Restarting again..except this time..Alchohol or Not?

yumi1

Is it safe to say that I have to have my wine at night. Since i am starting up again after i gained the 65lbs i lost before, plus more, I am wondering how everyone incorporates their alchohol intake and how often into your fitness and food regimen??
I was 220lbs in 2016 and lost 65lbs in 6 months and i pretty much stopped logging and jogging sorta speak. Now I am 233lbs and I am dreading on starting over but I am doing it. Except this timeI have to have my red wine!!!

cbhavelo

That is really tough, isn't it? You can go in with resolve and say you will just have the one glass at night with dinner.
But as you know one glass can lead to two and a 4 oz pour can end up being a 9 oz pour. If you think you can stick to a single serving each night then it is probably ok. If in the past you have seen that hasn't worked...maybe try no drinking at all so you are not tempted by the first glass. I often grab a book and make a cup of tea to distract myself if I want a glass of wine and am trying to not drink alcohol. Good luck on this next journey!

Marieskindl

Good morning Yumi1, commiserations, it is really hard starting again, I'm on similar boat, but my addiction is sugar and carbs, sugar is harder to come off than heroin one of my friends told me many years ago, so alcohol and sugar doubly hard! But good luck with sticking to your resolve, I would personally hate to lose my carbs for a glass of red...but Neil Diamond would probably agree with you "Red, red wine", I probably agree with cbhavelo if you can stick to one glass that's great, but if not, maybe time to re evaluate the relationship?

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xGreatWhiteNorthx

First time I lost weight, i har to have my bubble gum ice cream. I had a singlen serving every night. I went from 235 to 157.
I made it a priority and adjusted my meals and exercise adequately to allow it and still be at a decent deficit.

At this point, my portion control is *kitten* and I know it so it's not an option for me.

This is your journey, we cant tell you how to do it.

kimny72

I'm a firm believer in moderation, however liquid calories are often the easiest to cut, as they aren't typically satiating

If you really enjoy that glass a night, try to hit your calorie goal while including it. If you struggle to do so, you might have to consider cutting it back.

When I'm trying to lose, I find it's hard to include a daily drink without being hungry, so I'll go without during the week and then allow myself a few extra cals on the weekend for a beer or glass of wine. You really do have to find your own balance!

And if it's been awhile since you've thought about your pour, break out the measuring cup every once and awhile. What I saw as a 4 oz glass of wine, and what the measuring cup showed me was 4 oz, was VERY different :drinker:

Nytestar1111

The last time I did Keto, after a couple weeks I did start enjoying my wine (lowest carb) a couple of times a week. I still lost weight, though possibly slower than I might have if I hadn't. The main thing that was problematic for me was that the next day my cravings could come back. Not all the time, mind you, but enough that I was prone to eat more than I might have.

lalalacroix

Losing weight is about eating less calories than you burn. Wine or any beverage can fit into your daily goals if you like. I've lost 60 without cutting out alcohol. But I could not fit it in daily. The worst problem for me was one glass turning into three glasses and then not caring what I ate afterwards.

And as @kimny72 says, be careful about your pour cause wine is so easy/tempting to overpour. 🙂

JoDavo66

I've not counted anything over Christmas but normally I don't drink that much. I do track it when I do have a drink as wine & prosecco can have quite an effect. I've discovered experimenting with a miniature flavoured gin doesn't mess the day up!

AnnPT77

I cut back on alcohol while on reduced calories (especially during the early stages when I was on lower calories to lose a bit faster), but didn't cut it out entirely. Overall, my philosophy was that if I wasn't willing to make a change permanently (other than the slightly reduced calories), then I needed to figure out how to manage it during weight loss, in order to learn how to maintain a healthy weight long term.

During weight loss, I was more likely to go for a wine spritzer (wine + sparkling water) or spirits (gin or flavored but not sweetened vodka, for me) plus sparkling water, and always measured the serving, if at home. These days, in maintenance, the craft beers I enjoy are easier to fit in now that I have a few more calories to play with.

For me, there are a few key things about managing alcohol intake, and weight, together: I can't let alcohol drive out good nutrition (in an overall sense); I need to be satiated in order to stick to my calorie goal, and that limits the calories I can "spend" on alcohol (I'm not big, 5'5", mid-130s pounds); and alcohol can reduce my ability to resist snacky treat foods that also need to be moderated in order to make calories/nutrition/satiation come out OK.

