Alcohol had to go

emilysusana

I don't know why it took me so long to take alcohol completely out of the equation... I now realize it was the main obstacle to transforming my body. I have dieted, counted, done workout program after workout program... I've never been able to stick to it completely. I've struggled to limit my calories to fit my goals, despite eating an incredibly well-balanced diet other than the alcohol. I've had a suspicion that it was alcohol that was sinking me for a long time... But it just seemed sad to me to give up that part of my life. My husband and I are kind of wine and beer snobs. We would have something with dinner, include alcohol in our celebrations, etc. But when I chose to limit alcohol to what would fit in my daily calorie intake, it never really worked. I'd budget for that glass of wine but end up drinking two. Or that beer at the restaurant would make the cheese curds call my name... Or I'd resolve to have only 3 drinks a week and every week would end up being an "exception" because you can always find special circumstances when you're looking for them. I finally decided to cut it out, completely, for six months (I've taken a month off here or there, but always resumed old habits after). Now I've been dry for about 6 weeks and down about 10 pounds in that time. I feel so good and am fully committed to staying dry for 6 months before reevaluating. I'm not saying everyone needs to cut out alcohol, because not everyone falls on the "problem drinker" spectrum as I'm sure that I do. But here are all the ways it has helped me finally turn things around in the right direction:

1. I get to eat all of my calories since I'm not drinking any.
2. Alcohol makes me want more alcohol.
3. Alcohol makes me make bad food choices.
3. Even one drink at night makes me feel less like working out in the morning
4. It's no fun to splurge on alcohol and have to skip dessert.
5. This is ACTUALLY WORKING, while nothing else has.

I am not sure whether or not at the end of 6 months, if I've reached the weight and shape I want to maintain, I will try to incorporate the celebratory glass of wine or special occasion beer tasting. It could work, perhaps. But what I know now is this DOES work for me. I feel better than I did while drinking and I feel happier.

fr33sia12

I've given up alcohol now for 5 months. I've lost 38lbs. I know I wouldn't have lost as much if I'd have kept drinking alcohol. I can't limit myself to just one glass, I thought what's the point in just one glass. Plus I know when I drink I eat more and end up giving up on counting. I do miss it on occasion, and will probably have the odd social drink (especially at Christmas) but on those days I will exercise more. I haven't just given up alcohol to lose weight though, I want to be more healthy and alcohol doesn't fit into that.

dragon_girl26

I love my occasional glass of wine or beer, but I find I don't want to drink nearly as much as I used to. It's kind of a trigger for me, anyway, since I start binge eating when I drink too much. It's not the reason I didn't lose weight, but by cutting down the amount I drank, I cut calories not only from that, but the binges as well.

Fitgirllife72

I feel like i could have written this post @emilysusana. I have given up drinking for all the exact same reasons you have listed. My weight loss is consistent now and I feel great. To get the physique I want I finally resigned myself to the fact that it had to go.

elisa123gal

Good talk. This is my latest and last struggle.. my situation mirrors yours.. My husband and I enjoy our cocktail hour. fine wine, champagne.. you name it. The past few weeks I've cut down considerably.. and just trying to make the leap to not drink at all during the week. It is hard when you associate a glass of wine with your husband as a nice start to the evening at home. It is just breaking that habit.

emilysusana

elisa123gal wrote: »

Good talk. This is my latest and last struggle.. my situation mirrors yours.. My husband and I enjoy our cocktail hour. fine wine, champagne.. you name it. The past few weeks I've cut down considerably.. and just trying to make the leap to not drink at all during the week. It is hard when you associate a glass of wine with your husband as a nice start to the evening at home. It is just breaking that habit.

Right, for me, too, alcohol was the cue for my body to start relaxing... For so long, giving that up sounded like a lifestyle choice that would make me miserable. But I've realized it was just an association, a cue... It just had to be broken. Now, after we get the kids to bed, I grab some sparkling water and maybe some slow churned ice cream or popcorn, and there I am, relaxing.

I thought I would really miss it, but seeing these results and realizing that I fell substantively better (physically, and and mentally), is a new feeling filling that void. I set my 100% non-negotiable dry period to 6 months purposely because it include the holidays. I will think long and hard about whether I can make a small place for alcohol in my life, and in what capacity, after that.

