Does Wine/Alcohol delay weight loss

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  • sxg196
    sxg196 Posts: 9 Member
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    Like anything balance is the key. I have also found that alcohol plays a part in my weight loss. LIke you, I always enjoyed a glass of wine or a nice cold beer but now I rarely drink wine and if I'm having a drink I try to stick with a light beer and only 1-2. If you like beer, Molsons 67 is only 67 calories and 3% alcohol so that has been my choice. As for wine you can get the Skinny Girl wines but again limit your intake to occassional.
  • a_stronger_me13
    a_stronger_me13 Posts: 812 Member
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    I drank 2 beers, and about 5 vodka soda waters a couple weekends ago and lost 7 lbs that week. Of course I threw up and could hardly eat anything the day after...but weight loss and drinking is still possible lol.

    :noway:

    Seems like a healthy way to lose weight. Btw, probably 4 of those 7 lbs were due to dehydration/water weight.
  • myshell0368
    myshell0368 Posts: 1 Member
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    My problem is usually when I drink alcohol, it tends to make me want to snack more. Plus, I can't just drink one glass of wine :wink:
  • BioQueen
    BioQueen Posts: 694 Member
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    Honestly I've had wine on the weekends and something like Coors Light during the week and have not had any problems. I always make sure it fits in with my calorie limit, but for something like this I want to make sure that I keep it all in moderation. I also don't drink enough so that it impacts my workout the next day (and lets face it, light beer is like bread flavored water).
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I drank 2 beers, and about 5 vodka soda waters a couple weekends ago and lost 7 lbs that week. Of course I threw up and could hardly eat anything the day after...but weight loss and drinking is still possible lol.

    :noway:

    Seems like a healthy way to lose weight. Btw, probably 4 of those 7 lbs were due to dehydration/water weight.

    I hope you realize that I don't view this as the "correct" way to lose weight...I just stated that I "did" lose weight. Most people I know used to weigh way less when they were partying because, as a person above me posted, its all alcohol intake and hardly any food.

    My view: just have a freakin drink if you want. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet, so if you don't think you can go the rest of your life without alcohol, then find some way to incoperate it into your calores for the day/week
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    It's all about calories. You can have alcohol as long as you stay in your calorie limits. I drink wine and beer several times a week.


    However it might cause temporary water retention, or even dehydration (which will be a temporary weight loss).
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Think it's okay if it fits your calories but I'm sure I read somewhere (maybe 'built lean') that if your planning a splurge to maybe go easy on fat that day.
  • KL145
    KL145 Posts: 15
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    I love wine but I limit myself to one glass on a week day for dinner and 1 glass on the weekend. And I measure my wine in a measuring cup lol. 5 oz. I was still losing.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    There's lots of calories and sugar in wine and alcohol. I would limit it to once a week on a cheat day. I love wine too and used to drink a glass about 3-4 x a week. Not anymore because Boons Farm is so full of sugar and calories! Now I try to stick to low calorie beer or 1-2 glasses on my cheat days.
    No, there's not a lot of sugar in wine or in most alcohol.
  • adamdlc
    adamdlc Posts: 34
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    When I was dieting i hit a brick wall for awhile.. Limited my drinking to 1 drink a week and i feel like it helped me shred the extra weight
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    The reason alcohol is bad is because of the process your body takes to break it down. Before your body breaks down fat it breaks down carbs. Before carbs it breaks down alcohol.

    ^^^THIS.

    This is true, but it doesn't matter if you are in a deficit anyway. If you are in a deficit you are eating less than you are burning. So you burn alcohol first, then burn the carbs, use the protein, then the burn fat, then burn fat storage to make up for the deficit. IF you are in surplus, meaning eating more than you are burning, yes you burn the alcohol and carbs, then store the fat, but you'd be storing fat without or without alcohol in a surplus.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/nutrient-intake-nutrient-storage-and-nutrient-oxidation.html
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    If you drink alcohol within your calorie limitations and macro nutrients, you will stay on track. There is so much BS in this thread, I can't believe what I'm reading.
    I drink. I have wine most evenings. That said, I do believe it slows down weight loss a tad, but YES, I agree this thread is full of so much WRONG information it's frightening.
  • sherrians
    sherrians Posts: 6
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    I drink 5 ounces of red wine every evening and I have still lost weight. I don't think it matters what you drink as long as you keep within your calorie limit. But I wouldn't have it during the day because the sugar spike makes me feel hungrier. But in the evening, it is ok because, I go to bed soon afterwards.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    If you drink alcohol within your calorie limitations and macro nutrients, you will stay on track. There is so much BS in this thread, I can't believe what I'm reading.
    I drink. I have wine most evenings. That said, I do believe it slows down weight loss a tad, but YES, I agree this thread is full of so much WRONG information it's frightening.

