How to stop messing up at weekends!

babythomp

Help! I cope fine during the week but I struggle at weekends with not drinking wine. I basically need to stop completely but use wine as a way of relaxing after a week at work but then out come the crisps/nuts etc. Has anyone stopped totally and can you give me any tips. I know willpower is the answer but I am really struggling!!

Thanks

Jen

seekingstrengthX2

Are you saying you want to stop drinking and can't?

In absence of an actual drinking problem, you have to decide what your priorities are. It's really that simple. If you REALLY want to quit drinking and actually cannot, then you have a larger problem at hand.

Smuterella

Well, I do have wine at weekends (though hopefully I'll avoid it this weekend) and the key is to not have the snacks in the house. I don't buy anything that I shouldn't be eating, if the temptation isn't there in the first place you can much more easily avoid it.

antihillmoby

I think once you forgo it for one weekend it gets easier every weekend after that. I look at it that I am putting poison in a pure system like putting diesel in a petrol car - it really mucks the engine up! Having said this it is also good to treat yourself now and then. A few glasses of red wine now and again is actually beneficial to the circulation. Good luck!

DANCHAN1

I do the exact same thing. I enjoy my Pinot Grigio but unfortunately a couple of glasses and I am into chips, and binging.

I want to incorporate a couple of glasses on the weekend in my weight loss plan. I have absolutely no junk food in the house. So this weekend I have purchased a huge shrimp ring and I found some low carb/calorie crab cakes. I am going to have the wine with the snacks and hope that works.

I enjoy eating so I need to do this so it is workable. If that doesn't work then I will have to think of something else.

JoHola

Half a glass of wine and the other half top up with soda or normal water so you half the calories. I also have a glass of water between wines and you feel better the next morning!! :drinker:

Melaniec78

Help! I cope fine during the week but I struggle at weekends with not drinking wine. I basically need to stop completely but use wine as a way of relaxing after a week at work but then out come the crisps/nuts etc. Has anyone stopped totally and can you give me any tips. I know willpower is the answer but I am really struggling!!

Thanks

Jen

I log my wine and exercise more if I want 2 cups red is better than white heart wise calorie wise and sugar wise
I do however cheat with food on the weekends often but I also exercise more because I am home and not at a desk all day(and then I don't log)
Last weekend I did much better and this weekend I am going to log no matter what (even if I cheat but hopefully I won't

Tebbspcad

Hi Jen, I'm exactly the same all my good intentions go out the window & i'm eating takeaways, chocolate & beer before the end of the night my strategy this weekend is to plan & prepare my meals & stick to it, that way i'm less tempted to snack on rubbish. So if I do want a drink I can have one (or two) without feeling too guilty. I know it's not really the answer but have you thought about buying a 1/2 bottle of wine & just drinking that? At least you won't feel as bad if you finish the bottle :happy:

JenAiMarres

I quit drinking entirely for about 6 months... The weigt literally dissolved!! I an back to weekend drinking and my weight is creeping back up!

When I had quit I would ignore my friends and would not go out... Kinda miserable!!!

I'm working hard to find the balance!! Fortunately I like vodka ..it can me mixed with no cal mixers...but I still bloat up and gain if I drink it!

spoons81

I completely understand what you're going through! Monday-Thursday I'm spot on with my diet, then comes the weekend...:ohwell:

I have good willpower, but cutting out alcohol completely isn't something I'm interested in. What I try to do is eat sensibly throughout the day, and then plan healthier snacks to put out when I'm drinking. Homemade guacamole with raw veggies for example. It's something I wouldn't normally eat throughout the week (the guac that is) so it's kind of like a treat and I can forgo the chips and dip! Also, try alternating wine and flavored water. And remember, a serving of wine is generally a 6 oz. glass, so don't underestimate when counting throse calories!!

Good luck!! And don't get discouraged if you slip up!!

runmypretties

I found the only way to not give into these sorts of temptations was to be UBER strict for the first month. I didn't allow myself any alcohol, sweets, crisps....I did allow myself a teaspoon of choc/peanut butter spread after meals as a crave sweet stuff then. And I saw instant results, I lost a stone in that first month (and I only need to lose 1 and a half so I am not talking for a large frame) and that gave me a MASSIVE boost It made me not want those treats as much because I saw what I could do without them (and I could quite happily be a professional chocoholic!)

Then you can gradually add a few in, but to be honest, when I added treats, seeing how many calories were in many of them has put me off totally now! I used to drink prob 3-5 500ml bottles of cider a week some weeks and I haven't touched a drop since new years party seeing as my fave tipple has around 250 cals per bottle!

timmyyesdog

When I was pregnant, I used to drink a glass of milk (or other beverage) out of a wine glass... I found that when I put it in the fancy glass, it had the same effect (relaxation after a long day) that a glass of wine would, and I didn't miss the wine.

jcpmoore

I can relate. Try a nice calming herbal tea to unwind instead. There are some nice fruity ones if you like.

