Alcohol....

emleeo

So being a student, this is the hardest part of losing weight. Just wondering what everyone else does, do you count the calories from your drink as extra, or do you factor them into your day and eat a lot less if you know your going out? Its a friends birthday today so i have included the drinks im going to have, but this means i have hardly any calories left to eat.

munkeyfunk

Log it and eat less if you reach your limit, but generally try to avoid it.

ladyraven68

I'd average your calories out over the week, so have a bit less Sunday to Friday, to take into account the extra you are going to have on Saturday.

I'm currently not drinking, as I always have an alcohol free January, but net month when I add in my weekend wine I expect things to get a bit more challenging!

janenightingale

Save some each day if you anticpate an evening out, and/or exercise and use those spare calories. Alcohol VERY high so you must count them.

Avengertk

I have dropped wine and have an occasional vodka and diet coke (55 cals) eventually want to drop the alcohol to be honest but at least this way not too calorific

emleeo

Ah thanks guys, yeah i'v cut down a lot, seeing as that was the reason i'm sure i put on weight in the first place! I think i'v saved enough this week to go a bit over my target, plus i'm going to the gym before going out, hopefully that'll help!

lovemydrmartens

one of my main reasons for starting this was to get a grip on my alchohol consumption... it's working so far... but I'm not stopping altogether... life is about balance... ;-)

fimary

Not had a glass of wine since 30th dec, trying to be healthier and hope to continue jan and feb, but have deal with 11 year old daughter, each day i dont have glass of wine, she has to try an new vegetable, been working very well. she has tried loads of new things and even liked some of them. Mange tout tonight!

laceyxlockdown

it is very healthy to have a glass a wine once a week just fyi

MaximalLife

So being a student, this is the hardest part of losing weight. Just wondering what everyone else does, do you count the calories from your drink as extra, or do you factor them into your day and eat a lot less if you know your going out? Its a friends birthday today so i have included the drinks im going to have, but this means i have hardly any calories left to eat.

That's life.

We must decide what's important.
If the fleeting pleasures of drinking and eating are more of a priority than your fitness goals, then so be it.
Alcohol is nothing but empty calories.

Try this.
Drink soda with lime. Nobody will notice, and just relax, have fun and don't drink.
Dance and log that in as exercise.

You'd be surprised at how much fun a person can have going and not drinking. You could volunteer to be the designated driver - whatever.

Again, it boils down to how bad you really want to reach your goals.

laceyxlockdown

i meant every two weeks lol

ladyraven68

one of my main reasons for starting this was to get a grip on my alchohol consumption... it's working so far... but I'm not stopping altogether... life is about balance... ;-)

Exactly - this is not a quick fi, this is a change of attitude to food and exercise for life.

You are not going to live the rest of your life never having another drink, or another bar of chocolate, but you are also not going to live the rest of your life drinking every day, or eating chocolate every day, so you need to still have these things, but incorporate them into a healthier lifestyle, not have them excessively.

engineman312

if you are going to have a night out and party, i would recommend NOT banking in tons of calories to have room to drink. you'd be drinking on an empty stomach and that is not good. i did that once when i started counting calories, and it was not good. pretty much got blasted on four drinks.

for the one beer or glass of wine a night, log it like any other type of food. for party night, don't even bother. enjoy it in moderation, don't drive, and do not believe the guy when he tells you he's a doctor.

david_swinstead

For binge drinking (student special) you can try to cut down here and there, and try to do it sensibly, but one way or another unless you starve yourself all day you will go WAY over on calories.

Edit: I should be keen to point out that im not suggesting you do starve yourself all day! The bravado of saying "eating's cheating" will lead to a messy night and a poorly morning!

Drink choice will go a long way to help:
Each pint of lager is circa 200cals so avoid pints like the plague! (you will feel better the next morning too)
Spirits will be better, especially with diet mixers. A double Smirnoff and diet coke is only about 115cals.
Double Jack Daniels and diet coke is not much more than Vodka (about 130cals) but maybe a bit pricey for a student night.
If you go for jagerbombs (you know you want to!), ask if they have diet "energy drink", a lot of pubs do nowadays. If they don't, then consider having your jager with diet coke instead.

But lets face it, if you're a typical UK student, you're going to forget about all of that after your first few drinks and just go wild, so just remember that when you go WAY over your calorie limit on the day, make up for it the rest of the week. Eat well and workout a lot. According to what a lot of people on here say, to lose weight you need a weekly deficit of around 3500calories. Just make sure you don't go so far over on your drinking day that you mess up the rest of the week.