    +3

    And that conclusion is coming from a couple of different sides of several other common debates in these forums, OP. The only way alcohol has slowed me down is when I didn't have the good sense to moderate my intake, hit my macros, and my calorie goals.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
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    I started eating healthier last week and have noticed significant results, but I've pretty much given up alcohol to obtain those results. My question is how much does wine and alcohol impact the weight loss process? I enjoy wine, but I also Love "froo froo "drinks. I think it's safe to say that the froo froo drinks contain a ton of sugar so I've given them up completely. But what about wine or drinks that only contain rum or vodka and a lime. Are they as dangerous if you're really serious about obtaining your weight loss goals? I'd like to know if I should cut them out altogether or would it be okay if I drink them in moderation. I've had a few glasses of wine since I've started and still lost 5.5lbs in a little over a week. So I wonder if as long as I continue to work out and log my calories from the wine into my food diary if I'll be ok. Or if I should just cut the alcohol out until I reach my weight loss goal. Any feedback would be helpful.

    Signed,
    LOVE MY WINE!!

    At one point I lost a good 20 pounds, but it didn't happen until I quit drinking. I'd do an occasional shot or beer here or there and log it but that was it. The fact that I was keeping it within my calories and not getting carried away is probably what really helped.
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
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    I have a few drinks most weeks and it hasn't affected my weight loss in ANY way. I log it and try to fit it into my macros. If I have a few calories left over and I want a beer, I'll have one. Sometimes half of one if that's all that will fit. If I want something to drink but don't have any extra calories, I just don't have a drink! If you eat at a deficit (fewer calories than your body uses) then you WILL lose weight. THEORETICALLY, you could only get calories from alcoholic drinks and if it's less than your body is using, you will lose weight. :drinker:


    But don't do that. :wink:
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
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    I am an evidence based practicing therapist, so I always look for legit research to back things up and this is what I found:
    Do I drink? YES, lol.

    The nutrients protein, carbohydrates, and fat can be stored in our bodies, but alcohol cannot. For this reason, it takes priority over everything else in order to be metabolized; doing so means that all of the other processes that should be taking place are being interrupted. Other nutrients need to be broken up prior to being absorbed, whereas alcohol is absorbed as is.
    Drinking alcohol will give a negative effect on the metabolism of the body particularly to the aspect of fats metabolism.
    The amount of energy that fats can give to your body through the process of metabolism is limited by the effects of alcohol that you take in your body.

    The ability of your body to bring on lipid oxidation or the burning of fats will be greatly hindered by even just a small amount of alcohol. This was the findings of researchers and as published in the American Journal of Clinical Research.
    Further research on this matter revealed that when alcohol passes through the liver, acetate is formed. And the body, instead of burning fats for energy will burn the acetate instead of fats.
    The other bad effect of alcohol in the body is that it prevents the proper processing of vitamins and minerals which are needed in the natural function of metabolism. This is because of the process by which the liver converts alcohol to acetate. During this stage, minerals and vitamins that are supposed to be processed by the liver will be over shadowed by the system of detoxification and would be wasted through this process.

    *Alcohol provides many calories in a small volume and can end up being a source of unwanted extra calories and weight gain. One study showed a 20% increase in calories consumed at a meal when alcohol was consumed before the meal. There was a total caloric increase of 33% when the calories from the alcohol were added.

    *Alcohol is considered a poison by your body, and all efforts are made to excrete it, including the cessation of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that alcohol interferes with all three sources of glucose and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood glucose levels

    Thank you! Now I feel bad for going to the bar last night:blushing: This is some good info that actually makes sense to me!
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    The body does metabolize alcohol first, yes. If you consume it within your calorie and macro goals, however, it won't have that significant of an impact. Just don't forget to enter it. 4 glasses of wine on a Saturday can obliterate calorie goals.

    After years of practice, I've learned that I metabolize alcohol faster than average. One would think this is great, but when you're counting calories, it isn't all that great. If I were to drink alcohol for the buzz, I'd have to consume more because it takes quite a bit to get me intoxicated (I also require higher doses of numbing medication, anesthetic, etc.).

    I drink alcoholic beverages for the flavor rather than the intoxication. As a result, I tend to pick the higher calorie, quality, craft beers, whiskeys, and wines. Life is too short to get drunk on that Skinny Girl swill.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    If you drink alcohol within your calorie limitations and macro nutrients, you will stay on track. There is so much BS in this thread, I can't believe what I'm reading.
    I drink. I have wine most evenings. That said, I do believe it slows down weight loss a tad, but YES, I agree this thread is full of so much WRONG information it's frightening.

    +3

    And that conclusion is coming from a couple of different sides of several other common debates in these forums, OP. The only way alcohol has slowed me down is when I didn't have the good sense to moderate my intake, hit my macros, and my calorie goals.

    +4!! I can't believe what I am reading here and it makes me sad.

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