Alcohol Conundrum

randomtai

Thanks for the support everyone!

I think I have decided on tequila with low cal lemonade and lemon when at home and definitely skinny margaritas out )

Awesome... that is my favorite (if you couldn't already tell :laugh: )
Also check this website out, it gives you the calorie count to most alcoholic beverages:
http://getdrunknotfat.com/

jess7386

Thanks for all the help!

For everyone getting offended about the "we all" statement-

I think it's really rude of you to feel the need to point out that I made this "assumption." This is suppose to be a positive and encouraging website.

Instead of being helpful or not saying anything you decided that it was more important to try and make me feel negative about typing 5 letters on a keyboard.

Don't let her comments bother you. I'm sure that a lot of her 10,000 posts are unsupportive and mean spirited as this one was. There are more than a few people here that don't give any type of positive feedback ever.

Not sure who you're talking about but (a) I don't see anyone with 10,000 posts and (b) everyone on this page is trying to be helpful (and those you single out are often helpful in previous posts, too!). I posted similar threads in the past asking about alcohol consumption, & I totally missed what the majority of people were saying - that it's fine to drink if you fit it into your cals & your goals, that you can choose lower-calorie options, and that a couple drinks a week won't kill your diet.

However, what I found myself thinking after reading the responses to these threads was "oh cool! all these people are skinny and they drink - I must be able to do it and lose weight too!" What I failed to notice was that the majority of people (and the vast majority in this thread) are relegating their alcohol to one or two days a week, and offsetting it with less calories and extra cardio.

So yes, I DO appreciate the perspective that not all of us drink (even though I do). In fact, MOST of the best-looking, in-best-shape people I know have either cut the booze out entirely & have significantly scaled back.

I'm off my soapbox, but I get annoyed (1) when people get easily offended and (2) when people miss the forest for the trees.

People may be trying to help - just because you didn't get the answer you wanted doesn't make their point invalid.

fuzzieme

Wine spritzers, any short with sugar free mixer, or water. I workout on Saturdays, eat bulky low calorie meals and use about 700 calories to drink with :drinker:

MissStatement

http://getdrunknotfat.com/

PJ_73

Thanks for all the help!

For everyone getting offended about the "we all" statement-

I think it's really rude of you to feel the need to point out that I made this "assumption." This is suppose to be a positive and encouraging website.

Instead of being helpful or not saying anything you decided that it was more important to try and make me feel negative about typing 5 letters on a keyboard.

Don't let her comments bother you. I'm sure that a lot of her 10,000 posts are unsupportive and mean spirited as this one was. There are more than a few people here that don't give any type of positive feedback ever.

Not sure who you're talking about but (a) I don't see anyone with 10,000 posts and (b) everyone on this page is trying to be helpful (and those you single out are often helpful in previous posts, too!). I posted similar threads in the past asking about alcohol consumption, & I totally missed what the majority of people were saying - that it's fine to drink if you fit it into your cals & your goals, that you can choose lower-calorie options, and that a couple drinks a week won't kill your diet.

However, what I found myself thinking after reading the responses to these threads was "oh cool! all these people are skinny and they drink - I must be able to do it and lose weight too!" What I failed to notice was that the majority of people (and the vast majority in this thread) are relegating their alcohol to one or two days a week, and offsetting it with less calories and extra cardio.

So yes, I DO appreciate the perspective that not all of us drink (even though I do). In fact, MOST of the best-looking, in-best-shape people I know have either cut the booze out entirely & have significantly scaled back.

I'm off my soapbox, but I get annoyed (1) when people get easily offended and (2) when people miss the forest for the trees.

People may be trying to help - just because you didn't get the answer you wanted doesn't make their point invalid.

Just out of interest, why would looks come into this? Do people that are not the best looking cut down on their alcohol intake, too?

fuzzieme

I also struggle with this, but have learned a few things:

Timing:
When I'm trying to maximize the effects of alcohol but don't want to drink all night I make sure to hydrate (this works for me) and drink on a nearly empty stomach. Granted this takes some experimentation to avoid getting sick, but it's worth it calorically and financially, to achieve "toasty" from a glass and a half of wine or one cocktail. But don't skip eating altogether. That's not a good look.

Budget for it:
I second hitting the gym before a night out AND sticking to hard alcohol and diet soda. Log it of course, but you'll be pleasantly surprised by the wiggle room you have when you burn first and drink later.

Have a stand by ahead of time:
Another good bang for my caloric buck is artisan IPA. I can't drink artisan beer as quickly as a cocktail so it lasts quite a bit longer and since it's an artisan beer, there's generally a higher alcohol percentage so I don't drink as many.

