beer is my biggest problem

rissasgunnadoit

ok i know im not an alcy, im young i like to drink with my friends and have fun, but its boiled down to the point where the beer im consuming is more calories than food itself in one day.....i live away from everyone i know, (army wife) and my best friend (from home) just moved back to our hometown after mocing here with me.....so here i am.....by myself(and husbnd whos not supportive) i have a couple beers a night with my roomate and my husband, ive always been a big partier....ALWAYS since i can remember, but now its getting in the way of my weight, and health (type 2 diabetic off meds trying to balance my own blood sugar) idk maybe im just venting, or looking for encouragment, (im not the type to do that im a very positive girl) but the stress has been eating me the past couple days between my bestie leaving, my husbands put his foot down and says its time for me to find work, my roomate (my besties husband) is heartbroken, just alot going on to not kick back a few after dinner.........anyone else have this issue?



on a positive note, this diet has built up my lack of tolerance to alcohal....so ima cheap date with myself now lmao

Hoakiebs

I'm the same. Love my beer. Actually switched to Mike's harder lemonade. All the sugar got me fat AND type 2 diabetes. I now use MFP but I always allow for 2-4 beers and exercise 90 mins. (900 cals.) per day. It pays for my beer. I.'ve lost 36 lbs. in 72 days. Friend me if you like.

rissasgunnadoit

im not type 2 due to my weight only, it runs in my family and im also semi overweight so ive ncountered it earlier than my mother and father and there parents.... but no matter what ive still got it and it aint goin no where lol.... ivegained 35 pounds since november when i went off my betus meds, but i also wasnt caring what i was doing to my body as a result of the crap i ate without medication till recently....and oddly enough i dont feel better, my doc said i would, maybe not long enough? or not the right foods? but my bs is always normal, def lower recently (which is good i usually run a 127) but i feel so freaking TIRED!!!!!

rissasgunnadoit

but type 2 or not, type 1 or not, cancer or not people everywhere still find ways, ive found my way in exercise..... but the beer......:drinker: :explode:

CenlaCoach

Think of drinking beer as being self destructive. It is empty calories that you dont need and tomorrow when you wake up all the problems that were there are still there and possible getting worse. I was in the army in got into a lot of drinking with buddies and didnt care because I felt like as long as I worked out I could eat and drink what ever I wanted to. I have learned now that everything we put into our body affects us. It not only affects health (blood sugar, cholesterol, and other things) but also our moods and over all well being. I am not going to tell you to stop drinking. A drink from time to time can relieve stress and be healthy. I will say stop and look at other who have down the path your on and ask your self if you want to end up like them.

Dahavol

This is a pretty good thread title. Beer is usually my biggest solution.

As far as help with the beer thing goes, try straight hard liqour. Esp something like gin or vodka. Much better bang for your calorie than most beers. Cutting back some also.works, but that's kinda a duh type statement that I'm sure you've already considered.

rissasgunnadoit

thats a good point, not sure if ill be able to see it that way, but i was able to concur junk food so why not junk drink....we shall see....going to try the whole vodka and diet drink this weekend, i found alternative low cal food why not drink lol, i wish i was able to just leave and go work out when theres friends over drinking or my romates are drinking,but i have a 4 yr old so ya lol not gunna leave her home with people drinking all night....grrr im sure ill find an solution just gta look harder thats all, not happy bout it but hey gta do what ya gta do

pandamonium1987

I love beer and I love going out with a couple of friends, but for the past 6 years all that beer got me overweight and severely depressed. Well, the depression was a thing I had trouble with all my life, but any alcohol intake worsens the condition. But anyhoo...the thing I'm trying to get at is that if you are really serious about getting healthy and losing weight, you need to minimise your intake of beer and other sugary drinks. Try substituting with whiskey and soda, or vodka or gin with a zero calorie mixer. Also, ask yourself why you feel that you "need" your beer? It was a hard question for me, so contact me if you would like to chat about it some more!
Cheers!

cekeys

I honestly don't know, what does alcohol do to your diabetes?

seekingstrengthX2

Quit drinking.
Alcohol is creating a problem in your life, yet you continue to use it.
You've admitted you use it to cope with stress as well.

Both are signs of a problem.

Stop.

