Is anyone else trying to cut down their drinking?

mammakisses

I have a small addiction to red wine. It's most likely why I gained weight once again. So now I'm trying to cut down but habbits are hard to break. My problem is that I drink a full 750ml bottle 2-3 times a week. I would like to cut it out completely for a while or drink no more then a bottle per week. Does anyone have any tips?

btdublin

ME! I love RW too and would drink a whole bottle in one go at least once a week.

Quit on New Years Day and I think this is the longest I have ever gone. 48 days now!

Haven't felt the direct results for just the non-drinking because I have been dieting and training really hard - but overall that has made me feel much fitter and I have lost a stone!

Going to push on until end of April and my wedding in May. Do it! Its a small sacrifice really for a few months and definitely worth it. I am training so hard I barely notice as I have an excuse that I need to run home from work and can't go out for a drink!

mammakisses

Tank is there anything specific that you did to help you stop drinking all this time? Your doing great!

jfcameron23

I LOVE wine and would drink 2-3 glasses a night. I was eating right and working out 6 days but the scale wouldn't move. I am now not drinking 2 days then allowing 1-2 glasses not drinking the next 2 days and so on. I have only been doing this 2 weeks but I am down almost 3 pounds.

kiwi1003

My best friend and I went back and calculated how many drinks we have probably had together in the last 10 years or so, living together and partying, going out to bars with our friends and just on random nights on the porch... And the estimate we came up with for the calories literally made me feel sick to my stomach. Since I've joined MFP, I've cut back a LOT, just because I'm trying to take this seriously. Though, I still like to go out and have fun, and my boyfriend and I enjoy entertaining in our home quite a bit. Like you, I loooooove some red wine, so I still make room for it in my calories every couple weeks. My #1 tip I share about red wine: get some sparkling water (not the sweetened kind), just bubbly flavored water- like La Croix. Get the berry flavor. You can mix it in with red wine, people can't see the difference and it still tastes great. So you can turn 4oz of wine into 8 oz, while still keeping 4oz's calories. Good luck.

Smuterella

I love wine, love it, and probably in my normal mode drink the same amount as you. i imply cannot open a bottle and then not finish it.

the way i see it, if it fits in my calories for the wekk, its OK but if it is going to take me wayyyy over then I can't have it. So, this evening, i'll be drinking 1/2 to a bottle of wine and maybe a cocktail. BUT - i've been slightly ender my calories all week and will be going dancing tomorrow so I'll easily burn that calorie excess off.

gtwin

I've decided to cut out alchohol completely until I drop 20 lbs. I LOVE happy hour, so I was drinking probably 2-3 times a week....loads of empty calories. I'm sure it was hindering my weight loss.

FaugHorn

I was drinking way too much and so was my husband...which would sabotage me trying to cut down. We've both decided to do it together - no drinking during the week and moderation on the weekend.

Smuterella

Also, there are some really nice non-alcoholic red wines out there with very few calories.

beckie4442

I was drinking way too much and so was my husband...which would sabotage me trying to cut down. We've both decided to do it together - no drinking during the week and moderation on the weekend.

This ^^^^^ I cannot leave a bottle with wine in it. Plus we're both putting the money we would spend into a seperate account, he's gonna buy a bike I'm gonna buy new (slimmer) clothes.

rhiasmith

I stopped drinking just after new years, best decision ever! Saves money and calories!

Lisa2374

me, me, me... Unfortunately the recession has made me rethink the amount of money i was spending on booze = saving money, loosing weight and generally being fitter alround with less hangovers and more time to exercise :):) Not any tips for you as i just cut it out totally for say 3 weeks then go on a binge on pay day!! whoops.. but overall better than boozing a few nights a wk!
Good luck :)

Jackiejckr1

I also love wine - in fact sometimes I think I would rather have wine than food. I have just joinied this site and I am not going to let myself have any alcohol unless I earn it first by excercising and getting enough extra calories to have the wine - going to be hard but Im going to have a try.

GuruOnAMountain

I guess I'm lucky in that I've never enjoyed the taste of alcohol (only thing I kinda like is Sailor Jerry Rum with Coke but don't think that I like it enough for it to be worth the calories so have only had it maybe about 4 times in my life).

