Like Minded Lushes - Part 1

surlydave

For those of you who may have seen Tameka1220's post this morning about her near 2 weeks without alcohol, it's certainly created some great discussion - mostly from people like me who think that's really quite the feat! So half joking or not, it sounds like those of us who just can't give up the empty calories might need to stick together! So I'm starting this thread as our little "support group" for those who either want to try to go totally on the wagon or just drink in moderation/cut back. Most of all, no judging! I don't care if you drink every day, only on weekends, whatever. Everyone on here is smart enough to know the effects of alcohol on the diet and the body as a whole, and if you don't understand why we still want some well then I think we may just need to agree to disagree. Otherwise, welcome my fellow imbibers! Bottoms Up (pun slightly intended)!!!

iguanaliz

I saw your post on Tameka's thread and was so hoping you'd follow through! It is hard when all you get are lectures whenever you ask for advice on how to continue enjoying the occasional adult beverage while still losing weight.

As of this week, I have cut back to just one day a week. Normally I enjoy several cocktails 2-3 times per week, but I really want to see if cutting out the majority of those empty calories will speed up the weight loss. If I get the results I'm hoping for, I may be convinced to cut it out completely for a while. But I figure part of this process is learning how to get/stay slim without forever depriving yourself of things you truly enjoy.

My plan is to allow myself to have a couple of drinks on either Friday or Saturday, but only if I work out sufficiently to off-set the extra calories and double my regular water intake to off-set the dehydration. I realize that alcohol has a greater impact than just added calories, but I figure that's a great start. I'd love to hear from others on how they're making it work!

mom216

Okay - I'm right there with you. For me it is a vicious circle. I drink to feel numb (crappy marriage, finances,kids etc) - which in turn stops the weight loss - I get mad at myself and it starts all over. Sad - truly sad. Why is it I can be a "good friend" to other people - but I'm down right evil to myself?

LongMom

Cooooooool! I missed the previous discussion, but I am definately in the "Lush" catagory!

My DH and I are VERY social people and most of our socializing involves alcohol. We have a great backyard and people are always dropping by with beer/wine etc. And we like drinking it!

I used to have a beer or two (or 4 or 6 on the weekends) but have managed to totally cut it out during the week. I tricked myself and made my weigh in day Saturday taking care of Friday night as well. Saturday tends to be my "cheat night" where I'll have either a few or get totally polluted (when the kids are at Gmas!)

I want to feel totally "cool" with this...with the fact that it's taking me longer to get to my goal, with the fact that I can't indulge as often as I normally would...so I'm hoping a support group does the trick!

XFitMojoMom

Hurray - glad to have provided inspiration for the name of our group!

As I mentioned in the other thread - I'm keeping myself motivated (and as part of a greater challenge on another thread) by putting $2 in a jar for each "dry" day.
My other biggest motivation is my health - I'm insulin resistant - so for me, pouring a glass of wine is almost the equivalent of pouring a large glass of white sugar, and drinking it :sick:

So what's your biggest weakness?

Hands down, for me it's a toppy bottle of cab or shiraz, or better - a blend of the two!

I used to be a single malt girl, but decided a bottle a week was definitely encroaching alcoholism :embarassed:

On a warm evening, sitting out on my deck by the pool - it's belvedere, perrier and lime!

Edited to add: We are in the process of building a wine cellar - a true cave, which will hold 900+ bottles.:huh:

XFitMojoMom

Mom216 - My kids seriously drive me to drink!! It's easy to be hard on yourself - you are your own worst critic. You need to find the reason why you want to stop hating yourself (stop blaming yourself for a crappy marriage?) and move forward with renewed optimism. :flowerforyou: Sorry it's a rough go right now!

surlydave

Okay - I'm right there with you. For me it is a vicious circle. I drink to feel numb (crappy marriage, finances,kids etc) - which in turn stops the weight loss - I get mad at myself and it starts all over. Sad - truly sad. Why is it I can be a "good friend" to other people - but I'm down right evil to myself?

