October 5, 2025 • 22 mins
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Does alcohol really stop fat loss? Or is it just about calories? In this episode, I break down exactly how alcohol impacts your metabolism, hormones, and health so you can understand why it makes weight loss harder.
We’ll cover how alcohol temporarily shuts down fat burning (the number one thing you need to know), lowers testosterone levels, depletes key nutrients like magnesium and B vitamins, and creates toxic byproducts that stress your body. I’ll also share practical solutions: how to cut back, which drinks are better and worse for weight loss, and how to balance social benefits with your health goals.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
04:41 How alcohol hinders fat loss
11:12 Alcohol’s impact on hormones and nutrients
16:13 Practical solutions and realistic balance
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello guys, and welcome back to the Healthy Not Complicated
podcast. Today we're going to be talking
about and diving into a topic that I'm asked about all the
time. Does alcohol stop fat loss?
Can you consume alcohol and still lose weight?
Can you reach your goals? We're going to be breaking it
down today and the answer might not be what you want to hear.
(00:23):
Now, most people think of alcohol in terms of calories and
in terms of if it's high in sugar.
So I think a lot of people know that things like cocktails that
are high in sugar not going to be the best option.
Obviously more sugar, more calories and things like spirits
which are lower in calories. So a lot of people will
(00:44):
gravitate towards a vodka soda in order to consume less
calories, but it might not. And I guess spoiler alert, it
really isn't about calories whenit comes to fat loss.
Yes, that is 1 component to it. But the main thing to consider
when it comes to consuming alcohol is actually the alcohol
(01:05):
itself, which isn't sugar. It's not a carbohydrate, it's
not a form of fat, it's not a form of protein.
It is actually a fourth macro nutrient, and it behaves
differently in the body than theother three do.
So a lot of people will think that as long as the alcohol
they're consuming fits into their calorie limits for the day
(01:27):
that it's OK. And yeah, like I said, there's a
little bit more to the story than that.
So if there's one thing you takeaway from this video, it's that
when alcohol is in your system, fat burning actually gets
paused. And this is because, I guess I'm
jumping ahead a little bit, but this is because your body
doesn't care about the calories that you just ate at dinner.
(01:51):
It actually sees alcohol as a toxin, which it is, and it wants
to get the alcohol out of your system as quickly as possible.
So anything you eat while alcohol is in your system, it
basically gets put on pause. It gets stored away for your
body to deal with later until all of the alcohol is out of
your system. And that is the key difference
(02:12):
between alcohol and any other calorie source.
So in today's episode, we're going to talk about how exactly
alcohol stops fat burning. We're going to talk about what
it does to your hormones, especially testosterone if
you're a man, because that is another key component here.
We're going to talk about how itdepletes other nutrients,
specifically magnesium and B vitamins, and the bigger impact
(02:36):
that it has on your health, specifically causing
inflammation, causing oxidative stress, and what that means for
your health long term. And then most importantly, some
solutions because yes, we're going to be talking about, well,
I guess yes, alcohol isn't good for you in any way in terms of
your physical health. And we'll get into why that is
(02:59):
throughout this video because I talked a little bit about how
it's a toxin and it stops fat burning.
But there is a little bit more to it than that.
It does have a few more cons, some of which can be mitigated.
So we're going to talk about solutions to that.
What I really want to get acrossbecause I know cutting alcohol
entirely out of your life isn't practical for a lot of people.
(03:21):
I know a lot of people will say it's easy, just cut it out, it's
bad for you, end of story. But the truth is, is that
alcohol does have some benefits in terms of, I guess, social
benefits. So your physical health,
nothing, it's not going to help you physically, but socially
there are benefits. It can loosen you off, it can
(03:43):
make you more relaxed, it can make you more social.
Of course, there's a tipping point and we're going to get
into that as well. But I guess there are ways to
consume it in a better way when you do consume it and we'll get
into that towards the end of today's episode.
Now if you're new here, if you've never listened to the
podcast before, my name is Kate.I'm a nutritionist.
I mainly specialise in insulin resistance and blood sugar
(04:06):
control and reversing these conditions naturally.
So everything from just insulin resistance on its own to pre
diabetes, type 2 diabetes, PCOS and all the associated diseases
and conditions, that is my specialty.
And of course a lot these tie inwith metabolic health and these
(04:27):
can lead to weight gain and makeweight loss difficult.
So this is all relevant. And today we're focusing on
alcohol and its impact on our body and our metabolic health
and I guess our fat loss or fat gain.
I kind of touched on this at thestart of the episode, but let's
dive a little bit into what it means that alcohol is a toxin
(04:49):
and how exactly it stops fat burning.
So you can think of your metabolism like a traffic light.
Normally your body will burn carbohydrates and fat for energy
if they're available. And depending on if you're not
exercising and also depending onyour metabolic health, protein
plays a slightly different role in your body.
