Many of us looking forward to an annual holiday party probably wish this were true. However, the fact is that alcoholic drinks can contribute to weight gain during the holiday season (or any other time of year).

One reason for this is that the body cannot store alcohol. Once an alcoholic drink is consumed, your body starts burning it as fuel immediately. What’s more, your body will use utilize that alcohol for energy before anything else that you consume (including that delicious piece of chocolate cake). This means there is a greater chance of any food you eat being stored as fat and contributing to weight gain when you drink alcohol.

In addition, alcohol stimulates the appetite. This is why enjoying a drink before dinner is a time-honored tradition in many parts of the world. In addition, drinking alcohol can suppress your inhibitions, meaning you may be more likely to let your guard down and take an extra trip to the desert table.

So it’s a good idea to limit your alcoholic drinks to prevent adding on extra pounds during the holidays. Consuming non-alcoholic beer and “mocktails” is one way to cut down on alcohol and still have a drink in your hand. However, whether you add alcohol or not, we suggest going easy on traditional holiday drinks, such as calorie-rich eggnog, to prevent holiday weight gain!