Want To Lose Weight ? Drop The Booze

Did you know that losing weight by drinking less alcohol is an easy way to lose weight that most don't think about? Alcoholic drinks contain a lot of calories and also tend to increase your appetite so you eat more. Alcohol also tends to reduce your will power so when you are tempted to eat at parties you give in to the temptation and consume extra calories that turn into extra weight.

Alcoholic drinks have a way of adding up like those drinks you had at the office party, and the beers last Sunday afternoon, and the glass of wine you had after work last night and don't forget the after dinner drinks you had at the restaurant last Monday. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, which can really add up. A 25ml measure of spirits contains 50 calories. If you are drinking mixed drinks the cola or lemonade in your drink also contains calories.

One really good reason to avoid alcohol when your goal is to lose weight is that your body can't burn fat while its burning calories from alcohol consumption so as long as you have alcohol in your system you can't be burning fat calories!

Avoid alcohol when losing weight:

Drink non-alcoholic drinks including non-alcoholic cocktails especially good at parties. You can find these at your local grocery store. Try drinking fruit juices mixed with sparkling water.

Do you need excuses to tell friends and drinking buddies for why you are not drinking alcohol? (If you don't want to tell them you are trying to lose weight).

"I can't have alcohol because I'm on antibiotics".

"I'm a designated driver".

"I'm being forced to budget and alcohol is not in my budget unfortunately".

"I need to get up really early tomorrow morning".

"I'm giving up drinking for Lent" (course that only works during that time of year).

Or you can just be straight with your friends and say, "no thank you, I'm not drinking tonight".

To reduce your drinking set aside a certain number of days that you can drink per week like say 2 days a week and then if you know you want to drink over the weekend you can't be drinking during the weeknights.

Another trick is to develop a taste for good beer, this way the keg beer isn't so appealing any more and because the good beer is more expensive you will naturally.

Losing weight by giving up alcohol requires real commitment and that means changing habits. Start by reducing your drinking. Instead of four beers with the buddies go for 2. If you are used to having a drink after work instead of drinking a glass of wine sip only half the glass.

Ask for support from family and friends sometimes it is easier to keep a commitment if you tell that commitment to someone else.

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