Another edit: Not to encourage binge drinking (!) but shots could be a way to get drunk without as many calories haha!

lovemydrmartens

Oh and try slimline tonic with a dash of Angostura bitters! hardly any cals and feels like a proper drink! ;-)

XXXMinnieXXX

I've got to a point where I have 1 alcoholic drink per month if that. That's from having one most nights. As I've got healthier I just didn't want to waste the calories and now it never even enters my mind to have one, even though my partner does most nights. In the last year I've had 2 blow out nights with the girls, but I did one water, one alcohol. Something I'd never do before. It worked well I got tipsy, but not stupidly drunk, had a giggle, lasted all night and got no hang over. Also a good way to cut calories X

feistymoon

So this isn't a healthy or responsible reply, but it's an honest one.... Stick to low sugar spirits and diet mixers. Vodka and Diet Coke, Gin and Slimline Tonic, Gin and Juice (Diet fanta orange)...... ;p

There's about 50 cals in a vodka.... 5 of them == one hour brisk walk before you go out.

david_swinstead

So this isn't a healthy or responsible reply, but it's an honest one.... S

Perhaos I shouldve put that warning on mine too, haha!

Fit_Forever25

Hey Emleeo..
We should count each and every bit of what we eat..
and I do it this way .. if I know I have to go to a party or dining out .. I always make sure I workout that day to make it up ..
If you know you are gonna drink alcohol then try to cut down on food
but I would say the best thing is to workout during the day or before the party :drinker:
I have a simple rule "Burn to Earn"
the more you burn the more you earn the calories and can enjoy :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

engineman312

if I know I have to go to a party or dining out .. I always make sure I workout that day to make it up ..

this is good advice, and a great way to not feel bad when going to a party with food.

If you know you are gonna drink alcohol then try to cut down on food

this is a great way to wind up in an emergency room

meggy_182

Or don't drink? I've never cared much for alcohol but i still go out with friends. its fun watching others get drunk :laugh:

rayleansout

When I am dieting I just dont drink it at all! Alcohol converts to sugar - sugar spikes insluline responce = fat storage - try not to drink to much

Honestly when i was your age, i drank eneough for both of us!!

Log it in and count it and try to offest it with more fibrous veggies in your diet

Fit_Forever25

If you know you are gonna drink alcohol then try to cut down on food

this is a great way to wind up in an emergency room

haha :bigsmile: I meant cutting down on high calorie food :bigsmile: not starving ofcourse :bigsmile:

bio_fit

Get on the dancefloor all night - none of this sultry slinky stuff, throw your hands in the air and moooooove!

Fit_Forever25

Get on the dancefloor all night - none of this sultry slinky stuff, throw your hands in the air and moooooove!

I love that move ;-)))))))))))

TimWilkinson101

Yep, alcohol counts (obviously).

I've ditched alcohol this year, not for the calories but because its just not a good health choice... and its expensive these days.

Best drink to have if dieting is probably diet soda and vodka. I've noted though that alcohol free drinks tend to be pretty low calorie which is handy.

dezi718

This is my problem too b/c we always have friends over EVERY Friday and Saturday night! I have been limiting myself to shots mostly b/c they are less calories and more effective. So far, it's worked!

Good luck!

Fit_Forever25

This is my problem too b/c we always have friends over EVERY Friday and Saturday night! I have been limiting myself to shots mostly b/c they are less calories and more effective. So far, it's worked!

Good luck!

Totally!!! .. I was a beer lover earlier but since they are so high calorie I have now switched to Tequila shots or whiskey on the rocks .. less calories but much more effective :bigsmile:

donnamillie

im going out tomorrow nite too its not so much the drink im worried about but the Kebab i will no doubt stagger home with lol i usually drink vodka with sparking apple but think i'll have it with soda and lime instead

hope516

I would count the calories, but if you are drinking so much you can't eat then that can't be healthy. But I wouldn't just not count them because those empty calories add up and fast...I found this article about what they call not eating in order to drink...they call it drunkorexia...heres the article:

http://uwire.com/2010/09/16/drunkorexia-the-dangers-of-an-alcohol-based-diet/

Smuterella

I love alcohol, and I have to say I'm probably at my best after a few glasses of wine too - I'm a loving, warm , affectionate drunk. I'm the sort of drunk who sings love songs to foxes and dances down the street with joy.

I'm never going to give it up completely, I enjoy it too much. What I'm doing, and still losing weight, is to make sure my drinking day is my weekly cheat day and/or bank the calories from the rest of the week for that nights drinking. Plan ahead, if you know you are going out Friday night, eat 100 calories less each day the rest of the week. DON'T deprive yourself of food that night - that way lies disaster...