Effects of one big night out

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Hi everyone, been really enjoying working out and eating healthy foods again but unsure how a big night out on the town with lots of alcohol impacts my progress? Does binge drinking have a lasting effect or can I just exercise my socks off the next day and get back on track?
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  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited November 2015
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    teamvic wrote: »
    Hi everyone, been really enjoying working out and eating healthy foods again but unsure how a big night out on the town with lots of alcohol impacts my progress? Does binge drinking have a lasting effect or can I just exercise my socks off the next day and get back on track?
    If binge drinking is something that happens with any regularity, you might want to get some help with that.

    If not, it's just one night. You have an opportunity to start fresh the next day. You don't need to punish yourself by exercising your socks off, either. Especially with a hangover. Just log it and move on. ;)
  • teamvic
    teamvic Posts: 140 Member
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    Cheers, not regular. Just meeting some old university buddies and it usually gets messy.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    Gotcha. Drink lots of extra water to help flush things out. You're most likely a bit dehydrated from drinking, too. Counterintuitive, I know, but true. :)
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
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    Log it and move on to the next day.
  • KrisiAnnH
    KrisiAnnH Posts: 352 Member
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    I usually try and eat a little less beforehand, still enough to soak up the alcohol but not my full calorie allowance, and then I stick to the diet coke and vodkas (but then I like vodka and coke- so it's really just shaving calories off personal preference).

    Usually if it's a particularly messy one I'll be up a few lbs in water weight, but it doesn't set me back too much. It probably depends on what you're drinking too- for example a vodka and coke can come in at about 100 calories (depending on measures) whereas sugary cocktails can be easily 5 times that.

    The only thing that really sets me back is my extreme love for 'drunk food' haha. After a couple of drinks, all restraint goes out the window the second I smell chips. It's just one of those things haha
  • thereshegoesagain
    thereshegoesagain Posts: 1,056 Member
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    A big night out usually sets me back a couple of pounds in water weight. The next day isn't pretty either because I crave salty carbs when I have a hang over. Day 2 post party I get right back on track and lose all I gained within a week, plus a little. I never log the night out or next day.
  • teamvic
    teamvic Posts: 140 Member
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    I have a feeling it will end in a dirty kebab which must be 1,000s calories! As a result just put in 75min cycle ride in lovely windy British weather. Thanks for advice, now whats the old saying? Berr before wine or wine before beer?
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    Whine before cheese. ;)

    Your kebab would only be dirty if you dropped it in the dirt, btw. :)
  • ShashayLee
    ShashayLee Posts: 178 Member
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    as others have said, log it & carry on, life happens & we have to deal with things like this.
    Occasional blips like this happen. Don't let it derail your progress, it's only one day or one night. Get back on track the next day, lots of water & healthy food & portions & soon it all washes out lol
  • Coolhandkid
    Coolhandkid Posts: 84 Member
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    Kebabs aren't too bad. Its the 20 drinks that always gets me in those situations. I've gotten rid of the fruit juices (can't believe I once thought that was a healthy way to drink) with my vodka. Light beer and low cal mixers now. And its still a TON of calories.

    But you gotta have fun too.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    Not really a 'binge' drinker here but definitely had some binge-y weeks with multiple drinks over multiple nights...
    Impact is not lasting, but the bloat that ensues can take 3-5 days to work its way out of my system. Then it's as if it never even happened.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Go have fun. It's one night. I've never understood the fear of a night out, especially when its an odd occurrence and not a weekly thing. And also, exercise should never be punishment for over indulgence.
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
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    teamvic wrote: »
    Cheers, not regular. Just meeting some old university buddies and it usually gets messy.

    Actually, alcohol is a mild diarehtic so it can help shift a pound if you have been in a stall at all, just go for spirits and sodawater if you're worried about sugar content. I had a crazy session last week it didn't change anything!
  • Jiveli85
    Jiveli85 Posts: 37 Member
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    Whenever I go hard I usually end up with a couple pounds of water weight. Last time it took about a week for it to come off.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    Log it and start over tomorrow. One night of drinking won't hurt your lose too bad. Have fun!
  • schwich13
    schwich13 Posts: 31 Member
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    And be sure to PRE-hydrate!!!
  • teamvic
    teamvic Posts: 140 Member
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    Thanks for all your advice, had avgreat night out and feeling not to bsd at the moment(touch wood). Not sure I can log all the drinks from last night, my wallet is telling me I drank enough for 2 people. Ouch. Think I'll just leave logging yesterday. Keeping fluid intake high and regular and actually looking forward to working out this afternoon. Time for a power nap........zzzz
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    teamvic wrote: »
    Thanks for all your advice, had avgreat night out and feeling not to bsd at the moment(touch wood). Not sure I can log all the drinks from last night, my wallet is telling me I drank enough for 2 people. Ouch. Think I'll just leave logging yesterday. Keeping fluid intake high and regular and actually looking forward to working out this afternoon. Time for a power nap........zzzz

    Log it so you actually KNOW the damage done vs guessing. No shame in having good data, and it may not be as bad as you think it was. Reference my August 1st... I drank enough for all my calories that day, and ate plenty. But on the grand scale, my weight loss trend continued down.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    One bad day will not make you fat anymore than one good day will make you thin. It's the combined actions of hundreds of days that matters. I take something like ten days "off" per year, things like christmas, thanksgiving, etc. I still log to the best of my ability (which is sketchy since I don't weigh food on those days) but I have no set goals.

    It isn't how I ate ten days a year that made me obese, it's how I ate on the other 355.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    It's a one-off, you're human. Enjoy it.
    In the grand scheme of things, one big night isn't going to set you back at all :)