Blame it on the alcohol

coffintop

Honestly going out on the weekends is ruining my calorie goals. When I drink I just eat whatever and don't care about keeping track of my calories. I tried not going out for a while but that only made me feel lonely and overeat so it doesn't really matter what I do I'm doomed. How do you keep a social life while counting calories ?

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Eat under calories all week and save them for weekends.

I can easy be 1000 calories over on a Saturday and Sunday but I'll be under net calories for the week still.

It might be that yo can't do this if your calorie goal is very low or you can't work out to create a deficit. If that is the case you have to decide which is more important to you or maybe go out one weekend not the next.

tiptoethruthetulips

Go out with friends but be the designated driver?

Moderate what you drink? Start with water or soda water, then depending on your alcohol of choice do half nips, wine spritzers or drink one glass of water for your one glass of your alcohol of choice.

Only take enough money for a couple of drinks??

size102b

Alcohol is like food it can be a comfort etc
As said cut back on weekly calories and make sure you know how many drinks your having to log

leannemroberts

coffintop wrote: »

Honestly going out on the weekends is ruining my calorie goals. When I drink I just eat whatever and don't care about keeping track of my calories. I tried not going out for a while but that only made me feel lonely and overeat so it doesn't really matter what I do I'm doomed. How do you keep a social life while counting calories ?

leannemroberts

Try vodka n having something yummy premade before you go out so u eat that when u get back...and/or make sure u do some exercise to counter act some of the calories- damage limitation. But im with you on this one weve gotta be happy.

BaddS4

You should always have a cheat day.. Not go overboard of course but have a few extra drinks etc.. I find if you don't do that for yourself, when you do actually get around to it you'll binge right out... Not good... When I go out I treat myself... Why not! You've have a stellar week and you deserve it!! Booze that won't hurt your calories. Vodka with soda water and lemon, red wine, low carb beer... I drank that and dropped 90 pounds!!

kq1981

I drank last night, low carb beer was great helping me stay under calorie. I drank 9 beers, had dinner, a small lunch and went for a long walk so I Cld eat extra calories (or drink extra calories). I ate fruit wen I got home as per someone's help on mfp wen I drunk posted saying I want to eat everything and it's gonna get ugly lol

phill_143

Moderation and eating/drinking what you enjoy, within your calorie limit, is the most frequently given recommendation in these forums.

It's very sensible advice. Personally, I find it easier to entirely avoid certain items instead than try to enjoy in moderation.
I'm not having any alcohol in the 4-months ahead of getting married (it's proving great for the skin as well as calorie count!).

It's not changed my social life. I'm still going out to restaurants/pubs/bars a few times a week - just not drinking alcohol.
It doesn't have to be a big deal - the idea of 'dry January' and things like that are popular enough that no one thinks it's weird when you casually mention that you're not drinking this month (I'm in a generally car-less area, so there's no designated driver concept here).

Most places do non-alcoholic cocktails - and I think 'becks blue' (for example) is a very acceptable non-alcoholic beer.

We also tend to go to BYOB restaurants - which I'd very much recommend. That way, I can just take non-alcoholic wine instead of regular - and tend to find that without the alcohol making me hungrier, I can skip the starter and dessert without any problems.

coffintop

@phill_143 as I am a 19 year old student in a country that's big on it's alcohol culture, I don't tend to go to restaurants to drink it is pretty uncommon for people around me not to drink and some people didn't even wanna go out with me when I said I wasn't drinking. It's also less fun for me.

coffintop

Thank you all for advice! I'm gonna cut back on my calories on week days if I can and if not I'll just work out and prep some food for when I come back home from parties because that's something I struggle with.

sijomial

You can drink without getting drunk or drinking "too much".
It's part of growing up to realise the best nights out don't end up face down in the gutter or face down in a doner kebab and chips. Not having a hangover next day is a bonus too.
Took me quite a while to learn and it was quite amusing (sometimes terrifying) to watch my kids go through the same learning process.

