Hitch Fit Living Magazine Volume 6 - May/June 2016 | Page 56

When meeting with new clients one of the questions I am most often asked is "how bad is alcohol?" I hope going over this topic today can shed a little insight on just how much alcohol can inhibit you from achieving the physical results you want. How does your body react to alcohol? Because your body recognizes alcohol as a toxin our body can't store it for energy to use at a later time, so it must metabolize it right away. When you drink alcohol, your body makes metabolizing it a priority over all other metabolic processes. Your body sends alcohol to the liver, which produces the enzymes necessary for the oxidation and metabolism of alcohol. What this means is until your body has gotten rid of the alcohol your body will stop using carbohydrates for energy putting a halt on any fat-burning and the food you are eating will be stored as fat! This is detrimental to anyone with a weight loss goal. My top 5 reasons why you should stay clear of alcohol while trying to lose weight. 1. Alcohol can inhibit fat burning between 4-24 hr (depending on how much you drink) 2. Alcohol can decrease testosterone up to 25% 3. Alcohol carries almost twice as many calories as protein and carbohydrates. Alcohol boast a whopping 9 calories per gram while protein and carbohydrates account for 4 calories per gram. 4. Alcohol often lead to poor late night food choices. 5. Effects from the previous nights alcohol consumption can leave you feeling lethargic and unmotivated to hit the gym in the morning. Joel Salter is a Hitch Fit Transformation Trainer at the downtown location. Contact him for training at [email protected] or visit www.HitchFitGym.com