Can drinking fit in with weight loss

zane856

has anyone found that they can still drink moderately (two days a week in my case, never more than a 6 pack of light beer in one sitting) and successfully meet weight loss goals ? Does drinking have to go by the wayside or can they go together somehow. Drinking never seemed to be a problem but I'm noticing as the years go by that even light beers are having a negative impact. Wondering how others are able to balance this out in their lives, thanks in advanced !

DeguelloTex

Set aside the calories like you do for anything else you eat or drink.

paperpudding

I met my weight loss goal while continuing to drink in moderation.

Of course, I logged any calories drunk and kept within my calorie allowance.

atypicalsmith

Calories from drinking can better be used on healthy food. Also, it throws your metabolism off because part of the calories expended to keep your body warm and alive are being used to fight off the effects of alcohol. My sister has cancer and has been through three or four rounds of chemo over the past few years, but continues to drink and smoke. She looks like a wizened old skeleton, and when questioned, says that her doctor says to keep doing whatever she's doing. I guess he says that because she hasn't died yet.

paperpudding

I guess the doctor says that because the cancer is too advanced so she might as well enjoy doing whatever she enjoys for the remainder of her life.

For other people, those trying to lose weight, which I presume is not people with terminal cancer - yes, sure, calories from drinking CAN be used on healthy food. So could calories from, say, chocolate.

But I enjoy chocolate so I find a way to fit it into my calorie goal, within moderation.
Likewise with alcoholic drinks.
Certainly hasn't 'thrown my metabolism off'

MicheleStitches

Don't worry about the beers. Check what you are eating in addition to the beers and don't mindlessly snack while you are drinking. Plan ahead for those days you are going to indulge and make sure the beer is part of your allotted calorie requirements. Also, unless you actually ENJOY light beer, don't waste your time with those. They are not really significantly lower in calories (Bud Lite is only 25 calories less than regular Budweiser for example.) If you are going to treat yourself to an adult beverage, make it something you really get pleasure from ad savor it!

And to answer your other question: yes, I am losing a pound a week and I have not removed alcohol from my diet.

zane856

Thanks everyone !! I have a question for those who said to make it fit in the calorie allowance for the day. I know logically this makes sense but in practice seems impossible. So if I get 1200 calories, and I know 600 is going to be spent on beer, I make sure each of my 3 meals is only 200 calories ? I think that would work only up until I started drinking and then I'd want to eat everything, haha. But is that how you guys successfully do it ?

Counting calories is all so new to me so I'm trying to get a better handle on it, any tips are appreciated!! I do eat healthy and exercise a lot so the beers are not coming after a giant pizza or anything fun like that (tho a giant pizza may be followed by the beers...) but even despite the healthy eating, the beers seem to be getting me. One day I'll likely give it up but hopefully not yet !! Thanks everyone !

cwolfman13

I lost all of my 40-50 Lbs whilst consuming spiritous beverages. I took it easy on the beer though.

Whitmo58

You can drink in moderation and count the calories but I found that cutting alcohol out altogether not only helped me drop weight rapidly, I feel better and have more drive and energy to do things like exercise or work around the house. Now that 14.5 lbs are gone in 38 days maybe I can celebrate with a beer!

zane856

Oh and bonus points for the girl who told me to drink fun beer instead of light beer!! Best advice ever, I'll be getting some ciders tonight !

youdontknowwhatyousaw

Bottle of wine last night, weight loss this morning. Just plan it into your day or week, depending on how you track calories.

queenliz99

Don't waste your precious calories on lite beer. Life is too short!!

jdleanna

I have 1 or 2 glasses of wine most nights. Hasn't stopped my weight loss and I'm down 10 pounds. I log my wine and fit it in, along with a snack. I have to say I have no idea how you'd fit 600 calories worth of beer if you're on 1200 calories total. That doesn't leave you enough for actual needed nutrition. So I guess I'd say spend a few days banking your calories... exercise daily, and don't eat back those calories. Save them and eat them back on your drinking days.

Or drink less. If you're only on 1200 calories you need to watch your nutrient intake.

zane856

I was wondering about the "banking" calories. Does it really work that way? I'm all for saving an extra 100-200 calories a day and forgoing snacks if it leaves me extra for the weekend, but wasn't sure if it does work on a weekly basis that way or only a daily basis ??

queenliz99

jmgonzalez1231 wrote: »

I was wondering about the "banking" calories. Does it really work that way? I'm all for saving an extra 100-200 calories a day and forgoing snacks if it leaves me extra for the weekend, but wasn't sure if it does work on a weekly basis that way or only a daily basis ??

I bank my calories. So yes.

zane856

The more I learn about counting calories the better it's sounding ! I was really hesitant about starting it but it's not turning out to be so bad. Thank you !

arditarose

jmgonzalez1231 wrote: »

I was wondering about the "banking" calories. Does it really work that way? I'm all for saving an extra 100-200 calories a day and forgoing snacks if it leaves me extra for the weekend, but wasn't sure if it does work on a weekly basis that way or only a daily basis ??

