Alcohol—it’s delicious, helps me relax, and makes socializing with friends easier. It makes me feel great… until it doesn’t.
For years, I set ambitious goals for myself—goals that included getting back in the amazing shape I was in during my early 50s. I used to show people pictures of myself from that time, proud of how good I looked. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get close to where I was before. Even when I had a few good days of eating right, they were inevitably followed by bad decisions. This is what I call Groundhog Day: waking up every morning feeling defeated and depressed about the out-of-control eating the night before.
What caused this cycle, you ask? Alcohol.
For a long time, I didn’t make the connection. I saw alcohol as a treat or an enhancement to my social life, not something that could derail my progress. But after countless mornings of regret, I finally realized alcohol wasn’t just a minor indulgence—it was a major obstacle.
Breaking the Cycle
In 2023, I decided to take control. I created a plan to get in the best shape of my life and approached it with optimism. I knew I had to make significant changes, starting with alcohol.
I started researching the effects of alcohol on the body and was shocked to learn the following:
• When you drink, your body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over burning fat. This process can last anywhere from 3 to 10 days, depending on the amount consumed. During this time, your body essentially pauses fat-burning to focus on breaking down the alcohol.
• Alcohol also disrupts your metabolism, making it harder to process calories from food efficiently.
Curious about how this worked for me personally, I started my own experiment. I weighed myself daily and tracked my habits. Without fail, after just two glasses of wine with dinner, my weight would increase the next morning—and it didn’t stop there. The higher weight stuck around for three to five days, even though I was eating in a calorie deficit and exercising.
I repeated the experiment several times, and the results were always the same. Alcohol caused weight gain, delayed fat loss, and disrupted my progress.
The Weekend Trap
Now, imagine drinking just twice a week—or only on weekends. It’s easy to see why so many of us struggle to stay consistent with weight loss. If your body spends three to five days recovering from alcohol’s effects, that leaves very little time for actual fat-burning. When this pattern repeats week after week, it becomes impossible to make lasting progress.
How Alcohol Affects Your Weight
Here are the real ways alcohol sabotages your weight loss goals:
1. Metabolism Disruption
When you drink alcohol, your body prioritizes metabolizing it over burning fat. Alcohol is seen as a toxin, so your liver works to process and eliminate it as quickly as possible. This halts fat metabolism and calorie-burning for up to 10 days after drinking.
2. Empty Calories
Alcohol is calorie-dense but provides no nutritional value. A single glass of wine or a cocktail can add hundreds of calories to your daily intake without filling you up, leading to overeating or exceeding your calorie budget.
3. Lowered Inhibitions
Alcohol impairs decision-making, making it harder to resist unhealthy foods or stick to portion control. Late-night snacking or indulging in greasy foods after drinking is a common pattern that adds extra calories.
4. Sleep Disruption
Drinking alcohol can interfere with your sleep quality. Poor sleep negatively impacts your hormones, particularly those related to hunger and metabolism, such as leptin and ghrelin. This can lead to increased cravings and overeating the next day.
5. Fluid Retention and Inflammation
Alcohol causes water retention and inflammation in the body, which can make you feel bloated and temporarily increase the number on the scale.
The Takeaway
For years, I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t seeing progress, even though I was exercising and eating in a calorie deficit. But now I know the truth: alcohol was holding me back. It wasn’t just about the calories in the drinks—it was about how alcohol disrupted my body’s ability to burn fat, impaired my judgment, and derailed my consistency.
Since making the decision to cut out alcohol, I’ve seen real, measurable progress. My weight is more stable, my energy levels have improved, and I’m finally breaking free from the Groundhog Day cycle.
If you’re serious about your weight loss journey, it’s worth asking yourself: is alcohol helping or hurting? For me, the answer was clear—and making the change has been life-changing.
The Encouraged Life 