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For those of you that love all-inclusive RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas Resort for it’s seemingly endless bar tab; I would recommend you put an eye or two on this article. There is one basic message that you should remember after reading this, that alcohol, even in small amounts, will decrease the body’s ability to breakdown fat and increase the storage of fat. Is the weight that you gain from the alcohol going to stay on you forever? NO, of course not. Your body’s mass and weight can fluctuate daily, sometimes hourly, so it shouldn’t be the only measure used to judge your efforts in fitness/diet. Peter Vash, MD, Director of Medical/Scientific Affairs for the Lindora Medical Clinics states, “…[ I ] also want women to know that false weight values are common among people that drink, due to the fact that alcohol can cause unnecessary fluid retention in the body lasting anywhere from one to two days” (Roberts-Grey, 2008, p. 72). So, even if you followed a healthy eating regime, but still enjoyed a favorite alcoholic beverage or two every day, it might make your efforts work against you. Why? The body processes alcohol a lot differently than it does, let’s say, sugar or other macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats). “Most of alcohol is converted to acetate, the chemical responsible for hangovers, which your body burns as energy instead of looking to its fat reserves,” says Lisa Maloy, Las Vegas-based nutritionist and personal trainer (Roberts-Grey, 2008, p.70). According to the USDA Guidelines (2005), “moderate alcohol consumption is defined as consuming
no more than one
standard-sized alcoholic drink per day” (Roberts-Grey, 2008, p.70).
Can one drink a day really slow my body down as much as a binge drinker? Probably not, BUT any alcoholic beverage you add to your diet
does have the potential to curtail the breakdown of new or existing fats. To be more specific, the body’s first job is to burn calories from your alcoholic beverage, in order to do this; the body keeps your meal in your stomach longer. When this happens the body stops looking for existing fats or “stored fats” for new energy. Now you have created a “fat hoarding monster” in your abdomen, and it wants to store new fat while keeping existing fats. This little monster won’t go away until most of the toxins are free from your digestive system and blood stream. So, when you are at that all-inclusive resort, please try to keep everything in moderation even if the tab is wide open. Additionally, think about how many of the listed, or variations of the listed (you have had) on your last vacation…now think about how many calories you exhaust yourself to burn in one workout? Hmmm....
Estimates of caloric value for common drinks:
| 12-oz Miller Genuine Draft | (143 kcal) |
| Sour Apple Schnapps or vodka martini | (300 kcal) |
| 5-oz glass of Chardonnay | (100 kcal) |
| Large frozen strawberry daiquiri | (250 kcal) |
| 1 shot of whiskey with 4-oz of soda | (150 kcal) |
*References: Roberts-Grey, G. (2008, Winter). Eat, Drink and Be Hefty.
Oxygen Magazine: Fat Loss, p. 70-72.
Disclaimer: The information in Rovia's A DreamTrips Way of Life newsletter should not substitute for professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician for treatment and advice.
