Drinking and fitness

laurie04427

After several years of being overweight and lazy I'm attempting to get fit and lose weight.

But I'm coming to the conclusion that booze is ruining my progress and so I've quit.

I tend to drink several days in a row. Enough drinks to push me about 500 calories over my quota each day. I drink in the evening after starting off the day eating healthy so after getting drunk I don't really have the option of exercising off the calories. Then I'll be good for a few weeks and then have my little binge again.

Yes I know I should exercise moderation but it doesn't happen.

Wondering if anyone had a similar experience.

jkwolly

Totally, I find drinking can kick me off my healthy trend.

Last year I kicked it for 6 months and felt great, but since then I have been back to casual drinking! I need to either learn to have one drink and fit it in, or don't drink at all!

Good luck!

MartiJJohnston

Hi Lauri! You sound JUST LIKE ME!!! As a matter of fact, I participated in a group called "Like Minded Lushes" for a while until I went MIA from MyFitnessPal for about 6 months.

Feel free to add me as a friend because I know what you're going through. :drinker: It's tough to fit the drinking in and still stay under your calorie goal.

GOOD LUCK!!

almatters

Yes! Its so hard. Not that I am addicted to alcohol or anything, but much of my social life invovles getting drnks with friends after work, or after a game (I'm in a social sports league- not much exercise, but a lot of fun!)
I try to make good choices- vodka and diet, white wine, or my winter favorite, Jameson and coffee.

holly1283

I guess my question is: Is there no way to get that same pleasure that you think you have to have from booze only? My addiction is food. I get that. However having been married to an alcoholic for 35 years, when some one says I'm not an alcoholic it sends up red flags. If it is the buzz you are looking for that ONLY alchohol can provide you need to reassess. I do not drink and I can still go out with friends and have fun if I chose to. Can You?

superspork2

Im totally in the same situation.. Its really hard when you are a social drinker. After I started drinking, I wouldnt say it caused all my weight gain, but it did give it a little push. Awhile ago I decided not to drink and that lasted a few months.. and I felt great! But I also wanted to hang out with my friends and have a drink and play drinking games. I still struggle with it, its very hard to find a balance. Very rarely do I just have one drink.. Maybe if I'm at dinner with my boyfriend, but if Im hanging out with friends, its easier to not care.. I dont know.. I dont have any words of wisdom for you just that youre not alone haha. Add me if you like!

beamer0821

im married to an addict. and its sounds like from your very brief description that it might be worth a closer look at your drinking and that maybe its a problem for you. again i dont know im just suggesting to take another look at it.

with that said i am a casual drinker. however i only drink 1-2 times per month. and i enjoy having a cocktail or two at those times, i plan for it and im still able to lose weight.

however if i over do it even on just that one occasion i do notice it sends me into a tail spin of eating poorly

trogalicious

Enough drinks to push me about 500 calories over my quota each day. I drink in the evening after starting off the day eating healthy so after getting drunk I don't really have the option of exercising off the calories. Then I'll be good for a few weeks and then have my little binge again.

If you know how much you're going over, then make the drinks fit.

getdrunknotfat.com works wonders. I've had no issues with having a few beers a week since I started.. and I'm not talking about that watered down diet beer garbage either.

laurie04427

If it is the buzz you are looking for that ONLY alchohol can provide you need to reassess. I do not drink and I can still go out with friends and have fun if I chose to. Can You?

I guess thats where I am at the moment is in the reassessment of it all. Taking a half an hour to mull over an answer to that probably isn't a good sign.

Thank you for the comments folks.

_HeartsOnFire_

If it is the buzz you are looking for that ONLY alchohol can provide you need to reassess. I do not drink and I can still go out with friends and have fun if I chose to. Can You?

I guess thats where I am at the moment is in the reassessment of it all. Taking a half an hour to mull over an answer to that probably isn't a good sign.

Thank you for the comments folks.

There's nothing wrong with having a couple beers or getting buzzed and hanging out with friends. Depending on the buzz you are going for...going for binge drinking, then yeah, that might be a problem. But a couple beers on a couple nights a week, not so bad.

Myhaloslipped

It depends. Some people can have 1-2 drinks and easily fit it into their calorie goal. Others get hammered every time they even get started with drinking and rack up a ton of calories, so it is probably best to keep the drinking at a minimum if you are that type of person.

caroldavison332

I do not drink alcohol because I have alcoholism on both sides of my family and want to help my nieces and nephews choose not to drink. Additionally, your body turns that liquid sugar into fat immediately. It's also expensive! Finally, I would rather save my calories for cheese burgers than beer. I don't know why people prefer boozes over yummy food.

