I need to quit drinking to get healthy!

Contrarian

Honestly, Barbara, what is boils down to is hard work.

When you go to McD's for dinner, are you working hard? No
When you choose not to log, are you working hard? No
When you are strolling around the block with your 2 year old and calling it exercise, are you working hard? Yes! Walking fast with the stroller/sometimes jogging. If no stroller, im chasing him so he doesn't run away and get onto the road.
When you are sitting at a desk for 8 hours, are you working hard? No
Is an hour and a half of Badmitton a week really working hard? I do it because i enjoy it. If it was everyday of the week, i would totally be there.
I'd also like to ad that i do StrongLifts 3 times and week and that it hard EVERYTIME, Espeically those squats!

Losing weight, getting fit, reaching goals...ANY GOAL...requires hard work. If it isn't hard, you aren't doing it right.

1. I have a hard time believing that walking with you son in a stroller is an intense workout. Sorry. Why not just chalk that up to a bonus and set aside some time to do actual cardio for yourself?

2. Strong lifting does not burn nearly as much as you would think. An hour of CrossFit is only 375 calories and that's strong lift AND cardio. When I don't add the intense cardio element, it's in the 200s. That's not a lot, so I supplement my CrossFit with running 1-2 times per week. So CF 3-4 times/week, running 1-2 times per week. I noticed that when I started adding the running in regularly, I started dropping pounds in addition to cutting the inches.

3. Unless you are running around the court like crazy for a prolonged period of time, Badmitton is not that cardio intensive. It just isn't. Tennis, on the other hand, will kick your butt.

If you don't believe me, get an HRM. It will blow your mind.

Okay, thanks Paige. So ur big on cardio for dropping pounds. May I ask if ur body looks lean and strong? Prob not. People can achieve AWESOME looking bodies with no cardio at all. Just healthy eating and lifting heavy. Look at Sarauk2sf 's profile. She looks A W E S O M E and doesnt do cardio. None. Zip. She even eats icecream everyday!

Sara also works her *kitten* off and is aware of everything she consumes. That's the difference.

Sara consumes me. Well her success consumes my waking thoughts. I'm fairly certain she does not know it. #oopsnotastalker #oopsnotaminion #oopsnotaliar

Oh. Well, you have made her aware, so NOW she is aware of everything she consumes.

BarbaraCarr1981

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

BarbaraCarr1981

Ya eat more! That sounds like a good plan!!! WTF! With so many people telling me im going over way too much!!!

People are saying be accurate with your logging and exercise...

You do only need a small deficit when you only have a little fat loss left... So if you over estimate your calorie burn by 100 cals and under estimate your food by 100 cals there goes your deficit, no fat loss....

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

BrainyBurro

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

you don't have to. however, you have to adjust your expectations for how long it will take depending on how you want to lose the weight.

sara lifts to gain muscle (bulks), but she also eats at a deficit for periods of time to lose weight/fat (cuts). it's a process of repeated cycles.

if you want to try and do both simultaneously (body recomposition), it's going to be harder and take longer.

if you just want to drop weight (fat and some muscle), then doing lots of cardio (so that you have a daily calorie deficit) will get that result for you the fastest. this would be called "cutting" if you also lift to retain muscle while losing fat.

so there is no magic bullet that does everything you want as fast as you want. you have set your expectations properly based on the path you choose.

building muscle requires a calorie surplus. you can't lose weight while eating at a surplus. that's the spanner in the works.

firstsip

I've only glanced at a few replies so maybe I've gotten the wrong impression, but are people actually arguing wtih a diabetic who admits to problem drinking's decision to not drink??

OP, it sounds to me like you know what you need to do. Best of luck.

You got the wrong impression, as usual.

