Does alcohol slow weight loss ?
obabso
Posts: 11 Member
Hi everyone. I haven't been around much - signed up years ago... forgot about it. NOW have a bunch of weight to lose. I've cut back on my portions and purchasing better food choices. But I notice that I top off my daily calories with my evening cocktail quite often.
I love my evening cocktail. Wonder what that says about me? But am sure I am not alone. In the past, I gave up all alcohol entirely (doing Atkins) and didn't even drink again for several years. But, I was young then and had lots of other fun things to do to relax! Now with injuries and age, hey, you know, I enjoy my wine or drink now and then.
What is everyone else's experience? Just go cold turkey on the alcohol, or can you still enjoy it occasionally while losing?
I love my evening cocktail. Wonder what that says about me? But am sure I am not alone. In the past, I gave up all alcohol entirely (doing Atkins) and didn't even drink again for several years. But, I was young then and had lots of other fun things to do to relax! Now with injuries and age, hey, you know, I enjoy my wine or drink now and then.
What is everyone else's experience? Just go cold turkey on the alcohol, or can you still enjoy it occasionally while losing?
11
Replies
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Your total calories in vs total calories out (energy equation) will determine your long term changes in energy reserves (weight level change).
The types of food and drink that you consume will (to a degree) determine how full or hungry and how healthy (both physically and mentally) you end up being.
Your drinks have calories.
You get to choose where to spend your calories to generate the highest degree of satisfaction that you can, within the constraints of your reasonable caloric budget!!!
Satisfaction is a broad term: health markers, nutrients, feeling more or less full, sanity... you get the joy of determining the relative values of all that as it applies to you!!!10 -
Yes if its unaccounted calories.1
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You don’t have to cut out the drinks, just make sure you’re adding them to your calorie count. Me personally I don’t drink because it’s empty calories.5
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As long as your account for your drinks in your calorie goal, and the alcohol doesn't cause you to make bad food choices, then there shouldn't be an issue with incorporating it into your weight loss.7
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As I said in my initial post, I count the drinks in the total calories.6
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Then there you go.4
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I stickto flavored vodka and club soda, or corona premier beer with a lime or Michelin ultra. Both have only about 90 calories less than 3 carbs.
The Corona one is my fave it’s new. Great with a lime.
You are going to have to cut back on the alcohol and make sure you log it and it’s in your counts.4 -
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Just make sure you stay within your calorie budget and if you find yourself going over, make adjustments during the day so you can enjoy your evening drink.3
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I typically enjoyed a small glass of wine after dinner. But, while losing weight, I’ve found its better for me to eat rather than drink my calories. It’s a bit silly, but after dinner I’ve been having diet ginger ale or Fresca that I pour into a wine glass. Somehow it’s tricking my mind into thinking I’m having some kind of treat!
But, that’s me. Many people here have lost weight while still enjoying some drinks, so do so if it works for you:)6 -
I personally can’t both lose and drink. But I tend to have more than the one planned/budgeted drink and then tend to eat over my allotted calories when I drink. I’m considering not reintroducing alcohol at all for that reason.
You haven’t described either of those issues so it sounds like having your drinks while losing is just fine.3 -
No. You are accounting for it in your calorie deficit. Doing what works best for each of us helps stay on course.
Personally, I get more satisfaction from chewing my calories. An occasional glass of wine with celebrations. Otherwise water and black coffee are my only drinks for very minimum calories.1 -
What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?7
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alcohol in and of itself does not slow down your weight loss if you include the calories in your calorie allotment.0
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If only someone else would provide the very same answer... wait... I will!
It is fine since you log it.1 -
What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.11 -
Nothing but calories. I'm a craft brewer and beer lover and while I did stop drinking when focusing on an upcoming race or other event, but simply budget in whatever calories necessary to enjoy my evening drink.
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kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.5 -
kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.
I agree wholeheartedly!
Isn’t it about time MFP did away with this “woo” option?3 -
missysippy930 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.
I agree wholeheartedly!
Isn’t it about time MFP did away with this “woo” option?
yeah, i've woo'd people a bunch of times...then found out it didn't mean like 'woot woot'. ambiguous to say the least. so i just stopped.6 -
I gained 20 lbs by adding a glass of wine nightly which inched its way up into 2, and then pretty soon inched up into a half bottle ... I stopped the drinking completely because wine is a red light food and I also got sloppy eating while drinking, and dropped the 20 lbs. Over the past 60 days I have dropped another 5. I want to loose another 10 - 20 lbs. That being said, I do know people mostly women who are thin and drink; once heavy they lost weight "just drinking" counting calories of their wine or other drink of choice no mixers and eating almost nothing maintaining a trim figure using this "weight watcher" or calorie counting approach. Don't think it would work for me because I like to eat but as long as the calories are accounted for you probably will loose weight2
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I have my nightly wine - sometimes more, sometimes less. As long as I log it I am fine and lose - the problem sometimes is I go over because that 2nd glass or 3rd sounds really good - or because I am out with a friend and I didn't budget for the extra glass or two - or I get to a point where I don't care that I go over. Which is fine once in a while -but can't do every day or I am defeating myself.
It's all relative and if you can drink responsibly. And if you are worried about a cocktail EVERY night - switch to weekends only or something.
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kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.
Well, that is certainly a possibility (a GOOD possibility) but I was worried how to phrase it without violating the Community Guidelines so I left it out
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kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.
Unfortunately, MFP is well aware of how it is being used and seems to think it's fine. There have been posts complaining about it for at least a year. I find ignoring the fact that it's there has made my time on the forums more enjoyable. I get a woo or two on lots of my posts, and don't give it a second thought.
In a quest to stay on topic, which is also important, many people find alcohol does slow their weight loss because once they've had a couple it becomes easier to make bad food choices and more difficult to log accurately. Also for smaller women, that 150 calories of alcohol is taking the place of food they really need to keep from being hungry.
I found that limiting alcohol to "treat" status, and only including it when I was sure my other diary categories would line up was necessary to stick to my calorie goal consistently. Honestly this has continued into maintenance for me - I often find myself deciding I'd rather eat another brownie and forego the beer 4 -
What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.missysippy930 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.
I agree wholeheartedly!
Isn’t it about time MFP did away with this “woo” option?
100% I always take the “woo” as a bad thing!4 -
I stickto flavored vodka and club soda, or corona premier beer with a lime or Michelin ultra. Both have only about 90 calories less than 3 carbs.
The Corona one is my fave it’s new. Great with a lime.
You are going to have to cut back on the alcohol and make sure you log it and it’s in your counts.
the bolded is what you got woo'd for. as long as you log it, and hit your calorie target, and that calorie target is a deficit, you will lose weight.
That said, for health, if too many of your cals come from alcohol so that you don't get enough fat or protein, it will have other health impacts, including body composition (a higher % of your loss will come from lean muscle if you don't get adequate protein)
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I have a drink 2-3 times/week and log them. I love having dry sparkling wine because it's low in cals!1
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I stickto flavored vodka and club soda, or corona premier beer with a lime or Michelin ultra. Both have only about 90 calories less than 3 carbs.
The Corona one is my fave it’s new. Great with a lime.
You are going to have to cut back on the alcohol and make sure you log it and it’s in your counts.
the bolded is what you got woo'd for. as long as you log it, and hit your calorie target, and that calorie target is a deficit, you will lose weight.
That said, for health, if too many of your cals come from alcohol so that you don't get enough fat or protein, it will have other health impacts, including body composition (a higher % of your loss will come from lean muscle if you don't get adequate protein)
Speaking of things that didn't really deserve a "woo"!
I drank alcohol while losing, and still do in maintenance. My weight behaves as I'd expect based on calorie intake.
However, I think the quoted PP has some basis: Regularly drinking so much that it drives good nutrition out of the picture, with a calorie deficit, is going to have health consequences, and some of those could be a reduced energy level (leading to lower NEAT so impaired weight management compared to a more nutritious overall way of eating), or (as PP says) there could be negative body composition effects in the long term.
That's not the same thing as saying point-blank that alcohol is bad for weight loss, independent of context and dosage considerations.
And it didn't sound like the OP was contemplating the "all alcohol, no nutrients" diet anyway. 1 -
rickiimarieee wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.missysippy930 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.kshama2001 wrote: »What is it with all the wooing of good advice lately?
If the person wooing did this because they made the common mistake of thinking Woo means "woo-hoo", a positive, they can unwoo by clicking it again.
Honestly, this Woo reaction experiment has failed and we should just get rid of it.
I'm really not sure this is the case. It's happening on lots of threads and the comments being wooed are often not Woo-worthy in either sense. I fear someone just has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it. It's a shame if they make people think that perfectly good comments have less merit.
I agree wholeheartedly!
Isn’t it about time MFP did away with this “woo” option?
100% I always take the “woo” as a bad thing!
I take woo as a number of potential things (but with a grain of salt):
1. I haven't been clear in a post
2. I've stated something defying convention
3. I stated something wrong
4. I stated something right2
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