Will 2 glasses of wine affect weight loss? The definitive guide

December 7, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a standard 5-ounce glass of wine contains around 125 calories, meaning two glasses add up to roughly 250 extra calories. This raises the critical question for many dieters: will 2 glasses of wine affect weight loss goals and progress?

Quick Summary

This guide explains how two glasses of wine can impact weight loss by adding empty calories, slowing metabolism, and affecting appetite and sleep quality. It explores the physiological mechanisms and practical strategies to balance wine enjoyment with diet goals.

Key Points

Empty Calories: Two glasses of wine add approximately 250-300 empty calories to your diet, which must be accounted for within your daily calorie budget.
Metabolic Priority: Your body metabolizes alcohol before fat, temporarily halting your body's fat-burning process and slowing overall weight loss progress.
Appetite and Inhibition: Alcohol lowers inhibitions and can trigger hunger hormones, leading to poor food choices and overeating, especially high-calorie junk foods.
Sleep Disruption: Drinking alcohol, even moderately, can impair sleep quality, which negatively affects hunger-regulating hormones and increases food cravings the next day.
Strategy is Key: To minimize the impact, plan your consumption, opt for dry wines, alternate with water, and be mindful of portion sizes to stay within your caloric goals.
Progress, Not Perfection: While complete abstinence is the most direct path, a strategic, moderate approach can allow for occasional wine without entirely derailing your weight loss efforts.

The Caloric Reality: Wine's Empty Calories

Every gram of alcohol contains 7 calories, nearly as much as a gram of fat which has 9 calories. Unlike carbohydrates and protein, which both contain 4 calories per gram, alcohol provides what are known as "empty calories". These calories offer little to no nutritional value, meaning they don't contribute essential vitamins, minerals, or fiber to your diet. For someone aiming for a calorie deficit to lose weight, consuming two 5-ounce glasses of wine can add approximately 250 calories to their daily intake, which could be the difference between a successful day and a caloric surplus. These calories don't provide satiety, so you are still likely to consume your normal food intake on top of the wine calories, potentially sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

How Calorie Tracking Changes with Wine

For a weight loss journey, accurately tracking calorie intake is crucial. When you consume wine, these calories must be factored into your daily limit. Many people underestimate the caloric impact of their drinks, especially when out with friends, leading to a breakdown in their dietary discipline. A standard portion of wine is 5 ounces, but restaurant pours are often larger, meaning two glasses could easily represent more than 250 calories. Consciously choosing to have two glasses of wine might mean adjusting your food intake for the day or increasing your physical activity to stay within your caloric budget.

The Metabolic Shift: Why Alcohol Disrupts Fat Burning

When you consume alcohol, your body treats it as a toxin and prioritizes metabolizing it over all other energy sources, including fat and carbohydrates. This metabolic shift effectively puts your body's fat-burning processes on hold. Your liver, which is normally tasked with breaking down fats, dedicates its resources to processing the alcohol instead. Studies show that this can reduce fat burning (lipolysis) for an extended period, in some cases for up to 36 hours after drinking. This metabolic slowdown creates a major hurdle for anyone trying to shed pounds, as it directly counters the very goal of a weight loss diet.

The Liver's Role in Metabolism

The liver is a central player in both alcohol metabolism and fat processing. Over time, excessive or chronic alcohol consumption can lead to liver damage, such as alcoholic fatty liver disease. A compromised liver becomes less efficient at performing its metabolic functions, further impacting your body's ability to burn fat effectively. While two glasses of wine are considered moderate, consistent moderate drinking still puts a metabolic burden on the liver, which can subtly but surely impede weight loss progress over the long term.

Indirect Effects on Weight: Appetite, Inhibition, and Sleep

Beyond the direct caloric and metabolic impacts, two glasses of wine can have several indirect effects that make weight loss more difficult. Alcohol is known to lower inhibitions, which can lead to poorer food choices. That slice of pizza or late-night snack that you would normally resist becomes much more appealing after a couple of drinks. Research also suggests alcohol can trigger hunger signals in the brain, increasing your appetite and leading to overeating. Furthermore, drinking before bed, even moderately, can disrupt your sleep quality. Poor sleep is linked to hormonal imbalances (increased ghrelin and decreased leptin), which can increase hunger and cravings for high-calorie, unhealthy foods the following day, creating a vicious cycle.

