Student life and alcohol
xveer22
Posts: 93 Member
I'm a student and I'm having a really hard time to control my calorie intake with alcohol.
Any other students out there recognizing the problem? And how do you deal with it?
Any other students out there recognizing the problem? And how do you deal with it?
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I'm not currently a student but I was (****# OF YEARS REDACTED***) years ago
Knowing how much I drank then, I can imagine that the two (alcohol/college life and weight loss) don't mix well.
You'll need to use a combination of a few strategies:
1. Drink lower-cal alcohol (light beers, etc)
2. Do the "every other drink" trick (a glass of water or club soda for every alcoholic drink)
3. Up your exercise calorie burn
4. Plan ahead - if you know you're going out on Friday night, 'bank' an extra 100 calories each day from Monday-Thursday
5. Offer to be the DD0 -
My college years were the last years where I had a chance of out running a bad (high calorie) diet. Of course, they led to the downfall from which I am still picking myself up.0
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I'm not a student anymore, but I still deal with balancing alcohol into my day. I know I'm going out tonight so I planned ahead with smaller breakfast/lunch and will be getting an extra workout in tomorrow morning. It's a pain but personally I prefer it better than never drinking again.0
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i drink nearly every day but not like a college student (i save that for once a month LOL)
plan for it. if you are serious about your weight loss, you will prioritize what and how much, you put in your body.1 -
I did a lot of dancing to work off the alcohol calories and stay fit.
This is retrospective knowledge as I ate like a pig; drank like a fish, didn't believe in purposeful exercise, and barely stayed at 105lbs.
Cheers, h.0 -
Omg! This is one of my biggest worries!! Haha I see how many glasses of wine I can have and how many shots I can take and still be in my calories for the day!! Will he looking on this post for advice too
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You DON'T have to drink to have fun. Having fun and partying is more about attitude then getting blitzed. In fact, why not be the responsible of the group and not drink and be the designated driver to ensure people get home safely.
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I am also a student and my solution for this is to simply not drink. If you do want to, try to limit and make sure you log it and stay within your goals.0
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gracepost123 wrote: »Omg! This is one of my biggest worries!! Haha I see how many glasses of wine I can have and how many shots I can take and still be in my calories for the day!! Will he looking on this post for advice too
That sounds like a poor way to live. AA might prove useful if you are revolving your diet around alcohol.0 -
Even back in those younger years when I partied, I knew it was always important to find a balance with drinking.
Because nobody wants to drop a keg!
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"I'm a student and I'm having a really hard time to control my calorie intake with alcohol."
Oh really? I thought a student's role was to study, not be a professional drinker?0 -
I know how you feel. I'm also a student and I love the social life that comes with it, but it is really difficult to control calorie intake on a night out drinking, and of course you cant lower your food intake to make up for it because that would mean drinking on an empty stomach!
I find the best thing for me is to limit the amount of money i take out with me so I can only buy a certain number of drinks, and what I do drink is always a spirit and diet mixer, as that's the lowest calorie option available. I also encourage as much drunken dancing as possible to burn the calories as I go
Enjoy yourself but drink responsibly!0 -
I am a student and to be perfectly honest, alcohol is my downfall. Not the alcohol itself, but the inhibitions I lose once I have consumed the alcohol. For me, it works best just to abstain. My friends know, and respect it. I meet them at bars and drink tea or kombucha, soda water with lime. I do plan on drinking in my future, but it has to be on my special occasions. I've found as a student, when you're running around with 20 people in your age group all the time, it is always sooomebody's special occasion.0
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To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. I understand what you're dealing with, OP! I'm currently a student as well and staying away from alcohol is easier said than done.
What works for me is making sure I leave an extra 300 calories or so per week within my goal, and when I do drink I only drink vodka sodas (about 70ish calories each, give or take the lemon and lime). Or I do straight shots of clear liquor - these are generally fewer calories than other liquors. If you absolutely need a mixer, use a flavored seltzer, they are zero calories! Also, if you want to go crazy for a night, I'd fill up on things like veggies all day (low calorie, but filling) and leave about 500-600 calories for partying that night.
I still party all the time but this works for me, as I'm down 10 pounds this last month! 1 -
Or do a lower calorie whiskey with Diet Coke! Yum!0
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laurabolt500 wrote: »To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. )
Funnily enough, when I went to university, I went there to STUDY, and get a degree, not get drunk and waste my money. You know, the actual thing that universities/colleges are designed for.
