Alcohol...my biggest downfall!!!

DawnieB1977

When I was your age I was at university drinking at least 4 nights a week lol. I lost loads of weight as a student, especially in my third year in France. I didn't eat a lot though, and my only exercise was walking everywhere.

I'm now 36 and a mum of three, so on the rare occasion I go out I drink whatever I like!

If you're going out regularly, maybe stick to spirits with mixers, like vodka tonic, or have a white wine spritzer if you like wine. And have a big workout session the day you're going out.

mbbseb

Good advice, I'm a beer drinker and only drink on weekends @home because I'm an old lady with 2 kids also. But I like the idea of giving it up and when I lose 10 lbs have 2 bud lites. If you really want it bad enough you will give it up. Bud lites are my problem and I can't just have 1.

BarbieFromHellx

Okay I will just make one more post saying I only usually go on nights out once a fortnight USUALLY and I don't do drunk eating...just to save confusion and maybe prevent the weird unnecessary rude comments ta although the majority of people gave helpful and beneficial advice so thank you.

eric_sg61

I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do I use the tips outlined in this
http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/science-binge-drinking/

SunofaBeach14

I hate it when I go out and people keep buying me drinks.

Seriously, learn to say "no thank you" or order a soft drink or tea. My job has had me out drinking with clients many a night, and I will often slip in several soda waters with lime during the course of the night.

BigT555

thanks to everyone telling op not to drink despite her post specifically asking for advice other than that.... that was good for a laugh or two

anyway op i have the same problem, and im not about to sacrifice my social life for weight loss either. ive started fasting on mornings of drinking to help lower the cals by 600 or so for that day and then just going up to maintenance once i do go out. but depending on how much you drink when you go out you may want to try and keep this to once a week if possible since i find i still often go over when i go out. those old habits always seem to poke their head out in one way or another when alcohol comes out

LINIA

Hello OP,
I am an awful lot like you in that i go out and enjoy 2 drinks from time to time, in between i alternate with water and lime slices in the water--- ---- or a splash of tonic water, lime and water can also be very tasty.

Like you i don't do the drunk eating and even though i have some pounds to lose , my BMI is normal, my clothing sizes look small so i think i get what you mean.

Your question was excellent and there is another thing you can do, create a weekly deficit--- almost as though you have been on WW. So save over 200 calories a couple of times during the week and use them on your night out. That seems to work also , as our bodies don't gain or lose in a linear fashion, you can accumulate " spending calories" before you go out for an evening.

I am really in favor of you going out once every week, having to enjoy only twice a month just is so unnecessary when you can grab the calories you need by saving them up or by doing extra fitness.

GL, i'd be interested to know what worked best for you --- this was a wonderful post with many helpful suggestions. ???? Linia

jessicasrsly

I find it interesting that you called alcohol your biggest downfall in the post title then asked that no one tell you to stop drinking alcohol. It seems logical that if something were really your "biggest downfall" you'd want to avoid it. Here's a great article on how alcohol affects weight loss and how it's the second biggest contributor to cancer.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2255958/The-secret-weight-loss-Ditch-booze-dieters-told.html

Here's a great organization called "Hello Sunday Morning" ( https://www.hellosundaymorning.org/ ) that started a movement of quitting drinking for short periods of time (relatively short since they do suggest 1-3 months) and taking time to note the positive effects of quitting drinking for that period of time. Your relationship with alcohol changes. You honestly don't "need" it as much as you think you do. Believe me, I love to drink but I'm at a point in my life now that I need to let it go. I wish I would have been able to see this when I was much younger. Alcohol has held me back from my goals of regular exercise and weight loss for YEARS.

Good luck on your weight loss journey!

PRMinx

Okay I will just make one more post saying I only usually go on nights out once a fortnight USUALLY and I don't do drunk eating...just to save confusion and maybe prevent the weird unnecessary rude comments ta although the majority of people gave helpful and beneficial advice so thank you.

If you are only going out once or twice a month, I don't see how it could have a major impact on your weight. Just get up the next day, drink plenty of water, workout.

fooninie

I drink wine and beer, mostly on a weekend and on a given day. I work for my drink calories. If I know I am going to have a few drinks, I will make sure I go for a long run or a good cardio class at the gym. That way, the cals fit my macros. (sort of...)

Not sure how old you are but when I was in my early 20s I partied like a rockstar and wore tiny pants too...my problems started when I ate anything that was not nailed down in my first pregnancy. :blushing:

Branstin

I drink vodka, red wine, and Long Island Ice Tea. I plan ahead and save up calories during the week to use on the weekends.

