will quitting drinking really help THAT much??
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If you like going to happy hour and drinking how you do, then I say don't worry too much about it. Maybe keep it to once a week or every other- but it's all about how the moderation works for you. I'd say quitting anything (whether it be drinking, processed food, carbs, meat etc) is really not necessary to weight loss. For some people it's helpful, in that it gives them more freedom in other areas of their food choices. For me, it's all about being able to have a little of whatever I want, whenever I want. I don't like having to say no to something fun, or something I'd enjoy for fear of my waistline.
PS- I drink regular soda. It doesn't bite ;-)0 -
Umm, yes. The occasional alcohol is ok. The weekly or bi weekly is a little much. For me I've realized the more I workout the less I can drink as my body is metatbolizing it differently, and I really dont want a drink every week or even month anymore, because I 'm already zapped. Plus, alcohol makes me retain water for a few days.
" Alcohol increases insulin sensitivity predisposing carbs ingested with alcohol to be converted to fat. Alcohol inhibits fat burning predisposing fat ingested with alcohol to also be stored as fat. So if you are looking for a practical strategy for alcohol consumption, here it is.
1.Take an insulin mimicker when you drink – alpha lipoic acid is the first that comes to mind. This will help shuttle carbs into glycogen instead of store them as fat by limiting the insulin response. There are limits. If you ingest too many carbs you are going to get a big insulin response, which leads to the second thing you can do…
2. Limit your carb intake while drinking – More than anything else, this will keep the weight gain at bay.
3. Do not combine fats and carbs when you drink, or eliminate fats entirely. The combination of fats and carbs together when drinking makes weight loss impossible and weight gain inevitable."
- paraphrased from lookcut -0 -
you can do it occasionally but I know there the same amount of calories in a glass of red wine as there is in a big mac
but if you do it like once a month you should be fine
:noway: How big a glass are you talking?!
That is a myth if you are talking about a normal (187.5ml-ish) average glass of red wine....having that once a day is absolutely fine, providing you have enough cals left over for it. It's actually good for you as an antioxidant.
A Big Mac has 490 cals.
A small glass of red wine has 150 cals.
:drinker:0 -
Quitting drinking is a responsible decision. We always seem to eat more when we do drink and more than 1 drink is hard on your liver
This, and I've noticed that my body is a lot more sluggish when I run the morning after I've had even a glass of wine!
Of note, read an article in a running mag in how sometimes an adult beverage the night before can enhance a run (1 or 2 though, not 6 or 7). I actually ran 5 miles after several adult beverages the night before with no real effect on my running. Guess it is all individaulized.0 -
I've quit all together, not just because of the calories on the night but im always so hungry the next day. Plus i'd rather a treat of chocolate than Alcohol.0
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I drink ridiculous quantities of wine on a regular basis and it makes absolutely no odds to me as long as I follow my (very satisfying) food intake plan.
Check out the Banting Diet from back in the 1800's, that man is my nutritional hero.0 -
Some people say to drink in rotations,
drink 1 drink
then have one water
and one soda
before having another drink.
:noway: If I drank all of that in between, I'd never stay out of the bathroom:grumble: Also too much dilution going on:laugh:0 -
I believe in a mix of rum and diet coke, rum is actually less harmfull for your health compared to coke. It's not only about calories!0
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i quit drinking sobered up then see how awful my wife and kids were so i started drinking again so no it didnt help much at all0
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Surely... it's all just about being within your calorie goal? I sometimes have a pint of beer..
I go out on some Friday's. It's just about having a sensible low calorie day to support the additional alcohol calories....
OH and, less calories and food in the day means drunken quicker = cheaper night! Classic!
If you can't for go the temptation to then eat pizza after a couple of drinks.... thats kinda your problem
I think that you can set your body up to preferentially burn excess energy in the face of a reasonably moderate calorie surplus so no, it's not about hard limits on calories, in my opinion.
It makes no sense that the human body is so inflexible that it needs such a narrow daily energy intake in order to maintain optimum health ... I know this is heresy to the 3500 calories = whatever crowd but hey, that's my belief ...
I avoid beer and that's about the limit of my alcohol intake rules. Works for me
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i quit drinking sobered up then see how awful my wife and kids were so i started drinking again so no it didnt help much at all
I like you, I like you a lot, you are my new beshtest friend 0 -
I'm the same! I don't drink much, but when I started counting calories I decided to cut out alcohol completely.
I'm really happy with the decision for several reasons. The money I would have spent on drinks I've used for more fresh produce and interesting meats like wild boar and venison. A glass of wine is about 3.50 GBP, so if I have one drink out plus contribute a bottle of wine to a movie night, I'd be out around 12 GBP. That's a lot of fruit and veg!
Also, because a glass of wine or a pint is quite calorific, when I stick with water or Diet Coke I can spend those calories on the food at the social gathering. I don't have to be the person who doesn't have any birthday cake or can't have any crisps. I still have a drink in my hand, but I know that type of drink won't push me over my calorie limit.
Add to that the fact that I don't feel buzzy (or tipsy, which has only happened a few times) ever, and I just feel much better and fulfilled throughout the week.0 -
Hey kids!
SO ive been thinking about quitting drinking! Due to my social life and influence of my friends!! lol i like to think its their fault.. I drink on average once a weekend, somtimes twice. and when I do drink, I'll drink about a pint and maybe 1 beer. Do you guys really think if I stop drinking all together that it will show?!? Or if I cut it down to once a month?? Let me know what you think!
2-3 beers a week is probably about 400 calories per week. So that's about 1 pound of weight every 9 weeks. It probably won't help you lose much weight.0 -
Help? Whoa, slow down there, Pilgrim. No way, keep drinking! Sanity has it's place in all this. I mean lets not get ridiculous! Red wine is GOOD for you :drinker: I mean, if I have to quit drinking, what the hell am I going to do with all the wine in my cellar? :huh: :huh: Fanatics! :devil:0
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Thanks everyone for all the replies!!0
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This subject is near my heart . BTW, I think alcohol is pretty awesome. Its just not that fun for me anymore. Special occasions (weddings, vacations, crazy bad day) I'll imbide (every month or three), but every Tues ( live jazz), Fri ( end of week), Sat (wine tasting) & Sun (Brunch), not so much anymore. I dont see the friends I did this with as much, because they want to drink and I want to gym, and for me tacos, and pastries taste better with my Jack Daniels neat than raw veg and fruit.0
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On one hand, alcohol is extremely high in calories. (Gram for gram, alcohol has the same number of calories as fat.) For example, I SINGLE shot of 80 proof vodka has 100 calories.
On the other hand, it doesn't sound like you're really drinking that much. I'd say, if it's something you really look forward to, feel free to continue. It's important to allow ourselves treats. If it's not high enough on your list to be a treat, then drop it. (For example, alcohol is an "eh" for me, so I've just cut it completely while watching what I eat.)0 -
you can do it occasionally but I know there the same amount of calories in a glass of red wine as there is in a big mac but if you do it like once a month you should be fine
Holy crap how big is that glass?
A big Mac is about 540 cals!0 -
you can do it occasionally but I know there the same amount of calories in a glass of red wine as there is in a big mac but if you do it like once a month you should be fine Holy crap how big is that glass?
A big Mac is about 540 cals!
lol theres about 100 per glass, but honestly..who has one glass.0 -
Not sure I can tell you anything different than what's already been said. I wouldn't give up going out with your friends. Just limit the drinks to maybe one and drink water. It's sad that alcohol has so many calories. Just be wise and either drink lower calorie drinks and limit your intake. If you start giving up things you enjoy then the weight loss journey will get discouraging and you tend to give up.0
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I quit drinking.
Of course, I was drinking 12-18 beers/4 nights a week.
That's a big calorie deficit!
...of course I am recovering alcoholic, so yea.0 -
you can do it occasionally but I know there the same amount of calories in a glass of red wine as there is in a big mac but if you do it like once a month you should be fine Holy crap how big is that glass?
A big Mac is about 540 cals!
lol theres about 100 per glass, but honestly..who has one glass.
ha ha , okay, point taken...0 -
I switched from beer to wine and cider when I went gluten free....I lost a bunch of weight at the beginning. Now it has slowed down, and I am thinking of giving up my nightly wine (usually two glasses). The problem is that I have insomnia, and if I don't have wine before bed, I am up every couple hours. If I just have those two glasses then I sleep fine and no hangover.
What to do?? I love my wine!!0 -
I quit drinking.
Of course, I was drinking 12-18 beers/4 nights a week.
That's a big calorie deficit!
...of course I am recovering alcoholic, so yea.
Amazing progress, good for you!!0 -
I switched from beer to wine and cider when I went gluten free....I lost a bunch of weight at the beginning. Now it has slowed down, and I am thinking of giving up my nightly wine (usually two glasses). The problem is that I have insomnia, and if I don't have wine before bed, I am up every couple hours. If I just have those two glasses then I sleep fine and no hangover.
What to do?? I love my wine!!
Honestly, in small servings, wine is fine - try to cut back to 1 glass a night instead of 2 and sip it reeeeally slowly....0 -
Alcohol and fitness definately don't mix and i know because i used to be a proper piss head! Not only is it bad for you but it affects your workouts too. In the end i just decided not to drink anymore as i'd rather be fit than drink. A bit of a no brainer really.
The odd one now and again won't hurt though. I said one!0 -
I could never do it. I have way too much fun with my husband on our date nights to our favorite bar.0
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Quitting drinking won't just help with weight loss, but it will help decrease chances of NAFLD and AFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol fatty liver disease).0
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RE: comparing a glass of wine to a Big Mac: How big is your glass?? An average serving of red wine (10 oz) is 200 calories. A Big Mac is 550 calories... not quite the same I'm not giving up my glass of wine a couple times a week because I won't keep that up for the long run and that's my goal. This is really a personal decision. Just count the calories! 0
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Whoever said that there is 80 calories in one shot of vodka is going to a very generous bar! There are approx 55 calories in a 25ml shot of vodka......40 in 25ml Pimms (add some diet lemonade and that's one very happy English-girl), 50 in a shot of Malibu (retro but tasty) and about 60 in a Gin and Slimline.
I don't drink beer but can quite happily tell you there's a tasty 210 calories in a pint (a whole pint) of Guinness and for an entire bottle of wine (provided it's dry white or red) and you're consuming around 550 calories.
Drinking didn't do my weight loss any harm. I might sweat it out in the gym, but I also like to sweat it out dancing to live music with my friends and a beverage in my hand...:drinker:0
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