effectual waitperson: Cheers! Alcohol and Your Metabolism: New Year's Eve

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Cheers! Alcohol and Your Metabolism: New Year's Eve | BostInno

As Ultimate Bootcampers, we have a work hard, play hard mentally. We enjoy a challenging bootcamp workout, but we also love to gather with friends and ring in the New Year with a few cocktails. We know you?ll indulge a little bit next week, but we wanted to share the truth about how alcohol really affects your metabolism, so you can keep it in mind when you are trying to achieve your New Year?s resolutions and healthy living goals in 2013.

Here it is: Alcohol significantly sloooooows down (we?re talking turtle slow, inch worm slow) your body?s normal metabolic process.

How Alcohol Slows your Metabolism

The metabolic process is your body?s act of turning food and drink into other compounds that, ultimately, our body uses for energy. Throwing a wrench into your metabolism like alcohol means your body can?t absorb the proper energy source it needs for day to day functions.

While you might not feel the effect a couple glasses of wine has on your everyday functions, you will absolutely feel the lack of effort your body gives to you during an intense boot camp workout. I?m talking increased shortness of breathe, legs that feel like 1 ton boulders and arms that laugh at you when attempting bicep curls. Wait, I think I just described a typical boot camp workout without alcohol?make it a 2 ton boulder. ;o)

A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Each standard drink contains a similar amount of alcohol. This alcohol prevents the proper processing of vitamins and minerals which are needed in the natural metabolic functions. Without the vitamins and minerals, energy production is reduced.

Also hindered ? by even just a small amount of alcohol ? is the ability of your body to bring on lipid oxidation (the burning of fats), according to the American Journal of Clinical Research.

How alcohol contributes to weight gain

Alcohol contains almost TWICE the amount of calories per gram (7 calories per gram) than proteins and carbohydrates. This is one of the reasons why it contributes to weight gain ? even if you?re working out regularly.

Plus, research has shown a 20% increase in calories consumed at a meal when alcohol was consumed before the meal. So, that often means that healthy summer salad you just ordered might turn into a salad + bread & oil + dessert + an extra drink or two. In studies, people who drank alcohol with their meals consumed a total of 33% more calories!

So if you?re really looking to lose weight or fit into a smaller dress or pant size in the New Year, kicking alcohol to the curb could help speed up the process ? and your metabolism.

At Ultimate Bootcamp, we want to help you achieve your fitness goals in 2013! We are giving participants that commit to 8 weeks of Ultimate Bootcamp workouts $100 cash back at the end of their experience. We?ll be there to motivate you along the way and help you get the results you want. With each workout burning 500-700 calories, you?ll be sure to see a difference in your fitness level at the end of your 8 weeks!