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Don’t Let Booze Be a Belly BusterAh, the pleasures of fine wine, beer at the ballgame or a well-crafted cocktail! By now, we bet you’re a pro at enjoying “adult beverages” the smart, Real Appeal way as you continue losing weight.

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Alcohol and Your Weight

I n the "Party Off the Pounds!" session,

you discovered strategies like saying,

“No thanks!” to happy hour calorie bombs

like pina coladas (250 calories in 5 ounces)

or frozen margaritas (225 calories in 10

ounces). You also learned you could say,

“You bet!” to lower calorie options like a

white wine spritzer (75 calories in 3 ounces)

or a light beer (110 calories in 12 ounces).

But the choice of whether or not to indulge

in a few cocktails is more than just a matter

of calories. Let’s take a closer look at the

more subtle effects alcohol can have on

your weight and appetite.

F actoring alcohol calories into your

daily total and sticking with just a few

drinks per week (and not more than one

per day for women, two for men) is key.

Light to moderate drinkers were less likely

to put on extra pounds than abstainers in a

surprising Harvard School of Public Health

study that tracked almost 50,000 women

for eight years.

In contrast, heavy drinking is linked to

weight gain and poor health. A large

National Institutes of Health study found

that binge drinkers (women who have four

drinks or men who have five in about a

two-hour span) weighed more than people

who enjoyed small amounts of alcohol

more frequently. Having more than four

drinks a day doubled the risk for obesity in

women and men in another study.

Even for light drinkers, alcohol can drive up

the number on the scale because it mutes

inhibitions and revs up appetite. A recent

study from the Netherlands found that

people who sipped a vodka-and-orange-

juice cocktail ate 11 percent more calories

at their next meal than non-drinkers. And

the drinkers specifically craved high-fat,

savory foods—like the chips, dips, cheese

and pizza you’re likely to find at a party or

on a bar menu.

How you drink makes a difference, too.

One study found people who had a glass,

or even a few sips, of wine on an empty

stomach consumed 270 more calories

than those who didn’t drink. Another study

found a pre-meal drink prompted women

and men to gobble their food faster, linger

longer at the table and take in 192 extra

calories. Bottom line: For some people,

even a single drink could make sticking

with your Real Appeal eating plan extra-

challenging. Unwinding with alcohol when

you get home from a tough day may feel

good, but could undo all the hard work

you’ve done to lose weight. And if you do

drink, wait until you have some food in your

stomach before your first sip.

The Cocktail Calculator What Makes a “Real” Drink?

tipreal tip

12 ouncesbeer(light & regular)

5 ounces wine

8 ouncesmalt liquor

Alcohol mutes inhibitions and revs up appetite

1.5 ounces spirits(or 1 shot each)

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Are "Beer Bellies" Fact or Fiction?

10 Lighter Liquors

Real Fact!When it comes to your risk of a big

belly, research suggests beer is no

worse than wine or spirits. What

does matter is volume: Men who

downed more than four alcoholic

drinks (of any type) daily on a

regular basis were four times more

likely to have extra-wide waistlines

than nondrinkers in a 2012 study

Women’s risk rose after just one

drink per day!

4 drinks a day

4 x more likely

to have a

extra-wide

waistline

Here are 10 drinks that will fit into your treat calorie budget.

DRINK AMOUNT CALORIES

Wine 5 ounces, red or white 120

Wine Spritzer 3 ounces white wine, 1 ounce

sparkling water, a twist of lemon

or lime

75

Beer 12 ounces 154

Light Beer 12 ounces 110

Light Cape Cod 1 ½ ounces vodka, gin or rum, a

splash (2 tablespoons) cranberry

juice, 4 ounces sparkling water,

and a twist of lime

100

Rum and Diet Cola 1 ½ ounces rum, 4 ounces

favorite zero-calorie cola

100

Whiskey or Bourbon

on the Rocks

1 ½ ounces spirits, ice 100

Infused Vodka 1 ½ ounces, flavored with

everything from peppers and

currants to cherries and pears

100

Champagne 4 ounces 85

Gin and Tonic 1 ounce gin, 3 ounces tonic

water

106

To balance the health risks and benefits

of moderate drinking, the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention suggest

aiming for:

Up to 1 drink/day for women

Up to 2 drinks/day for men.