Your body won't use it for energy as a default, but when
(05:12):
alcohol comes in, metabolising any other nutrient for energy
gets put on hold. It's basically switching that
traffic light to red. Everything stops and alcohol
takes priority. And side note here, but this is
also why when you consume alcohol after a workout, your
muscle synthesis is down regulated.
(05:34):
So it becomes a lot harder to build and to maintain muscle
when you're consuming alcohol after a workout.
So if you do a workout and then you head to the pub and you have
a beer, it's going to slightly take away from the muscle you're
able to build. It's going to take away from how
quickly you're able to recover physically.
(05:55):
I really want to stress that it doesn't have to be all or
nothing. Basically.
Not everything, but there are pros and cons to a lot of things
in life and we don't have to look at everything so black and
white. I know a lot of people get
really caught up in trying to improve their health and they
get really caught up in these online communities that are very
rigid with exactly what you can eat, exactly what you can do,
(06:18):
and people can be very passionate about it.
But I know that that is not practical for most people.
And honestly, if you try to be perfect, you're going to end up
failing because it's impossible to be perfect.
I say this all the time, but it's important to make the best
choices you can in any situationas often as you can.
Any choice you make is going to be on a spectrum.
(06:39):
There's always going to be better things you can do for
your health, and there's always going to be worse things you can
do for your health. So just trying to move the
needle more towards the better end of that scale, that's what's
going to matter. But anyways, a little bit off
topic. Let's get back to alcohol and
why it's a toxin. So your liver is the main site
where alcohol gets metabolised. It converts alcohol into these
(07:03):
substances that your body can use for energy.
But while that's happening, yourbody shuts down fat oxidation.
It says, Nope, we're not burningfat right now.
We've got this toxin to deal with and fair enough.
And that's why alcohol doesn't just add calories.
It changes how your body uses other calories.
You could be in a calorie deficit, you could be
intermittent fasting, you could be making all the right food
(07:25):
choices. But if you're drinking
regularly, that could be the reason that your fat loss is
stalled because your body is notable to spend enough time in
that fat burning state. And This is why that late night
fast food run you'd go on after a big night of drinking can
actually really set you back. Maybe you grab a pizza after a
(07:46):
night out or you go through the drive through at McDonald's.
Your liver is already working overtime to process the alcohol.
Fat burning is paused. So anything you're eating at
that time just gets stored as fat.
Your body goes, OK, we'll deal with this later.
We're just going to store it. It's going to be stored energy.
We can use it later. And This is why drinking and
late night eating are such a dangerous combo.
(08:06):
Not to mention, you wake up the next morning, you're probably
hungry. You probably are craving
something greasy. You go and get a fast food bacon
and eggs sandwich. You run back to McDonald's.
And that's shortening your fasting window even more because
your fasting window isn't going to start until all the alcohol
is out of your system. And let's face it, if you had a
(08:27):
really late night of drinking, then you might wake up and still
not even be in a fasting state. There still might be alcohol in
your system. But even if you aren't binge
drinking, even if you're just having a glass or two of wine, a
couple of beers every evening, or even just 3-4 nights a week,
this can also impact your ability to lose fat for the same
(08:50):
reason, just on a little bit of a lesser scale.
And that again comes down to making better and worse choices
and everything being on a spectrum.
Of course, if you're just havingone glass of wine a few nights a
week, that's going to be way, way better than going on a huge
binge drinking night on the weekends.
But it's still not ideal. And if you're really struggling
(09:12):
to lose fat and you can't figureout where you're going wrong,
this could be why. Because I have a lot of clients
who will come to me and I'll be feeling a little bit stuck.
They'll feel like they were losing weight at 1st and their
weight loss is plateaued. Now, sometimes this can be due
to things like undiagnosed insulin resistance.
Obviously I talk about that all the time because when insulin
levels are high, that also stopsfat burning.
(09:35):
Your body thinks that there's energy available, so it starts
storing more fat instead of burning it.
And you spend less time during the day in a fasted state, so
you're burning fat less often. It can also be if you have
slowed down your metabolism by reducing calories over an
extended period of time. Calorie restriction.
(09:56):
If you are eating too low for your energy needs short term,
that can lead to weight loss. But over time your body realises
that it's not getting as much energy as it needs and it starts
to adjust. It starts to cut down on
processes in your body to save energy.
So that's why people who are chronic dieters will experience
things like brittle nails or hair loss.
(10:17):
It's because the body is down regulating those processes in
order to save energy. It realises it's not getting as
much energy as it needs in orderto keep these things functioning
properly. So it starts to cut corners.
It obviously wants to keep things like your heart beating
and your lungs working. Those are the priority.
But it can cut back in other areas like your skin, your hair,
(10:38):
your nails. But another issue that I see a
lot of times is people who are drinking regularly and even if
they're not overeating, even if they're eating within their
energy needs and they should be burning fat, they just aren't
losing weight. And it's because that wine every
night, that couple of beers every few nights adds up and not
(11:02):
in terms of calories, as we saidbefore, it adds up in the sense
that it's taking more time away from your fat burning state and
you're spending more time in fatstoring.