I also had plenty of fun while I was a university student. If you think the only way to have fun is to get blotto drunk, then you have SERIOUS issues.0 -
Why not get involved in some college sports activities? I didn't go to university myself but I understand they have teams such as netball, football etc. I always make sure I go to the gym on a Saturday morning to bank a few extra calories if I know I'm going out, so the extra exercise might help.0
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laurabolt500 wrote: »To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. )
Funnily enough, when I went to university, I went there to STUDY, and get a degree, not get drunk and waste my money. You know, the actual thing that universities/colleges are designed for.
I also had plenty of fun while I was a university student. If you think the only way to have fun is to get blotto drunk, then you have SERIOUS issues.
Lighten up Francis . Yes, you go to school to study, but I know plenty of people that graduated with honors in difficult programs and also drank their share of beer (or maybe even a bit more).
Just a matter of balance.0 -
laurabolt500 wrote: »To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. )
Funnily enough, when I went to university, I went there to STUDY, and get a degree, not get drunk and waste my money. You know, the actual thing that universities/colleges are designed for.
I also had plenty of fun while I was a university student. If you think the only way to have fun is to get blotto drunk, then you have SERIOUS issues.
Actually I'm at University at the moment and you'd be surprised, those on my course that are getting the highest grades also tend to be the ones who go out/drink most often.
Also a lecture about what she should be doing at University isn't particularly relevant to her original post. There's probably a better outlet for you to vent at than someone who genuinely wants help with work/play balance.
OP- I'm at University and I've lost 45lbs, it is possible. The downside is, often it comes down to the choice between losing weight and going out/drinking. I personally don't drink unless it's an event or night out, as I'd rather drink socially than have a few beers at home or anything.
Drinks like cocktails are often higher in calories due to fruit juices etc- compared to a vodka and diet coke which can be between 50-100 cals depending on the measure
If you do want the occasional odd drink, then working it into your calorie allotment may be a good approach If you're talking more about going out to events and social drinking (or 'binge' drinking, depending on how much) then a better approach may be to preplan it and work to a weekly calorie goal, so stay under your goal by 100 cals for a few days leading up to the event, to allow for the extra calories you'll consume while drinking.
Or, the third option, is to stick to your goals all week and then try and be sensible when drinking, while going for the 'log it and move on' approach. One night out every now and again probably wont damage your goals too much (unless you're a drunk eater like me, a few drinks and all self control goes out the window around fried food!).
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laurabolt500 wrote: »To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. I understand what you're dealing with, OP! I'm currently a student as well and staying away from alcohol is easier said than done.
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I still party all the time but this works for me, as I'm down 10 pounds this last month!
To think one must drink to have fun is a sign of limited understanding of life - immaturity if you will. When you have to spend your own money to get through school you learn to prioritize, and spending time, money and energy on drunkenness doesn't enhance the experience. Yeah I had classmates who got good grades, some outstanding grades, with heavy alcohol consumption. But it catches up eventually.
Alcohol doesn't help one reach any worthwhile goals as far as I can see. So . The OP isn't asking the right question.
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And staying away from alcohol as a student is really easy. It's exactly the same technique one uses to control food intake. It's called "no".0
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allenpriest wrote: »laurabolt500 wrote: »To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. I understand what you're dealing with, OP! I'm currently a student as well and staying away from alcohol is easier said than done.
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I still party all the time but this works for me, as I'm down 10 pounds this last month!
To think one must drink to have fun is a sign of limited understanding of life - immaturity if you will. When you have to spend your own money to get through school you learn to prioritize, and spending time, money and energy on drunkenness doesn't enhance the experience. Yeah I had classmates who got good grades, some outstanding grades, with heavy alcohol consumption. But it catches up eventually.
Alcohol doesn't help one reach any worthwhile goals as far as I can see. So . The OP isn't asking the right question.
And that is your opinion which you are completely entitled to, just as OP is entitled to make her own life choices. Simply telling someone 'It's wrong to drink' and that by trying to find a healthy balance with it she is asking 'the wrong question' is very narrowminded and doesn't help OP at all. If she had asked 'what are peoples views on drinking while losing weight' then fair enough, but as she has asked for help on how to balance alcohol intake while in a calorie deficit, your comments aren't helpful or necessary.0 -
allenpriest wrote: »laurabolt500 wrote: »To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. I understand what you're dealing with, OP! I'm currently a student as well and staying away from alcohol is easier said than done.
...
