I guess I gotta stop drinking beer if I want to lose weight?

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  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    I have at least one drink almost every night, sometimes more, and am losing (though more slowly than if I gave up alcohol). In the evenings you MUST choose between alcohol and a snack. I "save" calories during the day so I can have a drink or a snack, but not both.

    Some other ideas are: switch to a low-calorie beer or a low-cal mixed drink (I stopped drinking wine and switched to bourbon-and-diet-coke). Be sure to log all your drinks honestly. Exercise more before "boy's night" - an hour at the gym will buy you two or three drinks, and if you hate the gym, you may start to wonder if it's worth it. Have one full glass of water between alcoholic drinks to slow you down. Try to stick to one drink on weeknights and 3 or 4 on your poker night. It's easier to start drinking later (i.e. postpone your first drink) rather than stop earlier.

    Since I started tracking calories, I'm drinking less alcohol. Fewer drinks per night and more nights with no alcohol. As you say, it doesn't fit into the goals well. But don't feel you need to give it up entirely, unless moderation is a problem for you.
  • magsxx
    magsxx Posts: 46 Member
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    You don't mention any exercise. If I want to enjoy a drink then I move more. Exercise dvd or get out a walk :)
  • noregrets99
    noregrets99 Posts: 8 Member
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    Just cut back on the beer intake. I think that it is unrealistic to cut everything out that you enjoy. Moderation is the key. I love pizza but just because I want to lose weight, in not going to say that I'm never going to eat pizza again. Good luck!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,565 Member
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    The beer isn't the issue. The drinking in excess of it is. Try working on savoring the flavor rather than just drinking it to fill you up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    itsMcKay wrote: »
    PrizePopple wrote: »

    Or they just you know ... fit it into their day like other human beings.

    LOL Models don't get to eat like humans. Don't be ridiculous. That's why they're models. In order to be that underweight standard, they're starving themselves. Or so say the handful of model friends I've had. They obsess over food because they can't have any.
    Umm..wut?
  • gostumpy
    gostumpy Posts: 156 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Workout4Health wrote: »


    Isn't none still better?

    Probably, but I'm not on MFP to quit drinking... I'm on here to lose weight :) Me and my wife both LOVE beer, not getting drunk, although that's a nice side effect sometimes.

    I like the idea of have a full glass of water between beers... that should work. I'm going to resist drinking daily too, and cut it down to two nights per week (boys night and friday night).

    It doesn't help when my wife loves beer too!


    Also, I tried the Gym last December, and it just isn't for me... even when I wasnt working I only went 6 times in the month. I do enough at work daily to not need the Gym. I realize I would lose faster if I worked out, but with my own business (more than a full time job) and a 7 month old, there's no chance I'm going to the Gym :)
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
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    itsMcKay wrote: »
    PrizePopple wrote: »

    Or they just you know ... fit it into their day like other human beings.

    LOL Models don't get to eat like humans. Don't be ridiculous. That's why they're models. In order to be that underweight standard, they're starving themselves. Or so say the handful of model friends I've had. They obsess over food because they can't have any.

    I've photographed enough people who are in modeling, or trying to break into the modeling industry, to know that they do eat. Some of them can put away more food than I can. They're also younger than me, more active than me on a day to day basis, and dedicate a portion of their day to going to the gym (which I don't do, because 1) I'm kind of lazy and 2) I have other things to pay for that put a gym membership quite a ways down the ladder for the time being).


    Workout4Health wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    The beer isn't the issue. The drinking in excess of it is. Try working on savoring the flavor rather than just drinking it to fill you up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png


    Isn't none still better?

    No. Not if it's tasty beer.
  • cromulus
    cromulus Posts: 17 Member
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    Why don't you make guy's night out something other than darts and billiards? You could make it a flag football game instead, indoor hockey, basketball, whatever? That way you'd all burn calories and then you can retire somewhere to have your beer, too.
  • gostumpy
    gostumpy Posts: 156 Member
    edited January 2015
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    lol, nope.. not a sports guy. The only sports I play is golf, which I can't afford to do currently, fishing, darts, poker, yeah that's about it. Thought about racquetball or something like that but not likely gonna happen.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Yes, if your drunken binges are causing you to gain, you might want to stop getting drunk as often as you do now.

    That will help you lose. :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    drink less beer…

    end thread/
  • FixieFreak
    FixieFreak Posts: 11 Member
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    Eliminating alcohol from your diet will help you lose weight, absolutely. Alcohol is empty calories, it adds calories (lots) to your diet with no nutrition at all. It also makes you more likely to overeat. If will help you to eliminate alcohol, at least until you get rolling on your weight loss progress.
  • squirrelzzrule22
    squirrelzzrule22 Posts: 640 Member
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    I agree that cutting alcohol can be a really helpful way to cut calories overall.

    HOWEVER- all it takes is a quick look around a spring break destination to know that there are plenty of healthy-weighted (even very slim) folks out there who drink....a LOT.

    All I mean to say by that is that it is possible to be a very healthy weight and still drink beer. Giving up the things you enjoy can make it a lot harder to stick to a diet long term. Maybe cut out the 1-2 after work beers during the week and try to only drink on the nights when its a big event with your friends. And if you feel like you're gonna have a lot, just work out an extra hour in the morning.

    Ultimately it is your decision and there is nothing WRONG with eliminating alcohol, but in general it can be hard to stick to extremes, especially ones that might take you away from your friends or lifestyle. So maybe consider trying to work alcohol into your calories through exercise or cutting back without eliminating it.
  • gettingold2015
    gettingold2015 Posts: 5 Member
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    I was a Coors Light fanatic for years, but now I have changed to Bud Select 55 and I don't miss my Coors anymore. I know it's not a huge change in calories, but every bit helps!
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,249 Member
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    If you want a beer, then have one. Just make sure it fits in to your calories.

    And ugh at the low calorie beers. Ew. I don't drink any more (due to medical reasons that forced me to do so), but there was nothing like a good ale or craft beer with my dinner. I honestly miss it but I also didn't drink every single night and only had one drink when I did.
  • ForwardOsmosis
    ForwardOsmosis Posts: 5 Member
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    Here's a tip. Get a really good, high gravity beer and just sip on it like a fine wine. Two beers can last a little longer that way. Stay away from XX lite, etc. They are like water and you will drink them that way... And, contrary to the advertising, they don't taste great.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    So....you don't want to stop drinking beer (which is clearly putting you over the top for a caloric surplus), you don't want to go to the gym, you don't want to do sports, and you haven't once mentioned your diet.

    Yea, I don't think that glass of water between beers is going to help.
  • gostumpy
    gostumpy Posts: 156 Member
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    gotolam wrote: »
    So....you don't want to stop drinking beer (which is clearly putting you over the top for a caloric surplus), you don't want to go to the gym, you don't want to do sports, and you haven't once mentioned your diet.

    Yea, I don't think that glass of water between beers is going to help.

    hahah, you don't gotta tell it like it is!

    Just being honest, I don't do sports, won't, have a 7 month old, a very busy full time job, so not gonna go to the gym before or after work, no time for that.

    My diary is open if anyone wants to read it, I've been off MFP for a while but really do want to lose some weight, always got discouraged entering my beer and realizing that I'm consistently over on a weekly level, even if a few days I was doing good.

    So, I'm just taking advice, opinions, and thoughts good bad and ugly in this thread and using it as motivation to reduce my beer intake dramatically. So far so good, I had half a beer yesterday and none today...

    And for the nights I DO drink, I'm going to pick some really tasty beers, maybe a Brown Ale or something heavier so I don't want to drink 3... Light beers just make you want to drink more of them.

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