Guys aged 40+. How much alcohol?

tomalbrighton

I’m a 41-year-old guy, 5’11”, quite stocky. I’m currently 81kg, down from 87, and aiming for 70. My daily calorie goal is 1670.

I’d be interested to hear what everyone thinks, or does, about alcohol. I have four alcohol-free days per week. On the other three, I typically have one or two bottles of Beck’s (118Kcal) and/or one or two glasses of red wine (say 200+Kcal). I rarely go out in the evening these days, which makes it easy to avoid overindulgence.

On days when I don’t exercise, those calories seem pretty expensive. 400+ calories out of 1670 isn’t something I can really afford. Particularly when they don't fill me up – or end up making me feel more hungry, especially late at night.

When I do exercise, I might do a long run (794Kcal) or an hour on the stepper (500Kcal-ish), which in theory means I can afford it. But I’ve seen how many people are ambivalent about eating exercise calories, and it seems dubious to me as well. Can I really drink a whole bottle, or wine or five or six beers, and still be on target, just because I’ve run 10km?

Of course, with drinking, it's not just about the calories. There's the psychological side too. I have a pretty busy life and having a drink has always been a central part of my 'me time'. It just takes the edge off the stress – and that includes the stress of managing and monitoring your weight loss!

Anyway, I’d be interested to hear other people’s views. Do you drink moderately and still manage to lose, or have you decided to cut out alcohol altogether? Does indulging in alcohol feel too much like 'one step forward, one step back'? And what do you think about ‘earning’ alcohol calories by exercising?

super_monty

I am 39 I drink half a liter of vodka every Friday.

I need to stop if I want to up my game.

gboybama

I don't think two days of < 500 calorie drinking per week will do much to slow you down, especially if you continue to exercise.

I fit your description almost perfectly, except I usually allow myself a day and a half of what I guess most on here would consider binge drinking per week. >1000 calories one day and around 500 one or two other random days.

I just make sure my weekly total is less than break even for my TDEE. As long as that has been the case, I've continued to lose.

Of course, it goes without saying that if we cut it out, our progress would be faster all other things being equal. I just happen to enjoy craft beer on weekends and I'm not willing to give it up at this point.

moderndrummer1

Tom,

The one thing that is not mentioned in your post is "your goal weight' by what date.
Depending on how soon you want to reach your goal weight, alcohol will always add time and additional effort to reach your target.

I would say its like going on a trip. If you take a plane, you'll get to your destination the quickest way possible (no alcohol). If you don't mind spending the extra time and effort on your way to the destination rather then the goal destination, drink alcohol.

My experience and not to sound too preachy here, but alcohol will always be there. I have never met someone who drank alcohol on their pursuit to a high level fitness goal (martial arts, gymnastics, marathon runners, etc). Alcohol has always slowed me down and I have never met my intended goal. I would say if you reach your goal, then consider adding a little to your diet.

Just a thought.