Giving up alcohol
Replies
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melissajmeek35 wrote: »sunnybeaches105 wrote: »melissajmeek35 wrote: »
Dude, I'm not an alcoholic. Me drinking 1-2 drinks a night doesn't affect me going to work or school everyday and it doesn't affect any of my relationships. It's just something I enjoy, like soda or junk food... Jesus.I'm sorry, but if you need tips to cut down on alcohol, you have a drinking problem. I suggest you seek help and address the reason you have to drink every night. Seriously, do it before it becomes a bigger issue. I have a couple relatives that have struggled with alcohol and I have seen the devastation is can bring.
Just because it doesn't impact your daily living doesn't mean it isn't a problem. The fact that you need help stopping suggests it is a problem.
P
Yes, you've just diagnosed this person on the internet. Congratulations, you're now a board certified internet doctor.
Lol I'm laughing at some of these comments, like yep I'm a huge alchoholic, please send me to AA.
Not sure what you are looking for then. Tips for what? If it isn't a problem, just stop doing it. Simple and problem solved. If you can't do that, then seriously get help.0 -
Wow, these posts are ridiculous. Most everyone on this site is using it as a tool to bolster their own self-control and eat properly. Most everyone has things they struggle with cutting back on, not out of an addiction, but because they like that thing. It's mind-boggling to see people suggesting that if you can't drop drinking without any negative feelings whatsoever you must seek help because you're sooo in danger. Lol! Before I got on MFP and started fixing my diet I liked to have tons of cheese every day, and it was hard to cut back. I must have a cheese addiction problem.
Maybe you can cut down to drinks with less calories if you want to stay relatively where you are. Replace full-sugar sodas with diets, replace flavored liquor with plain, etc?0 -
I started drinking for the first time just recently (late to the party lol), and I'm already in maintenance so I have some wiggle room with my calories. But even so, it's crazy how many calories are in alcohol! Maybe it's just what I'm drinking, but a smallish can of light, flavored beer is around 200 calories. Ouch. I'd focus on cutting back during the week and save it for weekends. You'd free up a lot of calories this way!0
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When I drink I like to snack too much and I can't control myself, lol! It's like all of my willpower just disappears.
You can plan and just try to drink less.
Or just plan out what day you want to drink and stick to it.
Habits get easier the more you practice.
But if you really enjoy it just work it into your calories!
Or can you look for some good low cal drink recipes?
I used to drink 5 days a week after work and I just planned to cut down and I did.
You can do whatever you want!
Good for you.0 -
I don't see a problem with having a drink after work each night at all. Just keep up with your exercises and eat fairly healthy. One glass of wine isn't going to kill your diet.
Supposed to be HAPPY and healthy anyways!!
Good luck!0 -
I'm sorry, but if you need tips to cut down on alcohol, you have a drinking problem. I suggest you seek help and address the reason you have to drink every night. Seriously, do it before it becomes a bigger issue. I have a couple relatives that have struggled with alcohol and I have seen the devastation is can bring.
addiction does NOT correlate with amount of consumption. you have NO right to label someone for having a drinking problem. I drink 5 nights sometimes more sometimes less a week. I probably SHOLDNT drink everyday but tell my 3.8 gpa in my masters program, healthy relationship with my friends, family, and husband, my grade A blood work, all my paid bills that I have a drinking problem. NOPE.0 -
RobertWorthenClary wrote: »
I gave up alcohol except for a glass of wine with a fine meal or a beer out grilling.melissajmeek35 wrote: »Okay, so I wouldn't say I have a drinking problem or anything like that. I have about 1 or 2 drinks when I get home, I have more on the weekends. I know that this is the main thing that's holding me back. I have a reasonable diet other than that. Ive seen results before when I've stopped drinking. I've been really struggling with this lately, I need to cut down my alcohol intake to once a week again. Does anyone have any tips to help me with this..
I found that my daily consumption of alcohol stifled my goals, so one day, ADIOS!
I don't miss it one bit.
Yep, this is it. Drinking is one of the things that got me overweight again, just having my 2 drinks every night. Sometimes more on the weekends. That adds up to over 15 drinks a week easily. Some of those drinks could be 200-400 calories each. So when I went into weight loss mode, I ditched all alcohol, all sodas, all fast food, etc. Once I started losing (maybe a month or more in), I would reward myself every now and again with a beer here or there. Now that I'm in maintenance I have one or two a week. But I log every drink. Every. Single. Drink. So if you want to throw a few back, I would recommend you log them accurately and then see how it's affecting your daily calories. If you are really serious about changing your life you may start to see the value in cutting back or eliminating alcohol, at least for a while.
