Who wants to help?

ScienceLove

ok, I need to lost 60 pounds. I know what my problem is - I am not as accountable as I need to be, especially on weekends. I eat healthy - just too much - and drink way too much alcohol. I have given up alcohol except for 2 days per week so that should help, but I need some butt kickers. Who wants to friend me and really push for accountability? Thanks!

Hulbert0089

Two days of alcohol per week in weight loss is going to be a challenge for most people. This past weekend had two days with a few beers. Jumped on the scale and was plus 5. I'd suggest trying 30 days w/o the sauce and see how you do.

cortney1440

I'm with you want to lose 60lbs, don't drink very much but don't hold myself accountable for what I eat. The struggle is real!

Gska17

I cut way back on weeknight alcohol and have had success. Feel free to add me if you'd like!

TimothyFish

It has been known for some time that alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain, but I heard on the radio last week that they've determined that it isn't just because it limits your willpower, but it can actually make you want to eat more.

markdvsmo

After a tour of duty in Germany, I came to love beer, real beer... the kind of beer that is a meal in itself. Alas, good beer in any reasonable quantity is not a wise choice from a health/weight standpoint, so I eventually forced myself to switch to a replacement. I don't know if it's cool to list specific brand names here, but a major brewer has a 55 calorie product that resembles beer. After a while, I got used to the watered-down (err, "light") taste, and find it's a passable substitute. It will never win any Octoberfest awards, but at least I can drink a few at a time without totally crashing my calorie limit.

ScienceLove

Yeah, the alcohol is not a good habit. I know that with two full time stressful careers (spouse and I) and 4 year old twins, there needs to be a way to relieve stress. Just an acknowledgement of how I got to have a drink or 3 every night. I am hoping to get to a point where I relieve stress by exercising - hopefully as the kiddos get more independent. So, thought limiting alcohol to 2 days a week and track it all; plus weights 3x per week, running 2x per week, and 1-2 times of HIIT or something else is a good start. I will invite those who said they were interested. Hopefully we can keep each other accountable for tracking and motivating.

branflakes1980

Hulbert0089 wrote: »

Two days of alcohol per week in weight loss is going to be a challenge for most people. This past weekend had two days with a few beers. Jumped on the scale and was plus 5. I'd suggest trying 30 days w/o the sauce and see how you do.

two days with "a few beers" is not going to make you gain 5 lbs. You may be retaining water but unless you drank like 17,000 calories worth of beer in those 2 days above and beyond your TDEE there is no way you gained 5 lbs from drinking "a few" beers.

Hulbert0089

branflakes1980 wrote: »

Hulbert0089 wrote: »

Two days of alcohol per week in weight loss is going to be a challenge for most people. This past weekend had two days with a few beers. Jumped on the scale and was plus 5. I'd suggest trying 30 days w/o the sauce and see how you do.

two days with "a few beers" is not going to make you gain 5 lbs. You may be retaining water but unless you drank like 17,000 calories worth of beer in those 2 days above and beyond your TDEE there is no way you gained 5 lbs from drinking "a few" beers.

Okay, thanks but it's a fact.

branflakes1980

Hulbert0089 wrote: »

branflakes1980 wrote: »

Hulbert0089 wrote: »

Two days of alcohol per week in weight loss is going to be a challenge for most people. This past weekend had two days with a few beers. Jumped on the scale and was plus 5. I'd suggest trying 30 days w/o the sauce and see how you do.

two days with "a few beers" is not going to make you gain 5 lbs. You may be retaining water but unless you drank like 17,000 calories worth of beer in those 2 days above and beyond your TDEE there is no way you gained 5 lbs from drinking "a few" beers.

Okay, thanks but it's a fact.

It is not a fact. Not at all even close to a fact. I don't think that word means what you think it does. 1 pound of fat equals 3500 or so calories so in order for it to indeed be a "fact" you would have had to (like I already said) drank 17,000 calories worth of beer in those 2 days to gain 5 lbs.

ManiacalLaugh

Hulbert0089 wrote: »

Two days of alcohol per week in weight loss is going to be a challenge for most people. This past weekend had two days with a few beers. Jumped on the scale and was plus 5. I'd suggest trying 30 days w/o the sauce and see how you do.

Although I also believe the 5lbs was water weight and not fat, I think this is good advice. If you're really trying to gauge how successful/unsuccessful your plan is, staying away from alcohol and excessively salty foods (which are both notorious for causing water weight gain) for 30 days will help you get a clearer picture of how you're doing.

At the very least, give it a couple of weeks; water weight can take up to 10 days to shed.

kshama2001

ScienceLove wrote: »

Yeah, the alcohol is not a good habit. I know that with two full time stressful careers (spouse and I) and 4 year old twins, there needs to be a way to relieve stress. Just an acknowledgement of how I got to have a drink or 3 every night. I am hoping to get to a point where I relieve stress by exercising - hopefully as the kiddos get more independent. So, thought limiting alcohol to 2 days a week and track it all; plus weights 3x per week, running 2x per week, and 1-2 times of HIIT or something else is a good start. I will invite those who said they were interested. Hopefully we can keep each other accountable for tracking and motivating.

I drank just about every day until the late 90s when I found that yoga and other cardiovascular activities were far more effective in reducing stress.

Feel free to Friend me.

kk_inprogress

Hulbert0089 wrote: »

branflakes1980 wrote: »

Hulbert0089 wrote: »

Two days of alcohol per week in weight loss is going to be a challenge for most people. This past weekend had two days with a few beers. Jumped on the scale and was plus 5. I'd suggest trying 30 days w/o the sauce and see how you do.

two days with "a few beers" is not going to make you gain 5 lbs. You may be retaining water but unless you drank like 17,000 calories worth of beer in those 2 days above and beyond your TDEE there is no way you gained 5 lbs from drinking "a few" beers.

Okay, thanks but it's a fact.

The scale may have a number on it that is five digits larger, but if you're asserting that it's factual that the difference is from a few beers, you need to look up the definition of "fact."

WinterSkies

Feel free to friend me as well. I'm just at the beginning of my quest to lose about 50lb, and I've got a 3 year old and a 10 month old who like to run my husband and I ragged

I have found that I have the willpower to save up some of my calories for the evening (especially on the weekend) if it means I can have a beer once the kiddos are down for bed. It's not as difficult as I thought it would be!

atypicalsmith

When I don't drink, I tend to eat less and exercise more and lose weight faster. Maybe it's just me?

barbecuesauce

TimothyFish wrote: »

It has been known for some time that alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain, but I heard on the radio last week that they've determined that it isn't just because it limits your willpower, but it can actually make you want to eat more.

That's interesting. I'd like to see a study on that. I know when I drink I get the munchies and choose higher-calorie items than I would, but I've never felt I was actually hungrier.