Can you get drunk and still lose weight?

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  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
    I said it's a sign, not a diagnosis, worthy of examination of the relationship with alcohol. Whenever a patient tells me they will delay needed meds so they can drink, I have a discussion about priorities. Maybe it's significant, maybe not. But the possibity should be addressed. No harm done to think about it.
  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
    And in this case, the OP states that it is linked to undesirable behavior. It doesn't have be an addiction to be a problem. There are likely multiple issues linked to the blowouts.

    Jerry, if you are out of control with binge eating, I relate to that. I need to avoid sugar rather than alcohol, and I've had to deal with emotional triggers too. I can't keep the stuff in my house. Everyone is unique. However, if you are serious about your health, you know what you have to do. Nothing will change unless you want the healthy goal more than you want the undesirable behavior, bottom line. You might need a support group or counseling, because overeating often has deep roots.

    To the critic, this is generic advice. I don't know what's going on in Jerry's head. But to solve the issue, Jerry needs to take a close look inside to figure it out. It's definitely not anything we can fix on this board.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    The struggle is real
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    When I log my drinks and stay in a deficit, yes.

    Right now I'm not logging my drinks. Just got out of a relationship and I'm drinking up and going out. And no-I am definitely not losing weight lol.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
    For very rare occasions like my birthday, I don't log and just enjoy myself. But then again, when I was 19 and over 200lbs I could drink like a BEAST and often got blackout drunk and am soooo over that now (especially how it made my body feel). I don't enjoy being anything more than tipsy anymore - and losing 50lbs 2 years ago made me such a lightweight anyway.

    If I'm mixing the drinks myself, I pour out single shots of vodka into diet sprite mixed with water and Mio/Crystal Light :). Each drink is roughly 64 cals IIRC?

    When I go out, I get gin and diet tonic with lime, or vodka and Coke Zero, etc.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited May 2016
    I've done some experiments on this topic, purely for science, and I can safely say getting drunk on the reg makes it quite a bit harder to lose weight. Alcohol has a lot of calories, in general. Also people tend to eat more when they're tipsy.
  • ticklepocket
    ticklepocket Posts: 36 Member
    There is an awesome website called Get Drunk Not Fat http://getdrunknotfat.com/ that has detailed sortable information on the carbs and calories in various kinds of alcohol. So you could use that as a guide...

    That being said, I have found the way drinking torpedoes my weight loss is not so much in the added calories from the drinks themselves but more in the (often spectacularly) bad food choices I make while out drinking.

    My experience: I cannot lose weight unless I completely abstain from all alcohol. That sucks but it is the truth for me.

    Another consideration is age. I am 60 and if I had a month I could tell you all the ways that metabolism changes as you get older, none of them for the better. Habits that you can get away with when you are 20 will really clobber you 10 or 20+ years down the road. So I suggest that you form good habits now. Anything past a glass of wine with dinner is probably not your friend. Sorry.
  • fitnessjustin01
    fitnessjustin01 Posts: 239 Member
    A random night out in the town isn't going to stop you from losing weight if you have a healthy life style outside of that. Go enjoy a night with your friends!
  • rmullins16
    rmullins16 Posts: 12 Member
    Not only is it still calories. ..it takes away motivation the next day. Plus who eats healthy after a night of drinking? I believe in cheat days sparingly..cause who wants a boring diet life. But it does affect the diet plan
  • all_in_the_game
    all_in_the_game Posts: 39 Member
    http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20670897,00.html
    It summarizes a Harvard study that found out 4 ways to lose weight without going dry for the weekend.
    There is no miracle drug here, just a fair amount of advice on drinking moderately and knowing what type of alcohol to consume. Keep your beers dark and your wines light. Eat before drinking or at least order your food before you order your drink so in that momentary lapse of reason you do not end up with a fried steak. Order something rich in protein and fiber and a small amount of dark chocolate.
  • emz_1993
    emz_1993 Posts: 96 Member
    Witchdoctor58 wrote: »
    If you are debating about whether you can stop, and you know it is interfering with your life, this is a strong sign that you may be an alcoholic. Sorry to be so blunt, but as a doctor I hear this story all the time. You need to so some heavy consideration of your relationship to alcohol, and decide what you are going to do about it.

    I drink like twice a month I'm not an alcholic.
  • emz_1993
    emz_1993 Posts: 96 Member
    randomtai wrote: »
    Witchdoctor58 wrote: »
    If you are debating about whether you can stop, and you know it is interfering with your life, this is a strong sign that you may be an alcoholic. Sorry to be so blunt, but as a doctor I hear this story all the time. You need to so some heavy consideration of your relationship to alcohol, and decide what you are going to do about it.

    That's a lot of assumption and projection from one post.

    Thank you!

  • emz_1993
    emz_1993 Posts: 96 Member
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    I have blow outs once in a while. More than the alcohol, it's the late night rampage...Mexican food (nachos), ice cream, a nd whatever else. The alcohol itself doesn't do much, I don't think. It's the inhibitions that lower my control over food. And it turns into a pig out. If I could calm the food problem, I don't think my occasional drinking binges would be problematic.

    I'm the same way the drunken food choices aren't the best.. Neither are the hung over ones!
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
    You can still drink and lose weight. I've noticed that it does stall my weight loss, but that has nothing to do with alcohol and everything to do with what I've been eating - more specifically, eating a boatload of carbs and high-sodium foods. YMMV, but I log poorly - or not at all - if I've had something to drink. I'm pretty sure I've been guilty of wiping out my week's deficit because of foods I've eaten after a drink or two. Add in the drinks themselves and perhaps not drinking enough water in-between...

    Yeah. I say you should certainly enjoy yourself, but be mindful that other factors may halt weight loss a tad. Just enjoy it and pick up the next day :smile:

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