Good luck!0 -
I'm sorry, but if you need tips to cut down on alcohol, you have a drinking problem. I suggest you seek help and address the reason you have to drink every night. Seriously, do it before it becomes a bigger issue. I have a couple relatives that have struggled with alcohol and I have seen the devastation is can bring.
addiction does NOT correlate with amount of consumption. you have NO right to label someone for having a drinking problem. I drink 5 nights sometimes more sometimes less a week. I probably SHOLDNT drink everyday but tell my 3.8 gpa in my masters program, healthy relationship with my friends, family, and husband, my grade A blood work, all my paid bills that I have a drinking problem. NOPE.
The question is: could you NOT drink for an extended period of time? My husband is a fully functioning alcoholic. Alcolhol doesn't impair his life whatsoever, but he can't go without it, not for a single day.0 -
Metabolically alcohol is not great for dieting. You will be burning alcohol when you could be burning fat. In the past I tried to diet while allowing myself a few drinks thinking I just cut back. I know there are many who can do it, but it never worked for me. There were always social reasons or stressful reasons to have a drink. And then another! If I was focused and motivated I could stop no problem, but that never lasted. This time I gave it up and it makes everything about getting healthy so much easier. Alcohol and dieting is a very slippery slope for some people, including me. You know yourself best, just don't kid yourself that having more than the occasional drink won't impact your goal to get healthy. As mentioned above, there is a point where it is just s step backwards.0
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I'm sorry, but if you need tips to cut down on alcohol, you have a drinking problem. I suggest you seek help and address the reason you have to drink every night. Seriously, do it before it becomes a bigger issue. I have a couple relatives that have struggled with alcohol and I have seen the devastation is can bring.
addiction does NOT correlate with amount of consumption. you have NO right to label someone for having a drinking problem. I drink 5 nights sometimes more sometimes less a week. I probably SHOLDNT drink everyday but tell my 3.8 gpa in my masters program, healthy relationship with my friends, family, and husband, my grade A blood work, all my paid bills that I have a drinking problem. NOPE.
The question is: could you NOT drink for an extended period of time? My husband is a fully functioning alcoholic. Alcolhol doesn't impair his life whatsoever, but he can't go without it, not for a single day.
If you fell down and hurt yourself really bad could he drive you to the ER without putting other people at risk? Alcohol will always win it may take time but it will always win..
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If you can pinpoint what part of the habit is rewarding to you and why, you can make tweaks to get that reward in other ways. For me, it's mostly the ritual and the sense that I'm treating myself. I'll sometimes pour mineral water into a nice glass with a wedge of lemon/lime/etc. It gives the sense of drinking something "special" without the calories.0
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I used to share a beer with my husband most nights. I dropped it when I realized that it was just 100 empty calories that neither my husband or I needed to have almost every night. Sucked at first, but we got over it and don't really think too much of it.
We basically only drink now on Friday evenings or on vacations or some other special event.0 -
Michael190lbs wrote: »I'm sorry, but if you need tips to cut down on alcohol, you have a drinking problem. I suggest you seek help and address the reason you have to drink every night. Seriously, do it before it becomes a bigger issue. I have a couple relatives that have struggled with alcohol and I have seen the devastation is can bring.
addiction does NOT correlate with amount of consumption. you have NO right to label someone for having a drinking problem. I drink 5 nights sometimes more sometimes less a week. I probably SHOLDNT drink everyday but tell my 3.8 gpa in my masters program, healthy relationship with my friends, family, and husband, my grade A blood work, all my paid bills that I have a drinking problem. NOPE.
The question is: could you NOT drink for an extended period of time? My husband is a fully functioning alcoholic. Alcohol doesn't impair his life whatsoever, but he can't go without it, not for a single day.
If you fell down and hurt yourself really bad could he drive you to the ER without putting other people at risk? Alcohol will always win it may take time but it will always win..
That's a good question. His consumption is typically 2-6 beers/day, enough to be impaired for driving for sure. I guess I was overstating the impairment factor. You are right, alcohol will always win.0 -
Habit does not mean physical or psychological addiction. I had a habit of drinking wine every night with my husband. Neither of us was ever impaired, hungover, drunk, etc. Honestly, I find it to be a good hunger suppressant in that hour before dinner. And I like the taste as well as the relaxation it provides.