Skinnyschooney

I too, love my beer. But, beer = fat and it's just no longer worth it. So, I've cut back and rarely drink beer now; instead I've been doing vodka and soda and it's been great. I am not as bloated and my tummy is flatter. Beer is absolute death on a diet---all alcohol is bad and makes you chubby, but if you're going to do it, do it in moderation and skip the sugary mixers, soda and beer. Good luck!

kbmnurse

Beer LOVE it. Usually allow myself one day on the weekend when I drink as much as I want. Lite of course, usually about 6-8 of them. Oh so good. Next day forget about it.

cornfritter22

Tough one, I know from personal experience. I've been on here since September and the days I've gone way over calories, it's been from alcohol. It still happens sometimes, but not regularly. I went through stages to get where I am now. It took a long phase of disbelief, then acceptance of how many calories really are in the stuff, then I got into not eating anything at all to save calories for my precious drinking nights. I stayed in that phase for a long time. At one point, for an unknown reason, something clicked for me. It didn't feel good not eating just to be able to get drunk with friends. The next day was always horrible. I decided it wasn't worth it for me. I still drink a couple times a week, but only have two or three. I've surprised myself, honestly, with having even that much control.
There are still some nights, usually these are Fridays or Saturdays, when I go hard on the beer. These evenings are generally planned, call them cheat days, if you will. I keep track of how many I consume, logging them as I go. Doing this along with my desire to lose weight and become healthy has decreased the frequency of drinking nights and now I'm finally making progress.

Oh, and on those nights when we're with friends/family and everyone is getting drunk, but me....yeah, that was tough at first, but then I sort of made a little game out of it. It surprised me how much better at beer pong and card games I am when sober, or mostly sober. I took note of how annoying everyone is when they're drunk and I'm not. I go to bed at a decent hour and feel fine the next morning when everyone else is dehydrated and telling everyone else to talk softly because they have a headache. In those moments, I'm proud of myself... and feeling good/healthy/proud of myself really seems much more satisfying than drinking half a case of beer (like I used to) ever did.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think a time will come when you're able to prioritize.

Very much luck to you. As I said, I know how hard it is. You've got a lot of stress right now, but you'll make it. You're strong. We're all strong and courageous, just for taking the important step of realizing we need to get healthy and joining this site. Now it is time to make the changes.

hbrittingham

I too, love my beer. But, beer = fat and it's just no longer worth it. So, I've cut back and rarely drink beer now; instead I've been doing vodka and soda and it's been great. I am not as bloated and my tummy is flatter. Beer is absolute death on a diet---all alcohol is bad and makes you chubby, but if you're going to do it, do it in moderation and skip the sugary mixers, soda and beer. Good luck!

This is me exactly! I quit drinking beer two years ago and my bloated belly went down a ton. I could drink a LOT of beer without feeling the effects. I switched to vodka and I can only handle so much, so I never overimbibe like I did before. I like a couple of cocktails in the evening, so I log them in by lunch so I can stay within my calories for the day.

Dave198lbs

Quit drinking.
Alcohol is creating a problem in your life, yet you continue to use it.
You've admitted you use it to cope with stress as well.

Both are signs of a problem.

Stop.

almc170

Yeah, beer was probably the single biggest contributing factor to my weight gain (and subsequent gut). I've pretty much cut it out completely. I now limit drinking to one bottle of wine per week (hopefully not all in one night, lol). It can be REALLY difficult when family and friends are drinking, but I've gotten to where I feel much better physically and mentally with out the nightly 4 or 5 beers.

Bigpelly8

I went from drinking beer 5 nights a week, to usually once or twice a month, depending on the occassion. If you really want to kick the habit, you just gotta do it for your health, and for your 4 yr old that is in the house when you are all drinking!

raevynn

You might consider finding a support group to assist you in stopping the drinking.

flsunshine

Quit drinking.
Alcohol is creating a problem in your life, yet you continue to use it.
You've admitted you use it to cope with stress as well.

Both are signs of a problem.

Stop.

BUMP--- i quit drinking 6 years ago best decision i ever made

grendel322

A lot of folks are posting as thought beer is a solution or problem, rather than a culinary indulgence. Craft brewers are making beer that pushes boundaries more and more these days, and ingredients that cater to particular palates. Myself, I tend to go for imperial stouts and other "heavier" brews, which pretty much double the calories of your Bud or Miller. I also get together with some friends every Friday, and we hang out, shoot pool, and sample different brews we've collected. So, my motiviation is for the taste and indulgence, not (necessarily) alcohol. We will sample 6-8 beers on a Friday night, but between all of them, I may have the equivalent of two glasses (splitting a bottle five ways, even a 22 oz bomber doesn't give you more than a few ounces of each!). I realize it wreaks havoc with my calorie counts whenever one of these nights happen - I just try to plan my eating and exercise into the calories for that day. I also don't punish myself if I'm over for one day per week!

Lizzard_77

Ha! Beer, my best friend next to wine, next to gin and tonic. Well, all that had to go out the window when I decided to lose weight, just too many calories! It was strange when I decided to stop drinking cause I didn't realize how much I would miss it. A friend cam over last night for the first time since I quit and as soon as she walked through the door she said "pour me the wine, cause I need it". She was surprised then dismayed that I ACTUALLY had NO wine to offer! But then we continued on with our evening and had a great time anyway. Maybe you can ask your roomies to have 1 or 2 beer free nights?

This worked for me to replace the action of drinking beer: Canned seltzer water. I go through 5-6 cans a night. It's fizzy, it's in a can, you can have the actions of drinking the beer AND you get your water in for the day +some!!!!! Just make sure you take a calcium supplement cause it's not great for our bones.

