To Drink Or To Lose... (What's Your Answer)

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Replies

  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    Yes, I drink a bottle or two of red wine a month.
    I've lost around 25 pounds.
  • nainai0585
    nainai0585 Posts: 199 Member
    I have 2-3 drinks Friday and Saturday night only. It's usually a rum and coke (not diet - yuck) or one of those Mike's Hard Lemonade Slushy things. I also snack more during these nights too (due to "herbal" remedies) and I've still been loosing consistantly.
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
    DRINK!

    I drink heavily about once a fortnight. I allocate 2000 calories (as quick adds) and let that cover my drinks and inevitable chips and cheese afterwards.

    Then I move on and carry on logging as normal. If i miss a work out due to inability to move following a drinking session, then I miss it.

    My way of looking at this is there's no way i'm letting my desire to lose weight affect the life I want to live, there's more to life than what the scale says every week. IF I stopped loosing/started to gain because of it then maybe i'd re-evaluate BUT i'd still try and figure out a way to get it in.
  • linsdog
    linsdog Posts: 94 Member
    This was primary reason for my weight gain in the first place...drinking beer every night. First thing I did was cut beer/alcohol out during the week.

    I generally allow myself the weekend (Friday & Saturday) to drink beer or lately have been switching to hard alcohol and low calorie mixer (makers mark and diet coke or the like).

    This has worked for me along with eating better and tracking to ensure I am under calories for the week.
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,279 Member
    i don't like wine... i tend to drink booze, there's a baileys knock off that i love with non-fat milk n ice that i can drink like it's nobody's business, but once i measured it out and found out how many calories it was, i was bummed... i add and count even the booze that i have. i love whipped cream vodka w/pompagranite juice. now that i'm under my goal weight, it's easier to drink when i want to but i still count those calories
  • LuckyMunky
    LuckyMunky Posts: 200 Member
    I have a glass of wine every night and it hasn't affected my weight loss.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    I figure that trying to completely cut out something I like is a quick path to failure. Log everything and move on. I have cut WAY down on beer because of the calories, but I've been delighted how easy it is to fit in some dry wine. If I want a "cold one" I make a very lightly mixed bourbon and sparkling water. I also like a shot of frozen vodka. Eat, drink and be merry!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Drink and lose?

    I had three beers on Tuesday (and I mean real beers, so at least 180 calories each), and I'm going on a brewery tour tomorrow. I've been fairly consistently losing weight. Only time I have problems is when I'm way over on calories (aka, I give up on caring and just go over by 500-1000 every day). Just fit it in to your daily allowance and drink up.

    Also, don't fret about it if it isn't all the time. I pre-logged for tomorrow, and I have 54 calories left for dinner. Yeah, that's not going to happen, so I'll just be over. I'll try and make sure I keep it around maintenance, and if I gain, I realize it's likely sodium or water.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I do fine if I have "a drink or two" every so often. I just log it and make room for the calories. However, on the rare occasion that I overindulge, that isn't good. It makes me not care what I'm eating at the time and then I have a hard time getting my eating back on track for a few days. Your body will crave certain things to compensate for the enzymes your body releases to deal with the excess alcohol.
  • j3nnal3igh13
    j3nnal3igh13 Posts: 134
    Thanks for all the feedback everyone!! Nice to see I'm not the only one willing to give up my one true love. lol I will keep the wine in my life. No one likes a quitter anyway. :drinker: :happy:
  • christinemac17
    christinemac17 Posts: 56 Member
    Drink and lose?

    I had three beers on Tuesday (and I mean real beers, so at least 180 calories each), and I'm going on a brewery tour tomorrow. I've been fairly consistently losing weight. Only time I have problems is when I'm way over on calories (aka, I give up on caring and just go over by 500-1000 every day). Just fit it in to your daily allowance and drink up.

