Alcohol - The Age Old Question

Time2Change42015

So, as a family we generally drink with every meal. There is always a bottle of wine on the table and often we will have a spirit/mixer before aswell.

As you can imagine/work out for yourself that then totals alot! So my question is has anyone who drank quite alot and then cut it out totally found that they lose quite alot of weight quite rapidly? I suppose in my mind I equate it to if you ate junk food every day and then totally cut that out?

Thanks

tiptoethruthetulips

Put simply, if your calories are below maintenance you should lose weight.

If excess alcohol is contributing to excess calories, and then if removed (or reduced) AND total calories are below maintenance in theory you should lose weight. Whether there are going to be rapid losses depends on a number of factors not just the removal of one item. It certainly wouldn't hurt though

It is a little more complex that the above though, reduced alcohol can only improve health as well as improve metabolism of food...did you know that your body metabolises alcohol first in preference over food, as your body works to rid itself of the alcohol toxins.

TimothyFish

I have no experience with this, since I don't drink, but I can see a number of reasons why removal of alcohol from the diet could aid weight loss. But it won't help if you replace it with something else that is high in calories.

erockem

It helps a lot. My nickname is Syphon for the vast amounts of alcohol I could suck down. It's much easier to hit your target without all the extra liquid calories. Especially if you replace it with water and not milk, soda, etc.

Liftng4Lis

You will lose through caloric deficit. If you were drinking say 2- 5 oz. glasses of wine a day, that's 240 calories. If you did NOT replace them with other food, that would be almost a half pound a week.

ryanhorn

In addition to the extra calories, another possible hinderance nobody has hit on yet is that lots of people tend to get the munchies when they've had more than just a few drinks. Personally, when my inhibitions lower, I've been known to scarf down whole pizzas and just throw any goals I had out the window during that time.

DeterminedFee201426

for me i drink alcohol often but it's not a hinderince to my weight loss .. i dont go on about eating and eating after having a few drinks ,ill usual have a little snack 150 cal or less > and i dont go over my calorie intake for any of the days just i fit it in my cals for the day still lose weight same rate per week as a non drinking week ( always at a deficit) i only drink wine as well , also i eat alot of junk and still losing its about staying at a deficit for me to lose weight . not what I eat or drink... i drink 4 days per week > my weekly intake on wine is >35 oz or lower most thee time

Time2Change42015

Yes aside from alcohol and mixers when i have spirits all I drink is water. I'm not one for squashes, fruit juice, fizzy drinks etc.

It is just wasted calories that aren't needed so certainly need to kick the habit. However I will be disheartened if I don't see a difference based on cutting it out.

And no I wouldn't be replacing it with other calories.

meltedsno

I have a couple of glasses of wine every night... and have done so for 18 months... managed to lose considerable amount of weight by doing so. BUT, I account for each glass plus I mix my wine with diet Sierra Mist .... 4 oz of wine to about 20 oz of diet Sierra Mist times two is very filling, right around 200 calories and leaves me satisfied. It's all about moderation and make sure to account for the calories. VERY IMPORTANT: do not substitute alcohol calories for nutritional calories.

dezz651

Yeah I'm wondering about this as well. In my case I try to limit myself to a pint of liquor when I drink (I drink 7 nights a week). I do log it into myfitnesspal. I am only alloted 1200 cals a day and 1 pint of liqour is 1000. So I work out to burned at least 600-1000 calories a day on the treadmill. Fitness pal displays this as an increase in calories I can have for the day. I only eat about 700 calories a day and and burn about 600-1000 then I drink 1000 in liqour. I've been losing weight but wondering if I'd be losing the same if I cut down or removed alcohol . I know I certainly won't have to work out 7 days a week anymore. Idk

jenglish712

I know a beer can be less calories than a mtn dew. But its all math.

ffwife921

I am a social drinker. Love beer and whiskey. I notice that I get VERY bloated and retain a TON of water if I drink a lot. I don't even weigh myself after a night of drinking. I just set a goal to not drink until 2/2. Ill keep you posted on the effects of weight loss.