One of the worst habits around at the moment is preloading your alcohol before you go out. Make drink part of your social life rather than an end in itself. Don't be a sheep, drink at the pace you want to rather than be driven by the crowd.

You aren't doomed, you just have to make a choice and it's not just drink/don't drink - there's a happy (tipsy?) middle ground too.
If the goals on your profile page are really important to you then the choice is clear.

dragon_girl26

I have this problem when I drink too much as well. A few margaritas, and I want All the Foods. Nothing wrong with a drink, but moderation is definitely key. Try drinking slowly, have a water or two in between, and stick with one or two drinks at most. Either that, or bank calories throughout the week.

PaulaWallaDingDong

sijomial wrote: »

You can drink without getting drunk or drinking "too much".
It's part of growing up to realise the best nights out don't end up face down in the gutter or face down in a doner kebab and chips. Not having a hangover next day is a bonus too.
Took me quite a while to learn and it was quite amusing (sometimes terrifying) to watch my kids go through the same learning process.

One of the worst habits around at the moment is preloading your alcohol before you go out. Make drink part of your social life rather than an end in itself. Don't be a sheep, drink at the pace you want to rather than be driven by the crowd.

You aren't doomed, you just have to make a choice and it's not just drink/don't drink - there's a happy (tipsy?) middle ground too.
If the goals on your profile page are really important to you then the choice is clear.

"How I know I'm not fully grown yet." I'm 33, so it should hit any time now...right?

snickerscharlie

coffintop wrote: »

@phill_143 as I am a 19 year old student in a country that's big on it's alcohol culture, I don't tend to go to restaurants to drink it is pretty uncommon for people around me not to drink and some people didn't even wanna go out with me when I said I wasn't drinking. It's also less fun for me.

For starters, get better friends.

comeonnow142857

coffintop wrote: »

@phill_143 as I am a 19 year old student in a country that's big on it's alcohol culture, I don't tend to go to restaurants to drink it is pretty uncommon for people around me not to drink and some people didn't even wanna go out with me when I said I wasn't drinking. It's also less fun for me.

I live in Ireland. RURAL Ireland (albeit working in a major town). It can be done.

CattOfTheGarage

I don't drink, I never have. I have a social life, despite living in the West of Scotland. You can't blame your habits on your friends or your culture - it's you that puts in in your mouth. I know learning moderation is a challenge (I've had to learn it with sweets/treats) - but you can do it.

Gisel2015

coffintop wrote: »

@phill_143 as I am a 19 year old student in a country that's big on it's alcohol culture, I don't tend to go to restaurants to drink it is pretty uncommon for people around me not to drink and some people didn't even wanna go out with me when I said I wasn't drinking. It's also less fun for me.

That sucks, regardless of the country or culture. Time to put your foot down and change friends.

AnnPT77

If you want to keep the iffy friends, but drinking mixed drinks would keep them off your back, you could consider a strategy I occasionally used in work/business settings where heavy drinking was expected, when I didn't want to play.

On the first round, audibly order vodka and soda with lime - or some other fizzy clear thing. Before the next round, find a way to quietly tell the server/bartender that from there on out, when you order a round (or anyone else orders one for you), you want just soda with lime, with no fanfare about it. Drink that for the rest of the evening.

If the server or bartender delivers on this, tip him/her well . . . very well. At least equal to the tips that would've been due on the same number of alcoholic drinks.

atjays

Reading your post and your responses I understand at your age and area that it's just "normal". By no means should dieting severely impact your social life. I'd recommend trying to have an extra intense gym session on those days to negate some of the calories you're going to take in. And while it may not be what you want to hear, but you should consider cutting back SOME on the drinking. At 19 I could stuff my face like crazy and didn't gain a pound. But in my early 20's my metabolism dropped like most people and the weight piles on. The alcohol further compounds weight gain because your body won't burn fat if it has alcohol to metabolize. It's just a vicious habit to get into and at a very early age no less.