Wine Drinkers

calmandpeaceful

Hi all,
I'm wondering, for those of us who enjoy wine, what rules you set for yourselves, to enjoy wine but keep in control and lose the weight you need to. I've been overdoing it lately as a way to cope with stress. I do know how to meditate, play piano, and will increase those activities starting today. Writing this post is helpful to me in that, it reminds me I do have those good, healthy tools. Unfortunately, my biggest and most effective stress relievers (walking, yoga, tennis) are not available to me because I have a severe herniated disc and broken foot. I'm healing slowly...and hoping to start back after Christmas.

My own stress ebbs and flows - four teenage daughters with mostly typical issues, except for my youngest. She is 16 years old and is extremely mentally ill (although you wouldn't know it from looking at her). Since March she's been hospitalized for suicidation, group therapied for risky behavior, in individual therapy, psychiatric work, etc...... and yesterday she had a 5 hour operation for 21 cavities. We have to go back, because they did not get them all. It's hard, and at the end of a long day, wine is my treat. But not a good choice because I drink too much of it to relax.

So - and advice (and please no judgement - yesterday was Loooooong and I couldn't take that right now). Because of all we've been through as a family with our daughter (it's been going on since she was 4) I've been to a therapist, and it's not an AA issue.

What I am really wondering how people manage a love of the evening glass of wine and make sure it's not glassES....which leads to late night snacking for me.
Thanks

kristen8000

I tend to fit wine in when I want it. I do know though that to lose/maintain my weight I can't drink the whole bottle...I can though fit in a nice 5oz glass or 2. But I also have to tell myself that I either eat or drink. There is no both. I have to pick. My goal to lose/maintain my weight is stronger than the want to drink and eat...

Dnarules

I love wine, but I also realized I was starting to drink too many glasses. So I now pre-log it, and measure it out. And that is all I get to have. I make room for it every day, but I obviously have to give up other things to include it every day. I rarely snack, or eat dessert, after dinner. Pre-logging and pre-measuring has really helped.

GettingFit5551

I usually have a glass of red wine every night and I measure it and usually do a 1/2 hour walk over my lunch to make up for the wine. I know you don't have that option right now, but that is what I usually do and I usually try not to exceed 1 glass per night.

kimny72

I personally enjoy wine (among other adult beverages) but have never had an issue limiting myself to appropriate amounts of alcohol, so I'm coming to this from the perspective of generic habit change.

It seems like you have already determined that a lot of the problem is stress, and you already have a couple of alternatives in mind. Can you leave a post-it where you keep the wine reminding you to only have one glass? Or even a list of other things you could do rather than have glass #2?

Symbols work better for some people, do you have a small item that will remind you why you don't want to over-indulge?

After enjoying your 1 allowed glass, try making yourself a cup of tea or chew a piece of gum or brush your teeth.

If you aren't consistently logging your food, this might help a lot. I pre-log everything before I eat or drink it. So if I have glass of something, or a couple of cookies, and I start thinking about having more, I pick up my phone and log it so I can see what it does to my numbers. Usually this works and I un-log it and move on. Sometimes it doesn't work and that's okay because no one's perfect. :drinker:

COGypsy

Pre-logging and measuring it out is what has helped me most. In my mind, that makes wine just a thing I consume during the day, no different than the potatoes I had with dinner. If it's just a glass in the evening, I also try to have it separately from anything else, usually after dinner, so that I actually enjoy the wine instead of it just being a liquid I consume while I zap and eat my dinner, open the mail, pack my lunch, etc.

jesspen91

Do you have to have wine in the house? I can take or leave wine and usually only have it in a restaurant with a meal but my big weakness is craft beer.