Another alcohol option is to learn to like wine. Again, if you budget for it - alcohol content is generally slightly higher than a commercial beer, you'll still sip it rather than glug it, and if budgeted for is fairly inexpensive calorically. If you stick with a prosecco or a reisling you'll spend 105 - 118 calories per 5 oz glass but slightly higher carb content than a red.

Stay away from moscatos, and roses, and champagnes. I find that the sweeter wines have a waaaaay higher sugar and carbohydrate content than you would think.

:flowerforyou:

I loved this. Thank you.

Though I did think Champagne was one of the lowest calorie things with alcohol. Dammit

krazyforyou

Empty calories

LissaK1981

My go to alcohol: if at outback i do the skinny rita trio cause I like mixed sweet drinks. If going somehwere else an bringing own alcohol i like the skinnygirl brand pina colada. Beware trying the other kinds, I threw away a whole bottle of the white peach margherita......so gross. And I never through away any alcohol. Also vodka and v8 for bloody mary's and red wine like a good sangria. I love Buena Vista vinyards stuff.

randomtai

Empty calories

Yeah... no.

jess7386

Just out of interest, why would looks come into this? Do people that are not the best looking cut down on their alcohol intake, too?

I'm talking lookswise in the sense that when I drink, my face gets bloated, my skin looks reddish & I generally look way crappier than when I don't drink. Probably due to dehydration & your body compensating by retaining water.

I don't mean that people who are prettier don't drink, I didn't phrase that in the best possible way.

eric_sg61

I think it's really rude of you to feel the need to point out that I made this "assumption." This is suppose to be a positive and encouraging website.

You must be new here

arghbowl

Just out of interest, why would looks come into this? Do people that are not the best looking cut down on their alcohol intake, too?

I'm talking lookswise in the sense that when I drink, my face gets bloated, my skin looks reddish & I generally look way crappier than when I don't drink. Probably due to dehydration & your body compensating by retaining water.

I don't mean that people who are prettier don't drink, I didn't phrase that in the best possible way.

I always found people got better looking the more I drank

steffij100

Empty calories

But oh... so much more fun than a carrot.

Cameron_1969

Thanks for all the help!

For everyone getting offended about the "we all" statement-

I think it's really rude of you to feel the need to point out that I made this "assumption." This is suppose to be a positive and encouraging website.

Instead of being helpful or not saying anything you decided that it was more important to try and make me feel negative about typing 5 letters on a keyboard.

Don't let her comments bother you. I'm sure that a lot of her 10,000 posts are unsupportive and mean spirited as this one was. There are more than a few people here that don't give any type of positive feedback ever.

Not sure who you're talking about but (a) I don't see anyone with 10,000 posts and (b) everyone on this page is trying to be helpful (and those you single out are often helpful in previous posts, too!). I posted similar threads in the past asking about alcohol consumption, & I totally missed what the majority of people were saying - that it's fine to drink if you fit it into your cals & your goals, that you can choose lower-calorie options, and that a couple drinks a week won't kill your diet.

However, what I found myself thinking after reading the responses to these threads was "oh cool! all these people are skinny and they drink - I must be able to do it and lose weight too!" What I failed to notice was that the majority of people (and the vast majority in this thread) are relegating their alcohol to one or two days a week, and offsetting it with less calories and extra cardio.

So yes, I DO appreciate the perspective that not all of us drink (even though I do). In fact, MOST of the best-looking, in-best-shape people I know have either cut the booze out entirely & have significantly scaled back.

I'm off my soapbox, but I get annoyed (1) when people get easily offended and (2) when people miss the forest for the trees.

People may be trying to help - just because you didn't get the answer you wanted doesn't make their point invalid.

Just out of interest, why would looks come into this? Do people that are not the best looking cut down on their alcohol intake, too?

Ay ya yay

kirkor

Rum & diet! Wooooo!!!

And based Martin has some good words on this subject: http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

eileen0515

I have found to reach my lifestyle goals, alcohol had to be limited, but not eliminated. When I do decide some cocktails would fit my goals, this is my favorite drink.

1.5 oz. vodka
4 oz. low sodium club soda
generous squeeze fresh lime

All for a grand total of 97 calories, plus a few for the squeeze of lime.

highervibes

I don't do it often enough to kill my deficit for the week. A bottle of wine has 550 calories, it's pretty hard to not find a way to work that in the odd time tbh. So you kill a day or two of deficit, no biggie. Or you could drink so much you barf??? :drinker:

Ignaura

I don't drink as much as I used to three months ago. If i;m having a drink during the week is usually rum or whiskey with diet coke. When it's a night out with my friends, and there's wine... well... i'm so sorry for my calorie count LOL give me all the wine!!!

