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How To Lose Weight: The Basics
Online Weight Loss Support
How To Lose The Last Ten
Weight Loss Support Groups
What Is The Fat Smash Diet?
Weight Watchers Points System
The Beck Diet Solution
The Eat To Live Diet
How To Motivate To Lose Weight
How To Get Started on PEERtrainer
Ending The Hunger Cycle
Turning Knowledge Into Action
Can Alcohol Make You Fat?
Why Moderate Consumption Of Alcohol Can Hinder Weight Loss Efforts
There has been a lot of research in recent years that points to the healthy effects of moderate alcohol consumption. We have all read that moderate consumption is defined as one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. And it is true that red wine for example helps to interfere with blood clotting, which helps to reduce heart attack and stroke risk. Red wine also contains powerful antioxidants, as do many fruits and vegetables.
The health benefits of eating a diet very high in fruits and vegetables are so powerful that you really don't need to drink, however. And moderate consumption of alcohol often leads to people being overweight. According to Joel Fuhrman, MD, in his book
Eat for Health
, "The problem with alcohol, especially more than one drink a day, is that it can create mild withdrawal sensations the next day. These sensations are commonly mistaken for hunger, which leads people to eat more than is necessary. Because of the this, moderate drinkers are usually overweight." In the
PEERtrainer Community
, we see a lot of confirmation of this idea that consumption of alcohol hinders weight loss efforts:
"I've definitely noticed that when I consume more of it the weight loss is sluggish at best. I've cut it back to a half glass with dinner and that's a workable compromise for me."
"It took me a long time to figure out that my inability to stop at one or two drinks has A LOT to do with my inability to stop at one or two bites. I'm not suggesting that anyone else here has a drinking problem, but my 10 year binge drinking party had many negative effects on my life, including gaining 50 extra pounds. After being sober for 7 years I see that this exact same insatiable craving that I had for alcohol is what I have with food. It is all about trying to use external things to fill me up. It is all about trying to self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, or food."
"
I have found that not consuming alcohol
helps me a lot. Not only is it at minimum 100-200 calories a drink (for a diet soda + mixer or light beer) but it's usually more and can be upwards of 800 calories for one drink. And really, once you start, who has just one? Also when I drink I lose my ability to make healthy food choices. If someone suggests getting bar food, all of a sudden I am all in on calamari french fries and onion rings. Which normally I have the sense to say no thanks.
I indulge in the occasional beer when it sounds good. Mostly when I am out to eat with friends/family and there is a good selection on tap so I can try something new. In general, I find it's not worth it to drink the calories."
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How to I sign up on PEERtrainer and get started?
If you are like most people, you know how to lose weight and get fit, but simply have a hard time following through. PEERtrainer was built to help you follow through, via daily logging and peer support. It is easy to get started--you log your food, exercise, thoughts each day. This takes about 5 minutes, and is a great habit to develop. You do this in small weight loss groups of 4 and larger "teams". The logging makes you much more aware of your habits. The group members read your logs and keep you motivated and supported. This tight integration of logging with free online weight loss support groups is very effective. It is also a unique and patent-pending process.
It is easy to get started:
1. You
Sign Up.
It is free.
2. Join
Groups
and
Teams
. If you don't find ones you like- Start One.
Active Groups Fill Up Quickly, You Might Want To Start A Couple To Get The Perfect Mix of People.
Here Are Some Other Tips To Help You Be Successful
: