Alcohol

lynn_glenmont

tracymegan wrote: »

Alcohol stops your metabolism while your body gets rid of the toxins. The plan I follow penalizes alcohol with 10 grams of fat in addition to varying carbs depending on the type of alcohol. Since I only get 64 grams of fat a day...I keep the alcohol under control.

You shouldn't drink at all on that plan, because your body needs fat. Alcohol is no substitute for fat. Your body can't use alcohol to store fat-soluble vitamins or to maintain your cellular structure. Limiting your fat because you're drinking alcohol is a really bad idea, especially if you're starting with a limit of 64 grams a day.

cryonic_273

If i find on a day ive hit my protein target and dont feel particularly hungry - then if i have calories left - i will allow myself a glass of wine (using those calories). On other days I might use the promise of a glass of wine as a motivator to hit a higher exercise target.

Rewarding yourself for motivation is fine - alocohol is just like fat or carbs - its calories. In terms of good dieting - alcohol is one of the best things to cut - im finding the best saving on a normal week comes from the cutting of the bottle of wine from weekend dinners. Thats a huge saving straight off without sacrificing on food.

SezxyStef

mtbusse73 wrote: »

GeologyLady8 wrote: »

riffraff2112 wrote: »

Most people here will tell you that its not a given that you have to give up alcohol. I definitely agree that one drink tends to lead to two (and on and on), and can cause you to eat more than you wanted as you lose your inhibitions and focus, but the key is to make things fit and try to enjoy your calories without giving up things that you like.

I simply place a two drink limit on myself, and drink as much water as possible. Probably not the best advice but I have never been a huge drinker anyway.

If you go out a lot, this could be a major roadblock. Good luck.

Yeah, I also just realized that whether or not avoiding alcohol calories has an impact on weight loss really depends on your size and goals. I’m a 5’3 female with a calorie goal of 1200-1400 a day, so two drinks is almost a meal for me. Also, since I’m a smaller, I have no tolerance and will exercise poor food judgment after just one or two (haha, it’s funny that’s the first inhibition I lose).

WOW...very low calorie goal. How many pounds per week are you trying to lose?

1400 isn't that low...when I started at 180 and taller to lose 1lb a week it was 1460.

GeologyLady8

mtbusse73 wrote: »

WOW...very low calorie goal. How many pounds per week are you trying to lose?

1.5-2 pounds. It’s because I’m short and female. I tell my male friends and they’re very surprised, but that’s what it calculates to. I do eat a bit more on running days.

NotGnarly

I've tried fitting alcohol into my previous weight loss attempts and it always ended in me bingeing. Thankfully now with age I find that I don't crave alcohol or see it as a requirement to have fun. Also with age I find it really screws with my blood sugar so for health reasons I pretty much rarely drink. I haven't drank in almost a year.