    Also, don't fret about it if it isn't all the time. I pre-logged for tomorrow, and I have 54 calories left for dinner. Yeah, that's not going to happen, so I'll just be over. I'll try and make sure I keep it around maintenance, and if I gain, I realize it's likely sodium or water.





    ***(and I mean real beers, so at least 180 calories each), and I'm going on a brewery tour tomorrow*** :drinker: my kinda girl!!
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    I very seldom drink anything alchoholic, so I'll substitute chocolate for my answer. Love it? Don't give it up, you'll feel deprived. Have it moderation, count it as part of your daily calories, and make it fit, do more exercise if needed to balance out.
  • lisakay0x
    lisakay0x Posts: 46 Member
    I'm "Going sober for October". It's October 4th, and I'm already wondering if it's a good idea lol.

    I know that when I drink, I'm a rockstar (lol) - when I get together with girlfriends, we can easily finish bottles, even when there are just two of us (we have so much fun chatting and snacking it's like 'oops, there goes bottle #2!). We're not even going out dancing to burn off the calories. Just sittin' at home, being tiny old lady drunks

    You get to a point though, where you're like "Is this worth it? REALLY! IS THIS WORTH IT?" I'll wake up next to my boyfriend, who is a fitness freak, and he'll be on his way out to the gym as chipper as f*** while I kind of want to die and sleep the day away.

    Change for me right now, a big one, is necessary. Being small with weight to lose, ya just can't afford the extra calories that come from a night of binge drinking. For me, it's time to turn myself into a classy (fit) motherf***er.

    For you, I'd suggest really being conscious of what your drinking - and log it. Have fun, live life, enjoy a glass or two (or 5, whatever!), but challenge yourself by keeping it to one night a week, or even cutting back just a little bit to start.

    We're not "alcoholics". We just like to party. And wine! High 5. lol
  • judyde
    judyde Posts: 401 Member
    It's better for you to not drink alcohol with meals or even within a few hours of meals (so your liver can focus on the food instead of the alcohol)

    I'd love to see the reference for this view. Never heard it before, and it doesn't sound likely to be true. My liver doesn't seem to have any trouble "focusing" on both food and alcohol. What about food cooked with alcohol?
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    I have 1-3 drinks daily, generally a gin and tonic, some wine, good beer, or a scotch. It hasn't affected my weight loss or maintenance.

    I agree that you need to fit it in your goals. And watch the lowering of inhibitions. There have been a few times where I've been out and a martini or two has lead to a basket of some form of random fried food that definitely doesn't fit my goals for the day.
  • missyont
    missyont Posts: 79
    Forget that. I LOVE drinking LOL and I am NOT an elkie by any means. ( I enjoy about 6 drinks per week! )
    I fit it into my calories
  • christinemac17
    christinemac17 Posts: 56 Member
    I'm a sucker for IPA craft beers. Of course, they're among the highest calorie brews out there. Not a boozer by any means, I go through a six pack a week. I've made them fit into the calorie counts previously, but have kind of plateaued. So I'm doing a no-booze October to see if cutting out the empty calories makes a difference. Will let you know how it goes.


    Me TOO!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE me some hoppy bitter citrus-y IPAs!!! I actually considered the Go Sober October, but with football, local brew fests and whatnot... yeah ...
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html


    "How to lose fat or prevent fat gain when drinking

    Now that you understand the effect of alcohol on substrate metabolism, it's time for me to reveal how you can make alcohol work for fat loss. Alternatively, how you can drink on a regular basis without any fat gain. Without having to count calories and while drinking as much as you want.

    Apply this method exactly as I have laid it out. If you've paid attention, you'll understand the rationale behind it. I've tested this on myself and on numerous clients. Rest assured that I'm not testing out some large-scale bizarre experiment here.

    The rules are as follows:

    * For this day, restrict your intake of dietary fat to 0.3 g/kg body weight (or as close to this figure as possible).