GYATagain

Ah, yes, the old devil alcohol. I struggled with that concept also and almost 4 years ago now, I did give it up for almost a whole year. I truly felt I needed to rethink, retrain, and reassign my relaxing time. Now, I will have a grey goose/soda/lime maybe once a week on Friday evening (only 1). And 1 glass of a nice wine either Saturday evening or Sunday at dinner with our kids - (kids all grown and married, so not with "little" ones) It did take quite a while to put it away and be able to reassign it a place in my life. Prior to that, I could make a large bottle of goose disappear within one week or even a whole bottle (by myself) of a nice wine. Problem drinking, anyone? Could Not get my weight to go where I wanted. It is so much easier now to say no thank you, or just not drink it if it is not going to fit into my day. Before, nope - I drank it and then some and then ate ALL the nachos...lol. It truly is one of the best ways I have helped myself. AND I FEEL so much Better - my mornings are not foggy and I actually have a spring in my step when I hit that office door at 6:30 a.m.

sgt1372

I've pretty much alcohol free for the past 5 months but had 2 beers at a food festival this past weekend. Had to row 20 mins when I got home to offset the approx 240 empty cals consumed.

Lesson learned: The less I drink, the less I have to workout to pay for it later.

ahoy_m8

Thanks for posting, OP. Your insight is really timely for our household, and I appreciate it.

DH and I have a pattern like you described. I don't drink during the week (he does), but it's not Friday if we're not shaking up something to kick off the weekend. It's that "relaxing cue"--so well said. Anyhoo, DH decided to cut all alcohol for a month, spurred by a medication he is starting short term. I know how hard it is to abstain when a spouse is enjoying a glass of something (since he mercilessly tried to get me to "start the weekend early" when I quit drinking weeknights--grrr), so in solidarity (unreciprocated, I might add ) I've cut it too. We're interested in exploring ways to reframe that sense of occasion that a drink signals for us and to change our pattern long term. I've quit alcohol for 6 weeks (Lent) a couple times, but I never had a goal of a long term pattern change. Those years I probably hit it pretty hard when Lent ended, TBH.

It's encouraging to hear how others made the change and that "filling the void" worked out to be more satisfying.

violamegan

So great! This gives me a lot of hope and encouragement. I've been alcohol free for two weeks now and haven't seen the scale go down yet. Wondering if your body went through the same thing? Did you start losing right away?

jo_nz

My DH and I have generally replaced our evening glass (or two) of wine with tea drinking. We bought a new teapot and tried several different kinds of tea.
The other upside is that having a hot drink curbs my need for evening snacks (mostly).

We are heading into summer here so I am not sure how that will carry on (might have to try some iced teas), but it has been great for us.

sgt1372

Use to drink 2-3 sodas AND 2-3 beers a day. Lost weight quickly just by cutting that out.

Still have an occasional glass of wine or beer but totally eliminated sodas. Otherwise, I just drink water when thirsty (or w/meals, which substantially reduces the bill).

Rocknut53

I cut out alcohol as well. There is info on here about alcohol and how it messes with weight loss. In addition to the empty calories, because your body can't store alcohol it will metabolize it before anything else. Knowing that made it easy for me to forego my beer and wine.

sharunza

Good post. I cut out alcohol on Oct 1 for Sober October. I sleep better, I'm losing weight, and I'm not snacking at night.

Even though it's had nothing but positive effects, I still look forward to a point in the future when I can drink again. What the hell?

Queenmunchy

I recently cut alcohol too, but my husband hasn't. I'm back in the gym because I have more time to spare, and I'm running around to places nonstop just because I'm trying to kill time.

I absolutely need to find another outlet or hobby.

SisterSueGetsFit

I too have cut out booze. I had originally quit for 10 weeks at the beginning of the year and lost about 25 pounds in that time. Recently I noticed I've been drinking too much again and plateauing in my weight loss. My plan is to abstain completely except for possibly a few glasses of wine on Christmas and Thanksgiving. I will then participate in dry January for the second year in a row. Good luck, if it's easier!

spikeygirl19

This is so motivating, thanks!

kimm40p

Boost.

