that damn beer on the weekend

ms_sugar

I guess I just have to vent a little. I have really been struggling since september and have gained all the weight I lost last year back. I finally joined a gym and last week was the first week that I put some effort in and I saw some progress. I had stayed within my calories on most days and had shed about 2lbs.....

Then saturday night hit and my husband wanted to go out for a burger and a beer.....a beer turned into a night of drinking and then I was up 5lbs this morning.

It took everything I had to get myself to the gym this morning ... my self defeating talk like "whats the point" blah blah blah.....

But I made it to they gym and am not giving up not this time. anyway thanks for reading.....

A

angievaughn

I totally know where you are coming from!! It's hard when your social group gets together to drink!! I didn't drink at all this weekend!! I am doing a fitness challenge at this gym...so for the next 10 weeks (already did 2 weeks) I am going to cut out the drinking...see if it really does make a difference!! the problem is...I am not willing to give it up all together!! So we will see how it goes!! Good luck...and part of the 5 pounds is water!!

ms_sugar

Every time I have lost weight I have cut out the booze....so I know that it works....but sometimes I like getting stupid.....oh well guess I will have to decide what I like better. beer or getting fit......cant I have some balance? argh

oceanchristy

Where do you live? I'm in Canada , and they have molson 67 here ... Its a 67 calorie beer. I don't feel as bad when I have one.
There are a lot of options for low cal beers. Try not to get too down on yourself - feeling bad isnt going to fix the problem , just make you less motivated.
Coors light and Bud lIght run at about 110 calories a piece.

Next time you need a beer and a burger night , order a low cal beer and get them to cut your burger in half. and have a garden salad with it , instead of fries... If they have a turker burger , or a grilled chicken burger , even better.

AlbertPooHoles

Read these...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390212-weight-fluctuations-why-do-they-happen
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390214-expectations-during-weight-loss

patsyanne

Don't give up..stay positive..workout at the gym as often as possible...you have to live to, so save Cal to use on that beer and make it light with a glass of water between them. GOOD LUCK!

natalieward88

Cutting out drinking definitely helps with the weight-loss which I also found last year before putting it back on again but I agree that it is a very difficult thing to do. At the moment I am trying to only drink for one night every 2 weeks. Also, I am usually a cider drinker but have been switching to vodka and diet cokes (a lot less calories although not helpful when you finish the bottle )

infamousmk

The beer did not make you gain five pounds. You're likely dehydrated and a little bloated. Please drink plenty of water today and remember your night of beers with happiness and joy.

infamousmk

Every time I have lost weight I have cut out the booze....so I know that it works....but sometimes I like getting stupid.....oh well guess I will have to decide what I like better. beer or getting fit......cant I have some balance? argh

You can have beer and get fit. You just have to work out enough to offset the calories. Balance is my favorite way to live.

msarro

You didn't gain 5 pounds in one night, that's physically impossible to do. Just get back on the horse and keep riding. We all have bad nights. Hell, sometimes we even have bad months. So long as you have more good ones than bad ones, you'll eventually hit your goal.

kaetmarie

I feel like I could have written this ... minus the beer part, because I'm allergic but what I've been TRYING to do is budget some extra calories for my wine. Like this weekend, I went to the gym before work and worked out like a maniac because I had already made plans for a happy hour. Then...instead of ordering margaritas, I got cherry vodka and diet coke which is around 100ish calories <--I tend to overestimate my booze, just in case it's a little stronger or whatever!

I'm totally unwilling to give up drinking...I figure losing weight is going to be my new lifestyle, so I'll just have to figure it out. For me, if I can't go out and have a few drinks with my friends, being the skinniest just isn't worth it. I'm totally fine with being fitter and healthier and drinking wine when I feel like it. :drinker:

sjtreely

5 pounds = 17,500 calories. If you drank that much beer, you'd be in an alcolhol induced coma.

Beer + hamburgers + fries = lots of sodium and extra calories.

Give your self a few days, drink some extra water, get to the gym and weigh yourself next week. My guess is you'll be down.

melisssaarielle

Where do you live? I'm in Canada , and they have molson 67 here ... Its a 67 calorie beer. I don't feel as bad when I have one.
There are a lot of options for low cal beers. Try not to get too down on yourself - feeling bad isnt going to fix the problem , just make you less motivated.
Coors light and Bud lIght run at about 110 calories a piece.