So let's talk about alcohol and hormones.
And the main one we're going to focus on is testosterone.
For men, alcohol lowers your testosterone from 20 to 25%
(11:23):
within just a few hours of drinking, and that is a huge
decrease. Now testosterone, it isn't just
a sex hormone. It's important for maintaining
energy, for building and maintaining muscle, and also for
fat burning. If testosterone is low, it is
harder to burn fat. So this is just adding even more
(11:44):
fuel to the fire or I guess stopping the fire if the fire is
fat burning, Lower testosterone means you're not building or
preserving muscle as well, whichalso helps with fat burning.
Muscle is a metabolically activetissue, so it means your body
needs more energy or burns more energy when you have more
muscle. It also helps to control blood
sugar better. It helps to take in more
(12:06):
glucose. So your blood sugar is going to
be lower. But if you're drinking too
often, it's suppressing testosterone and you're slowing
down your metabolism in a very real way.
But alcohol doesn't just lower testosterone, it also increases
cortisol. In both men and women, cortisol
is an important hormone. It naturally spikes in the
(12:26):
morning in order to energise us,to wake us up, to give us energy
to start our day. But when our cortisol is
chronically elevated, this can lead to problems.
Cortisol itself can actually push your body to store more fat
because it basically signals your body that there's an
emergency. And when cortisol is high, you
(12:47):
tend to store fat around your belly, which a lot of people are
not a fan of. So now we have high cortisol, we
have low testosterone, we have atoxin in our system.
This is just the perfect storm for fat storage and not for fat
pruning. Next, let's talk about nutrients
because alcohol actually dehydrates you.
(13:10):
And with this dehydration, you don't just lose fluid in your
body. You don't just lose water, but
you also lose nutrients. Main ones you lose are things
like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which are
electrolytes. But you're also going to lose
some key B vitamins. And this is part of the reason
why you experience a hangover the next day.
It's dehydration, but not just from water, from the loss of
(13:32):
electrolytes as well. Because being low in things like
sodium and magnesium can cause headaches.
It can cause fatigue and cause you to feel nauseous.
And that's why consuming electrolytes after a night out,
before a night out, just stayinghydrated with electrolytes in
general can really help with a hangover because it's not just
about dehydration, it's about nutrient depletion.
(13:55):
Your body literally doesn't havethe tools it needs to function
optimally. And this is the perfect time to
mention sodium and their everyday hydration salts because
these electrolytes are a game changer.
Now, of course, today we're talking about alcohol and I just
mentioned these can be very helpful if you have a hangover,
but a lot of people need electrolytes even if they're not
(14:16):
drinking any alcohol. For people who eat a mainly
whole food diet, and especially if they have reduced
carbohydrates in their diet, even if they haven't done that
purposefully, if they've just cut out processed food
automatically, you're going to be consuming less carbohydrates,
less sugar. And when you do this, your body
actually retains less water. And when it loses this excess
(14:38):
water, it also loses electrolytes.
So it's really important if you are eating mainly Whole Foods,
if you have limited processed foods in your diet, especially
if you've made a conscious effort to reduce carbohydrates,
that you are taking electrolytes.
Because if you don't, you're going to experience things like
headaches, fatigue, brain fog, muscle cramps if you're
(14:58):
exercising, maybe even muscle cramps if you're not exercising
during the night. And that sodium is the best on
the market because their hydration cells contain sodium,
potassium, and magnesium in the right ratios to help restore
balance. A lot of electrolyte supplements
out there do not contain enough sodium, so they aren't able to
move the needle on your hydration very much.
(15:19):
I use Soddy not just after drinking, but also when I'm
fasting or training hard. It makes a huge difference in
how I feel the next day. If you've ever felt sluggish,
headachy, or just off after drinking, 9 times out of 10 it's
an electrolyte issue. So in the context of today's
video, if you want to minimise the damage and bounce back
faster, grab a packet of Soddy'sEveryday Hydration Salts before
(15:40):
bed or first thing in the morning after drinking.
You can check them out by heading to
healthcoachkate.com/sodia Electrolytes.
I'll put that link in the description box down below and
use code HTK 15 at checkout to save 15% off your order.
They ship worldwide and honestly, they're the best on
the market. They taste delicious and they
actually hydrate you, which likeI said, very important if you're
(16:02):
drinking, but also very important if you eat low carb,
if you eat whole food, if you'reexercising, if you live in a hot
climate, if you're sweating a lot, if you use a sauna
regularly, you need electrolytes.
OK, but now let's talk about theimpact that alcohol has on your
overall health long term becausewhen you drink it actually
creates toxic byproducts and these can damage your cells.
(16:24):
They can cause oxidative stress.They can increase inflammation,
all of which are LinkedIn chronic disease.