In order to maximize your weight loss

results, Real Appeal recommends:

• Don’t drink every day; have up to

about four drinks per week

• Drink with food, not on an empty

stomach

What’s Moderate Drinking?• Follow the daily limits; don’t ‘save up’

your drinks for a weekend blowout

• Use your treat calories to cover

alcohol. For instance, if your daily treat

allowance is 150 calories, you can use

it for a 12-ounce bottle of beer (154

calories). (Forgot your treat calorie

level? See Session 9 for a refresher.)

Stick with lower-calorie options like wine,

light beer or cocktails made with low- or

no-calorie mixers.

tipreal fact

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How Much Is Too Much? Try Taking an “Alcohol Holiday”

Alcohol and Your Health

A lcohol affects appetite and weight so

differently for different people. One

way to determine what’s right for you is to

conduct a study—on yourself!

Y ou’re the researcher and the study

participant. Your experiment is to

skip alcohol for at least two weeks (a

month is even better). See how the change

affects your cravings, food choices and the

amount you eat.

Once your experiment ends, if you find

you’ve lost weight, or had an easier time

eating healthfully, you might consider

skipping alcohol altogether or enjoying

it less often—perhaps just once or twice

a month. If your weight hasn’t changed,

then you might return to light to moderate

drinking (see box, page 140).

If you find you cannot abstain for two

weeks, you may be dependent on

alcohol. Talk with your coach about your

challenges. If you realize that you can’t

control your drinking, talk with your family

doctor as soon as possible, too—the

ramifications could be greater than just

your weight.

T he media is full of headlines touting

the benefits and warnings about

alcohol’s health effects. “Red Wine is

Magic,” blares one report. “A Drink a Day

Raises Cancer Risk,” says an internet

post. “Moderate Drinking Boosts Immune

System,” claims a newspaper story. It can

get pretty confusing!

So, is alcohol good—or bad—for your

health? The short answer: Depends!

Full-blown alcohol abuse/alcoholism can

destroy your liver, and excessive drinking

also puts you at risk for stroke and certain

types of cancer. But when it comes to

heart disease, diabetes, and your immune

system, the effects aren’t so clear-cut.

Here’s the deal.

Heart disease Light drinking may raise

levels of heart-friendly HDL

cholesterol. Wine and other

drinks may also protect

artery walls and discourage

the formation of blood clots, according to

the American Heart Association.

What to do:

If you don’t already drink, don’t start just

for your heart! Exercise and healthy eating

are much more important. And, if you do

drink, don’t overdo it—heavy drinking can

increase your blood pressure.

Diabetes

If your blood sugar is well

controlled, one drink a day

may be safe, research shows.

What to do:

Understand that alcohol can lower your

blood sugar. If you use insulin or pills that

raise risk for low blood sugar episodes, its

crucial to have your drink with food and

to check blood sugar before and for a day

after, according to the American Diabetes

Association.

Immune systemWhile light drinking may give

your immune system a little

boost, too much alcohol

weakens your immune

defenses, leaving you more

susceptible to viruses and

bacteria.

What to do:

If you’re tempted to reach for another,

remember that you’re increasing your

chance of catching a cold or flu, and

reducing your body’s ability to fight off

serious infections.

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I will moderate my alcoholconsumption

Commitment Contract Because I understand that the amount of alcohol I consume can have a

serious effect on my eating habits, weight and health, this week I will:

My signature: ______________________________

Moderate my alcohol intake to maximize my overall health

and weight-loss success. If necessary, start my “experiment”

to take an alcohol holiday for two to four weeks.

If the experiment suggests that alcohol is OK for me, I’ll

promise myself to drink moderately.

If I find that I’m not in control of when or how much I drink, I

will talk with a health-care professional as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, I'll continue my other healthy habits to the best

of my ability.