I think different strategies work for different people; but that's what worked for me.

H_Ock12

When I was actively trying to lose weight, one of the first things I did was cut out unnecessary calories...which for me were sodas, alcohol, and snacks. As a runner and weight lifter, it was most important to me to hit my macros within my calorie limit. I think it's personal preference though...If you would rather eat 200 less calories per day in order to have a glass of wine, that's just as effective for weight loss.

MikePTY

It's all about priorities and what's important to you. If that glass of red wine is really something you feel you don't want to give up, then you don't have to. You just have to count and log the calories (accurately), and eat less to make up for it. That may or may not be easy to do depending on how many calories you give yourself. If you want to keep alcohol, I suggest not attempting the most agressive rate of loss, because that will leave with you not many calories for food. But if you go at a more moderate pace, you may have enough for both your food and wine.

ThisTimeNoWine

I love wine but know this is what de-rails me every time.
For me 2020 is going to be wine free.
Otherwise I will lose some weight, allow for some wine in my calories, decide to drink just a little more then start snacking.

13bbird13

Wine is my downfall... not only the calories in the wine, but the food I want to devour after drinking a glass or two. When I'm first starting to lose I like to cut it out altogether to give myself a bit of a jumpstart for encouragement, and after a couple months I try to fit it into my daily calories but only on the weekends. I was doing fine until the last two weeks of December when a week off from work got me off my routine... am currently back on track and trying for an alcohol-free (or at least alcohol-light) January.

dramaqueen45

I'd say if it's not a trigger for you to keep drinking it- just plan it into your total calories for the day and allow yourself that drink in the evening. If you can't stop at one- just don't keep it in the house. My triggers are sweets that are bite sized because I don't realize how many calories they are and often can't stop (such as cookies or bite size candy bars) or chips- again, I can't stop. But I can stop at one glass of wine and it has fewer calories than liquor. So if I plan for it, I can enjoy it and it's my little treat. I just can't have that AND a bowl of ice cream (another trigger). So eat some low calorie, high fiber foods to fill you up so you don't crave food while you're having your evening treat and just log it and make it fit!

13bbird13

I actually tend to do a little better not drinking if I have a bottle or two in the wine rack... I can put it out of my mind if my subconscious knows it's there and that I could have some if I really wanted it. I don't know why that is, but I had a friend who quit smoking and she said she always felt better if she had just one pack handy, even after she'd been a non-smoker for years.

mortgagegirl1

For me, I am an all or nothing person. If I drink wine, I drink the bottle which leads to poor food choices so I am attempting to remove wine from my diet for 5 weeks. I have a work conference in 5 weeks so I am going to be strict until then. after that I will most likely incorporate it into my diet but limit to once per week. It's a struggle. Every day!

1BlueAurora

I pre-log a 5 ounce pour of red wine at the beginning of the day. That way, I'm able to see whether I'm going to hit my calorie goal after I eat during the day. If it's going to put me over, I don't have that wine with dinner. If I'm going to be within the allotted calorie limit, I treat myself. I know that when I reach my goal weight I'll be drinking wine most nights, so why deprive myself now? This approach has helped me figure out that I can incorporate some things I enjoy instead of feeling deprived and resentful. By the way: accurately measure the 5 ounces and drink out of a smaller glass so it looks like a larger amount than it is.

julebrus2020

@1BlueAurora That is a great idea. Not just for wine, but for anything you like to indulge in at the end of the day. Might stop me from eating and logging a bunch of stupid, and not that tasty things, if I can see that the consequence is not getting that one great thing at the end of the day.

Machdude

I have 8-12 ounces every evening. Still lose weight, but my guess is it's slower than if I didn't drink. I log 12 ounces in the morning so I can adjust the amount to stay under my goal. For me it's motivation to workout. I know I need to burn 300 or so calories to cover the wine. I don't plan to ever stop wine because it is one of the things i really enjoy. my problem is eating the wrong foods. My wife and I are doing this together so we carefully plan our meals to work around eating out, or having a cocktail with friends.

karenscfld

I am restarting too. My daily calorie allotment is very low so I'm not going to include alcohol exact on special occasions. I joined a gym so that should occupy me and eliminate the triggers for alcohol.