There has been a good amount of research over the last few years about the benefits of red wine and safe limits for alcohol consumption, but what about alcohol when you're trying to diet? The truth may be surprising to you.

Drinking alcohol, whether in the form of wine, liquor, or beer, can negatively affect weight loss. People who try to find the best diet but also drink alcohol have a harder time losing weight than those who do not drink at all. Here are some facts:

? Alcohol slows your metabolism.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a Swiss study showing that if you're on a 1,250 calorie diet and get just 250 of those calories from alcohol, it can slow your metabolism by 36%.

? Alcohol stops your body from burning fat.

Alcohol and fat are both processed in the liver. When the liver is processing alcohol, it can not effectively metabolize fat.

? Alcohol is a depressant.

Although you may initially feel better after drinking alcohol, the ultimate effect is a depression, which has a negative effect on the dieter overall.

? Alcohol increases fatigue, making you less likely to exercise

Alcohol decreases the liver's output of glucose, resulting in the lowering of the amount of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) entering the cells. ATP is the fuel for muscle contraction and immediate bursts of energy and so your ability to exercise will be impaired.

? Alcohol causes dehydration.

Dehydration causes your body to retain water and thereby cause water weight gain.

? Alcohol is also a sugar and so can trigger carbohydrate cravings and hunger.

In addition, people often snack or eat in combination with drinking alcohol.

? Alcohol also makes you more likely to stop your weight loss program, as it decreases your resolve to stick to it.

? Some alcohol (like beer) is high in both carbs and calories.

The ugly truth is that these calories are truly ?empty? meaning they have no nutritional value. For example, a five-ounce glass of wine contains approximately 110 calories, which represents 10% of a person's calories if they consume 1,000 calories per day. That is 10% of their intake which did them no good.

Now we are not saying you need to become a teetotaler (a person who abstains from alcohol completely) to lose weight. An occasional glass of alcohol is fine but if you are exceeding 2 servings a week and you're overweight, you may want to cut back.

Drinking alcohol and eating high carb foods are related in the fact that they are both activities which cause a serotonin boost in the brain and can give you a relaxed, happy feeling which can be addictive.

The Enlita Weight Loss Program is designed to teach people how to stop self-medicating with food or drugs and how to feel energetic, alive and joyful from living a natural lifestyle in harmony with nature. For more information about the Enlita Program and natural weight loss