Experiencing Temporary Weight Gain After Drinking Alcohol

Champagne, sparkling wine, and hard seltzer gained weight after drinking alcohol also contain carbonation that can lead to bloating. Taking in the carbonation leads to gas in the upper digestive system. Some types of alcohol, such as beer, may contain wheat and gluten (a protein in wheat and some other grains). The way the body processes alcohol and food, your behaviors, and genetics all play a role in which way your weight swings.

Reasons Alcohol Can Lead to Weight Gain

And that’s on top of the toll that alcohol use can take on relationships, not to mention the potential for financial strain and legal troubles. “No matter what happens to your weight,” she added, “it doesn’t indicate what’s happening to your health and well-being.” If you notice you’re eating to numb tough emotions, try calling a friend. “Weight is really complex in and of itself, outside of stopping drinking,” Brooks said.

• But calorie content is just the beginning of your alcohol-induced weight gain journey.
• In contrast, a 5-ounce glass of red wine clocks in at approximately 125 calories.
• Additionally, drinking excessively has been shown to increase the risk of accidents and injuries.
• Still, these factors do contribute to a longer-term connection between alcohol and weight gain.
• They also help fend off inflammation and support healthy metabolism.
• French et al. 15 measured alcohol frequency ranging from 1–2 times per year to every day, while estimating the number of drinks per drinking day from 1–36.

How alcohol could cause weight gain

You’ve doubled the recommended caloric intake of an entire day in the span of a few hours. Now that alcohol is in your body, it is being converted to acetate, which your body LOVE, LOVE, LOVES. Or maybe you’ve had a rough day and treated yourself to half a standard bottle of Rosé.

Changes in Appetite and Eating Habits

When your body can’t break down food into micronutrients to be absorbed, the rest of the energy is stored as fat. While alcohol consumption can contribute to weight gain, the good news is that minimizing alcohol intake can lose weight over time. Furthermore, alcohol can disrupt the body’s hormonal balance, leading to changes in appetite, hunger, and stress levels. For example, alcohol has been shown to increase the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. This can trigger cravings for high-calorie comfort foods and promote the storage of fat. An RDN can help you prevent the weight gain that can occur after you quit drinking.

Impact on Sleep Quality

If you drink every day, or almost every day, you might notice that you catch colds, flu or other illnesses more frequently than people who don’t drink. That’s because alcohol can weaken your immune system, slow healing and make your body more susceptible to infection. Your body breaks alcohol down into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which damages your DNA.

Drinking no more than one drink per day for females and two for males can help prevent bloating and other problems relating to alcohol use. Anyone with a history of gastritis may wish to speak with a doctor about whether alcohol is suitable for them to consume. Further studies also found that people who don’t get enough sleep eat more carbs, leading to weight gain.