And this can contribute to long term issues like fatty liver
disease. It can increase your risk of
insulin resistance, of pre diabetes, of type 2 diabetes and
it can even accelerate ageing because it is damaging your
cells. So while the occasional drink or
(16:45):
night out isn't going to totallyderail you, you don't need to be
paranoid about this. It is something to consider.
Consistent drinking creates a lot of hidden damage over time
and you will start to notice theimpact eventually.
Now, like I said before, we are going to talk about some
solutions here because you don'tneed to quit alcohol forever.
Now of course, if you have issues with addiction or if it
(17:07):
is getting out of control, if you're relying on it, then of
course that's a totally separateissue.
But for today's purpose, we're assuming that you do not have
these issues, that you are able to consume alcohol in a moderate
amount. Because I have went through long
stretches of time where I did not drink at all or I just had
like 1 occasional drink. And honestly, my physical health
(17:30):
was probably at its absolute peak.
Now on top of that, I was also eating extremely healthy.
I was limiting all excess sugar.I was probably over exercising.
So in some ways my health was really good at that time, but in
other ways it wasn't. But one way that my health
wasn't good at that time was with my social life because I
(17:53):
was very paranoid and very conscious about not drinking at
all. I would say no to things.
I would miss out on things. I would leave early because I
was worried about getting enoughsleep.
And there is a trade off there. Now, I'm not saying you have to
drink to go out and enjoy yourself with friends, you
absolutely do not. But that is a large component.
(18:14):
And I know for a lot of people there is some social pressure.
And I'm not saying give in to the pressure, but don't feel
like you can never have another drink again.
And don't feel like you have to be super stressed and say no to
everyone and make it this big deal.
Because I know at that time I was just really worried all the
time about what people were thinking about my health, about
(18:35):
what time I was going to bed. And that was doing more harm
than good. And now I do have a balance.
I will enjoy a few drinks here and there.
And so here are some tips so that you can do the same and not
have it impact your fat loss in any meaningful way.
Now I just want to re emphasise that anytime you drink, fat loss
is paused and that's the trade off.
(18:56):
Now that doesn't mean never drink with food, that is OK.
But when you can cut back. And that might seem like an
obvious thing to say, but if youare just saying yes to an
occasional one drink here and there, and not really because
you want to but just because everyone else is drinking, then
(19:17):
that might be a good place to cut it out.
Or if you are finding yourself at home and you just like to
have a beer before bed, maybe cut out that.
Maybe save your alcohol for social situations where you can
enjoy it with friends. Because even these small
reductions can allow your body more fat burning during the
week. Progress comes from cutting
back, but also from being consistent.
(19:38):
Now, I've talked about this briefly, I think towards the
beginning of the episode, but the type of alcohol you drink
does obviously matter as well. So things like sugary cocktails,
yes, these do have more calories.
And that can be a problem too because, well, the sugar is
still entering your bloodstream.It is still spiking your blood
sugar and your body isn't using it immediately for energy.
(20:00):
So it is being stored as fat. If you have something that is a
lower calories or drier, like a dry red or white wine or yeah
just spirits, vodka soda, that sort of thing, that is going to
be less calories and that's going to mean less is stored as
fat. So drier, low sugar options are
going to be better. Repeating myself here.
(20:21):
It's not just about calories. Yes, that is 1 component, but
the alcohol is really the main issue.
But again, it's about making consistent changes overtime and
justice. Making the best decision you can
as often as you can. Doesn't have to be every time.
You don't need to be perfect, but just try to make small baby
(20:42):
steps whenever you can. All right, so we've covered a
lot in this video. Let's quickly recap some of the
key points. The main takeaway, of course, is
that alcohol stops fat burning whenever it's in your system.
So from the moment you drink until it is completely out of
your system, your body is not burning fat.
And that is the number one reason why it hinders fat loss.
(21:02):
But it also lowers testosterone,it raises cortisol, and it
depletes key nutrients in our body.
So does this mean you can never drink again?
And no, of course not. If you do want to cut alcohol
out of your diet completely, youare going to see the benefits.
But as I mentioned before, thereis a trade off.
Alcohol does have social benefits.
As much as some people want to deny that and make this a black
(21:25):
and white issue and say it's terrible for you, Yeah, I'm not
debating that it is terrible foryou in a physical sense, but
there is a reason why people consume it.
It does make you more social. It does allow you to open up and
to relax more. And as long as you are consuming
it responsibly, that is a pro. So I have a challenge for you
(21:45):
this week and it's pretty simple.
It's just to pay attention. Notice how often you drink.
Notice what your triggers are for reaching for a drink.
Is it after you've had a stressful day at work?
Or do you only drink on social occasions?
Take note of this and make adjustments from there.
Are there places? Are there times when you can cut
(22:06):
back? Do you have to have a beer on a
Monday night? Just something to consider.
And if you do drink, don't forget to replenish your
electrolytes with Soda's everyday hydration salts.
