giving up alcohol?

missxlaur

hi everyone,

i'm thinking very seriously about giving up drinking until i reach my goal weight. have any of you done this? did it help you ultimately achieve your goal more quickly? do you have any tips for how to stay strong? i'm really looking for some advice here.

thanks!

lauren

frenchielover

If its what you want to do...go for it. Perhaps while others are drinking you could make a "mock-tail" with something fizzy and a lime, but no actual alcohol? However....don't kill yourself if you can't stick with it. There are actually a lot of health benefits to having 5 oz. of wine with dinner, etc, or having a beer after a great workout. Everything in moderation girl, otherwise, you will freak out, and go off the deep end!

I couldn't imagine NOT drinking. I did cut back....a little. However, still managed to lose pounds and enjoying drinks and dessert, and all that fun stuff.

Good luck!

Shweedog

I was a heavy drinker. Everyday. I gave it up except for one day a week. I only had 1200 calories per day and if I drank I could barely eat anything and I was hungry!

Dtrmnd86

If you think you need to, go for it. And depending on how much you drink, quitting can help a lot with weight loss. I haven't stopped drinking, but I've cut how much I drink in half. And I like to make sure to get a nice workout the morning before I know I'll be drinking. Although I've been slacking on that lately. Good luck with whatever you decide

spyro88

I haven't done it myself but I think it's a great idea, as there can be tons of calories in alcoholic drinks.

I don't tend to drink much alcohol anyway unless it's a special occasion so it didn't really occur to me to give it up. It would be like me giving up strawberry gateau... something I hardly ever have.

Good luck with your decision. If you drink a lot it will be hard but worth it

baygirl75

Give it up. Me and my girlfriend went on the same diet and exercise program for 3 mths. She gave up drinking and lost 25lbs. I continued to drink simply because I entertain non-stop and I only lost 7lbs:(....let's just say that I quit drinking after that. Good luck!

LivLovLrn

also consider that if you are only giving it up to lose weight, you may gain that weight back when you start drinking again. So only give it up to a level you are willing to give up forever, unless you want to keep gaining and losing weight

Sweet_Pandora

Earlier this year I gave up alcohol for over 100 days and for myself it did not help my weight loss.

I now enjoy wine with dinner on the weekends. It's my indulgence.

Best of luck, everyone is different.

K

3ball

I haven't had a drink in about 6 months. Even before that though, I didn't drink a lot. All I drank before was Newcastle or Guinness beer, and only 2-3 at that. I don't miss it at all, and the extra calories saved are nice.

u04kmm5

I wasn't exactly thinking about giving it up till I reach my target, but I would like to!
I get the feeling though that I won't be able to cut it out completely and retain some kind of social life!
Let me know how you get on.
I am running a 5k in 3 weeks, so perhaps I could try giving up till after that?

Sarahmt29

I haven't given up alcohol while trying to lose weight and I am still losing weight. I just drink smarter and record all of my calories. On of my MFP friends has chocolate every day, I have a cocktail So for me, I don't see the difference in choosing food calories over alcohol calories as long as you count them. It's just a choice. I find living my life while trying to lose weight as close to "normal" as possible makes more sense than giving up things I will want after I reach my goal. That's the beauty of MFP : ) Good luck!

nataliebeth08

I think it's a good idea, for three months I didn't see any weight changes because I was drinking on the weekends. Now that I quit drinking the weight is finally coming off. It helps me be more consistent with my workouts and contributes to a healthier life style all around. I now wake up Saturday morning and go for a bike ride instead of sleeping in and eating bad foods. I think it just depends on how much you drink. Sticking to the rule of no liquid calories except an ocasional cup of coffee with cream has helped me.

missxlaur

thanks everyone! i really appreciate all of your input

Elle_Jamaicangirl81

i only drink once in a while now... so i havent given it up completely, but seriously cut it back

Qarol

Blasphemy!

No seriously, if you think it'll help, it certainly couldn't hurt to try. Track your progress while you're "abstaining," and see what happens. People have still been successful at weight loss without cutting out alcohol. But others needed to cut it out. It all depends on you and your body.

La_Amazona

I did, sorta. I was getting really big on wine when I first started. I told myself that during my p90x time, I'd not drink. I'm still not at goal weight but did finish my p90x. I still haven't had a drink. I have self control (haha) but I like to drink and when I drink I can make dumb food choices. I'm not sure if it made a difference (I'm sure it did) because I wasn't counting the calories when I was drinking.

I do plan to drink for the very first time this coming up weekend. My mouth literally waters when I think of some wine. How I've missed it!

infamousmk

I cut back on my drinking - a lot. .. and I'm seeing reasonable results. I won't 'give up' anything, because I know for me it makes me resentful and crave things and I end up binging. So, you gotta find what works best for you. Cutting back on drinking will help in your weight loss efforts, and giving it up could help if you are able to stick with it.

VidaSana

Put it this way, when I was in University I was 145 pounds. When I returned back home and stopped drinking (only 1 glass every couple of weeks, if that) I withered down to my current weight of 126 pounds. My colleague has also recently stopped drinking and looks more phenomenal than she ever has. (Of coarse, quitting drinking wasn't the only cause for lost weight- I also exercise regularly) but it made a huge, huge difference. You will just feel better overall too It was the best thing I ever did and I'd say give it a go until you reach your goal weight which makes you feel your best.