Hope this helps at least a litte

frogmommy

I love a good, hoppy IPA. Try switching to a more satisfying beer so you drink less, maybe?

therealangd

I guess at this point, the question is what's more important, the beer or your health?

rissasgunnadoit

ok one more thing to clarify, i do not get drunk or a buzz or anything, that is reserved for the weekends when my daughter is at a sitters or a sleep over, i just like having a couple beers kickin back after dinner, anyways some good suggestions, setting a goal for myself to not drink all weekend, with the exception of sat night i might have a cocktail or two, i have a military ball to attend with my husband, never been to one before so idk how they are but i do know im very uneasy in crowds and around my hubbys higher ups (im always afraid im gunna get him in trouble lmao!!) hope some other people got use out of this thread too, seems like alot of people share the same problem!!!

Dave198lbs

I love a good, hoppy IPA. Try switching to a more satisfying beer so you drink less, maybe?

LOL...uhhh...NO...it doesnt work that way.

OP is over weight and diabetic. Beer is only making both worse. It just depends on your priorities.

Your health or beer.

Seems an easy choice.

alphagirl82

Have you ever tried to cut out alcohol for a short period of time? I did from October to December in 2011 and loved it. Nearly every aspect of my life improved: health, spirituality, work life, family life, relationships with friends, you name it, it was better without alcohol.

I added alcohol back to my life in moderation after the beginning of the year. I now drink a few beers or glasses of wine on Friday or Saturday but that's it. I don't allow for it on weekdays at all. Now I feel the alcohol hits me much faster than I used to, so one to two drinks is enough. That's cut the calories way down, and it has also kept me from asking myself what in the world I got into the night before.

I know cutting it out completely sounds drastic. I'm not saying to do it forever. But you can do anything for a week, or two, or a month. Shoot for a small goal for now, see how your body likes it, and go from there.

It also helps if you have something to replace it with. Instead of drinking too much on weekends, I'm now spending every Saturday and Sunday in the mountains skiing, snowshoeing, or climbing. I make sure I tell my friends I'm meeting them at an ungodly early morning hour so I don't get tempted to stay out too late the night before!

Best of luck to you! I'm not one to think beer is the enemy, I think of it as a friend! But it's not the kind of friend that I can be overly reliant on. It's my weekend buddy that makes me smile and get a little goofy. :-)

seekingstrengthX2

Not to beat a dead horse, but I just saw your other post about how to get over a hangover.

Really?

Diabetic.
Overweight.
Drinking to deal with stress.
Drinking to make yourself more comfortable around others.
A few drinks daily with the BIG drinking on the weekends.
Now... how do I get rid of my hangover?

Come back when you are serious about getting healthy. You're not there right now.

Karmynzahringer

I too love to party, and until I became serious about my health, I was drinking at the bars around 2-3 times per week and having anywhere between 10-15 beers, which was an insane amount of calories, especially with Budweiser. When I first started trying to cut back and lose some weight, I switched to Bud Select 55, which was better as far as the calories, but in the end, I still was not losing. I have now quit drinking almost entirely without any problems. I thought it would be difficult, but I just had to make the decision. I have lost 18lbs total since quitting drinking and changing around my diet, and I am almost positive that I would not have lost it if I kept drinking like I was. You have to decide what is more important, being in a body you love and respect, or drinking. Once you make up your mind, really make it up, quitting drinking will not be a problem. Turning your girlfriends down when they ask you to go out can be difficult, but after a while they will see you are serious, and find other ways to spend time with you that do not include drinking if they are good friends. Good luck!

P.s. My mother died of liver cancer, and I refuse to put my children through the pain that caused me. She didn't drink that much either, but drank a couple beers every day, when we were little, by the time we were adults she was downing a 12 pack a night because she didn't have to worry about caring for us and in the end, it killed her.

BigAlfrn

i used to drink beer almost every night and i stopped right after new years and began my diet and working out and i'm down 23lbs already.

kelleygi

Beer is SO my biggest problem!!! I work out 6-7 days a week, I watch what I eat, I'v seen a change in my body BUT I still have BEER BELLY!!! But I LOVE BEER! I don't know what to do!! The lesser calorie beers taste like water!!! This is so unfair!! :drinker:

tiptoeketo

Beer was one of the biggest issues for me, too. It was also one of the reasons I ended up so overweight to begin with. Beer season for me is just around the corner(summer), so I'm doing my best to shape up now so that I can enjoy a few in moderation.

I've cut back significantly over time. I don't think you should cut it out, but enjoy it in moderation. Important for me is to NOT HAVE IT IN THE HOUSE, because I know that I WILL DRINK IT.

I also have learned to drink low calorie beer- they are about 70 calories a can.

I've saved myself a lot of money cutting back. It can be done...just take baby steps!

Here's a good article on alcohol and weight loss:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=563