Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #7: Cut down on alcohol and cocktails

Here is today’s Weight Loss on a Budget Tip for our October Challenge: #7 – Cut down on alcohol and cocktails.

There are a lot of reasons why alcohol and weight loss are not the best pair.

– Alcohol is full of empty calories and sugars which we know contribute to weight gain.

– Although there can be some medicinal benefits to drinking things like wine, by and large alcohol doesn’t have  the nutrition value that you are looking for.  Any nutrition is cancelled out by negative factors (see below).

– Alcohol is addictive and you may already be pre-desposed to addiction…food addiction.  You don’t want to add on or negatively impact existing issues.  You want to eliminate your addictions and addictive behaviors as much as possible.

– When you drink alcohol, your body sends it straight to the liver to be metabolized. This means your liver busy breaking down alcohol instead of fat.  Also, too much alcohol can damage the liver, possibly causing cirrhosis and harming the metabolism permanently.

– Alcohol affects blood sugar and can cause dramatic lows and highs.  Overtime it can be a major factor in diabetes and glucose intolerance affecting the body’s ability to make glucose.

– Not buying alcohol will save you money, especially when it comes to cocktails in clubs and restaurants.

If you choose to drink, look for low calorie options like Bacardi and Diet Coke or “skinny” cocktails that are very popular these days.  Drink in moderation and be mindful of how it can affect your weight and health.