Can I Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?
- Sandro Torres
- 34 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Can I Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?
When I first started lifting weights, I didn’t want to give up alcohol. I wanted to get in shape and keep drinking. So I asked my mentor a very honest question:
“Can I drink alcohol and still lose fat and gain muscle?”
He looked at me and asked, “How much do you drink?”
“About 10 drinks over the weekend,” I answered.
He said, “If you drink, 9 is better than 10. If you drink 8, it’s better than 9. If you drink 7, it’s better than 8. You get the point, right?”
It made complete sense. Deep down, I already knew alcohol wasn’t good for my health — I just didn’t want to accept it. I ignored his advice.
Not only did alcohol stop my progress, but every time I drank I felt tired, weak, and unmotivated to train. I was serious about changing my body, and one day I simply decided to stop drinking. No one forced me. No research convinced me. I just knew alcohol was holding me back.
Later, when I actually studied alcohol and its effects on the body, I realized I had made the right decision.
Below are the real reasons alcohol interferes with weight loss, muscle gain, and health.
How Alcohol Affects Your Body
1. Physiological (Body System) Effects
Brain & Nervous System: Alcohol disrupts brain communication, affecting coordination, memory, mood, and decision-making. Chronic use increases the risk of neurological damage and stroke.
Endocrine & Metabolic System: Alcohol interferes with hormone balance, glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, stress hormones, and thyroid function — all critical for fat loss.
Digestive System: Alcohol damages the gut lining, increases inflammation, impairs nutrient absorption, and contributes to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Cardiovascular System: Regular alcohol intake increases blood pressure, disrupts heart rhythm, and can damage heart muscle over time.
Immune System: Alcohol weakens immune defenses, making recovery slower and increasing susceptibility to illness.
Muscles & Bones: Chronic drinking contributes to muscle loss, reduced strength, lower bone density, and slower recovery.
Pancreas: Alcohol is a major contributor to pancreatitis, which directly affects digestion and metabolic health.
2. Alcohol, Weight Gain, and Fat Loss
Alcohol Is Pure Calories: Alcohol provides approximately 7 calories per gram — more than carbs or protein — with zero nutritional value.
Fat Burning Is Suppressed: When alcohol is in your system, your body stops burning fat and prioritizes metabolizing alcohol first. Fat oxidation is essentially paused.
Hormonal Changes Promote Fat Storage: Alcohol increases cortisol and disrupts insulin sensitivity, encouraging fat storage — especially around the abdomen.
Increased Appetite & Poor Food Choices: Alcohol lowers inhibition and increases cravings, leading to overeating, late-night snacking, and poor food decisions.
Exercise & Recovery Suffer: Alcohol reduces sleep quality, hydration, exercise performance, and recovery — all essential for fat loss and muscle growth.
So… Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?
Technically, yes — but it will be harder, slower, and less sustainable.
Alcohol works against:
Fat loss
Muscle gain
Recovery
Hormonal balance
Sleep
Motivation
That’s why weight loss becomes a constant struggle for people who continue drinking regularly.
What I Recommend
I understand quitting alcohol is not easy.
If you don’t want to stop drinking and believe you have full control, but struggle to reduce intake, that may be a sign alcohol has more control than you think — and seeking help is not something to be ashamed of.
If you can live without alcohol, then treat it like we do at Custom Body Fitness:
Cut your alcohol intake in half
Reduce it month by month
Eventually reserve it only for rare, special occasions — or eliminate it completely
Your body, energy, mental clarity, and fitness results will improve dramatically.
The Bottom Line
Alcohol interferes with weight loss in many ways. If you care about your health, your body, and long-term results, alcohol will always slow you down. You don’t need alcohol to enjoy life. But you do need discipline to transform your body.
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