Wine

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Christie23
Christie23 Posts: 357 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a culinary hobbiest to the umpteenth degree. It helps a lot because I know how to, and LOVE, to cook healthy meals that taste amazing. However, I was raised to appreciate wine as a food accompaniment. I have eliminated alcohol from my diet, but it has left me wondering if it is at all possible to include a glass of wine into my evening meals WITHOUT blowing my weight loss (which has been steady...)

Keeping Hope Alive,
Christie :)

Replies

  • kgrutch
    kgrutch Posts: 223
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    in my opinion, just include it in your calorie intake and you should be fine. i still lost if i drank occasionally. and i still able to maintain if i drink occasionally. moderation is the key.
  • kcdrake
    kcdrake Posts: 512
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    I'm interested in people's answers to this.
    I have heard that alcohol can cause some water retention or something that indicates a raise in the scale. But I would like to know if fitting it into the daily goals and staying hydrated is enough to combat that.
    I do feel like one glass of something at dinner is different than partying on a weekend.

    So... bump! haha
  • StuAblett
    StuAblett Posts: 1,141 Member
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    I think everyone is different, so you will have to try a few things, but I don't think that the wine in itself would cause any problems, if you want to get more out of your glass of wine by having less calories, a decent dry white wine, nicely chilled with some club soda added to it makes a great wine spritzer, you could half the calories in wine by doing that, and it is nice and refreshing in the summer!

    I think the thing that gets many people with alcohol is that once you have had a few drinks, you inhibitions drop away, and you are more likely to say "What they hey" and over eat, I know that is my problem :)

    Cheers!
  • Cathy_5011
    Cathy_5011 Posts: 78
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    I would be careful with what wine you drink. Some wines have alot of calories and sugar. I am a big WINO :drinker: and I was really suprised to see that alot of the white wines I love were way over 200 cal. It has been hard to give it up so I stick to 1 or 2 glasses a week.
  • metizzy2
    metizzy2 Posts: 122
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    I was told that there is too much sugar in wine and that I should avoid it while I'm dieting. It has a lot of sugar in it, and the reason people gain weight from drinking it is because as in all sugars, our body craves more, so drinking alcohol leads us to eat more than we normally do, or should. I love wine but I have noticed that when I stop drinking it, the weigh just falls off...okay not really falls off, but it's a little easier to lose weight when I'm NOT drinking. I have to tell you though, I do miss it.
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    I think if you tried it out for a few weeks and really paid attention to how your body felt you will see which way you lean. Perhaps a glass per night won't inhibit weight loss, and perhaps it will.

    For me also, there is quite a bit of sugar in wine and I tend to notice that when my sugar is up there I don't lose weight as easily. I like the idea of cutting it with club soda though.
  • metizzy2
    metizzy2 Posts: 122
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    But if you're going to drink wine, I'd stick to red..at least it's good for the heart. :o)
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 21,661 Member
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    I love my wine. I realize if I gave it up completely, I would probably get to my goal weight faster. I'd rather take a little longer and still be able to enjoy my spirits in moderation, so I have chosen to cut back to a 6-ounce glass of either chardonnay or merlot with dinner, and I've been very pleased with my loss and ability to keep it off. I take the same approach with my dark chocolate. Most of the other "bad" stuff, I've cut out completely except for the very rare occasion.
  • Christie23
    Christie23 Posts: 357 Member
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    Yeah, I prefer red wine... and I know that there are certain health benefits to that. I suppose I will try it out, as an occasional thing, and if I begin to overindulge or plateau (even worse... gain), then I will know. I hate to sabotage, but I am just trying to find a way to cultivate this new lifestyle. I love working out, I love eating healthy... I love how it makes me feel. But I also need to find a balance from who I was and who I'm becoming, I suppsoe. Wine is not an identity, but it has become a restriction that almost makes me feel bad. Lol... I am probably putting waaay to much into that thought process... :)
  • greenteadaily
    greenteadaily Posts: 17
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    If you miss it and you don't abuse it, I wouldn't give it up entirely without trying to reintegrate it in some way. As you said, if it doesn't work, re-vamp.

    I've taken to using a smaller glass and pouring less. I can usually resist pouring more. So sometimes I have a half 'real' glass, and occasionally a whole (two halves).
  • Christie23
    Christie23 Posts: 357 Member
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    Well, i am excited to report that I had 3 glasses of pinot noir last night, but I was still 3 lbs down on the scale this morning. So, clearly, the wine did not sabotage all my day's work. I am not certain that my progress would be so ample if I hadn't worked out pretty hard yesterday. So, perhaps my few glasses will be my reward for a hard day's work in the gym. Anyway, just wanted to let you all know that my experiment had a positive outcome! Wine isn't as evil as I thought. :drinker:
  • chulie
    chulie Posts: 282
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    Uhmmm...it's not going to show that quickly I'm afraid...hahaha...that being said....As YOU said in your post "it's a lifestyle change" and I KNOW I could never live any lifestyle if I had to give up my full bodied red's !!!! So, personally, since it's all about moderation. As long as you aren't drinking a bottle a night...I don't see the issue. I NEVER gave up alcohol when I was losing and it didn't sabotage me in any way...but again..it's ALL about moderation and it being a LIFESTYLE change.....so I know that since I work out 3 days a week and walk every day regardless....having that extra glass or 2 isn't going to change my life......
  • michlingle
    michlingle Posts: 797 Member
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    After doing a little research online, I think the biggest reason alcohol can sabotage weight loss is because drinking and overeating (usually bad bar food) go hand in hand. I think though that if you allow it in your calories it's okay, just as long as it doesn't kill you motivation with the whole food side of the lifestyle change.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    Dry reds are a good bet as they're the lowest in sugar. I'd stick to a 4 ounce serving with a meal. Just enough, but not too much.
  • luciebelle
    luciebelle Posts: 11 Member
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    I also love wine (my family has French heritage, what a great excuse, right?). Until the past couple of weeks, I kept trying to include wine as long as I stayed under my daily calories, but that did not work for me. I exercise a lot and I think I was cancelling out my efforts. If you can stick to no more than a glass of wine (or even a half-glass, just for the taste) per day, that would probably be best. I have noticed that since I've been restricting wine to weekends only (and even then limiting a bit), I have been retaining MUCH less water. Stomach, ankles, wrists, everything looking slimmer :)

    My strategy now is that I find I actually enjoy it and can taste the wine a lot more if I savor it. So I buy fewer bottles of wine but better ones :)

    Whatever you decide, good luck and I hope you succeed!

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