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.