The Drunk Diet: Can You Lose Weight with Alcohol?

Want to lose weight? Most health experts recommend limiting, or even eliminating, your alcohol intake.

But Luc Carl, better known as Lady Gaga's boyfriend, claims he can help you lose weight--drunk. Based off his own journey to lose weight--and love for beer--Carl claims he lost 40 pounds with what he calls 'The Drunk Diet'.

What is the Drunk Diet?

The Drunk Diet, according to Carl, isn't actually a diet book--it's a memoir of his one year journey from flab to fab. There aren't any laws, tips or rules to abide by. Instead, Carl explains how he managed to keep up with his hard partying lifestyle while managing to lose weight.

Carl also advises dieters to keep away from dairy, according to Alex Moreno, a DJ who used The Drunk Diet pre-release. Although the Got Milk? campaign wants you to think otherwise, this claim isn't unfounded. A 2005 study reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicinereported consuming three servings of milk a day increased adolescent obesity by 35 percent. Carl's supporters have not revealed any other major details about his book, however.

Problems with The Drunk Diet

The Drunk Diet is drawing plenty of criticisms from anti-alcohol and diet experts because of its emphasis, naturally, on alcohol. Julie Ryan Evans, a writer for CafeMom.com, criticizes Carl for glamorizing the alcoholic lifestyle, saying this book probably isn't ideal for sober dieters.

Madeline Vann of EverydayHealth.com also says excess alcohol consumption won't lead to weight loss, it will lead to weight gain.

"Stopping with just one drink keeps the calorie count down, but if you are drinking alcohol every night, you could easily put on at least a pound over the course of a month," Vann writes. "It's also important to remember that the total calories in your drink include any additions to the alcohol--the fruit juice, mix, or soda in your cocktail counts too!"

My thoughts: While it's true that alcohol can lead to weight gain, alcohol in moderation won't cause you to pack on the pounds. But excess drinkingcan lead to fat and weight gain, if you're not careful with your overall caloric intake. I don't think advocating constant alcohol use in a diet when alcoholism is rampant in America is necessarily a good idea, however.

Learn more about The Drunk Diet on Luc Carl's official website, DrunkDiet.com.

Sources:
"The Drunk Diet" (DrunkDiet.com)
Rob Stein, "Study: More Milk Means More Weight Gain" (WashingtonPost.com)
Julie Ryan Evans, "Does Lady Gaga Follow the Drunk Diet?" (CafeMom.com)
Madeline Vann, MPH, "Can Alcohol Derail Your Diet?" (EverydayHealth.com)