Did you stop drinking??

AprilMae1975

I have always enjoying a night out and getting tipsy!! Since I started this journey I have pretty much cut out drinking all together. I actually haven't had a drink in months!! We will be going out this weekend and I was actually thinking of passing on the drinks just because I have been doing so good and my weight and body are changing so much. I kinda feel like having some drinks might put me into a plateau.

What are your thought/experiences with this??

emAZn

Nope! I usually drink 1000-2000 calories a week I log it and just make sure that I am under for my net weekly goal. I eat/drink my exercise calories back though.

SkagitYogini

I have cut out beer for the most part (and I love a good craft beer) but have indulged in a pint on two different occasions without hurting my weight loss. I've also switched to vodka (64 cals per oz) and diet cranberry juice (5 cals per 8 oz.) In a bar, they don't have the diet juice, so I get half juice and half soda. If I take a nice long walk before hand, I can easily justify having 2 of these.

I've lost 2 lbs per week consistently until just recently as I've gotten closer to goal. Incidentally, the last two weeks when I have barely lost anything have been weeks when I didn't drink at all. Hmm... :drinker:

kjoy_

a calorie is a calorie whether it comes from a cran vodka or a cookie. you're not going to plateau because of one night. just eat normally and up the workout that day to get some extra calories to "drink back" rather than eat back if you're worried about it. i have a few drinks a week and am still losing, just don't let the potential morning after hangover deter you from staying on track the next day.

Mia_RagazzaTosta

I have not stopped and I have no plans to. I work it into my allowance and I'm still losing. I will say that I don't drink as much as I was previously, but I still enjoy a few on the weekends.

MinnieInMaine

I cut down on my drinking quite a bit. I'll still have a glass of wine or mixed drink now and then but for the most part I save that for special events like hanging with my girlfriends or a nice dinner out with Hubster. In general I don't like drinking my calories - it's just not worth it to me. No different than my choice to cut down on sweets or anything else, really. I'd rather use my calories to eat real food.

chandanista

I cut it out mostly, when I do drink now I have found I became a lightweight, lol. If you go for shots of liquor with diet soda, or alternate with water, instead of higher calorie drinks, you should be able to get tipsy with low calories, I think

I don't consider it a "plateau" to not lose for one week, I think it has to be a few weeks of no change before it's a "plateau".

SundayGirl1989

When i first started i quit drinking altogether too which was a bummer cos i like my alcohol.But booze is what made me gain 4 dress sizes in under 3 years!

At the moment i'm currently completely sober (doing a sponsored thing for Macmillan) but i fully intend to drink again from November, just this time i will make smarter choices like avoiding lager & cider and sticking to spirits instead as they have fewer calories. eg a single vodka and diet coke is something like 65/70 cals so i could have almost 4 of those compared to a pint of strong cider. Wine isn't THAT bad either, rose tends to be about 500-550 per bottle so i think as long as you moderate the amount you have and chose lower calorie drinks then you should be fine.
Of course, it is personal preference and if you want to pass on the drinks then that is your choice but i personally wouldn't have the will power, especially if i was going out.

stillnot2late

Wish I could help you. There was no way! I was gonna give up my home-made Long Island Iced Teas! BUT, I have been having the thoughts of giving them up during the week,and only have on weekends, cause I'm cutting out too much food just so they fit in my macro. Today is Monday, my first day to go all week with none. So I will see if my weight goes down at least 1/4 pound. Good luck to you

capnrus789

Stop drinking? That sounds completely awful. I just make it fit.

vaporhockey83

I did finally because I was substituting my drinking (up to 700 calories a night) instead of eating food. I was losing weight, but it was also causing me to put strain on my family. Now, I give myself no more than 200-300 calories. I'm losing weight faster than I ever did because I can eat a little more (thus more happy), still have a drink or two (sticking with beer), and more productive (more calories burned). Just my thoughts. I thought I could get away with it, but I was only cheating on myself.

She_Hulk

As long as it fits within your calories and macros. Just remember though: drinking can make you binge eat. Not everyone, but most. Just be aware of that and make sure the" little snacking" that goes along with the drinking fits your macros, too. One more thing. Have one for me, will ya? :drinker:

RGv2

Stop drinking? That sounds completely awful. I just make it fit.

Yep..

SkagitYogini

I will say that I don't drink as much as I was previously, but I still enjoy a few on the weekends.