Tblackdogs

Interesting how different people's habits are. We almost never drink with a meal unless it's a special occasion. Sometimes my husband will have a beer with dinner but usually we just drink water and our kids (12 and 14) have a small glass of juice or milk. You definitely will benefit calorie wise if you replace liquor/wine/beer with water.

KatieGrz

erockem wrote: »

It helps a lot. My nickname is Syphon for the vast amounts of alcohol I could suck down. It's much easier to hit your target without all the extra liquid calories. Especially if you replace it with water and not milk, soda, etc.

This.

And think of how much money you'll save too!

esjones12

It all come down to consuming less than you burn. So if alcohol is causing you to go over your calories than cutting it out will help make weight loss easier. However, you need to not eat or drink calories elsewhere. Log your calories.

Personally I find alcohol too calorie consuming. Plus once tipsy it's easier to just eat everything in sight and go over my calories. I drink water and almond milk. Here and there I'll have a glass or two of wine or a mixed drink out with friends. I have to plan for it and exercise that day and eat lighter though. Can be a pain.

MlleKelly

It definitely helped when I cut back on alcohol. I used to put down at least one glass of wine a night (and I'm talking 6-8 ounces), more if I didn't have to work the next morning. Around this time last year, I changed up my diet quite significantly and cut back to 2-3 drinks per week and I saved them for Friday or Saturday night when going out to dinner with my husband or friends. In the beginning, I lost 13 pounds in about 6 weeks. I started re-introducing alcohol on a more regular basis and the weight didn't come off as quickly. On St. Patrick's Day, I drank a whole bottle of wine while sitting on my couch, watching Les Mis and grading papers...when I realized the next day (Tuesday) that I still had another bottle for the rest of the week, I knew I needed to cut back again so I went cold turkey for about three weeks. Lo and behold! I lost 8 pounds in those three weeks without alcohol. Everything else was the same - diet, exercise, work habits, etc. The only difference was the alcohol consumption.

My recommendation is to cut back, not cut out. Save the mixer cocktails for the weekend and don't drink the whole bottle of wine at dinner - just stick to one glass. Invest in a bottle pump like the Houdini to keep your wine fresh for the next day.

NoelFigart1

I do drink. But since I have to fit it in with my calories, it's self-limiting enough I don't sweat it. (I have these two ounce cocktail glasses I adore. Keeps me honest in terms of consumption)

Though I did discover a very interesting thing once when I saved a lot of calories to be able to have a bit more than usual.

I got a mild hangover. I don't usually get them at all (Sorry, OhGod of Hangovers), but it seems that there is a ratio of food to alcohol I cannot upset. I can eat big and drink big and feel fine, or I can eat light and drink light and feel fine.

Eat light and drink big? Nope.

0somuchbetter0

I used to drink wine every night with dinner -- I couldn't imagine a meal without it. Honestly, good food just tastes better with good wine. But you're right...the calories add up very quickly at 125 calories for a 5 oz glass of wine. I cut down to just weekends initially...and now I really only drink wine once every 2-3 weeks. (Crazy!!) But when I do, I enjoy it that much more...

I wouldn't say that I lost a LOT of weight because of it. I lost weight because I was consuming fewer calories not only by cutting out wine but also by tracking and logging and exercising and staying within my calorie allowance.

Anyway, I still love wine, I just don't love it every day.

0somuchbetter0

dezz651 wrote: »

Yeah I'm wondering about this as well. In my case I try to limit myself to a pint of liquor when I drink (I drink 7 nights a week). I do log it into myfitnesspal. I am only alloted 1200 cals a day and 1 pint of liqour is 1000. So I work out to burned at least 600-1000 calories a day on the treadmill. Fitness pal displays this as an increase in calories I can have for the day. I only eat about 700 calories a day and and burn about 600-1000 then I drink 1000 in liqour. I've been losing weight but wondering if I'd be losing the same if I cut down or removed alcohol . I know I certainly won't have to work out 7 days a week anymore. Idk

A lot of this post is incorrect.

1. A pint of liquor. You're drinking a pint of liquor or a pint of beer? A pint of liquor (like vodka or whiskey) would be about 7 shots and that would be about 1000 calories...is that really what you're drinking 7 nights a week??? A pint of beer varies a lot, but you could estimate about 250 calories. If you're really drinking 1000 calories worth of alcohol every night, you have more serious health concerns than weight loss.