    * Limit carbs to 1.5 g/kg body weight. Get all carbs from veggies and the tag-along carbs in some protein sources. You'll also want to limit carbohydrate-rich alcohol sources such as drinks made with fruit juices and beer. A 33 cl/12 fl oz of beer contains about 12 g carbs, while a regular Cosmopolitan is about 13 g.

    * Good choices of alcohol include dry wines which are very low carb, clocking in at about 0.5-1 g per glass (4 fl oz/115ml). Sweet wines are much higher at 4-6 g per glass. Cognac, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka and whiskey are all basically zero carbs. Dry wines and spirits is what you should be drinking, ideally. Take them straight or mixed with diet soda. (No need to be super-neurotic about this stuff. Drinks should be enjoyed after all. Just be aware that there are better and worse choices out there).

    * Eat as much protein as you want. Yes, that's right. Ad libitum. Due to the limit on dietary fat, you need to get your protein from lean sources. Protein sources such as low fat cottage cheese, protein powder, chicken, turkey, tuna, pork and egg whites are good sources of protein this day.

    * For effective fat loss, this should be limited to one evening per week. Apply the protocol and you will lose fat on a weekly basis as long as your diet is on point for the rest of the week.

    Basically, the nutritional strategy I have outlined here is all about focusing on substrates that are least likely to cause net synthesis of fat during hypercaloric conditions. Alcohol and protein, your main macronutrients this day, are extremely poor precursors for de novo lipogenesis. Alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but by depriving yourself of dietary fat during alcohol consumption, you won't be storing anything. Nor will protein cause any measurable de novo lipogenesis. High protein intake will also compensate for the weak effect of alcohol on satiety and make you less likely to blow your diet when you're drinking.

    By the way, a nice bonus after a night of drinking is that it effectively rids you of water retention. You may experience the "whoosh"-effect, which I've talked about in my two-part series about water retention. That in itself can be motivating for folks who've been experiencing a plateau in their weight loss.

    Apply this with good judgement and don't go out and do something stupid now. Remember, this a short-term strategy for those that want to be able to drink freely* without significantly impacting fat loss progress or causing unwanted fat gain. It's not something I encourage people to do on a daily basis, but it's one of the strategies that I apply for maintaining low body fat for myself and my clients.

    * Now of course...you can always drink in moderation and make sure to not go over your calorie budget for the day. But what fun is there in that? I'd rather cheat the system with the kind metabolic mischief I've layed out above."
  • joshdann
    joshdann Posts: 618 Member
    It's better for you to not drink alcohol with meals or even within a few hours of meals (so your liver can focus on the food instead of the alcohol),
    I'd love to see your evidence of that because no offense that just sounds like Nonsense.

    The basics are that as long as there is alcohol in your system, your body focuses on that. Specifically your liver, which normally has other important jobs related to the absorption of beneficial nutrients.

    Start here:

    http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/642alcoholmet.html

    then look here:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3881285

    and here:

    http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm
  • joshdann
    joshdann Posts: 618 Member
    It's better for you to not drink alcohol with meals or even within a few hours of meals (so your liver can focus on the food instead of the alcohol)

    I'd love to see the reference for this view. Never heard it before, and it doesn't sound likely to be true. My liver doesn't seem to have any trouble "focusing" on both food and alcohol. What about food cooked with alcohol?
    almost all alcohol is cooked off when preparing such foods. See my last post for references on the matter of "focus".
  • brit_nay
    brit_nay Posts: 34
    BOTH!! If I feel like drinking I drink my dinner :P
  • JustYandy
    JustYandy Posts: 221 Member
    Just makes your weight loss results slower to achieve ....wine is high in sugar as well isn't it? Alcohol destroys your metabolism,hurts your kidneys and liver....I love to drink,but all my hard work goes in the trash every time I do which sucks...Thats like saying if I eat fast food but stay in my calorie goal will I still get what I want...UMMM?Huh...NO...Sucks but it's reality.
  • spottedkathy
    spottedkathy Posts: 196 Member
    I love my red wine and still manage to lose weight. I am on a low carb diet. So I just make sure if I am going to drink wine I have alloted for enough carbs that day. It is possible to drink and lose in my opinion.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    find out the calories in the wine and count it in your daily total and see if you can total it in. that is all there is to it.
  • mandasalem
    mandasalem Posts: 346 Member
    Honestly, I probably have an average of 3-4 glasses of red wine a week, and I've lost 23 pounds. I keep up good habits, I fit the wine into my calories, I do exercise to make sure I account for it, and I (try to) drink plenty of water to keep it from dehydrating me.