Go_Mizzou99

Guilty...but I still drink and still count the calories.

BTW - I lost 70 pounds while still drinking. Maybe it took a little longer, but i figured deprivation would do more harm than continuing to consume something I enjoy while staying in goal.

wenshel7

If I drink (rum shots only here!), my weight loss will stall, completely, for like, three days. I just don't drink (for now) until I get ALOT closer to my goal weight.

logicman69

I've been there as well. Being a musician in a working band, drinks are just part of my life. I have worked to switch what I drink. For example instead of downing a pint of Smithwicks (which can be over 300 calories), I order a Jack and Diet (90 calories). Making changes like these make it so I can still have a drink, but not go over in calories.

I also make sure I get a good extra workout the day before and the day after, so if I do end up going over (damn shots) I have the calorie room.

sullus

If it is the buzz you are looking for that ONLY alchohol can provide you need to reassess. I do not drink and I can still go out with friends and have fun if I chose to. Can You?

Remember kids: you don't need to have a good time to drink.

superspork2

getdrunknotfat.com works wonders. I've had no issues with having a few beers a week since I started.. and I'm not talking about that watered down diet beer garbage either.

This website is awesome.. Also top of list is everclear.. Ill just take two shots of that and be good all night!!

Sarah4fitness

It's not just the alcohol calories that are the problem. As alcohol lowers your inhibitions, you also eat more as you drink, and tend to make poorer food choices. The less you drink and less often you drink, the more efficient your weight loss will be.

fast_eddie_72

Yup. I had to really limit the wine. I used to drink quite a bit of red wine. I still enjoy a little on a Friday, but just can't do it every night. Loads of calories and I don't want to be "saving calories" all day just so I can drink them away. And completely agree with the post above. Once you have a couple of drinks, it's easy to eat a something and add to the already too high calorie intake for the day.

rle2512

I have a drink on the weekends now and then, Monday night i went to a bar with my boyfriend, when im sitting in a bar i tend to drink very quickly (social anxiety maybe) but Monday i drank water, In the 2 and a half hrs i was there, i drank 5 large glasses of water! haha, great way too get your water intake. If i drink its hard liquor with a non sugary chaser in it.

fast_eddie_72

I've had no issues with having a few beers a week since I started.. and I'm not talking about that watered down diet beer garbage either.

Ug. I bought a 12 pack of that 55 calorie junk for Super Bowl Sunday. What a mistake. First of all, it's got so little alcohol you might as well not have a drink at all. It tastes okay, but not great - not much taste at all, really. Just a waste.

sullus

It's not just the alcohol calories that are the problem. As alcohol lowers your inhibitions, you also eat more as you drink, and tend to make poorer food choices. The less you drink and less often you drink, the more efficient your weight loss will be.

It's not just the inhibitions. Alcohol will lower blood sugar, which makes you feel hungry. Then the lowered inhibitions kick in and because you feel REALLY hungry, you potentially eat a lot more (and make worse choices) than you would have otherwise.

cwolfman13

I've reduced my alcohol consumption considerably. I still drink and enjoy it and much of my social life revolves around it...but it's only a couple of evenings per week at the most.

Also keep in mind that even if you could exercise drunk, you're not going to burn off those calories. You cannot store those calories from alcohol...your body has to metabolize the alcohol sugars and that just takes time. While your body is doing that, it cannot metabolize other stuff...so fat oxidation ceases (basically your metabolism becomes retarded for how many ever hours it take you to sober up) as does burning of any calories you are taking in food wise while you're drinking. Generally speaking, the dietary damage caused by alcohol is more about the **** we eat when we're drunk than the actual alcohol consumption itself.

laurie04427

getdrunknotfat.com works wonders. I've had no issues with having a few beers a week since I started.. and I'm not talking about that watered down diet beer garbage either.

Okay after reading the comments I'm thinking maybe I'll take a break from it for a while to regroup and then maybe create a cheat day on the weekend to budget some drinks. If it stretches beyond the cheat day I'll know it aint working. Thank you for the ideas.

Tends to be like 4 whiskey and gingerales if i'm not going way overboards so 4 whiskey shots instead should be budgetable.

