At seven calories per gram, alcohol is the second most caloric dense nutrient behind fat, which contains nine calories per gram.  Therefore, alcohol contributes a large number of calories to your total daily intake above and beyond the food you normally consume.  Because the alcohol is metabolized by the liver, the alcohol is not converted directly into body fat.  But this doesn't mean that drinking alcohol won't make you fat.  The body has no storage capacity for alcohol like it does for carbohydrates and fats.  Since alcohol must be detoxified as quickly as possible, the oxidation of the alcohol takes top priority over the oxidation of other macronutrients.  In other words, while the liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, the utilization of fats, carbohydrates, and protein has to be temporarily suppressed.  The burning of fats is suppressed the most, because it's positioned at the bottom of the oxidative hierarchy.  Lyle McDonald, author of The Ketogenic Diet says, "The consumption of alcohol will almost completely impair the body's use of fat for fuel."  In the book Power Eating, dietician Susan Kleiner writes, "Alcohol puts fat metabolism on hold.  It's not your friend if you're trying to stay lean."

Alcoholic beverages provide little or no nutritional value.  Alcohol is empty calories just like refined sugar is empty calories.  If the lack of nutritional value isn't bad enough, alcohol actually depletes the body of vitamins and minerals from other foods you eat.  Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach and intestinal tract and interferes with proper digestion and absorption of vital nutrients.  Alcohol is also a potent diuretic.  It draws water out of the cells and increases the loss of water through the kidneys.  The increased fluid output can cause the loss of water-soluble minerals and all of the other negative effects of dehydration.  Alcohol also suppresses testosterone, one of the main anabolic (muscle building) hormones.  Okay, enough said.

The bottom line here is, if you're serious about fat loss it always comes down to calories in versus calories out.  If you count your alcohol calories in your daily intake and keep within your calorie limits, then you'll still be able to lose body fat.  The problem is that most people forget to count the calories in all those drinks and then perhaps eat a big "cheat meal," which can only lead to fat gain rather than fat loss.  If you are going to drink, it's recommended that you limit yourself to two drinks and to stay hydrated.  Never binge, as that can do absolutely nothing positive for you.  Personally, I'm off alcohol altogether for the foreseeable future.  I'll stick to water for the time being.

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