We decided together to stop aside from weekends. I do look forward to my glass of wine on a Friday night. On weeknights, I will pour a glass of sparkling water with lemon or lime, or a diet tonic (without gin) to get the taste and the bond of drinking without the calories and alcohol. Once every few weeks, one of us will decide that a given weeknight "counts as a weekend" for one silly reason or another. I weigh it and log it and it's all good
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I haven't had a drink since Thanksgiving. I am planning on having drinks on May 20th, big fun event I'm attending, and then going back to abstinence. I have made much more progress toward my goals now that alcohol isn't a daily or weekly thing.0
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Michael190lbs wrote: »I'm sorry, but if you need tips to cut down on alcohol, you have a drinking problem. I suggest you seek help and address the reason you have to drink every night. Seriously, do it before it becomes a bigger issue. I have a couple relatives that have struggled with alcohol and I have seen the devastation is can bring.
addiction does NOT correlate with amount of consumption. you have NO right to label someone for having a drinking problem. I drink 5 nights sometimes more sometimes less a week. I probably SHOLDNT drink everyday but tell my 3.8 gpa in my masters program, healthy relationship with my friends, family, and husband, my grade A blood work, all my paid bills that I have a drinking problem. NOPE.
The question is: could you NOT drink for an extended period of time? My husband is a fully functioning alcoholic. Alcohol doesn't impair his life whatsoever, but he can't go without it, not for a single day.
If you fell down and hurt yourself really bad could he drive you to the ER without putting other people at risk? Alcohol will always win it may take time but it will always win..
That's a good question. His consumption is typically 2-6 beers/day, enough to be impaired for driving for sure. I guess I was overstating the impairment factor. You are right, alcohol will always win.
Both of my grandfathers were functioning alcoholics, one killed himself accidentally while doing car repairs while under the influence (the other died from health complications from the alcoholism/diabetes). My family is full of functioning and non-functioning alcoholics and it's heartbreaking, so sorry you have to deal with it as well!0 -
When I was trying to lose weight I had to accept I couldn't have my usual pudding or sweet treat after dinner every night (nothing huge, probably 200 calories of ice cream or a couple of biscuits with a decaf coffee) because it was calorific for how filling it was. I think maybe you could try cutting out alcohol 2 nights a week, and finding a low cal soft or hot drink you really like to have after work, or save alcohol for days you've burned more calories through activity.
I don't think it particularly matters that it's alcohol rather than like a donut or something, but if it's a calorific item that offers little in terms of satiety or nutrients you aren't getting somewhere else, you should probably look at reducing your consumption of it.0 -
I guess I have to agree, what exactly are you looking for? If you know drinking is affecting your goals, then just stop.
I personally do not drink any of my calories. It's just not worth it to me. Others may disagree.
Just do what works for you.0 -
If you can pinpoint what part of the habit is rewarding to you and why, you can make tweaks to get that reward in other ways. For me, it's mostly the ritual and the sense that I'm treating myself. I'll sometimes pour mineral water into a nice glass with a wedge of lemon/lime/etc. It gives the sense of drinking something "special" without the calories.
This. Totally agree.
I could have a drink every night when I get home from work but I know it is just that I am looking for something to signal the transition from the end of the work day to being home. A glass of wine or beer is often portrayed to signal that transition. It's not called Happy Hour for no reason! LOL
I don't want to have a drink every night for many reasons so I look for something else to signal that transition. Change my clothes, cup of tea and read the paper before starting dinner works as well. Truthfully, once that transition time (first 1/2 hour of being home) has passed I don't feel the need for any treat.
Maybe that is what is going on with you?0 -
melissajmeek35 wrote: »Ive seen results before when I've stopped drinking. I've been really struggling with this lately, I need to cut down my alcohol intake to once a week again. Does anyone have any tips to help me with this..
If you think you will lose better without the drinks and want to cut down, what makes it a struggle? Understanding that would help us give you tips and might help you think it through so you don't need them. I think being concrete about the reasons you want to do something and what the benefits are is helpful. It really shouldn't be that tough to do something you enjoy once a week vs. every evening.
One thing that helped me when I quit drinking (I quit because I needed to) was replacing the wine with something else special to drink. I'd drink sparkling water or homemade unsweetened but flavored iced tea in wine glasses. Sounds silly, but it did help.
Edit: I see others had the same idea. I feel less weird!0
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