2. Why are you only allotted 1200 calories a day? If you're using MFP to calculate it and you told it that you want to lose 2 lbs a week, it's going to tell you 1200 pretty much no matter what. This is not a good or accurate estimate. Look at this instead: scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

3. I'm guessing you don't burn 600-1000 calories a day on the treadmill, unless you're either very tall and large and/or spending multiple hours a day on the treadmill. If MFP gave you 1200 calories a day, I'm guessing you're a smallish female and working out hard you're probably burning about 400-500 calories per hour.

4. You need to eat a lot more than 700 calories per day no matter what your size or how much weight you're trying to lose. You can't get the nutrients on 700 calories that your body needs to function, not to mention your long, hard workouts, plus poisoning your liver every night.

If all of this is true (and I don't think it is), you're definitely headed for an early grave.

IowaJen1979

I gave up alcohol for a couple of months a few years ago and I think it helped me lose weight. I don't drink often but when I do I consume several beverages and that usually led to poor food choices. This sounds different than your situation, but (for me anyway) when I have a set number of calories I'm taking in every day I would rather use those on food than liquids. I think it helped adjust my attitude, too. I felt like I was making better choices and taking better care of myself which helped me be successful with my weight loss. I just went back on the wagon to help get myself back on track.

0somuchbetter0

Is anyone else concerned about @dezz651's weight loss plan?

IowaJen1979

@0somuchbetter0‌ - it's probably a troll.

sherbear702

0somuchbetter0 wrote: »

Is anyone else concerned about @dezz651's weight loss plan?

Nope. We're all big kids here. Other peoples diet plans (even those of trolls) are none of my concern. Take everyone's "advice" with a grain of salt.

Having said that, back to the original question: I also used to drink just about every evening. Since it does account for A LOT of calories, I cut it out. I'll drink on Friday or Saturday and limit myself. The only reason I noticed a "rapid weight loss" is because I just started a month ago and usually everyone experiences a pretty big drop in weight at the beginning. Not necessarily because I quit drinking. What I have found though, to replace the beer, is sparkling mineral water. It's still got that fizz that I love, it's water so it doesn't have any calories, and I get a lemon flavor that is not sweet, so it tastes like a fresh squeezed lemon in my water. LOVE IT!

Drinking in the evening was more of a habit for me, so once I replaced the beer with something else, it was easy peasy to give up.

0somuchbetter0

Hmm...ok then. I'd rather be duped by a troll than let someone destroy their health that way, but I hope you're right.

SergeantSausage

Neither alcohol nor junk food matter to weight loss.

Calories. That is all that matters for weight loss.

They both matter quite significantly for health reasons, but not weight loss.

I can lose weight eating only Twinkies and drinking beer.

Time2Change42015

@Sherbear702 great idea about the fizzy water! As I said I don't drink anything but water except when it is the alcohol or the mixers with alcohol. But plain water can be so bland!

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0somuchbetter0

MrM27 wrote: »

0somuchbetter0 wrote: »

Hmm...ok then. I'd rather be duped by a troll than let someone destroy their health that way, but I hope you're right.

People destroy their lives every day. We can't save the world. At the end of the day we all make our own decisions and are held accountable for them.

LOL I'm not trying to save the world! Just pointing out some very dangerous behaviors to one individual from one post. I've seen threads go on for days about similar posts. Why the "none of my business" attitude all of a sudden? Rhetorical question...don't bother answering.

scupit

I think one of the kickers is what someone mentioned above...alcohol is metabolized first and then your body starts on the other food you've eaten. I too love my drinks. But this week, I plan on eating clean and drinking clean for the entire week. No alcohol until my free day. Good luck!

katherine_startrek_fan

harrietlong24 wrote: »

@Sherbear702 great idea about the fizzy water! As I said I don't drink anything but water except when it is the alcohol or the mixers with alcohol. But plain water can be so bland!

Adding lemon, lime, or other fruit to water makes a HUGE difference. In the summer, I make big pitchers of water with mixed fruits, just refilling with water as it runs low. In the winter, I'll just squirt some lemon or lime juice into my glass.

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