You pour a glass of wine after dinner and tell yourself it’s fine — after all, it’s only a few hundred calories. But what if those “invisible” calories are quietly adding up, not just on the scale, but in how you feel?

Alcohol is one of the most overlooked contributors to weight gain. It doesn’t just add calories; it changes how your body processes food, stores fat, and regulates appetite. For many people trying to lose weight or simply feel healthier, cutting back on alcohol becomes the turning point — not through restriction, but through balance.

The Hidden Calories in Alcohol

Unlike food, alcohol offers no nutritional value — only energy your body can’t use effectively. Each gram of alcohol contains around seven calories (almost as much as fat), but because the body treats alcohol as a toxin, it prioritises burning it off first. That means fat-burning, digestion, and nutrient absorption all take a back seat until the alcohol clears.

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, alcohol contains 7 kcal per gram — nearly the same as fat — and “many people are not aware of the calories in alcoholic drinks.” A large glass of wine can contain about 200 calories, a pint of beer around 250, and two cocktails can easily match an entire meal.

Over time, these calories can lead to gradual weight gain — particularly around the waistline — while also affecting sleep, hormones, and energy levels.

How Alcohol Affects Weight — Beyond Calories

It’s not just what alcohol adds — it’s what it prevents. When you drink:

  • Fat metabolism slows down: The body burns alcohol first, storing fat instead of using it.
  • Appetite increases: Alcohol reduces leptin (the hormone that signals fullness) and increases ghrelin (the hormone that triggers hunger).
  • Cortisol rises: This stress hormone encourages abdominal fat storage.
  • Sleep quality drops: Poor sleep increases sugar cravings and slows metabolism the next day.

This combination can make it harder to maintain a healthy weight — even with good intentions.

Ailsa Frank on Reclaiming Balance

Renowned British hypnotherapist Ailsa Frank, creator of the Feel Amazing App, has helped thousands of people reshape their habits around alcohol — often noticing improved fitness, energy, and body confidence as natural side effects.

“People are often surprised by how much alcohol affects their weight and energy,” says Ailsa. “When you reduce alcohol, you don’t just cut calories — you reduce stress, sugar cravings, and sluggishness too. Your whole body begins to feel lighter.”

A Real Story: “I Didn’t Realise How Much Alcohol Was Holding Me Back”

Lisa, 45, used to unwind every evening with a few glasses of wine. “I wasn’t drinking excessively,” she says, “but I couldn’t shift the extra weight around my middle, no matter how much I exercised.”

After discovering Ailsa’s ‘Take Control of Alcohol’ and ‘Fit & Well’ recordings in the ‘Slimmer Fitter’ section of the Feel Amazing App, she started listening nightly.

“It changed everything. My cravings went down, my sleep improved, and my clothes fit better. I wasn’t trying to lose weight — it just happened naturally. I felt like my body had finally reset.”

The Science Behind the Shift

A report by Food Standards Scotland found that alcohol consumption contributes to obesity by increasing overall energy intake and encouraging sugary drink choices, especially when mixed with soft drinks.

When alcohol interferes with digestion and recovery, your body spends more time processing toxins and less time repairing itself. Cutting back allows your liver, metabolism, and hormones to find their natural rhythm again — and that’s where the real transformation begins.

How Hypnotherapy Supports Weight and Wellbeing

Most people know alcohol impacts their body, but knowing doesn’t always change the habit — because habits live in the subconscious.

Hypnotherapy works gently at that level, helping to rewire the automatic associations between alcohol, stress, and reward. Through guided relaxation and positive suggestion, the mind starts linking relaxation with calm — not with a glass in hand.

Ailsa’s ‘Fit & Well’ session pairs perfectly with ‘Take Control of Alcohol’, helping listeners reconnect with their body’s natural balance and motivation. Over time, these recordings quieten cravings, improve energy, and restore a sense of control that feels effortless rather than forced.

The Hidden Link Between Alcohol, Sugar and Energy

If you’ve ever noticed that you crave sugary foods after drinking — or feel unusually hungry the next morning — there’s a biological reason for it. Alcohol disrupts blood-sugar regulation, causing spikes and crashes that mimic hunger.

Diabetes UK explains that alcohol can “reduce the body’s ability to recover when blood sugar levels drop,” and that it “stops your body burning fat,” making weight loss more difficult. It also lowers leptin, the fullness hormone — which explains the “munchies” or carb cravings many people experience after drinking.

It’s not lack of discipline — it’s chemistry. Your body is trying to correct an imbalance that alcohol helped create.

Hypnotherapy can help restore balance here too. By calming the stress response and supporting better sleep, it naturally steadies appetite hormones and improves energy regulation.  Many Feel Amazing App users report that as their mind relaxes, so do their cravings — making it easier to eat in tune with their body’s real needs.

Signs Your Body Is Thanking You

As you reduce alcohol, you may start to notice:

  • Less bloating and puffiness
  • Brighter skin and better digestion
  • More stable energy throughout the day
  • Easier sleep and fewer sugar cravings
  • Clothes fitting more comfortably

These are not just aesthetic improvements — they’re signs of a body and mind returning to equilibrium.

Gentle Tips to Support Change

You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. Try these simple shifts:

  • Hydrate regularly. Have a glass of water between drinks or before bed.
  • Eat before relaxing. A balanced meal curbs fast-drinking habits.
  • Create new rituals. Swap the wine glass for a herbal tea or smoothie.
  • Listen daily. Even ten minutes of hypnotherapy can help retrain your subconscious response to stress and reward.

Take Control of Alcohol — and Feel Fit & Well

If you’ve been feeling tired, bloated, or stuck in old habits, it’s not about willpower — it’s about giving your body the space to recover.

Start today with ‘Take Control of Alcohol’ and ‘Fit & Well’ in the Feel Amazing App. These gentle recordings help you reconnect with balance, confidence, and energy — from the inside out.

As Ailsa says, “When you treat your body kindly, it responds in ways that surprise you — lighter, calmer, and stronger.”