    Last night? 2 glasses. This morning? Lowest weight I've seen on my scales in 5 years.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I most certainly have not given up any of my beer, wine, or booze. When I was losing, I set my goal to lose roughly 1 Lb per week...I did exactly that while still enjoying my adult beverages....40 Lbs down in total. Just have to fit the calories in...
    Alcohol destroys your metabolism

    Alcohohl temporarily impairs your metabolism while it is metabolising the alcohol sugars. Your body cannot store those calories, so they must be metabolized immediately...while you body is busy doing this, it can't metabolize the other **** that tends to go into your body when you're drunk...but once you've metabolized the booze then it's back to business as usual...and if you're at a calorie deficit then it doesn't matter...you're in a catabolic state...any temporarily stored fat is going to get oxidized once your body resumes that function.
    Thats like saying if I eat fast food but stay in my calorie goal will I still get what I want...UMMM?Huh...NO...Sucks but it's reality

    Actually, it really is about calories in/out. You can infact eat fast food and still lose weight...so...UMMM...yes
  • AmberRSkelton
    AmberRSkelton Posts: 19 Member
    I am quite fond of wine and beer, and have found that so long as I'm maintaining my exercise and calorie goals it doesn't interfere with weight loss. If you're truly only drinking once a week or so, I think it would be fine. But watch out for the "drunk munchies;" it sucks to eat a full day of calories after having a bottle of wine!

    I also sometimes will "bank" my calories--for example, I know I'm going to drink tonight, so I've tried to lower my daily calorie consumption by 100-150 each day this week, and I'll squeeze in an extra workout today or tomorrow.
  • massgal3
    massgal3 Posts: 4
    Since I know I'm not going to give up drinking entirely when I reach my goal, I decided it's better to learn how to incorporate it into a healthy lifestyle. I measure my wine, but have certainly cut down--not every night, and only when it fits in to my calories for the day. I limit my mixed drinks to one a week at most. I love my mixed martinis which tend to have 2-3 shots of alcohol and can run 300-400 calories. I definitely have cut down on those, and I've tried to come up with some different drink combos that aren't as high in calories. When we go out, I abide by the motto "bread, alcohol, dessert-- pick one". Alcohol wins every time!
  • niricava
    niricava Posts: 89 Member
    Drink...
    You can certainly have your wine (or whatever alcohol) but in moderation. Of course, pay attention to the wine. Some are very high in sugar (dessert wines) and others have little or no residual sugar. Stay with dry wines since they will be lower in calories.
    I love sparkling wine - I just pour myself half glasses now (and measure out 3 oz). Then if I have 2 glasses... it's still only 120 calories!
    Don't drink anything you don't like, even if it is "light". What's the point if you're not enjoying it!
  • jmarie1967
    jmarie1967 Posts: 51 Member
    Thank you ladies. (and Sir! ) lol After reading my post again, I Obviously had "bad" critics before. And I know there's a "line", and I live on the other side of the line where I don't want to give up absolutely everything. I still have my life to live. :) 3 Boys under the age of 4 stress me out. :explode: :happy: Its true. Everything in moderation,And I usually count every calorie (depending how many glasses I've had that night. lol)

    You certainly can work some wine into your plan, I drink wine or a cosmo a couple times a week and have lost 45 lbs in 4 months. Logging everything and increasing activity, in addition to drinking alot of water is the key for me!

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