Everyone enjoys a drink every now and then. It’s a great way to unwind of the evenings after a hard day of work. And it’s also nice to have a drink or two at a party, at a bar, or at some other social gathering. A little bit of alcohol in our system works wonders to loosen our inhibitions, help us relax, and make socializing much easier.
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Too Much of a Good Thing
If you enjoy alcoholic beverages on a regular basis – even just a glass of beer – it could be having a major impact on your waistline, probably more than you realize.
Alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories and sugar, and this is very problematic for those who are trying to watch their weight.
How bad is it? Just one 12-ounce can of beer, for instance, has an average of 154 calories. If you enjoy more than one beer at a time, this can really add up. If you drink a six-pack one evening, you’re consuming nearly 1,000 calories in a very short span of time.
It should not come as any surprise that being overweight is bad for you. Carrying around even just a few extra pounds can cause negative consequences to your health. Even just a 10 pound increase above what is considered normal for your height can cause an increase in blood pressure and can contribute to other health issues.
The extra calories you consume when you drink alcoholic beverages is only one part of the equation when it comes to weight gain. Alcohol also slows your body’s metabolism of fat. Only a small percentage of the alcohol you drink is converted to fat. The rest is converted by the liver to acetate. Unfortunately, the body consumes this acetate before it consumes fat. This makes it extra-hard for our bodies to shed pounds.
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Moderation is the Key
There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink and stay in control of your weight. They key, of course, is moderation. Try not to make alcohol consumption an every day thing if you are watching your weight. And definitely be aware of how much sugar and calories you are consuming with each drink. Mixed drinks are notorious for having a very high calorie content
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Mixed Drinks are Loaded with Calories
Consuming mixed drinks and watching your weight really do not go together. To give you an idea of just how bad most mixed drinks are for you, just one Long Island Iced Tea contains more calories than a Big Mac from McDonald’s.
How calorie-dense are mixed drinks? Just take a look at the calorie content in these common mixed drinks:
7 oz. Long Island Iced Tea – Up to 780 calories
12.5 oz. Mud Slide – Up to 594 calories
6 oz. Pina Colada – Up to 644 calories
9 oz. Mai Tai – Up to 620 calories
8.5 oz. Margarita – 740 calories
To give you an idea of just how many calories this represents per drink, take a look at these common high-calorie fast food items for comparison:
Taco Ball 7 Layer Burrito – 430 calories
Burger King Whopper – 630 calories
McDonald’s Big Mac – 540 calories
Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich – 510 calories
Hardee’s 1/3 lb. Original Thickburger – 990 calories
Based on this, if you drink just two Long Island Iced Teas, you are potentially consuming the equivalent of about three Big Macs. Scary, huh?
