food V alcohol calories

sue020369

Hi all
My question is this.........when counting calories in alcohol, as long as its within my goal, is this ok?
The reason I ask is ..After a 10 hour day at work I like to come home and have a couple of glasses of wine so my food intake is about 900 cals plus about 300-400 on wine! Sounds terrible but that's how I like it. Will this affect weight loss or doesn't it really matter as long as I stay under target?

SueInAz

My understanding is that your body will burn the alcohol calories first but a moderate alcohol intake shouldn't drastically affect your weight loss as long as you are in a calorie deficit.

sue020369

awww thanks

jennifer_417

As far as wight loss goes, calories are calories, it doesn't matter where they come from. But with 900 cals in food per day, you might have trouble getting proper nutrition.

sue020369

I eat a lot of fruit n veg etc so think im ok

SueInAz

sue020369 wrote: »

I eat a lot of fruit n veg etc so think im ok

You might throw in a multivitamin to be on the safe side. Fruit and veg don't have everything you need.

sue020369

thanks, I do take one of them a day too

middlehaitch

I haven't starved to death yet and have a drink most nights of the week. Yes, I take a couple of supplements, but I would even if I didn't drink.
Just make sure you are getting enough protein as well as all your micro nutrients.

To me it is a life style so a few drinks a week and a couple, or five, deserts have to fit in.

I am maintaining at the moment and just watch the scales. If you are still losing, see if there is any wiggle room to up your calories so you can eat more.

Cheers, h.

WBB55

Very few people can get proper nutrition long-term in 900 calories. If this is your long term plan, I might consult a nutritionist or do the research to develop a long term sustainable plan.

PinkPixiexox

Calories are calories. You could choose to use the 300-400 calories on a burger, a salad or beer, as long as you are in a deficit, you'll lose weight. Enjoy your beer!

suziecue20

I spend 100 - 200 cals on alcohol a couple of times a week but as I'm on 1200 cals a day I want the other 5 days to be totally food content.

Need2Exerc1se

I don't see what sounds so terrible about that. I think if you are spending that many calories on alcohol you need to be pretty careful with the rest of your diet for nutrition reasons, but if weight loss is the only concern it's all about calories.

laur357

Yep, you can lose weight drinking alcohol as long as you log the calories accurately. If you're doing it at home, I'd definitely measure your pour - I know my set of wine glasses holds a good 12 ounces, so it's easy to pour 6-8 oz. instead of 4-5 oz. There's also nutritional info for different varieties - pinot noir, chardonnay, merlot, etc.- in MFP and online from bigger vineyards.

janejellyroll

sue020369 wrote: »

I eat a lot of fruit n veg etc so think im ok

You also need protein and fat, which fruits and vegetables don't provide much of.

WBB55

@sue020369 So what's your long term plan for sufficient protein, vitamins, minerals and fats while you're in a deficit? I'm not AT ALL saying you can't lose weight and have beer. It's just such a BAD idea to not get the nutrition you need, is all. Multivitamins and some vegetables might not actually cut it. But, without knowing what your 900 calories is going to, it's hard for me to be certain. Can you list a couple typical day's worth of food? Or open your diary?

toe1226

I am no expert, but after seeing the documentary "Fed Up" (worth a watch) I'm hesitant to say a calorie is a calorie, I think our bodies are really affected by our sugar intake, and alcohol is sugar. That being said, we're all here for different variations of the same reason, and happiness is important. If you're losing weight and wine makes you happy, and you're capable of doing the things you want to do, then its probably a good idea.

janejellyroll

toe1226 wrote: »

I am no expert, but after seeing the documentary "Fed Up" (worth a watch) I'm hesitant to say a calorie is a calorie, I think our bodies are really affected by our sugar intake, and alcohol is sugar. That being said, we're all here for different variations of the same reason, and happiness is important. If you're losing weight and wine makes you happy, and you're capable of doing the things you want to do, then its probably a good idea.

That documentary isn't a great source of accurate information on nutrition, unfortunately.

girlviernes

I would say everyone should be eating at least 1200 kcals worth of FOOD a day. It's challenging to get your nutritional needs met on 1200 kcals, so people that low do need to be more conscientious. Up your exercise/calorie goals, eat more food, and enjoy your wine

callsitlikeiseeit

I easily down a case of beer on the weekends and have lost 70 pounds.

Log your wine, make it fit, and enjoy!

ald783

I'm not judging because I love beer like a food group, but no, I don't think getting 30% of your calories from wine on a regular basis is a good strategy. Can you lose weight? Sure. But saying a calorie is a calorie is massively oversimplifying things. There is no way you are regularly getting proper nutrition on 900 calories of food a day. If you want to do it, by all means, but it's not something that anyone can really validate for you.

kshama2001

Agrees that getting 30% of your calories from wine on a regular basis is not a healthy strategy.

I used to drink wine after work every day. Now I exercise, which also changes my state, but burns calories rather than taking in empty calories.

ashleesaid

I also need a drink or two every evening to wind down. I usually go over on my cals by 100-200 because of that, but I'm ok with it because if I don't have it I feel deprived and cranky, and I've been logging for 5 weeks and have lost 4.2 lbs, so I guess it's ok!

juggernaut1974

toe1226 wrote: »

I am no expert, but after seeing the documentary "Fed Up" (worth a watch) I'm hesitant to say a calorie is a calorie, I think our bodies are really affected by our sugar intake, and alcohol is sugar. That being said, we're all here for different variations of the same reason, and happiness is important. If you're losing weight and wine makes you happy, and you're capable of doing the things you want to do, then its probably a good idea.

That "documentary"'s claims have been disproven time and time again.

It's not "worth a watch" (other than the lulz factor or as some sort of drinking game).