Sabine_Stroehm

Tagging to follow. You guys are awesome.

aimeelee76

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I love wine too and my hubby and I always have drinks. I did not have any during the week this week. Giving that up then gonna give it up on the weekends. I hope I see a change in my weight loss as well by doing that. Reading everyone's stories are inspiring.

kshama2001

emilysusana wrote: »

...

1. I get to eat all of my calories since I'm not drinking any.
2. Alcohol makes me want more alcohol.
3. Alcohol makes me make bad food choices.
3. Even one drink at night makes me feel less like working out in the morning
4. It's no fun to splurge on alcohol and have to skip dessert.
5. This is ACTUALLY WORKING, while nothing else has.

I am not sure whether or not at the end of 6 months, if I've reached the weight and shape I want to maintain, I will try to incorporate the celebratory glass of wine or special occasion beer tasting. It could work, perhaps. But what I know now is this DOES work for me. I feel better than I did while drinking and I feel happier.

I could have written your 1-5!

I do have the occasional glass of wine, once a month or so.

nowine4me

With one night's exception, I can count the drinks I've had in the past 6 months on one hand. Coincidentally (or not) the same time frame where I started making some really significant progress. Do I miss drinking? Yes. Am I'm happier being sober and 40 pound lighter. YES!

lissmayer

**clears throat**
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/study-why-pot-smokers-are-skinnier/275846/

Lynzdee18

Yes. Me too.

I gave up wine. And margaritas. Yes, it was hard. Been 15 months. Finally I can have a glass now and then and not need to finish the bottle.

I'd rather eat my calories.

And yes, if I drink, I gave myself permission eat more junk. Vicious circle.

applesandtapeline

Great post! Refreshing!
Alcohol is a poison, just like sugar, both cause addiction and are the culprit of many health problems.
Wishing more people to get on with the programme.

emilysusana

I think it has been about 3 months now for me now and I have lost 16 pounds. I'm hitting everything else hard, too, but cutting out alcohol was the real game-changer. Actually, I'm just noticing that I can't even remember my start date, for when I cut it out. I promised myself to go six months at least... I'm starting to think about whether or not I should go longer, or if I reintroduce alcohol, with what guidelines. Because right now, I remember that I love to drink, but I can't actually remember why!

elleelle03

It's been about 3 weeks for me and no alcohol, my goal being Halloween. Heavy weekend drinker and I can actually say when I drink I don't eat, not so in my younger years. The next day I'm a few pounds down but that's always due to dehydration and regardless of a headache or not I'm sluggish with no energy so no exercise and I don't crave an apple or salad always something heavy with gravy or grease. For that reason I'm working on changes, maybe I'll have the occasional drink and maybe not. Now waking with clarity, energy and no guilt on the weekends is my motivator.

kristinak48

I'm 10 days alcohol free! I hope being able to stick with it the same way you have. It's made me feel a lot better and a whole lot healthier!! Way to go!!!!!!!!

ndj1979

applesandtapeline wrote: »

Great post! Refreshing!
Alcohol is a poison, just like sugar, both cause addiction and are the culprit of many health problems.
Wishing more people to get on with the programme.

LOL, this post is so wrong on so many levels..

I drink on weekends only and have not had an issue with it impacting my goals but I am glad that you found something that works for you, OP.

mkdm291

Such a timely post for me! I've been on and off this site a long time. I just started back this week. One of my main promises to myself was "no more drinking"... the wine after a bad day at work was killing my goals, and I would give up. SO..... my last glass of wine was Saturday night.
As I was just sitting at my desk on a cold, rainy day I was thinking about how nice a glass of red would be. Although .. that would follow with another. And one more. Wasted calories.
SO anyway.. thanks for the motivation! I think some can handle fitting the alcohol into their calorie limit. It just has not worked for me that way.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Ugh. I've been trying to get myself to make this decision too. I don't "allow" myself sugared soda, or much juice because I feel like it's a "waste" of calories. Why do I allow myself alcohol? Especially in quantities that have very little effect (no buzz)? If I'm just having one beer at dinner, how is that different than a grape soda?