Does alcohol affect weight loss results?

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  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    ImmortalTechnique wrote: »
    332319-411011-36.jpg

    That works out to only be about 4% alcohol by volume. What fun is that? ;)
  • Coolhandkid
    Coolhandkid Posts: 84 Member
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    When I drink I DRINK. And looking back at it all there is no question those calories are a big reason how I got fat in the first place. But 3 glasses of wine a week? Not a chance.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Alcohol does affect wt loss. But, don't give a dam. I drink once a week. Lite beers as many as it takes to get a buzz. LOL
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    While it's still about calories in/out, alcohol impedes use of any other energy source until it's metabolized out of the body since it can't be stored.
    One thing I would mention is that if you're going to drink alcohol, don't do it before bed if you're wanting to burn fat efficiently. Fat is the main source of energy at rest (100%), UNLESS there is alcohol in the system that's not metabolized.

    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

    I'm confused about this^. What about all the people here who say meal-timing is irrelevant? Does this not apply to alcohol?
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    jennifershoo wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    While it's still about calories in/out, alcohol impedes use of any other energy source until it's metabolized out of the body since it can't be stored.
    One thing I would mention is that if you're going to drink alcohol, don't do it before bed if you're wanting to burn fat efficiently. Fat is the main source of energy at rest (100%), UNLESS there is alcohol in the system that's not metabolized.

    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

    I'm confused about this^. What about all the people here who say meal-timing is irrelevant? Does this not apply to alcohol?

    Alcohol isn't a "meal" or a food, therefore it doesn't fall under "meal timing". As ninerbuff explained, it is processed by the body differently than food or fat.
  • WestCoastJo82
    WestCoastJo82 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    I weigh everyday because I like numbers, and I'm always a little higher on mornings when I've had alcohol the night before. I assume this means I'm retaining water for some reason. Maybe I don't drink enough water on days I'm drinking beer instead, or maybe it's due to a carb/glycogen water retention deal, either way it's not real weight and doesn't matter. Maybe this is happening to you too?
    But like others have said, you can drink and still lose weight
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    JMHO
    I think you wine consumption is fine and may have shown a slight gain for a day or so just through water retention. Those cals do get burnt, they just aren't fat cals.
    I have at least a glass most nights ( worked into my cal goal).

    As you are still having problems getting back into a loss, try re estimating how many calories you should eat back from exercise. I find this is my biggest variable. I have been in maintenance for 5 years and always come back to MFP when I change my routine to recalculate my cals. They never are exactly what any recommended calculator gives.

    Cheers, h.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Well today the scales are telling me I'm now up to 148lbs and I haven't had an alcoholic drink since Saturday lunchtime.

    My carbs have been 100-150 for the last few days though so maybe that's affecting things. I am going to reduce my calorie burns from exercise a little and try not to eat to my goal and hopefully the scales will bring me back to where I was a week ago. I could be retaining water but a gain on the scale like this is very demotivating.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    ImmortalTechnique wrote: »
    332319-411011-36.jpg

    Can they be chocolate donuts? IN!!
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
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    Alcohol has calories... consume less calories than you burn to create a deficit to lose weight. Its really that simple. Calories in and calories out - they're not magical numbers that get under your skin and expand, they are just units of energy. Your wine has calories and it is just fine to imbibe and you can still lose. If you really gained weight while still in a deficit just because you drank three glasses of wine in one week (which is not only not bad but actually healthy) then there is something else at play - but honestly it's probably just a normal fluctuation. Drink some water, keep measuring your food on a scale, and keep moving! And enjoy life and wine! Do you really want to worry this much for the rest of your life every time you have a glass or two?
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
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    JAT74 wrote: »
    Well today the scales are telling me I'm now up to 148lbs and I haven't had an alcoholic drink since Saturday lunchtime.

    My carbs have been 100-150 for the last few days though so maybe that's affecting things. I am going to reduce my calorie burns from exercise a little and try not to eat to my goal and hopefully the scales will bring me back to where I was a week ago. I could be retaining water but a gain on the scale like this is very demotivating.

    Not to be nosy, but I would take a look at your diary and start weighing things! I notice you have a half an avocado set at 50 calories - but I have never met such a small avocado - usually when I eat half of one it is at least 125 calories. Also 25 grams of chorizo is a tiny amount I feel like (I eat 28 grams in my morning eggs and that's considered a half portion). I am betting that the gain is from not accurately weighing your food and making sure you have an accurate calorie assessment of each food more so than from an alcohol interferring with your system. Good luck!
  • NikonPal
    NikonPal Posts: 1,346 Member
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    [/quote] Ah the old muscle weighs more than fat myth again!!! So I suppose you think lead weighs more than feathers too?!?! Hmmmmmm[/quote]

    I think I know what you were saying:

    Excerpt from Shape Fitness article – anyone can google “Why Does My Workout Cause Weight Gain?” for full article

    3. Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat.

    "A common comment when looking at the scale is that ‘muscle is heavier than fat,' which is misleading," Dolgan says. "A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle, however the volume of muscle is denser than the volume of fat, and therefore heavier." When you start to change your body composition with your workouts—by building more dense muscle mass and decreasing your body fat—your scale weight may increase, while your body fat percentage may decrease. These changes happen over weeks and months (not hours or days) so the scale is useless when tracking them, Dolgan says."


