely drink, if someone offers me Champagne at a wedding then okay fine I will drink but I do not get hammered every weekend like other people my age. Beer tastes horrible to me so I limit that to when I am out for the night but again I never go overboard.

Alcohol can make you put on weight though, especially beer which is basically empty (meaning zero nutrition) calories...and a lot of them if you continually drink it. Light vs regular makes no difference if you are the type of person that drinks one after the other after the other. If you drink he occasional beer here and there it is no big deal, it is when it gets to be too much when the problems start. The cocktails can also be real bad because sugar fruit juices and sodas are no good for you in the first place so drinking many of those can lead to gaining weight if the drinking is heavy and coupled with poor diet. It is drinks like wine that are said to possibly be beneficial, but in very light moderation, that means maybe 3 drinks for the week or 1 drink a day if it is a small glass.

**KMonte85** · 12-09-2011 10:31 AM

Hard to say it any better than Lizz and IAS..

The short version is, yes, drinking alcohol can make you gain weight. However, just like with any high-calorie "treat (even something like regular soda), consuming it in moderate portions will not make you fat.

**Agony_Aunt** · 12-09-2011 01:05 PM

I drink and I've never given it much thought about putting on weight from drinking. I suppose that's because I'd relate putting on weight to eating rather than drinking.

I go out most weekends and I haven't noticed any weight gain, but I am naturally skinny.

But some men have "beer bellies".

I guess it does make people put on weight, same as food. But everything that's taken moderation wouldn't cause the worry of putting on weight.

**kodakbaby** · 12-09-2011 06:57 PM

They Say drinking doesn't cause you to gain weight, that the reason most people gain weight is because of what they eat while they are intoxicated. Like in my case when i used to go out to clubs/bars i'd end up at Jack in the Box(like most people) or Taquerias around 2-3am and eat ALOT and then go straight to bed o_O. Not the smartest thing i know. But thats just my insight and Now that ive read what Lizz wrote makes sense also...

**Cyndie32** · 12-10-2011 04:32 AM

yes but if you are at the club or at a party and there is dancing you are participating in, you can burn off alot of those calories from the drinks. Drunk people dancing is fun! i myself quit drinking 7 years ago. it was the last ditch effort to try and save my marriage to an alcoholic. it didn't work, he continued to drink and we are now divorced. i never started drinking again. i don't have anything against others who do but alcohol, for me was a major contributor to the down fall of my 20 year marriage. so drink.... be merry..... but beware..... it can grab ahold of you and before you know it you are addicted.

**Aeryn Sun** · 12-10-2011 01:13 PM

Alcohol or Food, calories in vs calories out will determine your weight situation.
I could consume more calories in a Starbucks drink compared to drinks I would order at the bar.

I am almost 30 and have been legally drinking since 19, with no weight gain. This is coming from someone who has got smashed, passed out drunk on more than one occasion.
The husband and I do still drink occasionally, but I am a Cranberry and vodka or mimosa fan so, nothing too dangerous.

**CRM** · 12-10-2011 01:19 PM

Anything can make you put on weight. Even alcohol. I'm no expert on the issue but I have heard that alcoholic drinks are typically full of "empty calories" meaning that when you drink alcohol it's not an energy giving substance, and you will not receive any health benefit from it. It's just an empty calorie waiting to be turned to fat. So just like with all other things you put in your body, you have to balance it with exercise. So if your friends would drink and then not eercise, then yes, the alcohol was making them put on weight. But that effect is most definitely preventable!

**caterpillar79** · 12-10-2011 02:48 PM

I do drink occasionally. I prefer red wine, and mixed drinks. I am picky with my beer but it doesn't matter, it only takes 1 bottle of Fat Tire to knock me down. You do put on weight if you ingest too much and not burn off extra calories. I think it is okay to drink, as long as it is done in moderation.

If you want to drink and lose weight, you need to log all of the stuff that you ingest, solid and liquid, and their calorie content. Remember to lose weight, you need to ingest less calorie than you burn. To maintain, just look at your daily caloric requirements and stay at it. Look up "eat this, not that" , "calorie king", and other weight logs online.