Should I add Alcohol calories

jenabee333

I've been counting calories for the past week and have lost 4 lbs. I began at 200 5'9" and I'm now 196. My goal is 140 but I will be happy just to get down to 160 and work from there. I work out4-5 X a week and have an active job. I'm finding it relatively easy to stay within my calorie limits but when I factor in a few drinks it's depressing to see those calories add up. Especially for wine! Do you count your alcohol calories. Can I still lose while having drinks?

nomeejerome

You can still lose weight while enjoying the cocktails, but you have to add it to the count.

jacksonpt

Um, ,why wouldn't you count them?

Sure, lots of people have success that includes drinking. You just have to balance those calories out.

And for the record, mixed drinks will generally have more cals because of whatever the mixer is. Drinking straight vodka, tequila, whatever is pretty low cal.

tmpecus78

Like this question even needs to be asked? Why do count food then ignore alcohol? :yawn:


See this is why people fail at weight loss. They don't count the empty calories of alcohol and sugary beverages. Its actually quite simple.....if you put something in your mouth (that contains calories), add in the calories.

jacksonpt

Like this question even needs to be asked? Why do count food then ignore alcohol? :yawn:


See this is why people fail at weight loss. They don't count the empty calories of alcohol and sugary beverages. Its actually quite simple.....if you put something in your mouth (that contains calories), add in the calories.

Agreed. There's no such thing as an empty calorie. Even calorie free things (especially diet drinks) often have sodium in them, which isn't something most people need to get worked up about, but shouldn't be ignored if you're struggling to see results.

0110Charlotte

You should definitely still include your drinks- they still have calories. Try to reduce drinks other than water. I try to haveonly water or green tea except on weekends when I allow myself 1 or 2 drinks other than those mentioned above. Sometimes just kicking the habit of sugary or alcoholic drinks without changing anything else in the diet can make a big difference. Calories consumed in a beverage are often (not always) empty calories. Try to save your cals for foods that can help make you feel food or offer more nutrients. Hope this helps.

JeSuisPrest

You should be counting everything you eat and drink.

micheleb15

Of course you can still lose weight and drink alcohol, but only if you account for those calories. I love Vodka and I am spending the day at a winery tomorrow. It will be within my calories, but of course I have to log it.

stefjc

Yes, do count it. I even include my alcohol (a bottle of beer) on my fasting days. It fits into my Down Day kcal allowance and I make the decision to use some of them for a non essential item.

If you can't bring yourself to log them then you need to have a bit of a re-think. You may not be doing the right diet for you. I know that I didn't start a number of them because they just didn't seem to fit with me and my life. When you find the right WOE at the right time for you it will all seem a little bit less like self torture - promise :-D

Either that or ..... for god's sake woman, get a grip, get on with it, just do it!

Whichever feels more motivating for you

jenabee333

"Like this question even needs to be asked? Why do count food then ignore alcohol? yawn


See this is why people fail at weight loss. They don't count the empty calories of alcohol and sugary beverages. Its actually quite simple.....if you put something in your mouth (that contains calories), add in the calories."

Okay. I'm new here, and I have never lost weight by counting calories before. So I'm not sure that this response was A) nice or fair.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who gave me a straight answer without the the yawn or the attitude. It is much appreciated.

AmIhealthyyet

I kept trying to drink and lose weight. I did count the calories. You really do need to track them too! I finally decide, for me, alcohol and weight loss don't work and I cut it out a couple weeks ago! More power to those who can drink and lose but alcohol brought empty calories and food binges for me!

kali31337

yes! Absolutely! Every little bit counts!!

electrokinetic

Drink shots, not wine

mayonie1

Even a chewing gum should b counted. It has 1 calorie.

LdByron10

You count everything if not your not being honest with yourself. Sure you can loose while drinking you just have to make trades. Early losses will be easier just keep working through it

Soccermavrick

You can still lose, and no one is going to tell you that you have to quit drinking, but if you are counting points, but not adding the points from drinks, who are you cheating???

jenabee333

Thanks,

I have been factoring in alcohol since I began on MFP. When I did an internet search I read a few posts from people who said they didn't, but had lost anyway. In the past I have worked out, and changed my eating habits without omitting alcohol and still lost a significant amount of weight. So I was curious what other people were doing.

My drink of choice is usually vodka and soda, so that won't be hard. The wine adds up, though! Food and wine have always been my downfalls, but I am re-learning how to cook balanced meals that taste great.

mrshoneydew

I count them for sure.

This is a very interesting website that has a lot of information about alcohol calories.
http://getdrunknotfat.com/

angelique_redhead

I had a 188 calorie mixed drink last night. You better believe I counted it since I try to eat under 1400 calories. It was a clamato bloody mary.

qtgonewild

am thankful I don't drink

PunkinSpice79

I save up for my margaritas! Lots of exercise and small meals those days. It can be done, it just takes planning. On the plus side, small meals means I feel the effects of the drinks quicker and I end up drinking less (don't want to get wasted). You'll get it. Good luck!

iamihobo

A calorie is a calorie.
Why would you not count alcohol???

linalovekitty

My drink of choice is usually vodka and soda, so that won't be hard. The wine adds up, though! Food and wine have always been my downfalls, but I am re-learning how to cook balanced meals that taste great.

Im sure I will catch hell for this, but replace the soda with water & u wont have to add in the calories from that drink. Vodka in and of itselt wont stick to u. All of my gfriends drink it that way and never count it and it works for them.

doubglass

Calories are calories. Yes you need to count alcohol. An yes you can drink and lose weight if you do it in moderation.

tmm_0127

Yes.

It can surprise you how many calories you drink in one go, and can be ~super~ helpful for you to see.

I used to not log them because I was embarrassed, but when I finally started logging them I realized I was going so far over my calorie limit with even just 2 drinks. You can really be sabotaging your progress with alcohol if you don't watch the portions / your moderation.

One glass of wine, white or red, is around 130 calories. So if you have two, that's 260. 3? 390. On and on.

HeidiCooksSupper

This article explains why some who drink lose weight and how alcohol damages digestion and nutrient absorption.

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa22.htm

Some excerpts:

" alcohol interferes with the nutritional process by affecting digestion, storage, utilization, and excretion of nutrients"

"Alcohol inhibits the breakdown of nutrients into usable molecules by decreasing secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas (2). Alcohol impairs nutrient absorption by damaging the cells lining the stomach and intestines and disabling transport of some nutrients into the blood (3). In addition, nutritional deficiencies themselves may lead to further absorption problems."

"When there is no food to supply energy, stored sugar is depleted, and the products of alcohol metabolism inhibit the formation of glucose from other compounds such as amino acids. As a result, alcohol causes the brain and other body tissue to be deprived of glucose needed for energy and function."

"when alcohol is substituted for carbohydrates, calorie for calorie, subjects tend to lose weight, indicating that they derive less energy from alcohol than from food."

"The mechanisms accounting for the apparent inefficiency in converting alcohol to energy are complex and incompletely understood, but several mechanisms have been proposed. For example, chronic drinking triggers an inefficient system of alcohol metabolism, the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS). Much of the energy from MEOS-driven alcohol metabolism is lost as heat rather than used to supply the body with energy. "

One can lose weight by replacing nutritious calories with alcohol calories but it's a bad idea, long term health wise.

And may this, please, serve to give further weight to the argument that all ingested "calories" are NOT created equal. In the human body, as opposed to a bomb calorimeter, a calorie is certainly not just a calorie.

Unknown

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