I do not keep beer in the house so if I really want one I have to walk to the pub (which gives me a few exercise calories and space to clear my head) and once I am there it is easy to limit myself to one because I don't want to spend the money. Obviously you have to have the freedom to do this, I don't know if you live within walking distance of a pub and whether your daughter can be left alone but it might be something to consider.

dbanks80

I love wine and I love getting the relaxed buzz from it. But for ME to get that buzz I would have to drink a bottle. After that I typically cannot stop there and then comes the bad eating. So I have to refrain altogether. When life throws curve balls at me I find exercise and prayer helps me the most.

I know you can't exercise right now but if you can practice self control just have a couple glasses and pour the rest in the drain (yes I know that is alcohol abuse) but if u can't completely cut out wine that yeah throw the rest away.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Yeah, pre-log and measure. I like boxes of wine because I don't feel like I have to finish a bottle.

I don't know where you live (I live in CO), but uh, can you smoke weed instead? It doesn't have any calories as long as you don't overeat afterwards.

But good for you for putting in all the effort for your daughter.

MegaMooseEsq

I'm afraid I'm another one in the "no more wine at home" camp. Not to say that it's the only way to go by any means, just that it's the only way I found that works for me. I switched to beer and hard cider, which I don't like as much as wine, but have a much, much easier time sticking to just one or two, or passing on entirely. If I do get a bottle of wine, it's with the understanding that I will probably drink it all, so I work that into my calories (usually by calling it a maintenance day). I'm pretty good having a glass or two at a restaurant with a meal, but having it at home just didn't work for me, I'm sad to say.

tjones0411

I love good red wine. Unfortunately for me, my tastes in what is "good" also equals pricey. However, spending $$ on a good bottle and forcing myself to spread it over 2 days (I enjoy my wine in 2 glass increments) allows me to not only enjoy it longer, but also fits my calorie goals.

KANGOOJUMPS

I open a bottle and drink the whole thing and ENJOY IT!, I work hard during the week, I like to have fun.

NorthCascades

I really like Lost River Winery's Community Red. Have to drive about 200 miles to buy it. Moderation takes care of itself.

becky10rp

I love wine; but I've had to curtail my drinking. I now only have about 1 drink a month. My problem is when I drink, I get the munchies. Best if I just don't drink.

rsergeant79

I love my wine and couldn't be without it at the weekend
At the start of my weightloss journey I switched to spritzers so I could still have a large glass and not feel deprived
120 pounds down and maintaining while still enjoying my wine!

7lenny7

Red wine is nectar of the gods. I absolutely love it. When I have it, I fit it into my calorie budget for the day and that's it. I don't mind cutting back on food for a glass of wine, but unless I run that day, I don't have more than one.

Same thing with beer, scotch, or gin.

cmriverside

The wine won in my case.

I just stopped drinking it. If it's causing you "issues" maybe take a break for a few months. I promise you'll feel better for it.

DX2JX2

Unfortunately, 1 glass of wine at a time doesn't do it for me so I cut out drinking during the week if nothing special going on. On the rare times I do have an after work cocktail, I'll stick with a couple of fingers of scotch or bourbon neat. Much easier to sip on and have one or two drinks last the entire evening.

I do allow myself as many drinks as I want once per week but it usually works out to be the evening before my long run day so I don't get too worried about it. The long run more than cancels out the drink calories and it's generally less than 24 hours before I mentally get myself back to 'level'.

sgt1372

No more than two 5oz servings per day and only if they fit w/in my cal limit.

anitamitchell437

I reached a plateau after 25 pound loss. I cut out my daily 10-12 ounces of red wine and immediately lost 3 pounds the next week with no other changes. I always measure it and log the wine calories so that I don't go over my daily goal. Like someone said before, it's a choice of wine, food, and/or a faster weight loss. I will now hold off until the weekends or special occasions until I reach my goal weight. I know it's a struggle and I face it every day but it sure is worth it when the scale cooperates! Much luck with your journey.

13bbird13

I can't do one glass. It's easier not to do any at all. I don't have any problem keeping a few bottles in the wine rack and barely had anything to drink for the past two months, but went to a birthday party last weekend and fell off the wagon, then Monday morning someone gifted me with three single-serving bottles she had left over from another party... now I've had a couple of glasses every night this week, and I know I have to knock it off. It's not just the wine calories; for me it makes the bad eating habits start to kick back in.