BarbaraCarr1981

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

you don't have to. however, you have to adjust your expectations for how long it will take depending on how you want to lose the weight.

sara lifts to gain muscle (bulks), but she also eats at a deficit for periods of time to lose weight/fat (cuts). it's a process of repeated cycles.

if you want to try and do both simultaneously (body recomposition), it's going to be harder and take longer.

if you just want to drop weight (fat and some muscle), then doing lots of cardio (so that you have a daily calorie deficit) will get that result for you the fastest. this would be called "cutting" if you also lift to retain muscle while losing fat.

so there is no magic bullet that does everything you want as fast as you want. you have set your expectations properly based on the path you choose.

building muscle requires a calorie surplus. you can't lose weight while eating at a surplus. that's the spanner in the works.

Did i understand properly? So there's 3 ways to lose weight that u mentioned:

1) Heavy lift and eat surplus (bulk) and build muscle then "cut" eat a deficit for period of time to shed the fat u gained while bulking muscle - takes a long time.
2) Do cardio and eat deficit to lose weight (body fat and LBM) - takes the least amount of time.
3) Heavy lift and eat deficit (cut) and lose body fat - takes long but not as long as a Bulk/Cut process.

Do i understand this right?
Thx

BarbaraCarr1981

I've only glanced at a few replies so maybe I've gotten the wrong impression, but are people actually arguing wtih a diabetic who admits to problem drinking's decision to not drink??

OP, it sounds to me like you know what you need to do. Best of luck.

You got the wrong impression, as usual.

Nah, most people are just telling me that it's not the drinking that is messing up my fitness success. It's the inaccurate logging of food.

Some do agree that not drinking is best for a diabetic though - which i agree with.

Debbie_Ferr

What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

So how's that working for you ?

OP, you've lost 5 pounds in the last 6 months . Would you like to see faster progress? Then log everything, so you'll know if you should eat more, or less than you currently are. and how much.

If you consume 200 calories less a day = almost 1 pounds in 2 weeks. That's 20 pounds a year.
ie 200 calories x 365 days = 73,000 calories per year.
73,000 calories divded by 3,500 = 21 pounds.
but without logging everything, how do calculate you're consuming less ? How's that working for you?

Do you see that not loggin accurately can add up fast ? And you're reports are inaccurate? And you'll have a false sense of what it takes to loose ? And you'll have slower progress ?

Also, Sara is not you.

Debbie_Ferr

Did i understand properly? So there's 3 ways to lose weight that u mentioned:

1) Heavy lift and eat surplus (bulk) and build muscle then "cut" eat a deficit for period of time to shed the fat u gained while bulking muscle - takes a long time.
2) Do cardio and eat deficit to lose weight (body fat and LBM) - takes the least amount of time.
3) Heavy lift and eat deficit (cut) and lose body fat - takes long but not as long as a Bulk/Cut process.

Do i understand this right?
Thx

Until you LOG ALL FOOD & DRINKS, you're spinning your wheels.
You do not have record of what you consumed, so in your case,
#1 won't work, because you don't know IF and HOW MUCH of surplus you are eating.
#2 won't work, because you don't know IF and HOW MUCH of a deficit you are eating.
#3 won't work, because you don't know IF and HOW MUCH of a deficit you are eating.

Sarauk2sf

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

Ohai guise


For the record. I weigh everything. I log everything. I eat at a deficit when I cut. I lift weights. I eat less and/or move more.

Key phrase: I eat at a deficit.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

Ohai guise


For the record. I weigh everything. I log everything. I eat at a deficit when I cut. I lift weights. I eat less and/or move more.

Key phrase: I eat at a deficit.

Eat at a deficit. Consistently and for a long period of time. Consistently. For several months.

odusgolp

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

Ohai guise


For the record. I weigh everything. I log everything. I eat at a deficit when I cut. I lift weights. I eat less and/or move more.

Key phrase: I eat at a deficit.

