Menopause and Alcohol

D_squareG

Today, the scale blipped at 199 just before it went to 200.4. I'm almost there! Onederland!

I can't believe the success I've experienced with MFP. I didn't think I could lose weight anymore. I honestly thought that I was just too old and too fat and couldn't do anything about it. I searched for stories of post menopausal women succeeding at weightloss and there weren't many. Every TV program was telling me I was doomed to be fat because of my age, my genetics, my past failures at weight loss. It was awful. I was depressed.

The biggest stumbling block in my mind was alcohol. I was convinced that I couldn't give it up, that I wouldn't be able to control portion size. That it was somehow magical (again genetics and media working against me). But guess what??

Alcohol is not magic. It is just like any other high calorie item I have to control. Just like I can't eat hamburgers until I'm satisfied (which would be at least 6), I can't drink gin and tonics until I'm buzzed and happy (sleepy, knocked out). I weigh it, measure it and when I'm at my limit, I stop. Amazing.

Do I miss the buzzed, happy, calm feeling? Yes. I admit it. But not as much as I like being able to wear smaller clothes and reopen my closet. I'm finding other things to replace it. A special flavored tea or coffee is working well for me.

I'm doing it. Everyday, I'm logging my food and exercising. And the weight is coming off. I can't believe it was that simple. All those years of agonizing over my weight and feeling miserable. Just measure, log, move

FitForRiding

Great job!
I too struggle with social drinking and age (55). Measuring and tracking is definitely the key. Isn't it amazing how little a 5 oz serving of wine is? So... I measure, drink light beer, drink water in between drinks. I do not drink soft drinks, but found that sparkling water with some flavored stevia drops in my wine glass tastes great. I do this often socially and having it in my wine glass feels like I'm drinking with the rest of them.

F1NALLY

Great Job!!

Gives me continued hope that this thing really can be done!

Here's to Onderland!!

D_squareG

Thanks for the hints. When I first started, someone told me to give up my drink of choice. So I gave up (mostly) gin and tonics and started drinking light beer which is filling and take longer to drink. But since I've started practicing control of portions (and I will admit I'm not always successful but 99% of the time) I can weigh my gin and tonics and control the portion. I never thought I'd be able to do that.

eep223

Hey, the good news is that the less you drink, the less it takes to start feeling the buzz. Congrats, it's awesome to hear success stories. I recently gave up drinking alcohol (for unrelated reasons), and was so worried it would be difficult, but it's actually been a breeze. I barely miss it and I feel so much better! If you like it and it's working for you, keep it in, but I just wanted to chime in to say yeah, it's not so hard, is it?

KarenGMT

<sigh> I love having a drink now and again. I actually like beer (craft beers mostly) but love wine and have recently discovered Fireball Whiskey. I've been able to keep within my calories, though, so I'm calling it a win!

judymoving

I am so feeling your initial pain, and so happy to hear that there is hope.

I am entering the menopause phase, and my boyfriend and I enjoy our evening cocktails. My poison, Black Russian, (Vodka and Kahlua mix) or a good Cabernet. It is part of our wind down time after work. Over the last two months I have been tracking all my drinks, and often I find that those late night cocktails are killing me in calories!

I mean seriously, one cocktail is 244 calories! It is like a meal in itself. So replacing the evening wind down of cocktails with an earlier evening workout was the plan, but now since I am not home to get dinner going and it is usually 8PM by the time I finally settle back into the house, he wants to go to the local restaurant and have dinner and cocktails! I cannot express how hard the temptation is to have a couple drinks and eat poorly!!!

So this is becoming a strain on us both. I need support and he is a hard habit to break. So with the emotional eating of menopause and alcohol consumption of my daily life... I think i am doomed to be heavy. Life change is what they say, slowly I am taking baby steps towards that light.

Looking for couple wind down activities that do not include alcohol or working out... he works construction all day on his feet.