Drinking and fitness

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laurie04427
laurie04427 Posts: 421 Member
in Getting Started
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.
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Replies

  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    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
    MartiJJohnston Posts: 517
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    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
    almatters Posts: 7
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    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
    holly1283 Posts: 741 Member
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    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
    superspork2 Posts: 99 Member
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    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
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
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    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
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    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
    laurie04427 Posts: 421 Member
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    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_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    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
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    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
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
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    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
    Go_Mizzou99 Posts: 2,628 Member
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    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
    wenshel7 Posts: 19 Member
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    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
    logicman69 Posts: 1,034 Member
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    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
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    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
    superspork2 Posts: 99 Member
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    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
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
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    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
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    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
    rle2512 Posts: 44 Member
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    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
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    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.

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