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Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?

By U.S. News & World Report

When you’re on a diet, you know you should probably pass up the dessert menu, but what about the cocktail menu?

It’s a question researchers and dieters alike have grappled with for years, usually while clinging to a bottle of booze. In the end, the answer isn’t all that different from any other solid weight-loss tip out there: Everything in moderation.

That’s because, while overdoing it on alcohol is a surefire way to pack on the pounds, research published in The Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that responsible drinkers are thinner, on average, than people who lay off alcohol altogether.

The Downside of Your Drink

As anyone who has tried to drink a few glasses of wine with that salad can attest, alcohol makes you want to eat everything. But that’s not just because alcohol throws inhibition out of the window. Alcohol also reduces your body’s levels of leptin, a hormone responsible for telling your body “we’re full.” Just three glasses slash levels by 30 percent, according to research published in Alcohol & Alcoholism. That’s more than enough to make you feel ravenous and follow up your salad with a burger and some ice cream.

That may be why a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men consume an extra 168 calories from food on the days they drink. They also eat more fat and fewer fruits and veggies on drinking days, says lead researcher Rosalind Breslow, an epidemiologist with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research.

To add insult to button-popping injury, alcohol doesn’t allow your body to burn those calories as it should. That’s because when you drink alcohol, your body goes on alert to break down the toxin immediately, ignoring calories from sugar, fat and whipped cream until after all of the alcohol is cleared from your system, explains Dr. Randy Wexler, a family medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. So rather than being burned for energy, those calories are stored around your middle as fat.

Something to Toast About

So what’s this about drinkers being thinner than teetotalers?

Well, while red wine’s heart-health benefits are acknowledged, all alcohol (again, in moderation) might promote weight loss. For instance, one 12-year Harvard School of Public Health study of 46,892 men found that having one to two drinks of beer, white wine or liquor per day reduced men’s risk of developing diabetes by 36 percent, by improving insulin sensitivity and regulating blood sugar levels.

Meanwhile, moderate drinkers may just lead slimmer lifestyles than people who shun the sauce. “People may compensate for calories consumed when drinking by eating less for the next day or so,” Breslow says. And the Archives study found that women who drink moderately exercise more than their sober counterparts.

So What’s “Moderate,” Anyway?

“For most people, the hardest part of incorporating alcohol into a healthy diet is knowing when to stop,” says board-certified weight-loss physician Dr. Caroline Cederquist, creator of the weight-loss program bistroMD and author of “The MD Factor.”

According to the NIAAA, men should stop at four drinks a day or 14 drinks per week, and women should pump the breaks at three drinks a day or seven drinks per week, whichever they hit first. Sounds like a pretty hefty dose of alcohol — until you consider how much is actually in a drink.

The NIAAA defines one drink as a 12-ounce beer, 5-ounce glass of wine or 1 1/2-ounce shot of an 80-proof spirit. The average U.S. watering hole serves up 22 to 43 percent more, according to one Alcohol Research Group study.

But while the size and number of drinks you toss back certainly impact your weight-loss results, so can the contents of your glass. Those standard servings of beer, wine and spirits, for instance, will only set you back somewhere between 100 and 145 calories, but the average martini, daiquiri and margarita contain about 275, 675 and 750 calories, respectively, says Cederquist. And remember what we said about how calories consumed when drinking end up as fat?

So skip the sugar-packed cocktails, and stick with (a moderate amount) of the straight stuff.

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Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight? originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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