  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    Sometimes more alcohol than you usually drink can cause a little bit of water retention. Drink more water and stay off the scale for a couple of days and see where you are.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Milk - Fatfree Milk, 0.15 cup

    Milk - Fatfree Milk, 0.2 cup

    Are you really only drinking 3 or less ounces of milk?

    Coleslaw - Home-prepared, 4 tbsp

    Did you make the coleslaw yourself and know the ingredients? How did you measure 4 tbsp of it? How much of that 4 tbsp was the white sauce and how much was cabbage?

    Homemade - Light Fruit Cake, 0.75 slice

    Did you make the fruit cake yourself? How much is .75 of a slice, exactly?

    Also, something looks really strange with your diary. It says you earned calories from exercise, yet your total daily goal is 1200 - 1300 etc. So where it says you earned 600 calories from exercise, but your calorie goal is 1300, you must be set to eat 700 calories total then it added the 600 exercise calories for 1300?




  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    To the poster who said my calorie count might be off - the reason for the low number with the avocado was because half of the half I counted was bad so I could only use the other half. I know it's rather low for Avocado but I was more interested in the number not the quantity shown.

    The chorizo was definitely accurate, I weighed out 50g and split that in two then added it to my dinner soup and the other half to my boyfriend's. All the quantities I record are to the last gram or millilitre.

    I normally also drink 8-10 glasses of water per day.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Yes, those quantities of milk are correct. I always pour out milk into a jug and measure the quantity however small.

    Yes, the coleslaw was home made and it was measured out using a tablespoon measure and low fat mayonnaise.

    The fruitcake was also home made using Stevia and it was an exceptionally light cake, and the slice was weighed. again, to get accurate calorie counts sometimes I am looking for the correct calorie count for an item so I adjust the quantities to fit.

    Regarding my diary settings, they are set manually. I set the base calories to 850 and then MFP adds on calorie burns through exercise so my calorie goal goes up and I generally try to eat the amount shown for my goal each day (which is dependent on exercise). I never eat as low as 850 because I don't have days off when I don't exercise at all.

    I set it up like that because my TDEE based on sedentary is 1550. I want to lose 1.5 lbs a week approx. regardless of exercise so 1550-700= 850. If I work out then I can then eat more, and last week my average calories eaten was 1300 per day as I had relatively high calorie burns.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
    edited January 2015
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    It would be the same as my setting MFP to default and then not eating back my exercise calories but this way I know that if I don't exercise I can't eat much at all so it motivates me to work out more as I can see after my workout the amount shown as my goal for the day goes up.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    The goal of a TDEE is that your exercise is included. It works best when you have a regular routine.
    If your exercise routine is more sporadic use the MFP setting and eat all your allotted calories and a percentage of your exercise calories. This can be a bit if trial and error as most people eat between 50-100% back.
    The way you are doing it right now will not give you the results you want.

    Spoons do not work for counting calories. Solids go in your digital scale, liquids in a measuring cup.
    Anything home made log in the recipes. You shouldn't be searching for the closest calorie count in the data base.
    If half an avocado is bad, weigh the good portion and enter it using grams. The USDA measurements for most single foods Is in the MFP data base, and are the most accurate to use.

    Basically, you need to revise everything you are doing.

    Sorry if that sounds harsh, but from what you just posted you are doing yourself no favours logging and tracking the way you are.
    Cheers, h
  • banknurse
    banknurse Posts: 1 Member
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    I've just read through all your posts and replies. It seems to me you're overthinking everything. If you are doing what you say you are, you will lose the pounds. Sometimes I find that the more I think about food & dieting, the more hungry and therefore more likely I am to fail. Don't get obsessed about the odd pound either way. Relax, and it will happen over time, if you stick to your daily calorie goal. It's working for me, 8lbs down in the first 2 weeks. I'm new to MFP and it's definitely helping me to stay on the right track so far. Good Luck.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Thank you middle haitch but you are completely wrong. I don't need to be taught what and how to measure and weigh, I always use a digital scale, measuring cup and the 'spoons' I'm talking about are a set of kitchen measuring spoons not cutlery!

    Sorry no idea what USDA is but I go by foods in the UK and Spain in the MFP database because believe it or not there is a big difference and it's generally down to portion sizes. If I eat something fresh I weigh in grams and add accordingly (such as the beef I had for lunch). I am not a moron but some of you have to understand that not all of us have bodies that work according to an equation based on averages.

    I know for a fact through my weight struggles over the past 20 years that I gain weight at a very low number of calories and maintain at a low number too. This is why I can't work from a starting point of 1200 calories per day. If I ate that on days I didn't exercise I would not be able to lose weight as its too close to maintenance. If I added on 50-100% of workout calories I would be way over maintenance most days and would definitely gain.

    This has been tried and tested before and I know I can't eat as much as some people can. Maybe some of the problem is down to carb levels or alcohol, that I haven't figured out yet, but eating according to my calorie burns stops me eating too much and if I allow myself to eat a little more its because I've worked hard for it.






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