Why You Shouldn’t Have Alcohol Around if You’re On a Diet

Studies show it's more tempting than sugary snacks

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Dieting is hard, but it turns out there are specific things that make us more likely to fall off the wagon.

In a new study published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine, researchers found that people are more likely to give into alcohol than a sugary snack, and friends are especially hard to refuse.

In the study, researchers followed 80 people who were dieting for one week. All the participants used cell phones to record their diet temptations and when they gave into temptation. Participants failed at their diets about half the time, particularly at night. Alcohol was one of the greatest temptations, more so than sugary snacks. Dieters were also more likely to lapse when other people were around.

The participants did report greater awareness of their eating when recording their diets, which suggests that cellphones could be a useful tool to keep dieters on track.