NorthCascades

I act like wine has no calories. They're not printed on the bottle and I have no idea how to ballpark them. I don't drink often enough for it to matter.

Cynthia1066

Alcohol of any kind definitely stimulates the appetite, hence, the traditional "aperitif" before dinner. It helps me a bit to drink right before dinner. I'm unlikely to want another drink after dinner. Cutting out alcohol entirely would probably be a good move, but I'm not willing to feel deprived. So I just measure and record it and work my calorie intake around it.

Sunnybrooke99

I can enjoy a nice glass (or even two) of wine in the evening, but if I’m stressed and anxious, I absolutely use it to numb myself and overdo it. I have to keep my stress and anxiety under control first. Working out in the morning helps the most. I need those endorphins and the feeling of accomplishment. It also makes me just tired enough, but in a good way. I also take an over the counter mild sleeping pill ab an hour before bed. This keeps my mind from spinning, which leads to late night drinking and eating stuff I normally wouldn’t. If I plan on taking a sleeping pill, I’ll also be careful to drink minimally, and earlier.

dwilliamca

I used to drink two to three glasses per evening, but have to come to realize that it is probably the biggest contributor to my being overweight. I quit buying it and therefore quit drinking it regularly. I find that when I do get around situations where others are drinking I have a hard time stopping at 4 or even 8 ounces. Before I know it I have logged 500 calories over my 1200 per day allocation. In the long run I've found it really doesn't help my stress levels. Just a mental crutch.

DX2JX2

NorthCascades wrote: »

I act like wine has no calories. They're not printed on the bottle and I have no idea how to ballpark them. I don't drink often enough for it to matter.

In general, about 150 calories for a 5 oz pour of red (600 calories for an entire bottle). Slightly less for white.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I use the "Wine - Table, red" entry from the database. It tells me 6 oz is 127 calories.

Need2Exerc1se

My general rule (which is occasionally broken) is 1-2 glasses on weekdays, about twice that on weekends.

Dnarules

COGypsy wrote: »

Pre-logging and measuring it out is what has helped me most. In my mind, that makes wine just a thing I consume during the day, no different than the potatoes I had with dinner. If it's just a glass in the evening, I also try to have it separately from anything else, usually after dinner, so that I actually enjoy the wine instead of it just being a liquid I consume while I zap and eat my dinner, open the mail, pack my lunch, etc.

Yes, I forgot to mention this above. I also drink wine by itself and not with dinner, etc. That just makes it too hard to moderate . I will occasionally have wine if I go out to eat, but I have really cut down on that.

calmandpeaceful

Thank you all so much for your input. I do not feel so alone now. I purchased a 10 ounce thermos from Amazon - and will use that to premeasure my wine. (We use the boxed stuff). I'm also going to work harder on my own personal peace throughout the day, so life's challenges don't come barreling down at night, when my seratonin is lower (as is all of ours). Blessings and thanks.

MegaMooseEsq

DX2JX2 wrote: »

Unfortunately, 1 glass of wine at a time doesn't do it for me so I cut out drinking during the week if nothing special going on. On the rare times I do have an after work cocktail, I'll stick with a couple of fingers of scotch or bourbon neat. Much easier to sip on and have one or two drinks last the entire evening.

I do allow myself as many drinks as I want once per week but it usually works out to be the evening before my long run day so I don't get too worried about it. The long run more than cancels out the drink calories and it's generally less than 24 hours before I mentally get myself back to 'level'.

Excellent motivation for me to get to the point where my long run can legitimately called "long"!

Also, I know this is somewhat tangential to the point of the forum, but I grew up in California wine country and I've been so stressed out and upset this week with family being evacuated from all over that region that I'm considering going out this weekend and drinking an entire bottle of Napa Valley red. Cheers, y'all.