Me too

Francl27

I've never been a big drinker but there's no problem with having a drink as long as it fits in your calories. Personally most of the time I find better use for my calories, but I'm not that fond of alcohol in the first place.

jemimasmum

Sorry...what?....why?
Just count the cals. All things in moderation!

clownfear_7

I don't completely deprive myself of anything. I LOVE beer, but I know that if I drink too much or too regularly that I will sabotage myself. Sooo, my motto is, EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.
Good luck!

seltzermint555

I never drank a whole lot, but I have sort of changed what I drink instead of stopping totally. Years ago, I liked all of the sugary girlie frozen drinks with fruit juice and Malibu and whatever else. I shudder to think of the calories & sugar I drank with those!

Partly to cut back on calories and that "sloshing around in your belly" feeling, I switched over to Jagermeister, Patron, and/or vodka shots in my late 20's. I still like those, but rarely feel the desire to get totally blitzed any longer.

Now in my 30's I've started enjoying dry red or white, Korean or Japanese plum wine, and the like. I'm also a fan of Redd's Apple Ale. I find it takes very little these days to get me happily buzzed and they tend to fit into my daily calories if I don't have dessert or a heavy dinner.

KoRnKraZy

Yup. But maybe like once every 2 months I will have a night out and drink!

I don't miss it much

albertine58

I let myself drink one night a week, which always means going over my calories (up to maintenance level, or sometimes higher). I don't eat back my exercise calories during the week, so I'm basically using them on this one night of drinking! I wouldn't recommend saving calories up for a bunch of drinks to stay within your calorie limit for the day because that can mean too little food and inadequate nutrition (and so much hunger that I end up eating drunk food!). Despite going "over" my calories significantly one night a week by drinking a lot, I've been losing a pretty steady 2 lbs per week. But do what works for you! I definitely don't think you'd stall your progress by drinking one night, if that's what you decide to do. Because I go over my calories on Fri or Sat, I wait to weigh myself for a day or two until things even out, and I usually don't see a loss for a few days, but then it will be a big one- like 0.8-1 full pound "all at once." I usually expect most of my "loss" for the week to show up on the scale on Wed or Thurs

shapefitter

I drink half, washed down with a pint of water. The water keeps me hydrated, as well as it fills me up. Half a pint, is logged in as 220 kcal with plenty of carb and sugar to boot. The same goes for wine at 180 kcal a glass.
Usually, I just have a coffee, followed by water.

bcattoes

I drank regularly while losing. I drank regularly while maintaining. I still drink regularly.

vtmoon

Replaced most of my drinks with water. I still have a draft every now and then socially, but I don't crack a cold one just cause I'm thirsty anymore.

Bry_Fitness70

I'm a practicing Irish-American, and cannot imagine a world that doesn't include drinking. Like many have already said, account for your drinking calories, and don't compound the problem by eating badly (pub food, greasy spoon diners, fast food) when you are drunk, which I think is more of a dietary problem than the alcohol itself

skinnyinnotime

No way, I always drink : )

odddrums

Nope! I stopped buying alcohol that I keep at home, but I still go out and drink. I also drink less because my tolerance has gone down, which is a nice money saver :P I just log it and don't really care if I go over. It's so occasional that it hasn't effected my progress.

I do recommend you drink a lot of water that day, or at least before bed. It helps process everything a bit faster and less chance of hangover if you get more than tipsy.

amhafford

Nope! I enjoy going to the bar with my friends across in Canada! My biggest thing- if you feel like getting 'tipsy', take shots, not mixed drinks. Mixed drinks are jammed with extra calories! If you have to have some, look it up before you go out, pick the ones with lesser calories, and DANCE YOUR BUTT OFF.
I always end up drinking 300 calories worth of drinks when I go, but I dance and end up burning 500, so I don't worry about it all that much. If you're doing it every night-then you might want to worry, but Once in awhile? Like the saying goes, eating bad for one day won't make you fat just as much as eating healthy for one day won't make you skinny!!

eazy_

Yes. Just until I reach my goal. Then I will make it fit into that days calorie goal.

iAMaPhoenix

Since I have decided to eat healthier, I only drink on days that ends in "day"

herblackwings39

I don't drink often, but I've found that when I do it hasn't been detrimental as long as I log the calories and fit it into my goal. I had a couple glasses of wine Thursday night with dinner and still lost weight when I weighed in on Saturday.

WickedPineapple

I didn't stop drinking, but I did cut back a little. I used to drink twice a week (once of the two until I was pretty tipsy). It does help to cut back, it's hard to track calories when you're drunk! Now it's more like two drinks a week total (unless there's a holiday/wedding/etc). If I have extra calories left at the end of the day I might have a glass of wine or I'll have a margarita when I get to see my friends. Even if you go over your calorie goal, once isn't going to kill your whole diet. Have fun! :drinker: