Alcohol = weight loss problems

celeste_xo

I just turned 21 at the end of November, and ever since it's been really hard for me to stay on track. I love love love beer, but it seems whenever I drink it I make horrible food choices and feel horrible about myself afterwards. I really beat myself up over it, but then I just end up doing the same thing again the next weekend and I've been stuck at this ridiculous plateau for months now because I jut can't seem to find the balance between going out, being social, having fun and dieting at the same time.

I guess my question is, has anyone else run into this problem? Does anyone else have a hard time keeping control of calories after going out for the night? Before I turned 21 this wasn't really a problem, but ever since I've just been unable to drop the weight because of these stupid binges I keep going on at night and it's really starting to make me feel bad about myself.

Should I just stop going out? Stop drinking? Or is it just because as a new 21-year-old I'm just not quite in the right spot yet? Any advice or insights would be helpful. Sorry if this is sort of a dumb question. Thanks!

hurleycutie142

ive been at this point in my life... i love drinking but my choice of drink is margueritas... but the only thing i can say is u gotta control it... i love going out and dancing with my friends and love to drink to "loosen up" but u gotta see the bigger picture... is drinking one night worth your unhappiness or messing up all your progress? and u know that going out means late night eating... its all about self control... when i know im going out... i tend to eat alittle more than usual because i know my friends are going to say "hey lets go get mcdonalds after" because ive eaten alittle more im able to say no to it... but its up to u... is beer worth it? u have lost 22 lbs already! do u want to give that up over binging?

coppercat25

Hey!
I'm 25 and since I was 21 have suffered a similar issue. Started off as a single lady going out with my friends drinking all night and the neating unhealthy takeout, next day, feeling hungover so eating rubbish again all day! I believe this is the maikn reason I put on my weight.

Now I live with my boyfriend and he drinks a lot. We pretty much got into the habit of drinking every day, you know, a beer or a glass of wine after a long day at the office with dinner, but the problem is once you've had one drink (well for me anyway) all self control goes out the window and u kinda just think screw it, i've had one, i may as well write the day off!

I haven't lost anything in over a month, and I attribute this to upping my drinking again! This week I'm pushing myself to not drink (my partner too!) till Friday (I'm going out with a friend then.) I'm trying to cut it out completelhy in the week an just stick to drinking at weekends.

But yeah, I totally sympathise! Also would you mind if I add you as not many of my friends actually drink much and would be good to compare diaries?

EllaScarlet

Celeste,

I can totally sympathise - I was the same when I was at uni. For me the solution is to 'save' getting tipsy for special occasions - no more than once a month - and the rest of the time just have a few drinks. You could put a cap on it like 2 beers max. I find that then when I do let my hair down I can really enjoy myself and not worry about it. I totally agree with coppercat - it isn't just the ridiculously high number of calories in alcohol - it is the bad food choices you make that night AND the next day when hungover (and feeling too sick to get your workout done!!)

You shouldn't have to sacrifice going out and seeing your friends - dieting should not make you a hermit. It might be hard at first to say NO to the next round but I think it is the only way...

staceynewbon

I completely understand what your going through . I was the same . The thing I do before I go out is fill up on water and never go out hungry . It made me not want to drink alot or eat a load of food when I was on way home . Also research which kind of beer is the lowest in calorie and stick to that brand . I hoPe this helps

Good luck :-)

kitinboots

Definitely. When I worked in a bar it was no problem, as I was on my feet all night and I was more accustomed to drinking. Now I'm not working, and if I have one night out then I'll consume 2X my normal calories and then overeat junk the next day. I also notice my energy is sapped the next day even after just 2 drinks, which halts my exercise routine.

InnerFatGirl

Alcohol also has calories, don't forget that x

ETA: Also, hun, why do you feel you need to drink? Do you feel you need to drink to have a good time? When I go out, I don't drink, but I still have a good time, so it's very possible. Do you feel like the drink 'loosens' you up and makes you less self-conscious? Or is it because everyone else is drinking and you're socially drinking, so to speak?

sharoniow

You can srill go out and have a drink, you've just got to really limit what you have, if you get a rosemary conley mag theres always a section on what to swap from takeout s if you do feel like one, but if you don't over drink you wont want the greasy takeout after. I'm normally an Amaretto and Cranberry kinda girl, but this is packed full of calories and sugar, so now i have Gin and Tonic only 130cals, and if you go dancing you'll burn that off quite quickly. (i'm not saying getted recked btw )

Just a few drinks that you might like try instead of the beer

Bloody Mary** (Vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, lime) 120 calories

Cosmopolitan** (Vodka, Triple Sec, Rose’s lime juice, cranberry juice) 131 calories

Daiquiri** (Light rum, limes, powdered sugar) 137 calories

Gin and tonic** (Gin, tonic water, lime) 130 calories


Irish coffee** (Irish whiskey, coffee, sugar, whipped cream) 159

Kamikaze (Vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice) 180 calories

Manhattan** (Whiskey, Vermouth, Bitters) 132 calories

jarrodleeray

Feel your pain on this one totally ! im doing the same thing at present, gave up drinking in the week and trying to limit my weekend beer to a couple ( 2-3 tops) I would normally have had 5+ pints Friday night after work, hey its the weekend already !!!! 7+ pints sat and a couple Sunday.

When you analyse this out of a 7 day week I was being crap for 3 thats nearly 50% of the time so not good ! Im trying to get out of a plateau now so not drinking in the week at all and going to try and give it up totally for 2 weeks to see if there is any change.

Good luck this is way more difficult than giving up smoking lol...

dotido

Prepare for those nights out. Check online which beers are the least in calories and call the bars or nightclubs to see which light beers they have. Eat salad the whole day before the night out.

Natx83

You just need to decide on what is more important to you. Drinking regularly or having a banging body. Easier decision for some. I would just suggest just cutting back form every weekend to. Aubrey drinking once a month or change what you drink to something less calorie heavy. Say like vodka, soda water and lime.

Dragonnade

I feel your pain - I just took delivery of a second case of wine this month and it's staring at me going "You know you love me".

I tend to plan ahead though. Save the calories for the alcohol - plan your drinking by putting it in the diary first, evaluating how much food you'll actually get to eat and adjust. Try not to pull from yesterday or tomorrow - I figure that way madness and binging lies.
Keep a snack in your fridge for when you get home. It's easier to walk past McDonald's if you go "I'm hungry, but there's xyz in the fridge waiting for me".
Low calorie drinks - though imo light beer is an aberration to drinking and I'd rather stay sober. Which also works...
Being the designated driver also helps - usually. I did once have to be driven home after too much awful wine - I kept drinking so as not to offend the hosts and it really was the worst decision on many, many levels.

REET420

I quit drinking because it was making me fat and I was eating all kinds or **** food.

robynj88

Drink wine! If you normally drink beer you'll probably find that wine makes you way more tipsy for a much smaller amount than pint after pint. Plus it doesn't make you feel as bloated. And its lower in calories.

When you get home, drink a pint of water and take two paracetamol. No hangover to worry about, so not stuffing your face full of fatty food the next day either.

Everyone's a winner!

katday

i drink vodka lime cordial & soda water - the lowest calorie drink and the cheapest in most bars!

crimsontech

You've already identified your problem. Now you must decide how to stop it (or if you want to).

Are you drinking just to fit in? If so, order one drink to start off the night (say, a rum and Diet Coke) and then just drink Diet Coke the rest of the night. Your friends won't know the difference. Just order it at the bar alone. My aunt did this for years because she didn't like drinking.

Another option is to be the designated driver. Then everyone loves you because you're ensuring their safe transportation and won't try (too hard) to get you to join in the drinking. (This is what I do. I do not enjoy drinking so being the DD gives me a great excuse to avoid the pressure.)

Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, which is almost as much as fat. Also, your body has to metabolize the alcohol first (because, let's face it, it's a poisonous toxin) so it can not process the food you've eaten, making it more likely and able to be stored as fat.

Plus, as you are already aware, drinking usually leads to poor food choices.

Simply put, drinking alcohol is just about the worst thing you can do when you're trying to lose weight. You must decide which is more important to you.

XXXMinnieXXX

I used to have a drink every day more or less, it was a major factor in my weight gain. Partner did also. I decided it was madness and I didn't need it, so stopped drinking. In the last year I've drank 3-4 times! That's all! It hasn't bothered me one little bit. That was on girls nights and because I hardly ever drink I have to have one drink, one water orelse I'd be crazy drunk, means kess calories and less hangover. If I must go to the takeaway on the way home I get a chicken kebab, double the chicken and throw the bread away. Nice and healthy! Just chilli sauce, nothing creamy! We have different kinds of activities us girls now do... Go out for lunch, have a picnic (can eat healthily), go to a gym class together, we cook for each other, make it healthy but yummy and we don't have a drink. We've all got to a point where we don't need it all the time and its easy. My partner stopped drinking in the week, and now only drinks at the weekend, but watching him have one doesn't even bother me! The less you have, the less you want! Promise! X

nhga47

I am like you. I LOVE MY BEER. I started looking at how many calories are in each of the beers that I love to drink so much! AHHH! I was shocked! But In my case I chose to eat healthier foods during the week so that I have that bank of calories to use at the end. Prime example, work is almost over and its time to hit the pub! LOL. I don't crave fried foods or "JUNK" so to speak as much as others though, so that helps. But I can totally sympathise. I LOVE MY BEER! Good luck. Add me if you would like. Take care.

Nolan

celeste_xo

Thanks all for the great advice! And feel free to add me. You're right, I need to just decide what's more important for me. I'm going to cut back on drinking for sure. I don't really drink THAT much, maybe 2-3 times a week, but it's just never ended well when I do lol. It'll be hard since in college all my friends love going out, but I'll just have to limit my intake to 1-2 drinks max.