Again, they ship worldwide and I'll put the link in the
description box down below. But that is where we are going
to wrap up today. Thank you guys so much for
listening for watching. If you're listening on Spotify,
(22:26):
make sure to give me a review. If you've listened this long,
hopefully it's a five star review, but no pressure.
If you are watching on YouTube, make sure to give this video a
thumbs up. I really appreciate it.
Thanks guys for watching and I will see you in the next one.
Bye.
Hello guys, and welcome back to the Healthy Not Complicated
podcast. Today we're going to be talking
about and diving into a topic that I'm asked about all the
time. Does alcohol stop fat loss?
Can you consume alcohol and still lose weight?
Can you reach your goals? We're going to be breaking it
down today and the answer might not be what you want to hear.
(00:23):
Now, most people think of alcohol in terms of calories and
in terms of if it's high in sugar.
So I think a lot of people know that things like cocktails that
are high in sugar not going to be the best option.
Obviously more sugar, more calories and things like spirits
which are lower in calories. So a lot of people will
(00:44):
gravitate towards a vodka soda in order to consume less
calories, but it might not. And I guess spoiler alert, it
really isn't about calories whenit comes to fat loss.
Yes, that is 1 component to it. But the main thing to consider
when it comes to consuming alcohol is actually the alcohol
(01:05):
itself, which isn't sugar. It's not a carbohydrate, it's
not a form of fat, it's not a form of protein.
It is actually a fourth macro nutrient, and it behaves
differently in the body than theother three do.
So a lot of people will think that as long as the alcohol
they're consuming fits into their calorie limits for the day
(01:27):
that it's OK. And yeah, like I said, there's a
little bit more to the story than that.
So if there's one thing you takeaway from this video, it's that
when alcohol is in your system, fat burning actually gets
paused. And this is because, I guess I'm
jumping ahead a little bit, but this is because your body
doesn't care about the calories that you just ate at dinner.
(01:51):
It actually sees alcohol as a toxin, which it is, and it wants
to get the alcohol out of your system as quickly as possible.
So anything you eat while alcohol is in your system, it
basically gets put on pause. It gets stored away for your
body to deal with later until all of the alcohol is out of
your system. And that is the key difference
(02:12):
between alcohol and any other calorie source.
So in today's episode, we're going to talk about how exactly
alcohol stops fat burning. We're going to talk about what
it does to your hormones, especially testosterone if
you're a man, because that is another key component here.
We're going to talk about how itdepletes other nutrients,
specifically magnesium and B vitamins, and the bigger impact
(02:36):
that it has on your health, specifically causing
inflammation, causing oxidative stress, and what that means for
your health long term. And then most importantly, some
solutions because yes, we're going to be talking about, well,
I guess yes, alcohol isn't good for you in any way in terms of
your physical health. And we'll get into why that is
(02:59):
throughout this video because I talked a little bit about how
it's a toxin and it stops fat burning.
But there is a little bit more to it than that.
It does have a few more cons, some of which can be mitigated.
So we're going to talk about solutions to that.
What I really want to get acrossbecause I know cutting alcohol
entirely out of your life isn't practical for a lot of people.
(03:21):
I know a lot of people will say it's easy, just cut it out, it's
bad for you, end of story. But the truth is, is that
alcohol does have some benefits in terms of, I guess, social
benefits. So your physical health,
nothing, it's not going to help you physically, but socially
there are benefits. It can loosen you off, it can
(03:43):
make you more relaxed, it can make you more social.
Of course, there's a tipping point and we're going to get
into that as well. But I guess there are ways to
consume it in a better way when you do consume it and we'll get
into that towards the end of today's episode.
Now if you're new here, if you've never listened to the
podcast before, my name is Kate.I'm a nutritionist.
I mainly specialise in insulin resistance and blood sugar
(04:06):
control and reversing these conditions naturally.
So everything from just insulin resistance on its own to pre
diabetes, type 2 diabetes, PCOS and all the associated diseases
and conditions, that is my specialty.
And of course a lot these tie inwith metabolic health and these
(04:27):
can lead to weight gain and makeweight loss difficult.
So this is all relevant. And today we're focusing on
alcohol and its impact on our body and our metabolic health
and I guess our fat loss or fat gain.
I kind of touched on this at thestart of the episode, but let's
dive a little bit into what it means that alcohol is a toxin
(04:49):
and how exactly it stops fat burning.
So you can think of your metabolism like a traffic light.
Normally your body will burn carbohydrates and fat for energy
if they're available. And depending on if you're not
exercising and also depending onyour metabolic health, protein
plays a slightly different role in your body.
Your body won't use it for energy as a default, but when
(05:12):
alcohol comes in, metabolising any other nutrient for energy
gets put on hold. It's basically switching that
traffic light to red. Everything stops and alcohol
takes priority. And side note here, but this is
also why when you consume alcohol after a workout, your
muscle synthesis is down regulated.
(05:34):
So it becomes a lot harder to build and to maintain muscle
when you're consuming alcohol after a workout.