Good luck!!

Jenny

uniquesoul73

I think its a personal decision...for me, I have not given it up, but I have cut back significantly and it has helped with the weight loss.

sinclare

I had a 3 lb loss lst week after being at the same weight all summer; all I did differently was to drink less.

I would love to quit for awhile ( even a week ) but can't seem to get there. Maybe we should start a challenge group?

Silverkittycat

I was drinking way too much wine in June this year for a not-so-great reason - to relax and relieve stress. I stopped on July 1st and haven't had any since then, even though I just intended to take a break for a few weeks. It's hard for me to start again because I feel fantastic, have so much more energy and look so much better than when I was drinking. I didn't expect it but it really made a difference in my skin - color and texture are so even, smooth and brighter. Somehow my features are slightly more defined, I'm guessing the alcohol caused some puffiness i'd never noticed. I lost my appetite for approximately 6 weeks along with 7 pounds, it worried me because I didn't want to lose weight. I also craved sugar about every 4/5 hours in the beginning.

If you'd like, take a look at my food diary. It's open. I had a hard time getting above 700/800 calories most days in July due to the appetite loss - except for the first 2 days after quitting. I couldn't stop eating.
Good Luck which ever way you go! :flowerforyou:


sinclare - a challenge group is a great idea!

Michellerw1

I used to drink a glass or two of wine every night but not I only drink on weekends or special ocassions. I feel like it has helped if only that I feel less bloated. I also cut it out totally for the whole month of January. This helped to get me back on track, and after a month off the effects of one glass of wine or beer were more apparant (read, I got a buzz) so I found myself drinking less.

Amandajean1105

I've also cut back - CONSIDERABLY. We will see how it goes. I own a bar and am always entertaining people as well, so it has been somewhat difficult for me. But I decided if I cut back during the week (did not drink for 5 days in a row last week) and try to go easy on the weekends, it can't be anything but better for me then what I was doing.

A very good friend of mine was using MFP while pregnant, and granted she was still working out, quit drinking for that duration and she claims that had a enormous impact on her weight loss.

Good Luck to everyone!

blondechic213

It hasn't made a difference in my diet or my ability to lose weight. If anything, I try to find alternatives to the high calorie drinks. My favorite is a Pina Colada and I found a recipe in the recipe message boards that is amazing. Here is it if you're interested. Serves: 3

Ingredients:
1½ cup light vanilla yogurt
3 tbsp. shredded coconut
1 cup pineapple chunks
1½ cup milk
3oz. Malibu rum

Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Calories: 223

mydeloo78

I gave it up almost 3 months ago now, I am down 10lbs but I'm also exercising more and watching my calories more closely. Its all about calories at the end of the day. Its nice to never be hung over and miss working out because of feeling like crap but you have to have good reasons because its hard.

cdpm

I'm not a massive drinker, I'd have a glass or 2 of wine every other week or something and have a bit more than that on a night out with friends.
Then I went to an event which I had been working towards as a motivational goal. Lots of alcohol and really celebrating. My stomach didn't enjoy the night as much as I did and lets say it paid me another visit...
Since then I've only had 2 glasses of wine on 2 different occasions and I don't miss the alcohol at all, even on nights out. Maybe I needed an event like that to make me realise that it was rubbish I was putting in and my body will probably reject it again.

I'm not saying you should drink so much that you are ill and then regret it afterwards, but that my little story shows that your body might not accept the booze after a while and it could be for the better - it all depends on your body and your habits.

nosugarcoating

I think if you only drink once a month or so like I do, it won't make much of a difference. If you get drunk every weekend, it probably will. I am currently on a medication that can be risky in connection with alcohol so I currently don't drink (though a glass of champagne or so is okay every once in a while so when there is a social occasion I wouldn't say no).

jowings

I haven't given up alcohol while trying to lose weight and I am still losing weight. I just drink smarter and record all of my calories. On of my MFP friends has chocolate every day, I have a cocktail So for me, I don't see the difference in choosing food calories over alcohol calories as long as you count them. It's just a choice. I find living my life while trying to lose weight as close to "normal" as possible makes more sense than giving up things I will want after I reach my goal. That's the beauty of MFP : ) Good luck!

Agree 100% with this!

natmerritt

I don't think you have to give it up entirely--just cut back some. I go to happy hour at least twice a week and usually have a glass of wine, a light beer or a couple of cocktails on Friday or Saturday night.

Also, I started making 'smarter' choices with my drinks:

Instead of 2 frozen ritas with beef quesadillas, I'll have 2 Corona lights or 'Skinny' ritas and a quesadilla with a low-carb tortilla, spinach, grilled shrimp and request that they use half the cheese...

Instead of rum & coke, I'll have a Malibu & diet coke with lime...(all the sweetness and around 60ish calories per cocktail).

A glass of red or white wine with friends to accompany a nice dinner on the weekend allows you the flexibility to be 'social' without all the scrutiny & fuss...

Also, some restaurants are really getting into the lower-calorie cocktail. Kona grill has a delicious, refreshing drink called a 'citrus flip' for 34(ish?) calories per drink. Enjoy!