Should I quit drinking?

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Replies

  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    Life's (way) too short to cut out things that you enjoy ....





    I don't drink any more .............. but then again I don't drink and less :-p
  • Mariachicat
    Mariachicat Posts: 311 Member
    I only drink on nights where I'm under my calorie goal and have already done sufficient exercise for the day. I find that alcohol loosens my inhibitions around food too so this way if I'm tempted to have a snack after drinking, I can log it and still be accountable. I generally stick to variations of vodka martinis when I'm out and just log them. No reason for me not to get a buzz on if I'm out on a date or with some friends.
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
    I quit because of the calories. I'd always been a wine drinker and it was difficult at first but it has helped with weight loss. I don't drink calories at all now.
  • Timeisnow1953
    Timeisnow1953 Posts: 3
    I think one question to ask is , why do you drink? Is it just to be social? If it is wouldn't any beverage work? Or is it the buzz you are after? That was my reason. For me the only reason to drink alcohol is for the buzz. Over time (long time) I realized that the buzz was not worth it. I was smoking then and when I smoked and drank I smoked twice as much. Also before going to bed after drinking I ate to ward off the hangover. I still like to get a little buzz on but instead of weekly it's is once or twice a year and then I keep it in moderation.
    My vote for you is either quit or only once or twice a month. The calories only hurt, yet that can be said about all over indulgences. I plan for my favorite foods and not more than once or twice a month and only for one meal. I may or may not include alcohol .
    Well as usual I ran on at the fingers. I do hope there is a bite or two of food for thought here. lol
    Good luck, Tricia
  • SaintGiff
    SaintGiff Posts: 3,679 Member
    No.

    </end thread>
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I didn't actually "quit", I just couldn't find a way to fit it in to my calories. Now, I may have a drink or two during special dinners or when I am out but I don't drink at home any more and I don't go out to drink, I go out for dinner or to a party and the drinking is secondary to the company. I do enjoy wine and an occasional beer and I suspect that when I start maintenance those will be the first things I will add in. On the other hand, I really don't care if I have alcohol one way or the other.

    YOU have to decide if cutting it out or severely restricting it is the best path for you to reach your goals. If alcohol is causing you to go above your calories regularly, either psychologically because of the loss of inhibition or physically because of the extra calories, it might not be a bad idea to cut back. Only you can prioritize for yourself.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    Im not an alcoholic but i do drink pretty regularly and ive been thinking about quitting drinking until i reach my goal weight. I feel like alcohol is hindering my weight loss. i was just wondering if anyone else felt this way? Has anyone quit drinking to loss weight?
    What were your results?

    I just want to chip in that drunks are more fun!
    [/quote




    I've never been around a drunk that was fun. Grabby, stupid, incoherent, falling down unbalanced, incapable of rational thought, mean, annoyingly clingy and affectionate, stinky, dangerous behind the wheel ,embarrassing to be around, prone to commit serious social errors, any or all of that, but not fun. Maybe I've never met the right sort of drunk] :)

    That said, I enjoy ONE mixed drink such as a margarita once every year or two. .
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I don't drink any alcohol myself, largely because I don't tend to feel good after drinking even small amounts of it, and as a distant second I would rather spend the calories elsewhere.

    Having said that, as it pertains to YOUR situation:

    1) Is your alcohol consumption actively preventing you from reaching your goals?
    2) Do you feel bad about your alcohol consumption or is it damaging relationships in your life, or causing you problems with your lifestyle?

    If the answer is yes to the above then you probably should consider quitting, or reducing the frequency or amount until the above answers are both no.

    And if you answered a genuine no to the above, then enjoy your alcohol.




    Which is more important to you? getting to goal weight or drinking? but don't kid yourself. you won't stay at goal with empty calories sneaking in (says the woman who had a skinny margarita tonight... yeah but i don't drink anymore, truly. why today? idk, but figured wth).

    the thing is.. it's not just empty calories. it's how your body converts that that also takes it usually out of wanting to be an option for me.

    I disagree with this. First of all it's not necessarily an either/or. In almost all scenarios one can enjoy some amount of alcohol and still meet goal weight or make progress in body composition.

    And the claim about empty calories is only true if the quantity of those empty calories causes someone to not be able to adhere to a deficit and that would require a fair amount of drinking. You're making it sound like any empty calories are arbitrarily bad and that's certainly not true. Just about everyone has room for SOME amount of discretionary (empty) calories. Creating an all-or-nothing mentality isn't a good way to go about things for most people.
  • earthboundmisfit
    earthboundmisfit Posts: 192 Member
    I quit drinking because alcohol put a lot of weight on me... the empty calories weren't doing me any good. If you think it's hindering your weight loss definitely try giving it up and see if that helps.
  • Margrethg
    Margrethg Posts: 1 Member
    Yes! You should completely stop drinking if you want to loose. Only drink you can allow yourself, once in a while, can be vodka with ice and lemon/lime and/or gin.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    I quit because it hindered my training and goals in life. Quitting smoking was a much harder transition, since smoking didn't hinder my sleep or how I felt the next morning like alcohol did. It was easy to handle alcohol in my 20's but in my late 30's it turned on me.
  • dorianwhite
    dorianwhite Posts: 1
    There are some great points made in this thread and some not-so-great ones as well. As with any food/drink, don't cut out anything to lose weight that you don't plan on giving up forever. Seriously. Forever. If you lose the weight because you quit drinking, but start drinking again because you lost weight .. guess what will happen.

    You can still drink and lose weight. With anything else, check your intake. Can you work it into your daily goals without sacrificing nutrients? Go for it!

    Alcohol tastes great and is pleasurable to drink in moderation. Everybody is different; do what works for you.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    You might want to look up the definition of an alcoholic. Why ask us?
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
    Im not an alcoholic but i do drink pretty regularly and ive been thinking about quitting drinking until i reach my goal weight. I feel like alcohol is hindering my weight loss. i was just wondering if anyone else felt this way? Has anyone quit drinking to loss weight?
    What were your results?

    Personally I think nothing good can come from drinking any alcohol in any amount. It costs a lot, it takes up time, it causes headaches, it causes fatigue and any friendly bonding done under the influence of alcohol is illusory.

    I quit 14 years ago and I haven't regretted it for one second. I didn't use a program or any support. I just quit. Contrary to popular belief, that's the most common way to quit anything. Independently, quietly, permanently. No big deal to make of it.

    Even if you quit temporarily you can only do better and feel better without drinking. Obviously you'll be able to eat more as you're losing weight because you'll be saving a lot of calories. It can only help with your weight loss goals to quit drinking.

    It's good that you were able to quit independently and quietly.

    But if you are actually an alcholic it is sometimes necessary to make a deal of it as unsupervised detox can be fatal. But there's nowt more quiet that that, right?
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I drink beer and wine because I like how it tastes. It adds to the flavours of the food I eat. I drink high quality wine (went to a wine tasting and ordered a case which will last me 6 months at least) and craft beers. I rarely drink more than a drink in an evening and I work it into my calories. I don't drink for the buzz or to be social. It's because I enjoy the flavour and trying new flavours. And I don't plan on giving that up. My goal is not to give up everything I enjoy just so I can live an extra year - sorry, but that would make my life a sorry one. I work out, tend to eat relatively healthily and am at a good BMI (plus I lift heavy so I'm feeling quite good too). Make a decision about what drinks are for...and then make a decision if it's worth it for you.

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