So if you do a workout and then you head to the pub and you have
a beer, it's going to slightly take away from the muscle you're
able to build. It's going to take away from how
quickly you're able to recover physically.
(05:55):
I really want to stress that it doesn't have to be all or
nothing. Basically.
Not everything, but there are pros and cons to a lot of things
in life and we don't have to look at everything so black and
white. I know a lot of people get
really caught up in trying to improve their health and they
get really caught up in these online communities that are very
rigid with exactly what you can eat, exactly what you can do,
(06:18):
and people can be very passionate about it.
But I know that that is not practical for most people.
And honestly, if you try to be perfect, you're going to end up
failing because it's impossible to be perfect.
I say this all the time, but it's important to make the best
choices you can in any situationas often as you can.
Any choice you make is going to be on a spectrum.
(06:39):
There's always going to be better things you can do for
your health, and there's always going to be worse things you can
do for your health. So just trying to move the
needle more towards the better end of that scale, that's what's
going to matter. But anyways, a little bit off
topic. Let's get back to alcohol and
why it's a toxin. So your liver is the main site
where alcohol gets metabolised. It converts alcohol into these
(07:03):
substances that your body can use for energy.
But while that's happening, yourbody shuts down fat oxidation.
It says, Nope, we're not burningfat right now.
We've got this toxin to deal with and fair enough.
And that's why alcohol doesn't just add calories.
It changes how your body uses other calories.
You could be in a calorie deficit, you could be
intermittent fasting, you could be making all the right food
(07:25):
choices. But if you're drinking
regularly, that could be the reason that your fat loss is
stalled because your body is notable to spend enough time in
that fat burning state. And This is why that late night
fast food run you'd go on after a big night of drinking can
actually really set you back. Maybe you grab a pizza after a
(07:46):
night out or you go through the drive through at McDonald's.
Your liver is already working overtime to process the alcohol.
Fat burning is paused. So anything you're eating at
that time just gets stored as fat.
Your body goes, OK, we'll deal with this later.
We're just going to store it. It's going to be stored energy.
We can use it later. And This is why drinking and
late night eating are such a dangerous combo.
(08:06):
Not to mention, you wake up the next morning, you're probably
hungry. You probably are craving
something greasy. You go and get a fast food bacon
and eggs sandwich. You run back to McDonald's.
And that's shortening your fasting window even more because
your fasting window isn't going to start until all the alcohol
is out of your system. And let's face it, if you had a
(08:27):
really late night of drinking, then you might wake up and still
not even be in a fasting state. There still might be alcohol in
your system. But even if you aren't binge
drinking, even if you're just having a glass or two of wine, a
couple of beers every evening, or even just 3-4 nights a week,
this can also impact your ability to lose fat for the same
(08:50):
reason, just on a little bit of a lesser scale.
And that again comes down to making better and worse choices
and everything being on a spectrum.
Of course, if you're just havingone glass of wine a few nights a
week, that's going to be way, way better than going on a huge
binge drinking night on the weekends.
But it's still not ideal. And if you're really struggling
(09:12):
to lose fat and you can't figureout where you're going wrong,
this could be why. Because I have a lot of clients
who will come to me and I'll be feeling a little bit stuck.
They'll feel like they were losing weight at 1st and their
weight loss is plateaued. Now, sometimes this can be due
to things like undiagnosed insulin resistance.
Obviously I talk about that all the time because when insulin
levels are high, that also stopsfat burning.
(09:35):
Your body thinks that there's energy available, so it starts
storing more fat instead of burning it.
And you spend less time during the day in a fasted state, so
you're burning fat less often. It can also be if you have
slowed down your metabolism by reducing calories over an
extended period of time. Calorie restriction.
(09:56):
If you are eating too low for your energy needs short term,
that can lead to weight loss. But over time your body realises
that it's not getting as much energy as it needs and it starts
to adjust. It starts to cut down on
processes in your body to save energy.
So that's why people who are chronic dieters will experience
things like brittle nails or hair loss.
(10:17):
It's because the body is down regulating those processes in
order to save energy. It realises it's not getting as
much energy as it needs in orderto keep these things functioning
properly. So it starts to cut corners.
It obviously wants to keep things like your heart beating
and your lungs working. Those are the priority.
But it can cut back in other areas like your skin, your hair,
(10:38):
your nails. But another issue that I see a
lot of times is people who are drinking regularly and even if
they're not overeating, even if they're eating within their
energy needs and they should be burning fat, they just aren't
losing weight. And it's because that wine every
night, that couple of beers every few nights adds up and not
(11:02):
in terms of calories, as we saidbefore, it adds up in the sense
that it's taking more time away from your fat burning state and
you're spending more time in fatstoring.
So let's talk about alcohol and hormones.
And the main one we're going to focus on is testosterone.
