alcohol discussion
suemorgan1969
Posts: 132 Member
Hi
I have just completed week one and lost 7lbs. I have been eating my 1200 cals a day but also I have had lots of unlogged alcohol, which didnt seem to make a difference to me. Any thoughts on this?
I have just completed week one and lost 7lbs. I have been eating my 1200 cals a day but also I have had lots of unlogged alcohol, which didnt seem to make a difference to me. Any thoughts on this?
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Replies
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Is alcohol straight carbs? Would this be something to consider later on if you hit a plateau or started gaining?0
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no carbs in white wine and i get through at least a bottle a night lol xxxx0
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When you're first making a drastic change, I'm sure it wouldn't matter. Later, once your body catches up to your new eating habits, it will.
I log everything I eat or drink. Alcohol or not.0 -
yea maybe thats why then as I have cut down on food, so that has to make a difference x0
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A couple of things can factor into this.
1.) The first week of changing your eating habits and fitness routine is a shock to the body. Most people lose a lot of water weight during that time.
2.) 1200 calories is a low number for most people. What are your stats? Height, weight, weight loss goals. You should be eating about your weight x 10. (Not a perfect equation but it comes close.) It could be that you're balancing out because your body can have a few more calories and still lose the weight. I personally would feel like I'm starving constantly with that amount of calories and wouldn't be sustainable for a life long change. Though, that's me, and it's about what works for you.
3.) Since alcohol can work like a diuretic, it can dehydrated you. You will most likely gain some of it back if you trade out soda/ alcohol and other drinks for plain water.
The calories in the alcohol will eventually catch up though and possibly stall your weight loss plans. Cut back a bit and go from there. Good luck! :flowerforyou:0 -
Well, calories are calories. I log everything, including alcohol.0
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Alcohol has like 7 calories per something or other?
It also slows fat metabolism, or so I've heard?0 -
I agree, except with regards to dehydration. Many of us see the scale go UP when we're dehydrated, rather than down. It's weird, but true.A couple of things can factor into this.
1.) The first week of changing your eating habits and fitness routine is a shock to the body. Most people lose a lot of water weight during that time.
2.) 1200 calories is a low number for most people. What are your stats? Height, weight. You should be eating about your weight x 10. (Not a perfect equation but it comes close.) It could be that you're balancing out because your body can have a few more calories and still lose the weight. I personally would feel like I'm starving constantly with that amount of calories and wouldn't be sustainable for a life long change. Though, that's me, and it's about what works for you.
3.) Since alcohol can work like a diuretic, it can dehydrated you. You will most likely gain some of it back if you trade out soda/ alcohol and other drinks for plain water.
The calories in the alcohol will eventually catch up though and possibly stall your weight loss plans. Cut back a bit and go from there. Good luck! :flowerforyou:0 -
I'm not trying to be mean hear but it's not good that you're drinking an entire bottle of wine every night...
Also, I'd log the booze, you'd be surprised how fast it adds up.0 -
When I was logging I would not log alcohol, ever. I either had a bottle+ wine a night or a few beers.
(I stopped logging a week or two ago, want to see how I do. Also cut down drastically on alcohol - I drink so I can get to sleep easier but have found that I'm more tired when I don't drink. Only 3 out of the past 8 days I have had alcohol at all).0 -
In the end you are eating less calories than before, so of course you are going to lose weight, but you probably won't get as far until you have cut out or cut down the wine. I drink on the weekends and to be honest I am never going to cut that out, but I log it all, and I make an effort to drink a bit slower so I drink less over the night, seems to be working for me.0
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i guess my 1200 cals food a day is low, but i honestly dont eat alot anyway, just like a drink or 4 in the evenings, will just have to wait n see0
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For what it's worth, I often have a glass or two with dinner. I call it a "snack" and sometimes write it as wine, sometimes just a quick add of calories.
I'm sure it's slowed my 10LB loss a bit, but as others will often say: this is a lifestyle, not a diet. If wine is something you want to keep enjoying, then work it in.
PS: I tend to mix my reds with club soda. Makes it last much longer, turns it into a bubbly rose of sorts, and cuts the calories in half.0 -
Log everything, especially alcohol and any "liquid calories" Those are the worst ones since they don't do much to fill you up. I always thought going out and drinking 5 or 6 rum and diet cokes was not so bad since it was diet coke. 5 Rum and diets is 750 calories. Oh, and Toddrific, I think you are missing a zero. Most alcohols have around 70 calorie/ounce +/- 15cal0
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i do log 300 cals for it but it really is a bit more that that lol0
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I have a glass or two of dark red wine (merlot, cab sav) prolly 5 times a week, but i log it. I log everything, and I cut calories to have it during the day. But I eat below my cals for a day anyway and I dont eat back the exercise cals....0
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I agree, except with regards to dehydration. Many of us see the scale go UP when we're dehydrated, rather than down. It's weird, but true.A couple of things can factor into this.
1.) The first week of changing your eating habits and fitness routine is a shock to the body. Most people lose a lot of water weight during that time.
2.) 1200 calories is a low number for most people. What are your stats? Height, weight. You should be eating about your weight x 10. (Not a perfect equation but it comes close.) It could be that you're balancing out because your body can have a few more calories and still lose the weight. I personally would feel like I'm starving constantly with that amount of calories and wouldn't be sustainable for a life long change. Though, that's me, and it's about what works for you.
3.) Since alcohol can work like a diuretic, it can dehydrated you. You will most likely gain some of it back if you trade out soda/ alcohol and other drinks for plain water.
