alcohol...

[MinPinMommy]

So I know there is a reasonable explanation for why you are unable to drink a cocktail while doing the induction phase.. but the only reason I need this explanation is because from what I understand.. vodka contains zero carbs... and if you were to mix that with soda water, what is the reasoning behind this being off limits?

I just turned 23.. AND to make things better.. I work as a bartender.. so not drinking is going to be my most difficult feat.. I am REALLY hankering a drink..

Bring on the let down..!

[neutronnorman]

• Many alcoholic drinks are empty calories. They provide little nutritional value.
• While the liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, it is unable to metabolize fat.

Alcohol calories

According to conventional wisdom, the infamous "beer belly" is caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. Yet, less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy.
Some evidence for this comes from research carried in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [4]. Eight men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) dropped by a massive 73%.

Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into a substance called acetate. In fact, blood levels of acetate after drinking the vodka were 2.5 times higher than normal. And it appears this sharp rise in acetate puts the brakes on fat loss.
A car engine typically uses only one source of fuel. Your body, on the other hand, draws from a number of different energy sources, such as carbohydrate, fat, and protein. To a certain extent, the source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability.
In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat. In essence, acetate pushes fat to the back of the queue.
So, to summarize and review, here's what happens to fat metabolism after the odd drink or two.

. A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.
. Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
. The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.

The way your body responds to alcohol is very similar to the way it deals with excess carbohydrate. Although carbohydrate can be converted directly into fat, one of the main effects of overfeeding with carbohydrate is that it simply replaces fat as a source of energy. That's why any type of diet, whether it's high-fat, high-protein, or high-carbohydrate, can lead to a gain in weight.
Appetite

The combination of alcohol and a high-calorie meal is especially fattening, mainly because alcohol acts as a potent appetizer. A Canadian study shows that an aperitif (an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to increase the appetite) increased calorie intake to a greater extent than a carbohydrate-based drink [5].
Researchers from Denmark's Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University report similar results [8]. When a group of men was given a meal and allowed to eat as much as they wanted, they ate more when the meal was served with beer or wine rather than a soft drink.
Not only does too much alcohol put the brakes on fat loss, it's also one of the most effective ways to slash your testosterone levels. Just a single bout of heavy drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours [6]. The damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking [1].
The effect of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle. In fact, a 1993 study shows that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than teetotalers [2].
This doesn't mean you need to avoid alcohol completely.
A recent study, published in the November 2004 issue of the International Journal of Obesity, compared the effect of two different diets over a three-month period [7]. Both diets contained 1500 calories daily, one with 150 calories from white wine and one with 150 calories from grape juice.
Weight loss in the grape juice group and white wine group was 8.3 pounds and 10.4 pounds, respectively.
So, what's the bottom line?

Although an alcohol-rich meal does increase your metabolic rate, it also suppresses the number of fat calories your body burns for energy — far more so than meals rich in protein, carbohydrate, or fat [3]. While the odd drink now and again isn't going to hurt, the bottom line is that alcohol and a leaner, stronger body just doesn't mix.


References
1. Heikkonen, E., Ylikahri, R., Roine, R., Valimaki, M., Harkonen, M., & Salaspuro, M. (1996). The combined effect of alcohol and physical exercise on serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and cortisol in males. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 20, 711-716
2. Kvist, H., Hallgren, P., Jonsson, L., Pettersson, P., Sjoberg, C., Sjostrom, L., & Bjorntorp, P. (1993). Distribution of adipose tissue and muscle mass in alcoholic men. Metabolism, 42, 569-573
3. Raben A, Agerholm-Larsen L, Flint A, Holst JJ, Astrup A. (2003). Meals with similar energy densities but rich in protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol have different effects on energy expenditure and substrate metabolism but not on appetite and energy intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, 91-100
4. Siler, S.Q., Neese, R.A., & Hellerstein, M.K. (1999). De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 928-936
5. Tremblay, A., & St-Pierre, S. (1996). The hyperphagic effect of a high-fat diet and alcohol intake persists after control for energy density. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63, 479-482
6. Valimaki, M.J., Harkonen, M., Eriksson, C.J., & Ylikahri, R.H. (1984). Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol. Alcohol, 1, 89-93
7. Flechtner-Mors, M., Biesalski, H.K., Jenkinson, C.P., Adler, G., & Ditschuneit, H.H. (2004). Effects of moderate consumption of white wine on weight loss in overweight and obese subjects. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 28, 1420-1426
8. Buemann, B., Toubro, S., & Astrup, A. (2002). The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 1367-1372

[JulieB]

The short version: Your body stops burning fat & burns up all of the alcohol instead, then goes back to burning fat. You stop losing weight while the alcohol is being used as fuel instead of fat.
Do yourself a favor and and wait (at least!) until the end of induction so that you can get into ketosis and figure out your metabolic resistance.

[MinPinMommy]

Thanks a lot to the both of you, I will definitely be refraining from even just one mixed drink for a while! I just have to keep reminding myself that the little bit of satisfaction I get from that vodka could never compare to the amount of satisfaction i will have with a slimmer waist! I just feel it will be a little more difficult for me having to be around it all the time at work AND at home (my fiance is a big beer drinker... eats tons of fats and carbs... and is thinner than ****!).

[imagood1]

when I bartended we were not allowed to drink behind the bar.......that being said - when I was bartending I usually had water with lemon or lime floating on top -- in a rocks glass or tom collins glass it was a nice looking "drink".....

you can have some alcohol on Rung 5 - don't skip from induction to Rung 5 - go through the rungs in order.

[JulieB]

It will get easier once you have a few days/weeks invested and are showing results...you won't want to give up your results for a drink

I've been to a couple social events where everyone was drinking beer but me, I just sipped my water and kept imagining myself thin...

[super7]

hard alcohols wont knock you out of ketosis, as body can still make ketones out of it. it will just prolong your fat loss as alcohol will be the 1st to be used by body as energy, and until its fully out of system you will not lose any weight. beer and wine is another matter thogh, they contain some carbs, plus a lot contain sugars

[stacy3477]

I'll get flogged for this, but...I drank on induction my first time around, and was still very happy with my results. Like you said, I did the no carb route - vodka and club soda or diet coke.

I know it's against the rules and I'm sure you do get better results if you can go without it entirely. One thing to be cautious about is that once you have a couple drinks you may be tempted to sneak in a couple other forbidden foods or drinks - don't do that! Like super said the alcohol itself won't knock you out of ketosis, it may just impede your progress.

Good luck!

[super7]

oh yes, the dreaded carb cravings after you have alcohol. that is the WORST thing ever

it takes so much willpower not to gorge on all the vegies, eating them raw straight from my fridge

not talking about all the noodles and chips and nuts lying around (****, any food lol)

[neutronnorman]

The dreaded dehydration! The drink everything that's fizzy, juicy, milk shaky syndrome gets to me. Followed by tons of bi-carb, aspirin, caffeine etc. Oh, the alcohol dehydrogenase turning CH3-CH2-OH -> CH3COO-...soothing...

Well, for some strange reason, if you build a ball / stick model of an ethanol molecule, it kinda' looks like a happy little dog or puppy.