I honestly could not have said it better about how I personally feel sometimes. I have been drinking daily. I have had myself convinced I could still lose weight this way because frankly I have done it before. After getting really frustrated, I took the last two days off and ate right (well, not according to some on here but that's a whole other issue) and exercised. And damn if I don't feel good and the scale finally moved downward! But I am not certain there will be a day 3, and if there is a day 3 there is almost no chance there will be a day 4 (golf outing), and if there is miraculously a day 4 then we can just stop right there because it's the weekend. If that screams big time drinking problem, well so be it. But you know, it's BETTER than what I had been doing. Somehow I think everyone that this message thread appeals to understands this.

sillygoose1977

I'm with you. I totally blew last Friday with a margarita and 2 super sized beers. I still lost weight this week but I know it doesn't help. Lately I have been trying to cut down to only one night per weekend and then only having vodka with diet tonic but then we end up going out with friends and yada yada yada... So for now I plan on trying to be a lot more strict on my intake and absolutley sticking with my 2 cocktails per weekend.

surlydave

Hurray - glad to have provided inspiration for the name of our group!

SORRY mojogurl I completely meant to give you props for this in the original post!

iguanaliz

Okay - I'm right there with you. For me it is a vicious circle. I drink to feel numb (crappy marriage, finances,kids etc) - which in turn stops the weight loss - I get mad at myself and it starts all over. Sad - truly sad. Why is it I can be a "good friend" to other people - but I'm down right evil to myself?

I honestly could not have said it better about how I personally feel sometimes. I have been drinking daily. I have had myself convinced I could still lose weight this way because frankly I have done it before. After getting really frustrated, I took the last two days off and ate right (well, not according to some on here but that's a whole other issue) and exercised. And damn if I don't feel good and the scale finally moved downward! But I am not certain there will be a day 3, and if there is a day 3 there is almost no chance there will be a day 4 (golf outing), and if there is miraculously a day 4 then we can just stop right there because it's the weekend. If that screams big time drinking problem, well so be it. But you know, it's BETTER than what I had been doing. Somehow I think everyone that this message thread appeals to understands this.

Completely relate to this! A few years ago, I was drinking daily and that's when I really started packing on the pounds because of both the booze calories and the really bad munchies during and the day after. It took a lot of willpower to get down to just a couple of days a week, but it really was my little escape from both reality and boredom. Definitely better than where I was! And definitely doable within the boundaries of a healthy lifestyle.

lutzsher

Im certainly qualified to be part of this group! My husband worked for a brewery for almost a decade so we started off being social drinkers and it quickly turned into daily drinkers . . . just a few each evening to wind down after work, but EVERY day none the less and "many" on weekends (I've always been the "weekend warrior"). We lived this way for at least 12 years until about 4 years ago when he got into a different industry.
I have had 3 beer (and 2 of them were light, ewwww) since May 17th. Boy has it been hard for me to stay away from. I had weaned down to only having a few on weekends but quickly realized that all of my dedication and hard work were being undone with those empty weekend calories.
I would be down a few pounds by Friday morning, but gain it all back in empty calories on the weekend so I was right back to the exact same weight every Monday morning! I did this for about 6 months before I could convince myself that waiting for the few months it would take to get to my goal was worth it.
Since I made this commitment to myself it has been a bit easier to abstain . . . but it is still a struggle on weekends for me quite often. I have to keep myself busy and way from the kitchen!
I have to accept that I can not live the way we used to, everything in moderation including alcohol from now on for me!

TheMotherAwesome

Yay! I'm glad this thread is here!

I have managed to cut out alcohol during the week (usually), and now when I do drink it's a "skinny *****" - vodka and diet Coke - rather than my normal Smithwicks (Irish ale, I love you). It's definitely not the same, but hey - it satisfies the craving and makes me feel like not such a square when I'm out at a show with friends.

I miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss my beer, though. =/

Shannon023

Best...group...ever!!!!!

skilleen

Call me crazy, but when I tried to quit before to lose weight, I gained weight! I think my daily generous pour of Chardonnay keeps me from eating. I'm glad no one can see my food intake because I work out extra hard to have wine. Not sure whether cutting back will help or not. Of course, I wasn't using MFP then. It's just a glaring reminder of how much I consume.

Ok, I have 3 kids and I just "enjoy" my cocktail hour!

tabbydog

HI there, you can count me in on this litlte wagon! (Pun totally intended. Sorry. :bigsmile: )

For me it is boredom and my step kids that drive me to drink most days. I used to drink quite a bit every day, and now it is down to 1 or 2 beers or glasses of wine each night while cooking dinner. Lately I have been trying to have "dry" days, and if I make it to 2 there isn't usually a third. :grumble: I don't know what that says about me. I don't have trouble stopping after one or two, but I have a really hard time not having any. Anyhow, it is totally empty calories. Even a gross light beer has 100. I can't bring myself to try those beers that are 55 or 64 calories. ick. Besides the fact that while your body burns alcohol, it doesn't burn fat. So, if it takes your body and hour to burn one drink's worth of alcohol, that is an hour spent not burning fat. I learned that little tid-bit while doing Atkins and reading that book. Your body will burn the alcohol for energy instead of the fat.

Anyway, the step kids won't be home tonight until late, and I won't be cooking dinner because there is only me. Count this as day 1!

Cheers! :drinker:

diva88

I'm definitely a lush and not driniking has been really hard for me but I've realized that when I don't drink every night of the week by the weekend my tolerance is really low and I don't need to drink as much to ... well get drunk!

alisonengland

I'm in- I love drinking! I used to socially drink a lot but working out switched my focus a good bit, also moving to "the land that time forgot" helps...I used to live in Brighton, the best city in the UK (OK i am biased) where we had loads of cocktail bars, wine bars, cool bars, people under 90..sigh...now I live in a tragic place where a good night out is being run over by a tractor. That has cut down my opportunities for fun alcohol consumption (though upped my donut consumption). I am trying to limit myself to under a bottle of wine a week. 1.5 glasses every 3 days.

Disclaimer: Stressful World Cup matches not included

surlydave

Wow, I never expected such a great response! Thanks to everyone for sharing their story (wait, that almost sounds like we are in group therapy lol). Major props to those of you who have given it up entirely. I think I would like to get down to just a couple days a week, but I fear what one of you said above (sorry, so many good posts) that it will undo all the good from the rest of the week!

surlydave

...now I live in a tragic place where a good night out is being run over by a tractor

Note to self: use the word "tragic" more often, steal tractor.

mom216

Thank you for the kind words. I'm working on this issue - If I am "busy" - then don't drink. The hardest time for me is late at night, when I can't sleep. I can eat healthy all day long and exercise - then destroy the hard work late at night.

P.S. where can I find Tameka1220's - post? Which forum & topic? Thanks

LongMom

I love my beer!!! I also like the occasional bottle of wine (yes I did say bottle hahaha). Cocktails are hit and miss...I'm not a big fan of sugary drinks.

I'm hoping I can get to goal while continuing to drink occasionally. I don't want to completely cut it out because I NEVER want to completely cut it out! I know it's going to take me a heck of a lot longer to get to goal this way, but what's my rush? I also would like to start gaining drinking calories by exercising more...although I don't know if a dip in my pool under the influence of a bottle of wine is a SUPER idea

I must say I've got the munchies under control...I have another vice that induces munchies and I had to train my brain to deal with these urges in order to continue enjoying said vice

My DH and I are homebodies who don't really go out and do things like shop or go to the movies etc. We just like to hang out at home, play cards, swim, BBq...and drink!