Calories and Alcohol

Options
mina4380
mina4380 Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
What to do now that Im trying to stay under 1200 calories and the weekend is here. I like drinking beer and mixed drinks. I dont plan on giving that up, so any suggestions?
«1

Replies

  • Cathy92
    Cathy92 Posts: 312 Member
    Options
    I guess you should give up food! lol! I had a chocolate martini recently and was shocked to see it had over 400 calories. I'd just count the calories and limit howmany you are willing to give to alcohol.
  • mjgregg12
    mjgregg12 Posts: 36
    Options
    I just work out extra hard to enjoy a cocktail.
    We actually walk to the bars, too...
    I know, I need help, LOL!
  • zuengler2
    zuengler2 Posts: 1
    Options
    If I know I will be drinking, I calculate approx. how many calories and hit the gym to make up for it. I never give up food or my favorite cocktails.
  • mrshickey
    mrshickey Posts: 239
    Options
    try vodka diet coke or other spirit with a diet mixer. 1200 calories is low so it may be hard to have beer aswell without eating less food which will be bad for u. choose weight loss or beer. OR u can do loads of exercise to earn exercise calories and use them on beer, that way u get the best of both worlds, but it may slow dwn ure weight loss
  • LovesNoodles
    LovesNoodles Posts: 72
    Options
    If I know I will be drinking, I calculate approx. how many calories and hit the gym to make up for it. I never give up food or my favorite cocktails.

    yup, I do this too! budget how much you think you'll drink and compensate by going to the gym and burning those calories!!! good luck this weekend :D
  • caramkoala
    caramkoala Posts: 303 Member
    Options
    mix your drinks with DIET soda. Not a long term thing (cause there is some evidence sweeteners increase appetite), but for a one-off thing, that'll cut out a lot of unnecessary calories.

    Have a great weekend!
  • lor007
    lor007 Posts: 884 Member
    Options
    Exercise and then drink your exercise calories. It only makes sense.
  • dogwhisperette
    dogwhisperette Posts: 177 Member
    Options
    There are low cal beer out there. In Canada we have Canadian 67, 67 cal/beer. Mixed drinks can be mixed with a low cal drink.
    Enjoy and have a great weekend!
    Also agree with working out harder on the days you know you are going to be drinking. Hope this helps
    1
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    I drink alcohol, mostly wine, just about every day. I just count it as part of my calories. Many times on the weekend I go over, but since I still workout it's usually not that much. I still met my goal. Maybe I would have met it faster had I given up the wine, but I don't intend to give it up forever so it seemed logical that if I didn't find a way to have the wine and lose I'd just gain it back once I was at my goal. And I've not gained any back yet.
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
    Options
    Bring packets of crystal light with you (my sisters love the fruit punch and pink lemonade flavor) and just ask for vodka and water at the bar, then stir in. I drink Bud Select 55, only 55 calories in a bottle of beer. Tastes almost like beer :-/ I also exercise more to make up for it, but I will never give up my drinks :)
  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
    Options
    I don't go to the bar too often, but I get whiskey and diet coke which is pretty low and at home I have St.Germain with club soda, which is quite low too. Just research how many calories are in drinks you like and go from there, then also work out before you hit the bottle.
  • Sooznine
    Sooznine Posts: 29 Member
    Options
    I work out extra and eat lighter on weekends when i am going out... and still go over once in a while! :) going over one day won't hurt you too much in the long run. The way i see it, the only way to make these changes sustainable is to make them realistic. It is NOT realistic that i will stop going out and having a drink. I happen to enjoy beer and wine. It does slow things down a bit, but just stay on track....
  • ctlinj7
    ctlinj7 Posts: 151 Member
    Options
    I take a packet of crystal light to the bars with me and I get a vodka water and then i sprinkle the crystal light packet in!!! SHHHH. lol. It tastes awesome!
  • woja9640
    woja9640 Posts: 450 Member
    Options
    Jack D and Diet Coke..... only 60-80 calories.... all from the alcohol. LOL.
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
    Options
    I'm not big on light beers, but have found that dark beers tend to be lower in calorie than regular beer. If I want a beer I'll exercise a bit extra to earn it.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    Options
    Find out your BMR for maintenance level and drink up to that on the day you want to drink. You won't lose that day, but you won't gain, either. If you only that occasionally you will still lose weight on average.

    Drink spirits or dry wines instead of beer (:sad:) and use calorie-free mixers. Personally, I'm finding that it's easier to decide how much I want to drink, then just do some shots to reach that amount and put the liquor away after that. I'll keep drinking my regular soft drinks (diet or unsweetened soda water and such) through the rest of the night.
  • KENNY1957
    KENNY1957 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    GO FORTH....HAVE A GOOD TIME!!!! THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO TAKE AWAY ALL YOUR FUN IN LIFE.......DRINK MODERATELY WHEN I DO INSTEAD OF HAVING A CASE I'LL CUT IT DOWN TO A TWELVER.....HE HE LOL...:drinker: :drinker: :laugh: JUST BE PREPARED TO........PAY THE PRICE WITH AN EXTRA CAL BURN...:grumble:
  • hdmotorc
    hdmotorc Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Earn extra calories with exercise and look at the calories of the beer you will drink. I for one drink Busch light because I like it and it only has 95 calories per beer. If I run 3miles I burn enough for 4 beers. I have been known to exercise just to eat or drink more. Cheers
  • boilermakerblaw
    boilermakerblaw Posts: 78
    Options
    I've been drinking rum and diet a lot lately! A shot of rum is ~60 calories and Malibu coconut rum is only 51 (and delicious in diet coke or sprite!!) Bud Select 55 is also a good choice for beer, its perfect if you're say, at a tailgate, and drinking large quantities and it still has the same amount of alcohol as a bud light where others such as MGD 64 barely have any alcohol at all! I liked the suggestions of working out extra hard before drinking...that's what I plan on doing tomorrow! Good luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    I may get blasted for this but, on a 1200 cal diet, there is no room for treats or alcohol of any kind. If you only eat 1200 cals, it is difficult to get the required macro and micro nutrients, if you add empty calories such as alcohol it will be next to impossible to feed your body with the nutrients it needs,

    I would suggest if you want to do this to eat maintenance calories or higher than your 1200 Net, on days you want a drink. So on a normal day if you don't exercise and eat 1200, no room for treats, if you decide to have a treat that should be on top of the 1200 cals, so if you have a beer you should get 1350 on the day (1200 regular cals + 150 from the beer) All this will do is slightly slow your weight loss down, but will not affect your health as much as replacing some of the needed 1200 with alcohol.

Categories