For days you want to go out with friends, plan ahead of time and limit yourself to your maintenance calories for that day.

husseycd

Unfortunately, I don't know that there's much advice besides avoiding getting to the point of tipsy that you no longer care. For me, that's after 3 drinks. Right at the point where I start to feel pretty good, haha.

Anyway, if it's only once or twice a month, don't worry about it. If it's every Friday or Saturday, it could be derailing you. There are a couple methods you might try. Make a concerted effort to drink a water between drinks. This will, hopefully, make you a little more conscious. Or if you know you're going out, bank calories during the week.

BTW, I'm a social drinker, and while I'm plenty fit and at a perfectly healthy weight, I would like to drop my body fat just a bit. Reeeally want to see a defined 4-pack. I regularly drink on Friday and Saturday (and sometimes other days), and I maintain about 19% body fat, so you can definitely be in shape and drink. I do bank calories during the week though, eating ~ 1700 M-Th. Nights out tend to come in at 2500-3000. My maintenance is about 2200/day.

In order to get to my fitness goals, I will need to change my nights out. The water method will be my plan. Oh, and not staying out past 10, but I'm 38, so if you're younger, that might not be as easy to manage. :laugh:

wanttolose40lbs

I drink Bacardi and water with a lemon, when the glass is empy I ask them to fill with water, then the next time I have a drink, etc. It seems to work for me, and I try not to have more than five. I save calories during the day and the prior day and also work out, well I work out six days a week. I don't want to give up my drinking so I make it work, and I still lose weight.

FitnessLover001

I am a stickler for my weight and health and count all my calories, but I'm young, and I love alcohol! However, I drink in moderation. For me, I only drink on the weekends and usually two beers is my limit per night. So four cans is as much beer as I'll have for the weekend. That's because I know I work hard during the week and I believe we all deserve a cheat every now and then. You can limit yourself to more than that if you want, that's just what I limit myself to. I put a stop to my drinking before it's too late and I don't realize I'm still drinking an abundance of alcohol.

Is alcohol the best thing for you? No, but does it give you a good time? Yes, so enjoy your life, and just drink in moderation!

Flab2Fab27

Okay I will just make one more post saying I only usually go on nights out once a fortnight USUALLY and I don't do drunk eating...just to save confusion and maybe prevent the weird unnecessary rude comments ta although the majority of people gave helpful and beneficial advice so thank you.

If you are only going out once or twice a month, I don't see how it could have a major impact on your weight. Just get up the next day, drink plenty of water, workout.

Agree with this. Count the calories in your drinks and if you find you're going over, work it into your calorie goals next time.

tedrickp

I don't see the problem with her saying she isn't interested in hearing people say "stop drinking".

I think she was just being honest that she won't stop drinking so to keep the thread on track she let people know right away. Good move IMO - but some people seemed to get their jimmies a bit rustled by it.

bingo_jenn

I've had to go the give it up route. My goal is to remind myself how good it feels to not be slightly hungover every day. I can get by on less sleep, get good workouts in, and be fairly alert all day.


I don't want to give it up forever though. I like good wine and good beer. I just need to stick to a glass or two at a time instead of a bottle or a 6 pack. And definitely don't need to be doing it every day.

One thing I've done in the past is the white wine spritzer. It makes me "feel" like I've had several glasses of wine when I've only had a couple.

tefleon

You could always NOT drink. It seems as though you have the whole "I need to drink to have fun" attitude by the 'it's free anyway' way you put it. But hey what does an alcoholic know anyway. Good luck with your binge drinking.


BTW this EX-fatass never ate cake & pizza to get fat. I drank like a fish.

I just wanted to know what other people drank on nights out. I am not an alcoholic either seeing as I've already said I drink once a fortnight usually now but you clearly didn't read the thread. Hahahaha wow.

vodka or rum with soda water for me and since I know what nights I'm going out and how much calorie wise a night out costs then I try to do more exercise during the day to earn those drink calories .

For me this is about learning to enjoy myself while losing weight. It's not about maintaining a strict diet at the cost of living.

ehlanadriscoll

Just set a reasonable goal, like 10 pounds, where you can;t drink until you lose that. That way you lose the weight and you lower your tolerance so that you can drink less when you do decide to drink again. My friend also told me that she budgeted 400 calories for drinking on days she knew she was going out. Hope that helps!

Meerataila

Alcohol is my gateway drug to chocolate. :sad:

daynerz

Plan ahead, log your stuff before you start feasting, drink in moderation, so treat yourself enough, 2-3 beers and just dont get drunk, your reward system will still be benefited from the 2-3

Or if things unexpected happen, the next day I restrict my calories based on the night before. Kind of like dealing with the consequences!!!

gl

blondageh

I might have a different take on things than most, since I will not give up my rockstar nights.

