Alcohol and Weight Loss

holly55555

Hi everyone! I'm in my early 20s, and when I get together with friends, alcohol is almost always involved. We do trivia at a bar. We go to happy hour and mimosa brunches on weekends. We meet a friend "for a drink".

I know alcohol is not good for weight loss, but if it fits in my calories, does it matter when and how much I drink?

What are your experiences with this?

desidieter

Whether it's alcohol or anything else (sweets, etc.), I think if it fits into your calories/macros for the day, it's not a problem, unless you find yourself unable to consume it in moderation.

tuckerrj

The problem with alcohol is that it has a lot of calories and when I imbibe, I usually wind up consuming way more food (that I fail to log accurately), bar snacks, etc.. I've come to realize that I can either be a fit, teetotaler or a fat, drinker. So for the time being, I'm on the wagon.

wumba84

I would say go for it, but try to avoid overly sugary mixed drinks (margaritas, Irish Trashcans, etc..) and opt more for beer or straight liquor. A 120z bottle of beer and a shot of hard liquor contain about 120 and 80 calories respectively.... Just enjoy in moderation and you should be fine.

chezjuan

desidieter wrote: »

Whether it's alcohol or anything else (sweets, etc.), I think if it fits into your calories/macros for the day, it's not a problem, unless you find yourself unable to consume it in moderation.

^^this. Don't skimp on nutrition just to have calories available for drinks, though.

hortensehildegarde

it matters if you aren't eating enough real food to get all the nutrition you need (for health, not weight loss).

As for mimosas, I'd worry more about the amount of OJ than the alcohol calories (don't they just have a little champagne in them? I could be wrong on this, never had one. Just know OJ has a lot of calories).

You'll see a lot of people on here who have lost weight while regularly having a drink or 2. More than that (enough to get trashed or even a little tipsy) and the bigger issue calorie-wise can become eating random stuff you otherwise wouldn't eat.

Best bet calorie wise is liquor with no-cal mixer. Beer wise I think the dark ones like Guinness are best? I tend to like Guinness as you can't really drink a whole ton of them without getting too stuffed. They always feel like a milkshake to me (at least the yummy draft ones do).

Other than that just the normal health issues with too much, but I'd say it's hard to consistently drink too much and still get all the nutrition you need. You might also set your goal at a lower rate (.5 per week) so you have a few more calories to play with. You have to do what you will actually stick to and you don't want to end up feeling isolated from your social circle.

Last piece of advice (because I know a lot of people who drink get weird if they expect you to and you don't) get a seltzer or diet cola with lime at the bar and ask for it in whatever glass the mixed drinks come in and pretend it's gin and tonic or rum and coke or whatever you might drink. With close friends they should support you and understand, but I know sometimes in social settings all the people aren't close enough to you to make you want to have that conversation with them. Sometimes it's easier just to avoid the discussion.

BetterKimmer

Yes and no. Alcohol turns to sugar in your system faster than anything. If you are not using that sugar right away for energy it will be stored as fat. Additionally, science show it more readily stores in the abdomen area (beer belly). At the end of the day it is about calories in vs. calories out. Better food choices improve the conditions for losing weight however.
Once my personal trainer asked me to stay away from alcohol for a month. I lost the most weight during that time. But I have a bunch of drinking friends too, so I understand your dilemma. You'll find it is about balance.

12_oz_Curls

Honestly, the downsides of alcohol are two-fold.

1) CALORIES: But if you plan accordingly you can still lose. I brought myself down to my goal weight still drinking plenty of beer, you just count it into the calories. (See avatar)

2) Self Control: This is the hard part. you have one or two drinks, you want more. Now you're buzzin and wanting munchies. Guess what? It goes back to #1. So as long as you plan accordingly, it's doable.

MKEgal

As long as you're having _a_ drink, maybe 2 at most, and it's not a regular thing, and you have calories available, have fun.
Tomorrow night I'm planning to make a pizza & have a beer with it.

Unknown

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SandyBVTN

holly55555 wrote: »

Hi everyone! I'm in my early 20s, and when I get together with friends, alcohol is almost always involved. We do trivia at a bar. We go to happy hour and mimosa brunches on weekends. We meet a friend "for a drink".

I know alcohol is not good for weight loss, but if it fits in my calories, does it matter when and how much I drink?

What are your experiences with this?

I say GO FOR IT! (as long as you continue to keep feeling good and meeting your goals). My entire philosophy for my weight loss goals have been to try things and if they work, keep doing them. As long as I feel good and the scale is moving in the right direction, then it's the right thing to do.

You are in your early 20's, so lucky! Enjoy it! Trivia nights, happy hour and mimosa brunches are all fun, happy making, social activities. Good for you! Keep making good decisions, don't let the booze influence you to make damaging choices like driving while impaired, or getting into dangerous situations. Keep the drink choices fairly low cal too (mimosas can add up for sure, I would probably cut the oj with half club soda).

beckytcy

As long as you log it, you are fine. I lost 30 pounds in my mid-20s while going out with friends and drinking regularly. It's empty calories, but as long as you make up for it by working out more or eating less that day, you are all good.

Liftng4Lis

If it fits your calories, you're still in a deficit. You're young, enjoy life!

holly55555

Thank you everyone! It is definitely not a lot or daily, maybe several times a week. And I make up for it by eating very clean, etc the rest of the week so calorie-wise it evens out.

Good to know I can still be a normal 20-something! haha