Next time you need a beer and a burger night , order a low cal beer and get them to cut your burger in half. and have a garden salad with it , instead of fries... If they have a turker burger , or a grilled chicken burger , even better.

I've been meaning to try the molson 67... is it actually that good?

00trayn

I can definitely relate. I'm an avid beer drinker myself (mainly because my boyfriend is really into craft beer), so I tend to have a few on the weekends. It's hard to not erase all the work you put in during the week with a few beers on the weekend. I have a few things that do help though.

If you're going to have beer, make good food choices. A burger + a beer isn't as good as some grilled chicken and veggies + beer.

Drink lighter beers if possible, less calories. And alternate beers with water so you don't get dehydrated.

Make sure you drink plenty of water the day after as well, helps flush out your system.

This helps me prevent the scale from jumping up 3 pounds, but when I was losing weight (I dropped 45 pounds in about 8 months in 2010, now I"m on my last 10 lbs), I pretty much stopped drinking regularly. I would have a glass of wine or one beer on occasion, with maybe one night a month where I actually drank. It did really help and I was able to lose the weight pretty quickly. Now that I'm near my goal, I allow myself to drink more.

hbrittingham

Every time I have lost weight I have cut out the booze....so I know that it works....but sometimes I like getting stupid.....oh well guess I will have to decide what I like better. beer or getting fit......cant I have some balance? argh

You can have beer and get fit. You just have to work out enough to offset the calories. Balance is my favorite way to live.

This is fabulous advice!

bcattoes

What's the point? The point is that if you eat right and go to the gym the rest of the week, you can have the night of burgers and beer and not be thrown off track. Living a thin and healthy life doesn't mean being good all the time.

GeneveSparkles

I completely understand the drinking thing. I'm actually started to phase out of my party girl habits (it happens when you get to be an old fogie, haha), but I know how hard alcohol and partying can be on weight loss. You can try doing a low-cal beer, I really like Budweiser Select 55 (it ALMOSTtastes like a corona light), or you can do a low cal cocktail like vodka and soda water with a lemon/lime wedge. I had a trainer tell me if I ever worked out hungover (yes he was a partier too, lol) to work out a big muscle group like legs, it will make the workout more tolerable. Also, don't beat yourself up over it, there are going to lots of occasions when you just want to have fun, and you should, just don't give up in the long run.

aippolito1

Yeah. I have to pretty much stick to one or two drinks, or it will hinder my weight loss. Your body chooses alcohol as a priority over fat when it comes to burning things off... so you typically will gain because of dehydration and then not lose that week because your body has been working on burning off the alcohol (depending on how much you drank).

I've pretty much sworn off alcohol my whole journey except for every now and then. I've welcomed one glass of wine back into my life every now and then.

JMassie1

Don't feel like you are alone on the damn beer on the weekends. Something I have done is add ice to your glass of beer...I know it does water it down, but it does help..don't give up..

Mad_Dog_Muscle

I fail to see the issue here..... you work hard all week, drop a few pounds, then drink on the weekends and gain it back.... then you start the cycle again. Its perfect balance and harmony. :drinker: :drinker:

OK, totally kidding so dont throw things at me just yet! I think several of us can relate to this, especially when the social groups we tend to run with on weekends could care less about health, working out, or even know what HRM, NSV, BMI, TNA stands for. We may head out with good intentions of only having "one" drink and a salad.... next thing you know Hot wings are on the table, shots of Patron are flowing and by the end of the night some drunk person is telling everyone that will listen about the time they were abducted by UFOs.....

So, best advice.... know your limits, know your influences and learn how to deal with them. If the bad influence is hubby and his friends, talk to him about it and see if there is a way to compromise on the night out. I cant tell you what would work for you, I only know what works for me and that's to choose wisely. Ultimately we are responsible for ourselves. :glasses:


Good luck to you! :drinker:

beachman42

As a regular beer drinker myself, my only comment to add here is be very aware of the day before and after your night out. Think of your weekly average and one night or one meal isn't going to wreck your progress. Also, after so much sodium and alcohol, you will dehydrate. Try to get more than normal amounts of water the afternoon before dinner and the entire day after.