What's Slowing me Down?

     Good Morning...I hope all is well.  I have some good news!!!  I am down another 1-1/2 pounds.  Yea, ME!!!  So, I am half way to my 5% weight loss goal and I have another 3-1/2 weeks to go...Now, although I am happy about the weight loss.  I still struggle with some things that I KNOW are affecting the rate at which I am losing weight.  There are many things that can put a beat down on your weight loss.  Thyroid issues, lack of sleep, lack of activity, stress, not watching closely what and how much you are eating, and alcohol consumption are some things that come to my mind.  Those same things are also not good for healthy living.

     I struggle with several of the issues I listed, but let's discuss my favorite, WINE...I know you have heard many times that alcohol is nothing but empty calories, so with  the help of the "Spark website" experts let me try to explain as I understand it.  Alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods.  Normally your body gets energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, but when alcohol is on board, all of the attention goes to the alcohol. 

     Alcohol goes through the liver for processing.  It helps if you have some food in you stomach because, yes, in it's own way the food will absorb some of the alcohol.  If you drink slowly, the alcohol is collected by the liver and processed immediately--no harm, no foul.  But for all you folks who like to "get it in fast", the liver has a hard time keeping up with processing, so the alcohol floats around in your body until the liver is ready and available to process it.  That's why drinking too much too fast leads to affects on your speech, vision, reasoning and judgements.  Since the body is not able to properly break down foods containing carbohydrates and fats, especially if you are drinking on an empty stomach, the calories from the alcohol are CONVERTED into body fat and are carried away for permanent storage on your body.  In my case, my gut!!!  So, the NEXT time before you order that 4th glass of wine, just think of where it may end up....SMOOCHES