The calories in the alcohol will eventually catch up though and possibly stall your weight loss plans. Cut back a bit and go from there. Good luck! :flowerforyou:
This doesn't make sense, but I would love to have some reading on this. Do you have some sources or studies I could read about this? I'm always about learning new things!0 -
I think a 750mL bottle of wine has 500-600 calories....0
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I also want to add that there is nothing wrong with drinking so long as it's in moderation. I've had a crappy week so I plan to down about 1200 calories worth of rum tonight. Just make sure you log it, and maybe put in an extra 30 mins at the gym the next day.0
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I agree, except with regards to dehydration. Many of us see the scale go UP when we're dehydrated, rather than down. It's weird, but true.A couple of things can factor into this.
1.) The first week of changing your eating habits and fitness routine is a shock to the body. Most people lose a lot of water weight during that time.
2.) 1200 calories is a low number for most people. What are your stats? Height, weight. You should be eating about your weight x 10. (Not a perfect equation but it comes close.) It could be that you're balancing out because your body can have a few more calories and still lose the weight. I personally would feel like I'm starving constantly with that amount of calories and wouldn't be sustainable for a life long change. Though, that's me, and it's about what works for you.
3.) Since alcohol can work like a diuretic, it can dehydrated you. You will most likely gain some of it back if you trade out soda/ alcohol and other drinks for plain water.
The calories in the alcohol will eventually catch up though and possibly stall your weight loss plans. Cut back a bit and go from there. Good luck! :flowerforyou:
This doesn't make sense, but I would love to have some reading on this. Do you have some sources or studies I could read about this? I'm always about learning new things!
When you're dehydrated, your body starts hoarding whatever water you do consume. By drinking more water, you actually lose water weight because your kidneys and body know to expect that you will give it a steady supply. It's the same as the "starvation mode" theory.0 -
i too drink to sleep, its nearly 2am here and i have to get up at half 6. Wine helps me to go to sleep.I will see over the weeks if it makes a difference but it seems not to right now, although in my logging i log 900 cals food and 300 cals wine0
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At first, not logging the alcohol won't completely kill you because you've made a lot of other drastic changes to your diet, so you're still consuming less calories than normal. HOWEVER.... alcohol is empty calories and carb heavy. It WILL come back to haunt you later on if you don't start moderating your consumption and making "allowances" for it now. Once I committed to weight loss, I started picking and choosing when it was I wanted to drink, instead of having a drink every time the opportunity presented itself. I love wine, and love wine and food pairing, so it was a difficult choice, but now I drink on special occasions with friends, or maybe once every 2 weeks with dinner or something.
Overall, you need to log it and regulate your consumption. There's really no way around it. Alcohol can kill an otherwise successful diet in a heartbeat.0 -
i too drink to sleep, its nearly 2am here and i have to get up at half 6. Wine helps me to go to sleep.I will see over the weeks if it makes a difference but it seems not to right now, although in my logging i log 900 cals food and 300 cals wine
Have you tried something like melatonin to help you sleep? It has actually been shown that using alcohol to "help you sleep" is counterproductive because your body comes to rely on the depressing effects of alcohol and forgets how to put itself to sleep. It increases dependence.0 -
no carbs in white wine and i get through at least a bottle a night lol xxxx
Upward of 500 calories in a bottle of white wine, but I would be somewhat more concerned about the health issues with drinking "at least" a bottle a night.
Don't get me wrong I love wine myself and can easily drink a bottle on a night out but I would be worried about my liver if I was doing it every night. Cutting back on the vino will give you extra calories for food and I am sure your liver will thank you in the long run.
Sorry to be a bit of a party pooper I do wish you every success. :drinker:0 -
no i have not heard of that and also i LOVE my wine after a long day at work xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx0
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Gotta log the alcohol calories. it will definitely add up.
You may want to join the group here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/622-like-minded-lushes0 -
no carbs in white wine and i get through at least a bottle a night lol xxxx
Upward of 500 calories in a bottle of white wine, but I would be somewhat more concerned about the health issues with drinking "at least" a bottle a night.
Don't get me wrong I love wine myself and can easily drink a bottle on a night out but I would be worried about my liver if I was doing it every night. Cutting back on the vino will give you extra calories for food and I am sure your liver will thank you in the long run.
Sorry to be a bit of a party pooper I do wish you every success. :drinker:
In actuality, there's about 1g of carbs and 75 calories in every glass of wine. This is fine if you're having one, or even two glasses, but by having a full bottle (around 6 glasses of wine, right), every night of the week, you're consuming a whopping 3000 CALORIES AND 40+g of CARBS! That right there is enough to contribute to one pound of weight GAIN in a week! Think about that!0 -
He's not "wrong". Just going with a different measurement. It's 7 calories a gram. Which is often discussed in weight loss circles.Log everything, especially alcohol and any "liquid calories" Those are the worst ones since they don't do much to fill you up. I always thought going out and drinking 5 or 6 rum and diet cokes was not so bad since it was diet coke. 5 Rum and diets is 750 calories. Oh, and Toddrific, I think you are missing a zero. Most alcohols have around 70 calorie/ounce +/- 15cal
The other thing with 7 rum and diet cokes is that you often want yummy snacks during and after.
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Just out of curiosity, why do you make a distinction between alcohol and everything else?
Why would you not log it?
Mind you, I'm not trying to give you a hard time about drinking and I assume you're a grown adult and can make your own decisions. I am just curious why it is alcohol in particular you choose to not log.0 -
About the only alcohol I drink (when I do) is rum, and I log that in because I'm working in conjunction with my exercise to get my calories over every day. I'm not perfect about logging, but I know that now I am much closer to healthier life choices than before MFP!0
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