Giving up alcohol...

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  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    A glass or two of wine is fine if you can manage to fit it in with your macros and calories. There are some low calorie win out there thats pretty good too.

    I myself am a scotch man so giving up booze was easy since I can now just drink some super expensive scotch once a while and use it for its taste. I have had the same pint for about 3 years now :)
  • mrhayes9507
    mrhayes9507 Posts: 1
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    I was in the habit of having a couple of vodka drinks almost every night and would always wake up at 3:06am every single night and not be able to go back to sleep till around 6 and that was only an hour before I HAD to get up anyway, it was driving me crazy. I was drinking like that because my husband and I just got in the habit, I have only had 2 vodka drinks in the last 2 weeks and have just recently began being diligent with the Fitness Pal and am sleeping 8-10 hours a night now. I think it is because I have stopped with so much alcohol and I can definitely see a difference in my stomach. I used to think it would help me sleep better but obviously I am wrong. I really believe that a nutritional diet and a good exercise program helps me sleep well now. I have been working out with a personal trainer for almost 2 years now so I have been on a good exercise program but the alcohol was definitely getting in my way. i am very glad that I have realized this even though I will still have an occasional drink. lol I will never go back to it every night.
  • laurajordana
    laurajordana Posts: 48 Member
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    What I realized was that after a few days or weeks I felt great. I was like you - 1 or 2 glasses of wine, maybe a little extra on the weekends but I honestly was amazed at how much better I started feeling in the mornings when I got up.

    ^ this
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    Clearly it's an issue.
    In life we can have just about anything we want but not everything.
    Make your choice.
    And if you quit drinking, you might experience the pains of withdrawal.
    For sleep, take a melatonin, or gut it out for a few days. Nothing worthwhile in life is easy, so as simple as quitting a bad habit is, it's not easy. Simple but hard.
    Nobody can do it but you, and good luck.
  • Nikki_42
    Nikki_42 Posts: 298 Member
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    Something to keep in mind.--- From most medical studies, it's a myth that alcohol helps you sleep better. (whatever the amount, high or low) I won't post all the links, but you can google it anywhere or ask your doctor. It actually disrupts your brain and sleep patterns.

    Not saying give up drinking, though it's great to do for weight loss, but it may not actually be doing what you think it's doing.

    For the weight loss, I wouldn't drink it every day, but that's just an opinion. I would just stop for a few months 1-to make sure I could if I was doing it every day, and 2-it's wasted calories every single day.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
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    I am the exact opposite, if I drink I can go to sleep just fine but I am constantly waking up or have restless sleep even if I drink a glass or two of wine or have a bottle or two of beer - and then I wake up feeling unrested etc. I get a lot better sleep if I do not have any caffinee or alcohol. When I first started on MFP and wanted to lose weight I gave up all caffinee and alcohol and after the first week, I had so much more energy and slept better and just felt better overall it was amazing how much of a difference it made. Now I still don't drink caffinee but I will have a beer or two here and there I just can't completely get rid of it from my lifestyle even though it is empty calories and I feel better and sleep better without it - sometimes you just need that drink to calm down or if you are out having fun!

    ^ my experience is very similar. I have a horrible night's sleep as well if I have even one drink. My husband and I used to have a glass or two of wine each night with dinner, but about 5 months we've cut back to just the weekends and for the past few months even those drinks have been almost eliminated. We both feel so much better and our workouts are better too! I did have a glass of wine on Sunday night and it just confirmed it, tossed and turned all night long.

    It might be helping you fall asleep, but try a week or so without it and see how you feel, that is the only way you'll truly know what kind of difference it can make.
  • dirty_blonde
    dirty_blonde Posts: 71 Member
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    Great comments. I gave it up back in 1988. You might want to check your food diary and make sure you are getting enough nutrients. If I do not eat enough calories I wake up around 1 or 2 in the morning and need to eat a bowl of cereal and then I am able to go back to sleep. Cottage cheese is a great source of slow digesting protein for the night time. I will also try to get in some fiber heavy foods like Post Raisin Bran at night. 1 1/2 cups with milk has more than 1/2 of my daily requirement (12) and breaks down fairly slowly also. Also highly recommended is a piece of dark chocolate before bed.




    I love this person for saying dark chocolate!!!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Alcohol usually tends to disturb sleep patterns. If you can't sleep without it, that sounds more like a dependency.

    I usually have a few drinks per week, moderate alcohol is actually good for maintaining insulin sensitivity and for keeping cholesterol ratios in check, plus wine (especially red) is full of antioxidants.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
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    I don't know how true this is, but when I researched a few years ago to lose weight, I read that if you have alcohol in your body, during that time, you won't burn any calories because all the energy is going toward getting rid of the "toxin". So basically, anything eaten while alcohol is in the system is automatically stored.

    Like I said, I don't know if it's true, but I took it to heart and haven't drank but a handful of times since then.

    I've read something similar to this also. What I read was that, your body will burn alcohol before it burns anything else. Meaning, the next day when you work out, the calories you are burning ...are just to get the alcohol burned. NOT to burn fat. Basically you are working 2ce as hard to get the same result.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I don't know how true this is, but when I researched a few years ago to lose weight, I read that if you have alcohol in your body, during that time, you won't burn any calories because all the energy is going toward getting rid of the "toxin". So basically, anything eaten while alcohol is in the system is automatically stored.

    Like I said, I don't know if it's true, but I took it to heart and haven't drank but a handful of times since then.

    I've read something similar to this also. What I read was that, your body will burn alcohol before it burns anything else. Meaning, the next day when you work out, the calories you are burning ...are just to get the alcohol burned. NOT to burn fat. Basically you are working 2ce as hard to get the same result.
    It doesn't really work like that. Total calories matter. If you're in a calorie deficit, having the occasional alcoholic beverage will not have any impact on weight loss.

    You could just as easily say that you aren't burning fat because the body is still processing the protein you ate the night before, or the fat you ate with breakfast, etc.

    Yes, alcohol is burned before anything else you've eaten, but that doesn't change anything when you keep total calories constant. Your body stores food for later while it processes one type first on a constant basis, alcohol isn't any different in that regard.
  • SparkleShine
    SparkleShine Posts: 2,001 Member
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    I'm another one that says try Melatonin. My son has taken it for years, as directed by his neurologist. Has has autism and was a terrible sleeper. It only took a couple weeks and he was going to slepp and not waking up at night.

    I take it usually a couple times a week myself. It doesn't give you a groggy feeling in the morning either.
  • cavewoman15
    cavewoman15 Posts: 278 Member
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    IMHO, a couple glasses of wine a night isn't a problem, either psychologically or in terms of health/fitness. just log it and you are good. however, i think two things might give me pause. 1. if you can't sleep without it, there might be better options (e.g., more exercise helps me, reducing stress). 2. if you are removing nutrition from your diet so you can fit in your alcohol calories that might not be best, either.

    good luck! maybe cut to one glass a night for a few weeks and see how it goes. if it's really hard, you could probably talk to your doc about different options.
  • Gioooo
    Gioooo Posts: 301 Member
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    i love my wine. would never give it up :)
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 368 Member
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    Not dependent on it. I think I will continue to lose weight at a good rate if I stop. Just seems like wasted calories.


    Thanks for the good ideas! I will do some more research. I used to be meds for insomnia, but I hated how I felt when I took them.

    I will eat more before bed....maybe that will work.

    I dated a guy several years ago who did not drink at all so therefore neither did I. What I realized was that after a few days or weeks I felt great. I was like you - 1 or 2 glasses of wine, maybe a little extra on the weekends but I honestly was amazed at how much better I started feeling in the mornings when I got up. I dumped the guy but still don't drink (well, most of the time anyway). Give it a few days to adjust and see how you feel. You might even sleep better.

    Have you ever tried a supplement called Melatonin? It is something your body naturally produces to regulate sleep cycles. It helped me some. Mostly I think they just helped me relax so I could fall asleep. You can get them just about every where (Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart, etc.) Working out around 6:00 - 7:00 does the trick for me as well. Good luck to you.

    I actually tried Melatonin last night.... I did sleep a little better than normal. I only woke up a couple times, but fell back asleep. But, I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning!
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 368 Member
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    If you can't sleep without alcohol, you're developing an addiction. That's more of a reason to give it up than for weight loss. Please take some time to really look at yourself and get some help.

    Umm... whatever. Thanks for being judgemental. Trust me.... I am well aware of what addictions are. I have a friend that I stood by with her addition to both drugs and alcohol. Not quite the same.
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 368 Member
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    Thanks for all of the supportive words.... and screw off to the judgmental people out there.

    Several years ago I was diagnosed with chronic insomnia, and I have tried all kinds of meds to help. You want to talk about addiction, that is the stuff one could get addicted to.... One to two glasses of wine does not make an addiction, but it is a habit.

    So again, thank you to everyone that was supportive in their recommendations. I appreciate it. I will keep trying Melatonin. I will maybe try to cut the tablets in half, since I woke up so groggy this morning. And I will also try to push through a few weeks and see if it gets better over the next little bit.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
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    If you can't sleep without alcohol, you're developing an addiction. That's more of a reason to give it up than for weight loss. Please take some time to really look at yourself and get some help.

    Umm... whatever. Thanks for being judgemental. Trust me.... I am well aware of what addictions are. I have a friend that I stood by with her addition to both drugs and alcohol. Not quite the same.

    It's not being judgmental at all, it's the truth. If you can't sleep without drinking alcohol, what else would that be?

    Good luck to you, I am recovering alcoholic, I have been sober for 64 days, and I have never felt better.
  • knittingbandmom
    knittingbandmom Posts: 190 Member
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    [/quote]
    I actually tried Melatonin last night.... I did sleep a little better than normal. I only woke up a couple times, but fell back asleep. But, I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning!
    [/quote]

    Hmm. Can you maybe try half the dose? I'm not sure what form you have it in. I always get the kind that you put under your tongue and let it dissolve. I also try and take it an hour or so before I go to bed. Hang in there. You will get it figured out. I hate when I have problems sleeping and the older I get and closer to "the change" the more I wake up at night :(
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
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    Not dependent on it. I think I will continue to lose weight at a good rate if I stop. Just seems like wasted calories.
    You need to re-evaluate this bc your OP had "red flag" written all over it.
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
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    If you can't sleep without alcohol, you're developing an addiction. That's more of a reason to give it up than for weight loss. Please take some time to really look at yourself and get some help.

    Umm... whatever. Thanks for being judgemental. Trust me.... I am well aware of what addictions are. I have a friend that I stood by with her addition to both drugs and alcohol. Not quite the same.

    It's not being judgmental at all, it's the truth. If you can't sleep without drinking alcohol, what else would that be?

    Good luck to you, I am recovering alcoholic, I have been sober for 64 days, and I have never felt better.

    Congrats on your sobriety.

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