alcohol and dieting

Chuck_Finley

Rum and Diet Coke is actually a pretty decent drink. Although I never order it in public. It just screams insecurity I think.

Fit_Fox88

I quit for various reasons but a plus side was the quick weight loss. Like other people have mentioned it's easier to let your guard down about the food you snack on while drinking and the food you consume the next day. The one time I gave in I had about three 8 oz cups of Coors and I was buzzed. Nice that it didn't take long

Of course, now that fall is around the corner and the Woodchuck pumpkin/fall ciders will be out, that's another story. It's going to be hard to say no to another 200 calorie bottle of cider by the fire pit on wkends :drinker:

PattiLovingLife

I view alcohol as I do any food that I enjoy. Moderation. Count calories. Log it. Work for it.

dreamer12151

I know for me, I enjoy a drink or 2. I quit smoking almost 2 1/2 years ago, and really, it's my only "vice". I make sure I add the calories into my count, and I never "drink to excess". But it's my heritage, my DNA! lol I enjoy me plonk!

Since I started training for duathlons, though, I have found my eating has naturally gotten "better" in that I'm not craving the "bad" things I once was, and alcohol is just following along. Now I can limit myself to once a week or less.

If you want it - and you are over 21, or 18, depending on where you are - and can limit yourself to be within your own guidelines, then enjoy it safely. Just make sure you log it. I've seen some people modify their daily food journals on MFP to have a category for alcohol.

LanceDuvall

Big problem area for me especially in the summer. I do great during the week, exercise daily eat in control and promise myself all week that I will not drink over the weekend. Once Friday hits all my efforts go out the window I get a second workout in the afternoon and then I lose all my will power and breakdown. I love sitting on the front stoop and having the first beer to celebrate the end of the work week. One tastes great, the second one even better and so on and so on. Then time flys by and all oppurtunities to cook a healthy meal are gone and know it's take out time but while waiting for take out it's time to break out the chips. After ordering way too much food and polishing off at least 1500 to 3,000 calories I finish the day with more beer and then a pint of my best friends Ben and Jerry. Saturday more ot the same, I do well all day and get plenty of exercise and then about 6 pm I start binging on food and beer and by the time Sundays come I just binge on food all day and on occasions drink also.

So I weigh myself on Friday and usually show a loss and then get on Monday and I put on every thing I lost the week before. This has been going on for about 20 years.

So the summer is coming to an end I wll make an effor to eliminate the booze. I want this upcoming weekend to be alcohol free and to see if I can post a loss on Friday and comeback on Monday still in negative territory.

LanceDuvall

Big Charleston Heston fan?

weightliftingaddict

I'm with eric_sg61. Also quick drinking for a little over 6 months. And now I enjoy 2 or 3 beers/ week (max). Coupled with a cleaner diet, I feel so good now that I can't go back.

veganbettie

Someone recently told me something that has just stuck with me...
I've eaten and drank my way through life; doing what I want...for the last "x" amount of years...it's not a hard chore to just do what needs to be done for a short time...to recover the years of damage I've done... IDK...it's just kind of stuck with me...
If I can drink for 9 yrs... (started at age 26)...can't I just give it up long enough to get my life, my body, and my fitness under control...

I like that, thank you!

yopeeps025

Perhaps you should take the IIFYM approach on this one.

+1

sjaplo

There is also the theory that alcohol is metabolised before fat so it can slow down weight loss- not sure if I am explaining that correctly.

Even if this were true -if you are within your calorie allowance this won't make a difference.

sjaplo

I have had the opposite experience - it was only when I realized that I was not willing to sacrifice on the flavour or qualities of the beers that I drank - or the amount that I consume - was I able to take control of my calorie intake. I created an extra food category to track beer and I fit the pieces of the puzzle together to make sure I remain happy and un-deprived!

:drinker:

SeptemberLondon

I don't know if this will help anyone, but I quit drinking for about 6 months. After that period, i allowed myself 2 craft beers on Fridays and 2-3 beers on Sundays. It doesn't sound like a lot, but since I didn't touch alcohol for 6 months my tolerance was really low. Those 2-3 beers give me a great buzz without coming anywhere near sabotaging the rest of my diet.

This is helpful to me! I quit when I started back @ the gym, 2 months ago. I was a daily drinker: 2-3 per day and more on weekends.

But this weekend we have a party planned and all along I've intended to have a couple of drinks. I've been anxious about it, though. I don't want to go overboard (I tend to be a "pick up speed" drinker) and certainly don't want a set-back that will have me drinking regularly again. It sounds like I should just have an absolute cut-off decided ahead of time.

aligatorwww

I am also trying not to drink any alcohol for about a month now. It was pretty hard at first especially on the weekends, but has gotten easier. I don't see any change on the scale as I thought I would immediately. Funny thing is though, my face and fingers look thinner and I am sleeping much better and feel pretty great not drinking actually. I cannot have 1, it always becomes 3 or more and then I'm eating crazy crap after or the next day so this for me is a good thing!

SeptemberLondon

I stick with vodka Martinis with olives. One is a great buzz and it's not that high calorie so I can have two last me a couple of hours. Works for me.

Another great suggestion! No mixer, no extra calories!