For men, alcohol lowers your testosterone from 20 to 25%
(11:23):
within just a few hours of drinking, and that is a huge
decrease. Now testosterone, it isn't just
a sex hormone. It's important for maintaining
energy, for building and maintaining muscle, and also for
fat burning. If testosterone is low, it is
harder to burn fat. So this is just adding even more
(11:44):
fuel to the fire or I guess stopping the fire if the fire is
fat burning, Lower testosterone means you're not building or
preserving muscle as well, whichalso helps with fat burning.
Muscle is a metabolically activetissue, so it means your body
needs more energy or burns more energy when you have more
muscle. It also helps to control blood
sugar better. It helps to take in more
(12:06):
glucose. So your blood sugar is going to
be lower. But if you're drinking too
often, it's suppressing testosterone and you're slowing
down your metabolism in a very real way.
But alcohol doesn't just lower testosterone, it also increases
cortisol. In both men and women, cortisol
is an important hormone. It naturally spikes in the
(12:26):
morning in order to energise us,to wake us up, to give us energy
to start our day. But when our cortisol is
chronically elevated, this can lead to problems.
Cortisol itself can actually push your body to store more fat
because it basically signals your body that there's an
emergency. And when cortisol is high, you
(12:47):
tend to store fat around your belly, which a lot of people are
not a fan of. So now we have high cortisol, we
have low testosterone, we have atoxin in our system.
This is just the perfect storm for fat storage and not for fat
pruning. Next, let's talk about nutrients
because alcohol actually dehydrates you.
(13:10):
And with this dehydration, you don't just lose fluid in your
body. You don't just lose water, but
you also lose nutrients. Main ones you lose are things
like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which are
electrolytes. But you're also going to lose
some key B vitamins. And this is part of the reason
why you experience a hangover the next day.
It's dehydration, but not just from water, from the loss of
(13:32):
electrolytes as well. Because being low in things like
sodium and magnesium can cause headaches.
It can cause fatigue and cause you to feel nauseous.
And that's why consuming electrolytes after a night out,
before a night out, just stayinghydrated with electrolytes in
general can really help with a hangover because it's not just
about dehydration, it's about nutrient depletion.
(13:55):
Your body literally doesn't havethe tools it needs to function
optimally. And this is the perfect time to
mention sodium and their everyday hydration salts because
these electrolytes are a game changer.
Now, of course, today we're talking about alcohol and I just
mentioned these can be very helpful if you have a hangover,
but a lot of people need electrolytes even if they're not
(14:16):
drinking any alcohol. For people who eat a mainly
whole food diet, and especially if they have reduced
carbohydrates in their diet, even if they haven't done that
purposefully, if they've just cut out processed food
automatically, you're going to be consuming less carbohydrates,
less sugar. And when you do this, your body
actually retains less water. And when it loses this excess
(14:38):
water, it also loses electrolytes.
So it's really important if you are eating mainly Whole Foods,
if you have limited processed foods in your diet, especially
if you've made a conscious effort to reduce carbohydrates,
that you are taking electrolytes.
Because if you don't, you're going to experience things like
headaches, fatigue, brain fog, muscle cramps if you're
(14:58):
exercising, maybe even muscle cramps if you're not exercising
during the night. And that sodium is the best on
the market because their hydration cells contain sodium,
potassium, and magnesium in the right ratios to help restore
balance. A lot of electrolyte supplements
out there do not contain enough sodium, so they aren't able to
move the needle on your hydration very much.
(15:19):
I use Soddy not just after drinking, but also when I'm
fasting or training hard. It makes a huge difference in
how I feel the next day. If you've ever felt sluggish,
headachy, or just off after drinking, 9 times out of 10 it's
an electrolyte issue. So in the context of today's
video, if you want to minimise the damage and bounce back
faster, grab a packet of Soddy'sEveryday Hydration Salts before
(15:40):
bed or first thing in the morning after drinking.
You can check them out by heading to
healthcoachkate.com/sodia Electrolytes.
I'll put that link in the description box down below and
use code HTK 15 at checkout to save 15% off your order.
They ship worldwide and honestly, they're the best on
the market. They taste delicious and they
actually hydrate you, which likeI said, very important if you're
(16:02):
drinking, but also very important if you eat low carb,
if you eat whole food, if you'reexercising, if you live in a hot
climate, if you're sweating a lot, if you use a sauna
regularly, you need electrolytes.
OK, but now let's talk about theimpact that alcohol has on your
overall health long term becausewhen you drink it actually
creates toxic byproducts and these can damage your cells.
(16:24):
They can cause oxidative stress.They can increase inflammation,
all of which are LinkedIn chronic disease.
And this can contribute to long term issues like fatty liver
disease. It can increase your risk of
insulin resistance, of pre diabetes, of type 2 diabetes and
it can even accelerate ageing because it is damaging your
cells. So while the occasional drink or
(16:45):
night out isn't going to totallyderail you, you don't need to be
paranoid about this. It is something to consider.
Consistent drinking creates a lot of hidden damage over time
and you will start to notice theimpact eventually.
