
Alcohol has a very high calorie content, and even a daily glass of wine or whiskey can shoot up your calorie intake. However, is it detrimental to have an occasional drink or two, when on an hCG diet? Let us find out the answer to this, in the following Buzzle article.
Normally, alcohol is not advisable while you are on the hCG diet. But, restricting your consumption to one or two shots of vodka, whiskey, or a beer once a week, will cause no harm. In every diet, there are cheat days once a week, when you can have whatever you want. On this day, you can consume your weekly share of alcohol as well.
hCG diet is known for its quick and efficient results, and hence is very popular among people who strive to remain fit. hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a natural human hormone. This hormone resets the hypothalamus gland and helps in weight loss. hCG diet is a very low calorie diet (VLCD) which balances the food intake, so that one consumes about 500 to 800 calories a day. This is combined with regular doses of hCG which aids in faster weight loss. There are many things that are strictly prohibited in this diet, alcohol being one of them. People usually wonder whether they can consume alcohol while on the hCG diet, and if yes, then how much will it influence the weight loss process.
hCG Diet and Alcohol Consumption
hCG diet is planned differently for different people, keeping certain factors in mind. One can consume a minimum of 500 calories a day. The calorie content of a single standard shot of any drink such as vodka, whiskey or beer, is around 100 calories, which is about 20% of the daily calorie intake. Therefore, having a glass of alcohol daily will force you to compromise your meals. This will cause deficiency of nutrition in your body, which may further lead to other complications. Alcohol is very high in empty calories, which means that it has minimal nutrition value. It also hinders and slows down the weight loss process.
Drinking Alcohol While on hCG Diet
Alcohol is addictive as it suppresses the brain’s ability to understand that you have had enough. It stimulates appetite and you feel hungry. This is followed by overeating as your brain is unable to command you to stop eating. You have large portions of unhealthy snacks. This further makes you thirsty, and you end up drinking more alcohol.
Apart from this, people go for add-ons like colas or cocktails which are high in calories. These sugar-filled mixtures might enhance the taste of your drink, but will increase its caloric value for sure. It also alters the sugar level in your body. Hence, it is very important to make the right choice of drink. A straight or neat drink is what one must go for.
Alcohol consumption slows down the process of weight loss. Normally, the body burns carbohydrates and fats in order to get energy, but when you drink alcohol, the body uses this alcohol for energy. So, until all the alcohol in your bloodstream is not over, the body does not uses the available carbohydrates. Therefore, whatever you eat is not metabolized and is converted into fat molecules. Alcohol hinders the utilization of stored fat, which makes weight loss difficult.
Alcohol results in poor sleep. When you drink alcohol before sleeping, you usually wake up in the middle of the night. It might be caused due to the fall in the blood sugar levels that makes your feel hungry. This results in poor sleep, which is one of the reasons behind weight gain. Hence, as far as possible, try to avoid alcohol at night before going to sleep.
Drinking alcohol once a week, and in moderation, is something that won’t affect your diet much. After completion of your hCG diet program, if you start consuming alcohol more often, it is recommended that you keep the consumption in limit, to avoid weight gain.