0somuchbetter0

Lots of good advice here. I just wanted to add that ever since I cut back on alcohol (just back, never entirely out -- I'm half French and couldn't live without my vin rouge), I only need a glass or two (ok, three) before I'm done. I don't drink to get drunk, but I find that my tolerance has dropped so that more than three glasses makes me stoopid and really ill the next day. Bonus: fewer calories, fewer hangovers!

nanadeek

Indeed, BUT you have to be super careful about which *kind* and how much champagne you drink. Regular serving size of champagne is 4 oz. where a regular serving size of wine is 5.

If you can get it in a proper champagne flute and stick with a Brut or a Brut mix you should be fine, but I find a lot of places may not be properly stocked. They either don't have proper champagne flutes and/or serve you in a wine glass (tacky!), they are a strictly moscato or a higher sugar content sparkling wine (no champagne ), or they serve you the mini bottles which, I mean, who's going to throw that away?!

Unless I know for sure that I will get a brut champagne or a similarly dry champagne (and not wine) in a champagne flute - I just stay away.

DChristi77

Well crap. I'm new to this and I never thought to take alcohol into account. Now I have to do research on my wine collection? So no drinks tonight. Extra workout tomorrow.

weightedfootsteps

I work it into my cals...but also try to get in a workout earlier in the day. I also dance while I'm out...helps burn those alcohol calories.

I will tell you wine coolers seem to have a ton of cals...I stick to vodka and cherry coke mostly..unless I have a ton of cals available.

WestCoastWild

Lemon lime sparkling water w gin and a slice o' lime! Just as delicious as a G and T with a fraction if the cals

edreyrey

About a month ago I got really disgusted with myself and I knew in order to make some drastic changes I needed to make some drastic measures. I made a deal with myself, and it was tough because I love beer. I brew my own beer and I am good at it. It was hard, but I decided to quite drinking untill I lost 30 pounds. I totally believe my drinking got me this way, along with some other choices but honestly a six pack a night is not helpful at all. We It's been one month today and I am down 14 pounds as of today, so I know it's working. I am eating healthier and exercising everyday too, but the drinking has really helped with the weight and other things too.

x2greenxeyes

We brew our own beer too. My boyfriend is really great at it.. He even built a kegerator to put it in so we always have it fresh on tap.. (we used northern brewer kits)... But I feel relieved I am not the only person with this beer problem. I love beer... My boyfriend and I both do. Porters and Stouts mostly. I know that the discovery of good beer accounts for at least 10 of the 20 pounds i've gained over the past two years.

I had a hard time at first. My boyfriend and I used to split a 12 pack saturday, 12 pack sunday, and then usually 3-4 beers a night before bed... Yes.. we consumed A LOT of beer. I miss it, but I told myself it's not forever. It's like drinking a milk shake twice a day everyday. It's something i'm going to have to give up for a while, then keep in check when I lose the weight...


...dammit you tasty beer you..

astartig

Vodka or light rum with seltzer, then I add a squirt of the Crystal Light liquid I carry around with me, any flavor. Or a light beer or glass of wine (pinot grigio or pinot noir have less calories) as long as you've saved up calories from the day. The key is keeping it to a few. Try having an alcoholic drink, then a glass of water, then another drink. The water keeps you hydrated and stretches out the drinks over time.

all wine (except for ice wine or other similar dessert wines are fairly low in calories and carbs.) just about any normal kind of wine will set you back about 250 calories for half a bottle of it. the carbs are also low

http://www.annecollins.com/calories/calories-wine.htm this link doesn't have all wines out there but it gives a pretty consistent picture against normal red and white wines and dessert wines (if you don't know wines it's all the high calorie ones that are the dessert wines) Any normal white or red is going to fall into that picture of between 85 and 100 calories per glass.

mag131

Your profile picture is cracking me up!

I try to keep the drinking to one or two nights a week, and if possible I fit it into my calories. (742 left for rum, OJ, and a snack tonight! woohoo!) I make sure to exercise during the day to help make room so that I don't end up starving, get lowered inhibitions, and then binge. That hurts my weight way more than the alcohol itself.

My go to drink since I started on MFP is rum, a splash of Trop 50 OJ, and calorie free flavored seltzer water. The seltzer water really helps cut down on the calories and it tricks me into thinking I'm drinking more than I actually am.

spookiefox

Who is "we all", some of us can unwind in other ways

All of us CAN unwind in other ways. There is no reason to rule out that one.

Elliesque

Shots have the least calories, or drink alcohol with diet soda. When I know I'm going out I just save up more calories to blow on booze, cause I like to drink what I like to drink lol.

PauliePCC

What I normally do is have a caloric budget, or deficit for nights where I'm going to be out drinking. I allow a deficit of 1k calories or more sometimes. That said, I'm a big beer drinker and easily drink 6-8 in a good night out (only on the weekends). However, if you can't budget out calories, then just have a few, and do an extra cardio session the next day. As others have said, if you drink in moderation, and plan it out, you should be fine.