Alcohol

katieelizabethm713

I'm curious about any success stories about weight loss from quitting drinking alcohol? I have the habit of drinking a couple or more glasses of wine a night and I decided to quit yesterday. Need to stay strong.

elisa123gal

you'll hear all over the place here…that quitting is good because you cut those calories and being buzzed leads to munching and losing will power. But.. calories are calories..and if you figured those into your daily deficit..you'd still lose. I've read threads where many have lost and still drink.

katieelizabethm713

Haha I don't have the willpower to contain myself from snacking when I drink. So quitting completely will help the most ☺️

summeroflove99

I've found that giving up alcohol (January) and cutting down (Feb onwards) has made a huge difference. For me, it's not so much the calories from the alcohol (although they are factor) but more the fact that I tend to get the munchies when I drink and then all my good intentions are forgotten whilst I raid the fridge for snacks! This doesn't tend to happen as much when I'm sober so for the first time in years I'm really getting there. Only 10lbs more to go! Good luck. I hope it works for you too

poteatkd

I believe cutting most of my drinking has helped me tremendously.

I still fit one in every now and then, but one or two is enough to suffice when visiting with people.

In fact, one of the reasons I started MFP is to help with alcohol consumption. I feel so much better.

*cheers*

pdxwine

When I first started with MFP, I gave up wine (tough to do, since I am in the wine business). I did not consume (I did taste and spit on the job) for eight months.

I am sure that this did help my weight loss.

After that time, I added wine back in, on a daily basis. I allow myself one glass of wine ( 5 ounces) before dinner and one with dinner.

calmandpeaceful

Thank you all. I am also in that place right now. I will be working with a hypnotherapist to help me cut down on my habit of wine every night. I'm not doing well on my iwn. It's due to prior stress the I just kept up the habit and am reDy to reduce or quit fir health and weight loss reasind
How did you break your habit?

vanessalillian82

I have friends who have found success simply by not drinking their calories, alcohol or otherwise. Milky/sugary coffee and tea, juices, milkshakes, hot chocolates, alcoholic beverages, thickshakes, soft drink/soda/pop - they're all really fast ways to consume calories we don't need, and usually with limited nutritional benefit. The difference with alcohol is that we tend to be holding a glass in one hand and snacking with the other!

Unfortunately for me I pretty much only drink alcohol when we go out for dinner (every week or two), and I already only drink water and black and green tea on a normal day, so I'm not going to lose a noticeable amount of weight by cutting alcohol But if you're consuming liquid calories daily then cutting them out will probably make a difference to you.

Good luck!

DeanneScott2

I stopped drinking wine in January. I was a Friday night drinker and had been doing that for more years then I could remember. That would then cause me to be hung over on Saturday and drink huge amounts of soft drink and to eat badly.

One day I just decided I didn't want to anymore. The first weekend was hard, but I just made sure I had something planned to distract me at the time I would normally have a drink. Then I started to exercise and would exercise instead. Lucky for me exercise takes away any thoughts of having a drink.

Good luck

Naturelovingmonkey

There's always herbal tea.....
Not the same but quenches the thirst and hunger

CraigCooke

katieelizabethm713 wrote: »

I'm curious about any success stories about weight loss from quitting drinking alcohol? I have the habit of drinking a couple or more glasses of wine a night and I decided to quit yesterday. Need to stay strong.

I stopped drinking, not much other change...lost 28 lbs within about 3 months...

75in2013

No need to quit alcohol if you can stay within your calorie goal.

Unless you drink unhealthy ammounts. Then you should obviously quit, but not for weight loss reasons.

flowerhouse

I don't drink much anyway but do find that if I do then I get serious munchies...

Look at what type of alcohol you drink e.g. Gin & slimline tonic is way less calories than a pint of Guinness or large glass of wine

I sometimes drink sparkling water in wine glass - makes my brain think I have a glass of prosecco

Try to stick to your calorie goal

motivatedmartha

Many will hate this but I started to mix my red wine with water to reduce the number of calories. I did this because I found it hard to find another drink to accompany dinner which wasn't either too sweet or too sharp. I just added a dash at first (also helps if the wine you've opened is a bit screechy) but over time I am now unable to drink wine that is stronger than 50:50! Nowadays I only drink wine when out and it's no longer a calorie issue but I have to ask for a glass of non iced water so I can still dilute it

katieelizabethm713

motivatedmartha wrote: »

Many will hate this but I started to mix my red wine with water to reduce the number of calories. I did this because I found it hard to find another drink to accompany dinner which wasn't either too sweet or too sharp. I just added a dash at first (also helps if the wine you've opened is a bit screechy) but over time I am now unable to drink wine that is stronger than 50:50! Nowadays I only drink wine when out and it's no longer a calorie issue but I have to ask for a glass of non iced water so I can still dilute it

Funny you say that because I've always drank red wine with ice...so the ice usually dilutes it down a significant amount haha doesn't taste too bad!

katieelizabethm713

CraigCooke wrote: »

katieelizabethm713 wrote: »

I'm curious about any success stories about weight loss from quitting drinking alcohol? I have the habit of drinking a couple or more glasses of wine a night and I decided to quit yesterday. Need to stay strong.

I stopped drinking, not much other change...lost 28 lbs within about 3 months...