Now, like I said before, we are going to talk about some
solutions here because you don'tneed to quit alcohol forever.
Now of course, if you have issues with addiction or if it
(17:07):
is getting out of control, if you're relying on it, then of
course that's a totally separateissue.
But for today's purpose, we're assuming that you do not have
these issues, that you are able to consume alcohol in a moderate
amount. Because I have went through long
stretches of time where I did not drink at all or I just had
like 1 occasional drink. And honestly, my physical health
(17:30):
was probably at its absolute peak.
Now on top of that, I was also eating extremely healthy.
I was limiting all excess sugar.I was probably over exercising.
So in some ways my health was really good at that time, but in
other ways it wasn't. But one way that my health
wasn't good at that time was with my social life because I
(17:53):
was very paranoid and very conscious about not drinking at
all. I would say no to things.
I would miss out on things. I would leave early because I
was worried about getting enoughsleep.
And there is a trade off there. Now, I'm not saying you have to
drink to go out and enjoy yourself with friends, you
absolutely do not. But that is a large component.
(18:14):
And I know for a lot of people there is some social pressure.
And I'm not saying give in to the pressure, but don't feel
like you can never have another drink again.
And don't feel like you have to be super stressed and say no to
everyone and make it this big deal.
Because I know at that time I was just really worried all the
time about what people were thinking about my health, about
(18:35):
what time I was going to bed. And that was doing more harm
than good. And now I do have a balance.
I will enjoy a few drinks here and there.
And so here are some tips so that you can do the same and not
have it impact your fat loss in any meaningful way.
Now I just want to re emphasise that anytime you drink, fat loss
is paused and that's the trade off.
(18:56):
Now that doesn't mean never drink with food, that is OK.
But when you can cut back. And that might seem like an
obvious thing to say, but if youare just saying yes to an
occasional one drink here and there, and not really because
you want to but just because everyone else is drinking, then
(19:17):
that might be a good place to cut it out.
Or if you are finding yourself at home and you just like to
have a beer before bed, maybe cut out that.
Maybe save your alcohol for social situations where you can
enjoy it with friends. Because even these small
reductions can allow your body more fat burning during the
week. Progress comes from cutting
back, but also from being consistent.
(19:38):
Now, I've talked about this briefly, I think towards the
beginning of the episode, but the type of alcohol you drink
does obviously matter as well. So things like sugary cocktails,
yes, these do have more calories.
And that can be a problem too because, well, the sugar is
still entering your bloodstream.It is still spiking your blood
sugar and your body isn't using it immediately for energy.
(20:00):
So it is being stored as fat. If you have something that is a
lower calories or drier, like a dry red or white wine or yeah
just spirits, vodka soda, that sort of thing, that is going to
be less calories and that's going to mean less is stored as
fat. So drier, low sugar options are
going to be better. Repeating myself here.
(20:21):
It's not just about calories. Yes, that is 1 component, but
the alcohol is really the main issue.
But again, it's about making consistent changes overtime and
justice. Making the best decision you can
as often as you can. Doesn't have to be every time.
You don't need to be perfect, but just try to make small baby
(20:42):
steps whenever you can. All right, so we've covered a
lot in this video. Let's quickly recap some of the
key points. The main takeaway, of course, is
that alcohol stops fat burning whenever it's in your system.
So from the moment you drink until it is completely out of
your system, your body is not burning fat.
And that is the number one reason why it hinders fat loss.
(21:02):
But it also lowers testosterone,it raises cortisol, and it
depletes key nutrients in our body.
So does this mean you can never drink again?
And no, of course not. If you do want to cut alcohol
out of your diet completely, youare going to see the benefits.
But as I mentioned before, thereis a trade off.
Alcohol does have social benefits.
As much as some people want to deny that and make this a black
(21:25):
and white issue and say it's terrible for you, Yeah, I'm not
debating that it is terrible foryou in a physical sense, but
there is a reason why people consume it.
It does make you more social. It does allow you to open up and
to relax more. And as long as you are consuming
it responsibly, that is a pro. So I have a challenge for you
(21:45):
this week and it's pretty simple.
It's just to pay attention. Notice how often you drink.
Notice what your triggers are for reaching for a drink.
Is it after you've had a stressful day at work?
Or do you only drink on social occasions?
Take note of this and make adjustments from there.
Are there places? Are there times when you can cut
(22:06):
back? Do you have to have a beer on a
Monday night? Just something to consider.
And if you do drink, don't forget to replenish your
electrolytes with Soda's everyday hydration salts.
Again, they ship worldwide and I'll put the link in the
description box down below. But that is where we are going
to wrap up today. Thank you guys so much for
listening for watching. If you're listening on Spotify,
(22:26):
make sure to give me a review. If you've listened this long,
hopefully it's a five star review, but no pressure.
If you are watching on YouTube, make sure to give this video a
thumbs up. I really appreciate it.
Thanks guys for watching and I will see you in the next one.
Bye.
Host
Kait Malthaner
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