If you are working towards any type of health or physique goal then I hate to break it to you, but drinking alcohol regularly isn’t doing you any favors. A drink here and there may not have any major implications, but imbibing regularly certainly can.

One of the biggest issues I see holding people back the most is drinking far too much or too often. Yeah I know, you’re tired, stressed, don’t want to look lame in front of your friends, etc. etc. But if at the same time you’re truly that frustrated with your lack of progress, then it’s time you take a good hard look at what’s more important. Your nightly glass(es) of wine, or the results you say you want so badly?Not only is alcohol nothing but empty calories that do nothing for satiety, it’s a poison your body wants to get rid of ASAP. To do so, it shuts down digestion of other macros, like fat and carbs, making them easier to be stored as fat. And let’s be honest, how many times has your drinking happened along side eating high calorie foods like pizza, chips, sweets? Alcohol increases appetite and cravings, while at the same time lowering inhibitions around food. So not only will you want to indulge more, you’ll be more likely to do so because you’re decision making isn’t as good as it would be had you not been a little tipsy.

Drinking frequently can impair both performance and recovery from exercise, meaning you won’t be able to train with as hard or possibly as frequently, which can impact your rate of strength and muscle gain.

Hormone and gut health isn’t talked about as much as it should, but it’s extremely important‼️ Alcohol can damage the lining of the gut and disrupt gut flora, which will impair fat burning and how the body digests food. It also can mess with the levels of hormones that build muscle and burn fat.

Getting enough sleep is crucial to optimizing health and achieving a desirable physique. But alcohol disrupts sleep quality, especially REM sleep which is when your body does most of it’s work repairing and regenerating your body. Not getting enough sleep will increase hunger and cravings, and decrease energy, so you may end up eating more but moving less.