The other thing I recommend is to put your MFP friends to work. That's what I do. Ask them to push you, remind you, ask you, and harass you about it. When I didn't want to track on weekends but found it problematic not to do it, I asked my MFP friends to get on my case about it. And they did. They're reminders pushed me to do what I needed to do and make the right choices. When I needed to do a workout later than usual and was afraid I wouldn't do it, I asked them to kick my butt into gear and they did. Use your resources! Don't rely on just your own willpower-let the collective willpower of you and all your MFP friends help you out.

Elmaunie

I switched to something alcoholic but lower in calories. I was exactly the same and would sometimes have 3 glasses after a particularly stressful day! Along with the inevitable hangover next morning...

I love Jack Daniels too but always tell myself it's too expensive. Now I buy a big bottle for £20 and try to make it last a long time. Rather than a £5-10 bottle of wine which will only last a day or 2. Mix with diet coke and you get the alcohol-induced relaxation and feel like you've had a treat without having ploughed through 750 calories :drinker: :drinker:

babythomp

Thanks all- some great tips. I especially like the image of putting diesel in a petrol car! I think for me I need alcohol out of my life for a while so come Saturday I am going to try and stay off for a month. I don't have an alcohol problem- it's just that this has been a habit for years and it's tough to break- but you are right, I need to think priorotise and imagine how healthy and alert I will feel without it in my system!!!!

Good luck all x

sazza22

I quit drinking entirely for about 6 months... The weigt literally dissolved!! I an back to weekend drinking and my weight is creeping back up!

When I had quit I would ignore my friends and would not go out... Kinda miserable!!!

I'm working hard to find the balance!! Fortunately I like vodka ..it can me mixed with no cal mixers...but I still bloat up and gain if I drink it!

wow im impressed you quit for 6 months, did you have a goal you were working toward??? im struggling the same way the demon drink then the aftermath of junk binging,..., and like you seem to find the only way to avoid it is avoid your friends and any social activity.....hard when every month its seems to be someone else's birthday
its toughie id appreciate any tips of how to break the cycle, i dont think i need AA or counselling, i only drink at social events and never at home, it seems to be so embedded in our culture

LindseySprake

I've heard that your body does not burn fat for 2-3 days after you have an alcoholic drink as it sees the alcohol as a 'poison' and it's prioroty is to get rid of that first - don't know how true this is though!!

LainieKnits

i find that I have no desire for wine during the week, but I missed it on Friday and Saturdays nights and didn't want to give it up entirely. I measure out the exact amount of wine I intend to drink in a measuring cup and pour the glass from that. i try to get several small glasses out of the 10 to 12 ounces. When that amount is gone, I'm done. (Obviously you can only do this at home --I think it might look pretty odd to be sitting in a bar or restaurant with your Pyrex measuring cup in front of you)

ALH1981

i thikn you still have to live - what is a few pounds if you are sitting in your house not seeing anyone as you can't go out and be social??? Its not sustainable - the best way is to try to manage it- go out,but drink half of what you would, keep the snacks away, or drive so you can only have one....

Maybe work out extra hard that morning and count the drinks into your calorie intake?

goodluck - i do the EXACT same thing - my food after drinking is CHOCOLATE, sweets and DESSERTS! arrrgh alcohol and sugar hangovers are NOT nice!

therealangd

Unless you are going to quit drinking forever, then you need to figure out a way to work it in. You could give it up for a month, or two or even six, or whatever, but when it comes back you need to learn how to deal with it.

Make sure you record everything you eat and drink. Don't hide it away. Make sure you know EXACTLY how many calories you are consuming. All the nuts, chips, candy, everything. You'll probably find it's not as bad as you think. If you have your loss set at 2lbs per week, that's a drop of 7000 calories per week. I know some people can do it, but I doubt you are eating and drinking that many extra calories on your nights out.

So, your weight loss won't be 2 lbs this week, it will only be 1 lb. Or half a pound. That's fine. It's still down.

Once the excess is not a forbidden fruit anymore, your priorities will change.

_LilPowerHouse

Are you saying you want to stop drinking and can't?

In absence of an actual drinking problem, you have to decide what your priorities are. It's really that simple. If you REALLY want to quit drinking and actually cannot, then you have a larger problem at hand.

^^^^ I have to agree with this..
I was drinking almost every weekend and I decided to quit until I reach a certain small goal, then I'll splurge one weekend then move on to the next goal.. I use it as a treat. The fact that I can stop and not have a drink is the key, If I were not able to just quit whenever I want then Like the above poster said, there is a larger problem that has to be dealt with first.. I hope you all the success to get it under control..