Chasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast

DR. MIKKI WILLIDEN: DOES DRINKING ALCOHOL REALLY BLUNT FAT LOSS? SEPARATING THE PHYSIOLOGY FROM THE BEHAVIOR | EP. 227

Chasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast

Show Notes

Alcohol might be the most misunderstood topic in all of fitness.

On one side, you have people who will tell you that a single drink torches your progress. That one night out shuts off fat loss, kills your gains, and undoes a week of hard work. On the other side, you have people who insist that calories are all that matter, so you can drink whatever you want as long as it fits your macros.

Here’s the reality. Both of those are oversimplifications, and the truth lives in a much more nuanced middle.

Because the way alcohol actually affects your body composition has very little to do with some magical fat-storing property, and almost everything to do with the calories it contributes, what it does to your appetite and restraint, how it impacts your sleep, and the behaviors that tend to come along with a night of drinking. Separate the physiology from the behavior, and the entire conversation changes.

In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend Dr. Mikki Williden, host of the Mikkipedia podcast, who holds a masters in human nutrition and a PhD in public health. Together we break down what the science actually says about alcohol, fat loss, and body composition.

HERE’S WHAT WE COVER: WHY ALCOHOL IS THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD TOPIC IN FITNESS & THE TWO EXTREMES TO AVOID HOW ALCOHOL IS METABOLIZED & WHY THE BODY TREATS IT AS A PRIORITY FUEL WHY ALCOHOL TEMPORARILY SUPPRESSES FAT OXIDATION THE THREE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH ALCOHOL MAKES FAT LOSS HARDER HOW QUICKLY ALCOHOL CALORIES ADD UP & ERASE A WEEK’S WORTH OF DEFICIT WHY POOR SLEEP AFTER DRINKING DRIVES UP HUNGER & LOWERS RESTRAINT THE NEXT DAY WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT HABITUAL DRINKING & BODY WEIGHT WHY WINE LOOKS “HEALTHIER” THAN BEER & WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON WHY LIQUID CALORIES & ALCOHOL LEAD TO INCOMPLETE DIETARY COMPENSATION THE PRACTICAL PLAYBOOK FOR BUDGETING ALCOHOL INTO A FAT LOSS PHASE WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING & THE DAY AFTER DRINKING TO PROTECT YOUR PROGRESS

WHERE TO CONNECT WITH DR. MIKKI WILLIDEN: https://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden

WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:

Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/

For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry

Email: [email protected]

My Reading Recommendations: THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw

More from Chasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast

Oct 19, 2026

What if you could cut a significant amount of time off your workouts without sacrificing the training volume and hypertrophic stimulus you need to keep progressing?

Oct 12, 2026

For most of my career I would have told you spot reduction was a myth, and I would have been right to, because that’s what the evidence supported at the time. But over the last decade the research has moved, and it changed my position from “this is impossible” to “this is a small, real effect you can take advantage of under very specific conditions.”

Oct 5, 2026

What actually separates the people who successfully lose body fat, keep it off, and build a better physique from those who spend years bouncing between diets without making lasting progress?

Sep 28, 2026

Everyone wants to know if you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. But the more important question is how you actually program for it.

Sep 21, 2026

Do refeeds and diet breaks actually improve fat loss, preserve your metabolism and help you maintain more muscle, or do they simply give you more calories and slow down your diet?

See all episodes →