(lol I was going to quit and you dragged me back in hehe)

Elsie_Brownraisin

It's not just the alcohol calories that are the problem. As alcohol lowers your inhibitions, you also eat more as you drink, and tend to make poorer food choices. The less you drink and less often you drink, the more efficient your weight loss will be.

It's not just the inhibitions. Alcohol will lower blood sugar, which makes you feel hungry. Then the lowered inhibitions kick in and because you feel REALLY hungry, you potentially eat a lot more (and make worse choices) than you would have otherwise.

Case in point- went to the pub last night, was hungry and made myself a bacon butty when I got home. Almost 800 extra cals on top of my already pretty generous allowance and I wouldn't have eaten the sandwich had I not had a couple of pints.

Heliconia

I am so much like you. I quit drinking Jan.1 at the start of my second attempt here on mfp. I really miss it of course and DO NOT have as much fun now when out with friends. I really hate when people label you an alcoholic if a person enjoys drinking! For one, I would not have been able to just stop drinking as easily as I have if I were a true alcoholic. That does not mean that I will stay off it forever. The calories are the reason I am off it for now, as is most chocolate and other temptations. What I have done is found something resembling alcohol that gives me the same pleasure. If you really think about it, it is probably not the buzz that you really want, but the feelings of relaxation, that you are treating yourself etc. I drink a spicy tomato juice with lots of lemon. Experiment with a few virgin cocktails to find one you like. Good luck!

richardheath

After several years of being overweight and lazy I'm attempting to get fit and lose weight.

But I'm coming to the conclusion that booze is ruining my progress and so I've quit.

I tend to drink several days in a row. Enough drinks to push me about 500 calories over my quota each day. I drink in the evening after starting off the day eating healthy so after getting drunk I don't really have the option of exercising off the calories. Then I'll be good for a few weeks and then have my little binge again.

Yes I know I should exercise moderation but it doesn't happen.

Wondering if anyone had a similar experience.

Booze started ruining my fitness progress too. So I quit as well. Now, I just drink and don't worry about fitness.

:drinker:





ETA: OK... not really. I just cut back on the amount I was drinking.

cwolfman13

After several years of being overweight and lazy I'm attempting to get fit and lose weight.

But I'm coming to the conclusion that booze is ruining my progress and so I've quit.

I tend to drink several days in a row. Enough drinks to push me about 500 calories over my quota each day. I drink in the evening after starting off the day eating healthy so after getting drunk I don't really have the option of exercising off the calories. Then I'll be good for a few weeks and then have my little binge again.

Yes I know I should exercise moderation but it doesn't happen.

Wondering if anyone had a similar experience.

Booze started ruining my fitness progress too. So I quit as well. Now, I just drink and don't worry about fitness.

:drinker:

ninerbuff

In for just adding information:

Alcohol once in the body will be used as energy till it's burned off. That means that all other energy sources are stored until alcohol is out of the body. So no fat burning while you've taken that drink. Not my rules. That's just how body physiology works.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

sjaplo

If it is the buzz you are looking for that ONLY alchohol can provide you need to reassess. I do not drink and I can still go out with friends and have fun if I chose to. Can You?

I guess thats where I am at the moment is in the reassessment of it all. Taking a half an hour to mull over an answer to that probably isn't a good sign.

Thank you for the comments folks.

mmmm nice guilt trip.

I'm a 52 year old male and am fully aware that a life without beer is not something that is high on my list of life changes to make. In fact it doesn't make the list. I drink daily, but not to excess. I add the beer calories to my daily intake the same way I would add any other food.

However - I have known some alcoholics in my time and there are a couple of different varieties. I guess questions to ask your self are;

1. Do you always drink to excess once you start or can yoou have one or two and go home?
2. Does your judgement deteriorate after a drink or two?
3. Does drinking the night before sometimes stop you from going to work the next day?
4. Do you lose track of events when you drink?

Also - based on your post - drinking to excess every few weeks is not going to harm your diet - but the questions above still apply.

cheers

Coltsatc

I had to quit drinking. I was drinking at least a couple beers every night, and on nights I didn't have to work the next day I'd get pretty hammered. So I'd waste the next day being hung over or sleeping in all day. I thought I could drink in moderation, but that never worked.

While it's been good for my health and I feel like a much better parent getting up early with my kids and doing stuff with them, I'm still learning how to have fun without it. I'm pretty boring sober it turns out. My friends give me crap cuz I'd rather go to sleep and wake up early than drink with them and sleep in.

I'm just glad I'm taking control of my life now before it got any worse. I could sense the spiraling out of control starting so I did something about it.