I don't know if you can get them in the states but I know here that you can buy small bottles of wine with only maybe one large serving in it or two small servings. They are quite often on offer in the supermarkets in buy 1 get 1 free offers and so on. You could maybe buy one of these if you feel like a glass of wine instead of buying the big bottle if you know that you will want to drink the whole thing?

Although I'm not a drinker, I have a similar problem with chocolate. I find it hard to stop after just 1 or 2 pieces, so I work on the strategy of trying to be strict with myself and remind myself of the calories in it and make sure it fits into my calories for the day (which is working, I'm now usually able to restrict myself quite easily). The other thing I do is tell other people in my house (I still live with my parents) that I'm only allowing myself 2 squares of chocolate and if they see me going for any more they have to tell me off. Usually now, I don't need any one else to point out that I'm eating too much and can just stop myself, though.

snow00774

Me - some nights I've had nothing but then the last couple of nights I've had 2-3 glasses of wine. Boyfriend has a few beers or drinks every night and I like to do the same so I've been factoring it into my calories, but I liek the PP idea of 2 nights off, 1 night on where I can. I'll see if that helps a bit.

mammakisses

I guess I'm lucky in that I've never enjoyed the taste of alcohol (only thing I kinda like is Sailor Jerry Rum with Coke but don't think that I like it enough for it to be worth the calories so have only had it maybe about 4 times in my life).

I don't know if you can get them in the states but I know here that you can buy small bottles of wine with only maybe one large serving in it or two small servings. They are quite often on offer in the supermarkets in buy 1 get 1 free offers and so on. You could maybe buy one of these if you feel like a glass of wine instead of buying the big bottle if you know that you will want to drink the whole thing?

Although I'm not a drinker, I have a similar problem with chocolate. I find it hard to stop after just 1 or 2 pieces, so I work on the strategy of trying to be strict with myself and remind myself of the calories in it and make sure it fits into my calories for the day (which is working, I'm now usually able to restrict myself quite easily). The other thing I do is tell other people in my house (I still live with my parents) that I'm only allowing myself 2 squares of chocolate and if they see me going for any more they have to tell me off. Usually now, I don't need any one else to point out that I'm eating too much and can just stop myself, though.

Good idea. I'll check if they have small bottles.

mammakisses

I guess I'm lucky in that I've never enjoyed the taste of alcohol (only thing I kinda like is Sailor Jerry Rum with Coke but don't think that I like it enough for it to be worth the calories so have only had it maybe about 4 times in my life).

I don't know if you can get them in the states but I know here that you can buy small bottles of wine with only maybe one large serving in it or two small servings. They are quite often on offer in the supermarkets in buy 1 get 1 free offers and so on. You could maybe buy one of these if you feel like a glass of wine instead of buying the big bottle if you know that you will want to drink the whole thing?

Although I'm not a drinker, I have a similar problem with chocolate. I find it hard to stop after just 1 or 2 pieces, so I work on the strategy of trying to be strict with myself and remind myself of the calories in it and make sure it fits into my calories for the day (which is working, I'm now usually able to restrict myself quite easily). The other thing I do is tell other people in my house (I still live with my parents) that I'm only allowing myself 2 squares of chocolate and if they see me going for any more they have to tell me off. Usually now, I don't need any one else to point out that I'm eating too much and can just stop myself, though.

cantobean

I'm also really into wine. It's so easy to say "it's healthy! It's good for your heart!" But the truth is I would easily drink two bottles a week if I could. I absolutely LOVE coming home from work and having a glass of wine while a cook dinner...and another with dinner....and maybe another after....

I'm working on cutting out weeknight wine and only drinking on Friday and Saturday nights. It's going pretty well, but last night was the first night I really "craved" wine. I had some calories left, so I had dessert instead. Not exactly healthy but I could easily have downed half a bottle last night.

SwindonJogger

i count my alcohol units and limit myself to 4 units on fri and sat only. This keeps me in line!
1x bottle of 750ml wine (around 13%) is 9.8 units
The UK goverment recommends women drink no more than 2-3 units for health reasons so drinking a whole bottle regularly is something to be concerned about. drinkaware.co.uk has loads of great tips on cutting down.