The Impact of Disrupted Hormones

Ghrelin and Leptin: Alcohol affects the delicate balance of these hunger and satiety hormones. Poor sleep from drinking can raise ghrelin levels (the hunger hormone) and lower leptin levels (the satiety hormone), making you feel hungrier and less full.
Cortisol: Alcohol consumption, especially in excess, can increase cortisol, the stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels can promote cravings for high-fat and high-sugar foods, directly undermining weight loss goals.

Comparison Table: Wine vs. No Wine on a Weight Loss Journey


Factor	With 2 Glasses of Wine (Daily)	Without Wine (Abstinence)
Caloric Intake	~250 extra empty calories daily.	No extra calories from alcohol.
Metabolic Rate	Fat burning is temporarily suppressed by the liver.	Metabolism and fat burning function optimally.
Food Choices	Inhibitions lowered, leading to poor decisions.	Self-control and decision-making remain intact.
Appetite Signals	Hunger hormones potentially increased, feeling less full.	Hormonal balance is maintained, better appetite control.
Sleep Quality	REM and deep sleep disrupted, leading to fatigue.	Improved, restorative sleep, aiding hormonal regulation.
Overall Progress	Progress is slowed and more difficult due to multiple factors.	Progress is more direct and efficient due to optimal conditions.

Practical Strategies for Including Wine

If you are determined to include wine in your weight loss plan, moderation and strategy are key. Instead of two glasses every night, consider saving your wine for once or twice a week. When you do indulge, plan for it by cutting calories elsewhere in your diet for that day. Opt for a lower-alcohol, dry wine, which typically has fewer calories and less sugar than sweeter varieties. Alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of water to stay hydrated and slow your consumption. Lastly, enjoy your wine with a meal rather than on an empty stomach to slow alcohol absorption. This mindful approach allows for social enjoyment without completely derailing your progress.

Conclusion: The Final Word on Wine and Weight Loss

So, will 2 glasses of wine affect weight loss? The answer is a definitive yes, though the degree of impact depends on your overall strategy. While light-to-moderate wine intake doesn't guarantee weight gain for everyone, especially if counterbalanced by a healthy lifestyle, it undeniably presents obstacles. The combination of extra empty calories, metabolic suppression, increased appetite, and poorer sleep quality can slow or even halt progress for someone aiming for a calorie deficit. For the most efficient weight loss, minimizing alcohol is the best approach. However, with careful planning and strict moderation, it's possible to enjoy wine while still making progress towards your goals, as long as you're aware of the physiological trade-offs.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is very difficult to lose weight while drinking wine every day because the empty calories can push you out of a calorie deficit. Daily consumption also consistently suppresses your fat-burning metabolism and disrupts other factors like sleep and appetite.

Generally, dry white wines or lighter reds tend to have fewer calories than sweet dessert wines or high-alcohol reds. However, the variation is not dramatic, and the core metabolic impact of the alcohol remains the same regardless of color.

The metabolic disruption caused by alcohol can temporarily halt your body's fat-burning processes for up to 12 to 36 hours, depending on the amount consumed and individual factors.

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and stimulates hunger-related brain regions, making you more susceptible to cravings and less likely to resist unhealthy food choices. It also impacts appetite-regulating hormones.

The caloric content and metabolic impact are tied to the amount of alcohol, not the beverage type. However, cocktails with sugary mixers can be much higher in calories than a standard glass of dry wine or a spirit with a calorie-free mixer.

The best approach is to practice moderation by limiting wine to specific occasions, choosing lower-calorie options, and drinking water in between alcoholic beverages. Adjusting your food intake on the day you drink is also essential.

The body tends to accumulate fat in the midsection from excess calories, and since alcohol metabolism takes priority, the extra energy from wine is often stored as fat, including in the abdominal area.