That's amazing!

KANGOOJUMPS

I drink every weekend, but work my butt off hard every day and burn 1000 calories. It works for me.

Sweetiepiestef

Hey there! I too love the wine and a bit too much! Anyways I decided to really give it a shot of giving it up 12/01/2015. I have lost 30 lbs but I did go to the gym to distract myself every day so that may have something to do with it. I have now added Wine back in a little bit more the last two weeks but am still steadily losing because I make sure I do not snack and that I am still at a deficit. Hope this helps!

katieelizabethm713

Sweetiepiestef wrote: »

Hey there! I too love the wine and a bit too much! Anyways I decided to really give it a shot of giving it up 12/01/2015. I have lost 30 lbs but I did go to the gym to distract myself every day so that may have something to do with it. I have now added Wine back in a little bit more the last two weeks but am still steadily losing because I make sure I do not snack and that I am still at a deficit. Hope this helps!

Wow this really helps!!

JenPass1977

I haven't quit entirely but I don't drink now Monday - Friday afternoon...unless there is a planned event. I try to make plans in the evenings like taking my kids to visit my parents, or going to an exercise class - something that passes the time and doesn't normally revolve around drinking. I also put the kettle on as soon as I get in from work as I don't fancy a glass of wine when I have had a hot drink. Good luck! x

aft85

I try to budget alcohol with exercise calories, because it's not feasible to get a bottle of wine into 1200 calories.

calmandpeaceful

These are some very good pointers. Thank you! I start with with the hypnotherapist on Monday night.

epeart11

You can do it! Its hard but you can make it through. It is extra calories that you do not need when going on a weight loss journey.

bezza666

Giving up alcohol is the best think I have ever done. Do it!!

janesremedy87

I have quit alcohol for two months in the beginning of this year. Didn't really see a change besides Feeling better on Saturday Mornings

I have added it back into the diet but make sure to work it in my calorie Goal and only drink on Weekends or on planned Events. Works fine

paleviolet

I regard wine as one of life's great pleasures, and to live without it is too sad. If you budget it in you can still lose weight. I lost a stone just moderating everything - little less wine (one glass a night, or skip and have two the next night!), but also eating everything, just less of it - carbs, chocolate, whatever. That worked for five years, but now I have gained it back in the last year - it's not mysterious - stressy times and I just had a bit more wine, a bit more cheese, a second helping, and voila. So now I'm starting again (and it's kind of reassuring to know i've done it before). But just to say, you can lose weight or maintain with wine - it's just a question of balance and portions.

bradcfairchild

I heard, "wine makes you loose control so you start snacking"... I don't drink and I probably snack too much. I know that doesn't help. I'm trying to think what makes me snack too much. I mostly snack at work, so I'm probably bored or distracted, I have snacks near by, mostly nuts and dried fruit. I could remove the snacks... Ouch, that would be hard. I think changing my head is where the change needs to be made. I started using this site to estimate calories and exercise balance. I have an idea of my calorie and my exercise but I still have been hovering 10-15lbs above my ideal weight. Seems it's a battle that always needs to be fought for. BTW, Good luck! My wife use to drink general's under the table. She said she always did the stupidest stuff when drinking. So even though she would like to drink, she doesn't. She a 5'8", 129lbs, 58 year old, hottie.

sweetpea03b

I wasn't losing for a verrrrry long time. So, almost 2 weeks ago decided to stop drinking during the week. 2# down so far. It's amazing how much room is left in your day when you're not losing 200+ calories to wine. As everyone else said... its not just the alcohol calories but the snacking calories that follow. I definitely recommend it... even if you only cut it for the week days, you'll see a great difference, I'm sure.

gmcgarv71

I have recently concluded -- again -- that I need to not drink at all if I want to lose this last 10 pounds. I have cut back on drinking big time, but even one glass of something a day, and even abstaining 3-4 days a week, prevents weight loss for me. Maybe everyone is different, but for me I believe it works like this: If I'm eating a very limited amount of calories, my body NEEDS all of those calories as NUTRITION. And alcohol is empty calories. So even if I stay within my limit, I'm not getting all the nutrients and fuel I need and my body revolts.

In addition to the eating more while drinking factor (which is a pretty common occurrence for drinkers), I do think that the chemistry of alcohol affects how one's body burns fat and metabolizes food that you eat.

I haven't had alcohol for the past 3 days and I reached a new weight low today, even after having pizza and ice cream yesterday! So I truly know this, but boy is it hard for me to accept.

I do plan on trying to drink maybe once or twice a week in extreme moderation and see if that still impedes. If it does, I will cut back to once a week and if I'm still feeling like weight loss is slow, I will cut it out altogether. I do plan on drinking very moderately when I'm maintaining.

calmandpeaceful

Well, I'm starting with my hypnotherapist tomorrow - with my goal of learning to cut back on wine. It's been my crutch through difficult times. I don't need it now - life is good - but the habit is still there. I am hoping that cutting out (or cutting down) wine will help me with my weight loss.

Thank you all for sharing your stories.

samgamgee

Before last weekend I hadn't had a drink for a month for various reasons, when previously I was drinking a couple of bottles of wine a week (factored into my calorie goal). It hasn't had much effect in of itself, but I've found that I'm less likely to crave bad choices the morning after!