I still party all the time but this works for me, as I'm down 10 pounds this last month!
To think one must drink to have fun is a sign of limited understanding of life - immaturity if you will. When you have to spend your own money to get through school you learn to prioritize, and spending time, money and energy on drunkenness doesn't enhance the experience. Yeah I had classmates who got good grades, some outstanding grades, with heavy alcohol consumption. But it catches up eventually.
Alcohol doesn't help one reach any worthwhile goals as far as I can see. So . The OP isn't asking the right question.
And that is your opinion which you are completely entitled to, just as OP is entitled to make her own life choices. Simply telling someone 'It's wrong to drink' and that by trying to find a healthy balance with it she is asking 'the wrong question' is very narrowminded and doesn't help OP at all. If she had asked 'what are peoples views on drinking while losing weight' then fair enough, but as she has asked for help on how to balance alcohol intake while in a calorie deficit, your comments aren't helpful or necessary.
Of course what you paraphrased is not what I posted.
And what I posted was a response to a subsequent post in the thread.
How does one work it in? Pre-log to allocate calories to the booze setting a strict limit and then sticking to that limit. If your "friends" push you to violate your limits get different friends.
But if you believe you"have to drink" to have fun then you really need to reexamine your life. That way of thinking is not a recipe for long term success or contentment.
And I'm not a non-drinker.
To assume one cannot avoid this as a student is a wrong assumption.0 -
allenpriest wrote: »allenpriest wrote: »laurabolt500 wrote: »To all of those saying "simply don't drink" you obviously didn't have a lot of fun in college, haha. I understand what you're dealing with, OP! I'm currently a student as well and staying away from alcohol is easier said than done.
...
I still party all the time but this works for me, as I'm down 10 pounds this last month!
To think one must drink to have fun is a sign of limited understanding of life - immaturity if you will. When you have to spend your own money to get through school you learn to prioritize, and spending time, money and energy on drunkenness doesn't enhance the experience. Yeah I had classmates who got good grades, some outstanding grades, with heavy alcohol consumption. But it catches up eventually.
Alcohol doesn't help one reach any worthwhile goals as far as I can see. So . The OP isn't asking the right question.
And that is your opinion which you are completely entitled to, just as OP is entitled to make her own life choices. Simply telling someone 'It's wrong to drink' and that by trying to find a healthy balance with it she is asking 'the wrong question' is very narrowminded and doesn't help OP at all. If she had asked 'what are peoples views on drinking while losing weight' then fair enough, but as she has asked for help on how to balance alcohol intake while in a calorie deficit, your comments aren't helpful or necessary.
Of course what you paraphrased is not what I posted.
And what I posted was a response to a subsequent post in the thread.
How does one work it in? Pre-log to allocate calories to the booze setting a strict limit and then sticking to that limit. If your "friends" push you to violate your limits get different friends.
But if you believe you"have to drink" to have fun then you really need to reexamine your life. That way of thinking is not a recipe for long term success or contentment.
And I'm not a non-drinker.
To assume one cannot avoid this as a student is a wrong assumption.
I respectfully disagree, granted I did say that you were implying that it is wrong to drink, but that is definitely not a huge leap to make from what you have said. And you did say that the OP is asking the 'wrong question', which I find a bizarre statement as clearly OP knows the type of advice she would like to receive and asked the question accordingly.
Yes, if someone wants to consume alcohol they could easily work it in to their daily calories (depending on the individuals goals and calorie intake of course). Or, they increase their calorie burn to allow for extra calories to be spent where they see fit (be it alcohol or food). At no point did I say anything about friends pushing you into violating your limits, and I wholeheartedly agree with you that if that were the case OP should consider finding a different friendship group. However everything I said in my previous post was made under the assumption that OP was an adult making her own choices.
I also at no point said that I believe you have to drink to have fun. I also happen to agree with you that that way of thinking is harmful and could definitely lead to further problems. Alcohol shouldn't be seen purely the only way to have fun, however if OP is an adult and decides that she would like to have a drink or two at a social gathering, then there is no harm in that, and that is what I was trying to help her with.
I also at no point said that you cannot avoid alcohol as a student. I myself was a non drinker for 6 months while at university due to wanting to lose weight and make healthier choices so I know it can be done. However it is definitely a personal choice, and while OP may want to consider giving up alcohol for her own person reasons, it isn't particularly helpful to her original questions.0 -
I have a glass of wine several times a week. I just make it fit into my calories !0
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