I say go out, enjoy yourself and it's a new day the next day.

Now obviously, it simply isn't something you will be able to do every weekend anymore, unless you limit your intake. You can also try switching to lower calorie drinks (this site will help: http://getdrunknotfat.com/).

The main thing for me was to limit any eating I do while drunk - and I don' t have any advice for that - but that was my biggest downfall. The alcohol calories were bad enough, but once you added all the food I ate then I could easily ruin an entire weeks' deficit. I simply had to stop all the drunk eating.

THIS THIS THIS! And I really feel you hun. I am a binge drinker. Once I start, I have a hard time stopping, especially if I am out having a good time. It is just fun and I don't do it very often. But, I DO agonize over it all day because I know me, I know I have a hard time. I try to stick to Vodka. But, after a couple of those, I see the fruity drinks my friends are having.. blarg.. I will try to switch to a bud light and if I am lucky, they will have an ultra light low carb beer at the bar. Those are much better AND takes much longer to drink then a small glass. Skip the straw. Straws make things go down a lot faster. Like they said before. Water in between drinks.

I am great about turning down food while out.. It's when I get home drunk, I eat my house. Bad combo.

BarbieFromHellx

Thanks everyone for your help!

I think limiting the amount of drink is probably a good idea, that way I know exactly how much I'm drinking and how many calories I'm consuming - and nobody wants to be in a state where they have no control over what they're doing...I try my best not to get like that and I hope I didn't give the impression that I do that!

I think what helps me is that I'm a proper lightweight. Perhaps 4 vodka's and diet cokes and I'm drunk. I just need to say no to the sugary/fruit cocktails and ciders in the same way I say no to pizza, cake, chips, etc.

So in future when I know I will be going out at night, I will work out a lot more and eat less calories to make up for any potential damage to my diet. Also ditching straws sounds like a great idea...I drink stupidly fast with a straw so without it I can make the drink last a lot longer

PRMinx

So in future when I know I will be going out at night, I will work out a lot more and eat less calories to make up for any potential damage to my diet. Also ditching straws sounds like a great idea...I drink stupidly fast with a straw so without it I can make the drink last a lot longer

Working out is great, eating less calories is not great. You need to have food in your stomach before you drink otherwise, you will make it worse.

BarbieFromHellx

So in future when I know I will be going out at night, I will work out a lot more and eat less calories to make up for any potential damage to my diet. Also ditching straws sounds like a great idea...I drink stupidly fast with a straw so without it I can make the drink last a lot longer

Working out is great, eating less calories is not great. You need to have food in your stomach before you drink otherwise, you will make it worse.

Sorry I mean eat less calories during the week and use them at the weekend, and eat lower calorie foods on the day of going out later. I would never drink on an empty stomach - very bad consequences (done it loads of times before and the hangover is even worse).

sara220523

I am a beer drinker. I love it. I could easily come home after work, sit outside on my patio and enjoy a cold beer or two. Alcohol is where my weight has come from. I didn't have weight problems until my late 20's and suddenly it was like, where the heck is this coming from?! I have had to cut out my evening drinks Mon-Thurs. Try drinking only on weekends, and if you know you're going out on a Fri or Sat night, get in a little extra work out time. Also, drink lots of water - maybe a glass or two in-between those strawberry ciders. It'll help.

jinxiemay

I personally am now fat specifically BECAUSE of alcohol. I got depressed and started drinking which not only inhibited my desire and physical ability to exercise but WOW at the calories!
I drank heavily, like 1.75 liters in 2 days. With 65 calories per ounce, and 59.17 ounces in that 1.75 liter bottle, I was consuming 3,846 calories in 2 days from JUST ALCOHOL!
I finally fixed a bunch of things going wrong in my life and I realized what a horrible disgusting crutch the alcohol had been for me and how that is probably the main reason for me gaining 100 pounds in 2 years. I quit last Monday. Today is one week I have been completely sober and eating healthy. I haven't had a drink or a drive through window in a week! I know it probably seems like it isn't that ground breaking, haha, but for me it is. I'm excited to go back to the old me. Good luck with your journey, but the reason I shared this is because not only does the sugary soda play a part, the actual liquor has loads of calories in it also!

yopeeps025

This used to be a issue and I would drink into excess like if I went out to a bar and had less than 10 drinks it was a slow night.

torontoguy1097

Sorry missy your attitude sucks. Just putting it out there. It really does. Face it maybe food isn't your only issue. In fact I can assure you it isn't. Also your "free drink" attitude AND your avatar speaks volumes.

1Cor1510

Captain and diet, light beer, or red wine. I try to log it. I have a STRICT no shot policy, and only drink a drink bought for me by someone I know and if it's what I'm currently drinking.