Wine and weight gain?

Question

I love drinking wine but i to limit it to 1 or 2 days a week. When I do drink I go through a bottle or maybe just under a bottle (yes I know that's not good) Anyway do you think this amount of alcohol can contribute to weight gain. I've just lost 20 kg and I do NOT want to gain ANY weight back on.

Answer 1

Wine can cause weight gain but not as much as beer.  Stick to the red wine and keep eating right and exercising.  Drinking wine 1-2 times a week won't be too bad on the weight gain unless you are unhealthy in other ways

Answer 2

yes wine has sugar but in the long  fermenting  process you  will not gain  as  say as  much as beer  or  anything heavier If the wine is dry it has less sugar as well so it is not a bad thing to  drink in moderation

Answer 3

If you are drinking the wine with a meal in place of soda it is actually a better choice.  Try and enjoy your wine this way every day instead of downing a bottle before you go to bed.  Try 1/2 bottle with dinner one night, then finish it for dinner the next.  Some wines even improve on the second day.

Answer 4

Drinking any alcohol will contribute to weight gain. However, you can buy a wide variety of low calorie wines that will minimise this.

Answer 5

You'd be surprised how very little weight red wine can add.

As my heritage is French, I've always (since I was 16, I'm 40 now) had a glass of wine with lunch and one with dinner.  Usually, a third in the evening.  My weight?  After I quit smoking 6 years ago, I ballooned up to 236 lbs.  In the past 18 months, I've shed 71 lbs from drinking 4 litres of water a day (instead of Pepsi), and walking 3.6 km (That's a 40 minute walk) twice a week (instead of driving everywhere).  And my wine drinking habits?  Never changed.  I still absolutely love red wine with my meals.

Yes, my doctor is aware that I drink 2-3 glasses a day (a bottle is only 4 glasses of wine).  Backed by research (and if you'd like his sources, I'd be happy to get them, though he claims they are numerous), he says this is a healthy amount to drink, won't add a significant amount of weight, and helps keep arteries clear.  And my liver function?  Perfect, according to my last blood test.

Don't shy away from red wine.  It's a wonderful accompaniment to just about any meal.  One thing you must be aware of: red wine can make you tired, which makes you sedentary, which means you'll find an excuse not to take that 40 minute walk, and it is there that the real danger lies.  Once you start slowing down, you'll pack on the pounds again.  

So what's the secret to drinking wine and remaining active?

Americans recently discovered what they coined the "French Paradox"; the French eat rich, fattening foods, but have a low incidence of heart disease.

It was discovered that the tannin in red wine is one factor in why the French do not store a lot of fat.  But there is something the researchers overlooked that my maman says is common sense: it's a matter of HOW you drink wine.

Most North Americans treat wine as a dessert beverage.  They'll eat their meal taking the occasional sip of water, then relax with a glass of wine.  Big mistake.  This is when you get tired.  Your stomach is full, you're breathing deeply, you're relaxing and the alcohol kicks in.  The natural reaction?  You're zonked in 30 minutes.

The "correct" way to drink wine with a meal is to drink it WITH the meal.  Take 3 bites, chew slowly, enjoy the food and take a generous mouthful of wine.  It may be contrary to how you were taught wine should be enjoyed, but it will leave you feeling lighter and more energetic after the meal, opening up the possibility of an evening walk.

You probably already know that losing weight means changing your lifestyle.  This is just another thing you'll have to change to continue to enjoy your wine without gaining weight.

Enjoy!

EDIT:

Aleksandra:

A) The word you're looking for is not "edict", it is "addict".  This would mean that I cannot go without alcohol.  This is untrue.  When I was diagnosed with bronchitis in May, I was off wine for 3 weeks.  Did it bother me?  No.  Did I crave it?  No.  Did I miss it?  Yes.

B) You didn't read my statement. I said I WAS 236 lbs, but have lost 71 lbs.  Mathematics would dictate that I am now 165 lbs.  That's a Body Mass Index of 23.6.  I challenge you to find another 40 year old man with a lower BMI than me who walks 7.2 km a week.

C) Alcohol has EVERYTHING to do with the liver!  What is an alcoholic's primary concern?  The threat of Liver Cirrhosis and/or Liver Damage.  Any medical professional will confirm this.  To deny this simply indicates you are completely clueless about alcoholism, how it occurs, its dangers, and its physical effects.  Speak to your doctor.  He/She will confirm this.

D) My "theories" are not theories at all.  They are the practice of millions of Europeans who have lived their lives over centuries drinking a litre of wine a day.

My advice to the asker is to drink as much wine as she is comfortable with.  My advice to you is to educate yourself to the benefits and perils of alcohol before making statements that fly in the face of every medical study on alcohol/liver interaction ever conducted.

Answer 6

Alcohol has calories. It could certainly make you gain some weight, but it should be manageable. Up your exercise a bit if it's bothering you.  

Answer 7

resources say drinking 1 glass of red wine a day is actually healthy 4 u. im not saying go out and become an alcoholic but if u do decide to drink wine,red wine is the healthiest.(and the sexiest.)

Answer 8

it doesn't have any relationship to weight

Answer 9

drink but not too much, and also do lots of exercise.

Answer 10

If this is your only vice then you will be fine. If you like a food treat as well it could put some weight back on. Experiment. Do one week just having the wine then do a week with a couple of food treats aswell and see how you get on. One thing is for sure, it's hard to lose weight but it's even harder to keep it off. Well done though. I wish it was me.

Answer 11

Aside of having calories, alcohol provokes hunger.

Once ot twice a week a bottle doesn´t sound that much as for your weight control, but I think it might be a bit too much as per your habit to drink. I understand that when you like wine and you decide to have some, you like to have some more..:) You are a character drinker..  Watch out how does it effect your metabolism (it´s very individual though) and measure your quantities upon.

Don´t forget one more thing which is quite important: Your body now (with 20kg less then before) will have to work much more go get rid of the toxins!

Alexander: You really sound like a wine edict..

I have nothing against people drinking wine or any other alcoholic drinks, it´s their personal choice, but your theories are too encouraging for someone to become an alcoholic! You´re a man, and a big one and here we have a lady who asked the question..you know.

As per the liver, alcohol has nothing to do with liver!!!!

Probably about how to consume wine, I´d agree.

(That thumb down was not from me, by the way)