Just because you're on a weight loss program, doesn't mean you have to give up alcohol, or does it? Studies show that alcohol does more than add excess calories to your diet. It also reduces the number of fat calories your body burns. Not only that, but it tends to make you more hungry. So remember, if you are at a party and you have a drink or two, you will probably find that you are hungrier than usual and willing to eat without caring whether its good for you or not, packing on even more calories than you think. The combination of alcohol and a dinner that has a lot of calories is especially bad when it comes to weight loss. Even though Alcohol has some negative side effects on your weight loss program, it doesn't have to mean that you can't enjoy the occasional drink now and then.

So now that you understand the basics of how alcohol affects you while trying to lose weight, lets look at how it affects you, while following the Atkins for life Program. The more you understand the affects that alcohol brings, the easier it will be to turn your back to it and let the Atkins plan work for you the way it is designed to. After you get your body started and you get through the first stage of the plan you can enjoy a glass of wine once again.

The first part of the program, as you should already know, is called the Induction phase of Atkins. During this Part of the program it is Absolutely prohibited to drink any alcohol. It is very important in this phase of the diet that you get your body into a fat burning mode and keep it there. When you allow alcohol into your bloodstream you are telling your body to stop burning fat. The key to lose weight, is to keep your insulin level balanced so your body can burn fat faster.

When you have finished the Induction phase of the diet and move on to the ongoing phase of the diet, it is permitted that one can drink alcohol. If you do choose to have a few drinks remember that drinks do come with a cost. They are usually full of carbohydrates of the worst kind and will cause your weight loss to totally stop. When choosing which drink to order, you may want to stay away from the ones that have a high sugar content, like dessert wines or champagne. Hard liquors such as rum or vodka have no carbohydrates so these tend to be the better choice, but try not to mix them with anything sweet (fruit juice, coke or 7-up).

Drinking can send you to the nearest hamburger joint! You can be doing everything right all week long by eating the right combinations of food, keeping yourself motivated and on track, but all it takes is one to many drinks and your mind says "Order me a double" and you crash. If you want to have a drink then go for it, but do it in moderation.