Yep. I have to bank my calories for my weekend old fashioned/wine/chinese food/pizza/ etc. Even in maintenance.

queenliz99

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

Kalikel

Yes, if you skip food, you can drink your calories and still lose weight.

xjessicaxrx

I go out nearly every weekend and get legless, usually end up with a kebab on my way home too and i have still been losing every week. I have lost 22lb since 1st of June 2015. I just work really hard sun-fri to stick to my calorie limit

queenliz99

xjessicaxrx wrote: »

I go out nearly every weekend and get legless, usually end up with a kebab on my way home too and i have still been losing every week. I have lost 22lb since 1st of June 2015. I just work really hard sun-fri to stick to my calorie limit

Get legless!! Is that a British term? LOL

fiddletime

I'm also on 1100 calories a day, plus exercise calories. I don't allow more than about 10% of them to go to alcohol, from a health perspective. So, I just fit it in and if I exercise a lot one day I can eat and drink more.

I'm losing a pound a week and drink about 135 calories of wine most nights. That's about 7.5 oz or 1 1/2 glasses. I'm down 8 pounds. I don't eat candy, cookies or sweets so it also serves as my carb/sweet fix.

Unknown

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rumijs

I'm a social drinker so I don't drunk all the time but usually have a good session with friends every other weekend or so. I may consume an easy 1000 cals depending on what the night has in store. But I usually monitor my deficit throughout the week and know what I can "afford". In the end, I can still lose and easy 1 - 1.5 lb per week. It all comes down to moderation. If alcohol is constantly taking up a ton of (empty) calories, then you're less likely to end up in a deficit by the end of the week or month.

maxit

jmgonzalez1231 wrote: »

has anyone found that they can still drink moderately (two days a week in my case, never more than a 6 pack of light beer in one sitting) and successfully meet weight loss goals ? Does drinking have to go by the wayside or can they go together somehow. Drinking never seemed to be a problem but I'm noticing as the years go by that even light beers are having a negative impact. Wondering how others are able to balance this out in their lives, thanks in advanced !

It depends on you, really - what your TDEE is and what your deficit needs to be to meet your goals, and whether you can both fit in the calories of your beverage into that deficit. My personal experience is that when I am in a deficit, I need fuel from food not from alcohol in order to feel ok.

worldofalice

I lost about a stone in my first term at university 4 years ago...and I don't think it's necessary to detail how much alcohol I was consuming, you can imagine :') This was from an already low weight however and I wasn't particularly aiming for weight loss so slightly different circumstances. I would imagine about 80% of my calories came from alcohol some weeks, at the expense of nutrition and with disastrous result on my health. So yeah it can happen, but if you're drinking excessively then you would have to compromise your actual wellbeing. If it's a couple of moderate nights a week -just shave a few calories off your meals elsewhere that day.

bwogilvie

I lost 65 pounds in 2 years while having a cocktail before dinner most nights, and usually a glass of wine with dinner too. I measured them accurately (most alcohol and mixers have a lot of calories, so you need to be honest about the quantity), logged them, and kept within my limit.

I also burn, on average, 400-500 calories a day exercising (running or cycling, mostly, including commuting to work by bike), and my goals without exercise were between 1450 and 1650 depending on my weight and how aggressively I was aiming to lose. That left plenty of calories for nutritious solid food; exercise calories offset the booze. If you're sedentary and aiming for 1200 total calories, you do need to be careful not to let your alcohol calories prevent you from getting the nutrition you need. You can "bank" calories but I wouldn't recommend too many, as it might leave you feeling too hungry or distracted on those days.

paperpudding

Kalikel wrote: »

Yes, if you skip food, you can drink your calories and still lose weight.

Or you can find a sensible balance where you eat food and most of your calories go on food but you can also fit in alcoholic drinks in moderation, if you want to.

paperpudding

bwogilvie wrote: »

I lost 65 pounds in 2 years while having a cocktail before dinner most nights, and usually a glass of wine with dinner too. I measured them accurately (most alcohol and mixers have a lot of calories, so you need to be honest about the quantity), logged them, and kept within my limit.
.

You can swap to mixers with no calories, like diet coke or Pepsi Max.

That's what I do and my spirit only has 70 calories per serve ( I sometimes only have half serves so even less) - not at all hard to sometimes fit in a few drinks doing that.

bwogilvie

paperpudding wrote: »

You can swap to mixers with no calories, like diet coke or Pepsi Max.

I'd rather not drink than use those mixers! Diet tonic water, on the other hand, isn't too bad.

My favorite cocktails, though, don't have soda mixers; they have vermouth or Campari (or both, e.g. the Negroni). And unfortunately, no one has come up with calorie-free vermouth or Campari. :-(

middlehaitch

Heck, this is a lifestyle, not a diet, so yes I fit my 3 B's; bubbles, beer, and bellinis in, as well as my 3 C's; chocolate, cake, and candy. A balanced diet, hee hee.

When I count my calories I do it by the week, not the day. That may help you fitting in your weekend beers.

Cheers, h.