EvgeniZyntx

But i shouldn't have to burn calories other than the minimal calories burned through heavy lifting 3 times a week. My badminton is just a bonus. It should just take a deficit and heavy lifting to lose weight/drop inches. What's this noise about must eat less and move more. Why? When Sara is living proof that i don't have to?

you don't have to. however, you have to adjust your expectations for how long it will take depending on how you want to lose the weight.

sara lifts to gain muscle (bulks), but she also eats at a deficit for periods of time to lose weight/fat (cuts). it's a process of repeated cycles.

if you want to try and do both simultaneously (body recomposition), it's going to be harder and take longer.

if you just want to drop weight (fat and some muscle), then doing lots of cardio (so that you have a daily calorie deficit) will get that result for you the fastest. this would be called "cutting" if you also lift to retain muscle while losing fat.

so there is no magic bullet that does everything you want as fast as you want. you have set your expectations properly based on the path you choose.

building muscle requires a calorie surplus. you can't lose weight while eating at a surplus. that's the spanner in the works.

Did i understand properly? So there's 3 ways to lose weight that u mentioned:

1) Heavy lift and eat surplus (bulk) and build muscle then "cut" eat a deficit for period of time to shed the fat u gained while bulking muscle - takes a long time.
2) Do cardio and eat deficit to lose weight (body fat and LBM) - takes the least amount of time.
3) Heavy lift and eat deficit (cut) and lose body fat - takes long but not as long as a Bulk/Cut process.

Do i understand this right?
Thx

There are a dozen ways of losing weight. They all have two things in common. Calorie deficit and consistency.
Given that you aren't tracking consistently you aren't sure you are in a calorie deficit consistently and you aren't losing consistently.

Debbie_Ferr

For the record. I weigh everything. I log everything. I eat at a deficit when I cut. I lift weights. I eat less and/or move more.

Key phrase: I eat at a deficit.

THIS !
And Sara documents everything she eats.
So she has proof of EXCACTLY how much of a deficit she is consuming.

I for one,don't have the mental calculation capacity to keep it in my head.
Kudos to the OP for doing all those calculations in her head.
I (and Sara and many others) have choosen to use MFP as a tool, and log everything.



Ok, I think I'm done now.

BarbaraCarr1981

Final decision:

Gonna continue to drink a few times a year just try and keep it to get getting a buzz, not sloshed.
Gonna weigh and log everything that I eat/drink.
Gonna eat at a consistant deficit.
Gonna do some intensive cardio 2-3 times a week. (although, this does include badminton)
Gonna do light weights before each cardio session.
Gonna do StrongLifts 1-2 times a week.

Goal: To lose last 10lbs while retaining as much LBM by lifting heavy 1-2 times a week.

Thank you all for your posts. Well just the helpful ones

BarbaraCarr1981

Edit to plan:

Gonna do Strong Lifts 3 times a week.
Gonna do Cardio if Im hungry and want more food!
No light weights.

Kotuliak

Final decision:

Gonna continue to drink a few times a year just try and keep it to get getting a buzz, not sloshed.
Gonna weigh and log everything that I eat/drink.
Gonna eat at a consistant deficit.
Gonna do some intensive cardio 2-3 times a week. (although, this does include badminton)
Gonna do light weights before each cardio session.
Gonna do StrongLifts 1-2 times a week.

Goal: To lose last 10lbs while retaining as much LBM by lifting heavy 1-2 times a week.

Thank you all for your posts. Well just the helpful ones

That's a great start!

How about drinking? Do you have the strength to abstain and to get healthy? Or is it going to be more of the "It's drink drink drink dance dance dance drink have sex pass out" routine?

vavavavoom62

I am in the same boat as you. I don't drink often but when I do even if its just two drinks I feel less motivated to eat clean and to workout. Each person is different and you are the only one that knows yourself. I too want to take a hiatus especially during the holidays so when bikini season comes I will be ready! Wishing you all the best. Always here to motivate.

Sylvitryinghard

weekend warrior here and trying to give up as well. works good so far. Its not worth it and always throws me back.

KahalaGal

wish i could delete this
originally i had bumped it. really want to delete it.
good luck all!!