Do you count alcohol in your calorie goal?

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Replies

  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
    I've given up alcohol as there's too many empty calories, I've found in the past that I notice the loss more when I haven't been drinking. This is an extreme measure, but hey it works for me. For 5weeks I've drank purely water.
  • DairByNature
    DairByNature Posts: 35 Member
    yep, def count it in !!!! its a big part of ur calorie intake, plus it just means you either cutit out all togetherr or @ least in the week ( that i ended up doing & feel much much berret for ) or work out an extra 400 calories extra a day !!!!:drinker:
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    Log the calories, and cut down on the beer habit.
    Switch to light beer, and have less. Or do what i did and just switch from beer to Gin. :drinker:
  • queensturg
    queensturg Posts: 60
    I always include drinks in my food diary, since you can certainly drink calories as well as eat them.

    It always makes me laugh to see people talk about being on a diet, then about how they go out drinking on the weekends. While they're drinking a bottle of pop. Both are some of the fastest ways to pack the extra calories on.
  • Kaiukas
    Kaiukas Posts: 111 Member
    Seriously????

    I had the exact same reaction. I am hoping this is a joke :love:

    Calories are calories are calories. But getting only 800 kcal from food isn't sustainable. Up your workout calories and cut your beer calories. It really ain't rocket science :wink:

    Not everyone is prepared to give up alcohol altogether. I personally plan my calories (in and out) so I can have a nice drink or two over the weekend. Denying yourself things you enjoy altogether will come back to bite you.

    Moderation and balance is the key to long-term success.

    Best of luck! :flowerforyou:
  • joselo2
    joselo2 Posts: 461
    I don't log it because when I come in from a night out little drunk I don't even think out that!!
    Seriously, funny how even people who eat healthy and wouldn't dream of adding hundreds of cals in one night time of eating would happily do it with food, hehe!

    Thing is, at least you log it! Maybe you just need a lower cal drink option? I go for diet coke and white rum if I am thinking about that, rather than beer. Serious, I think I drink too much sometimes, I tell myself I am a big guy, I can handle my drink, so I can drink like, 7,8,9+ in a night.... but maybe this is part of the reason of my weight, that and the greasy take aways I always am tempted to get on the way home when I have been on the drink!!

    I hope you find a way to manage the cals without it harming your lifestyle too much, if you like to go have a drink sometimes!
    xxxx
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Sorry but you have your issue all wrong!
    You are simply drinking too much and eating too little.

    Make alcohol "special" rather than normal would be my advice.
  • dpbg24441
    dpbg24441 Posts: 7 Member
    I used to drink beer but have switched to vodka and diet coke. As a direct swap it's approx. 25% of the calories (1 pint of UK Heiniken (568 ml at 5% ABV) is 227 calories where 1 UK single measure of 40 % vodka (25ml) is 55 calories.

    As with others, I do take account of the alcohol calories in my daily count.

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • floydfreeman911
    floydfreeman911 Posts: 9 Member
    Increase yourativity AND decrease your alcohol consumption I know that sucks but unless you are willing to burn th extra cal daily, i's a must.
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
    Those beers are calories consumed so of course you need to log them. I personally don't drink often but when I do I log it. You can always use your exercise calories to cover those if you really need to because 800 calories a day isn't enough for most people to get enough nutrition and have energy.

    But drinking 2-3 drinks a day sounds like a bit of a different problem than whether or not to log the calories. I know 2-3 doesn't sound like a lot but if its a daily occurance to function or required to "relax" at the end of your day...it is at the very least the start of a problem.
  • LivingInPuglia
    LivingInPuglia Posts: 122 Member
    I count them ....... it would be pointless not to. I try to make sure I have enough exercise calories to cover the booze
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    While it is certainly healthy to drink one or two drinks every day, you should count the calories just as you would any other food.
  • Kagami_Taiga
    Kagami_Taiga Posts: 124 Member
    I don't see why you shouldn't. Would you say that a muffin is 400 calories but if you counted it you would have to starve? When you want to lose weight you have to be honest with yourself. Alcohol is second only to fat when it comes to calories.

    How difficult is it to drink water instead of beer?
  • yksdoris
    yksdoris Posts: 327 Member
    Look at it this way: are you logging that vente frappuchino with whole milk, sprinkles, sugar and syrup?

    It's the same deal with all drinks, sadly. Even the smoothies that you'd *think* are good for you. And juices...

    Anyways, simply because you're limiting your calories doesn't mean you can't drink at all. For example, I "save up" during the week - I try not to eat back my excercise calories during the week, or go just a little bit under my goal some days; and they I'll be able to have a few glasses of wine and a dessert if I want to on another day while still staying in my calorie goal for the week.

    Personally, I also noticed that if I have some alcohol, my willpower to NOT touch those salted nuts they give you for free is heavily impaired, and that's just a double whammy of calories that don't actually feed me.
  • joselo2
    joselo2 Posts: 461
    How difficult is it to drink water instead of beer?

    Not hard as such, unless someone has a real problem, just boring sometimes!! I think we need to be realistic that drinking is part of some people's lifestyle and there is nothing wrong bout that, just trying to manage it so you can still manage your health and also enjoy yourself!

    edit: totally agree yksdoris, drink really impairs self control sometimes, I don't know how much is habitual (the nuts are just THERE, and it is the done thing to get a kebab on the way home, no?? heh) and how much is that drink makes you want to eat but that can be a danger to watch out for!
    xxxx
  • super_monty
    super_monty Posts: 419 Member
    Was this a real question?
  • Natashaa1991
    Natashaa1991 Posts: 866 Member
    i drink alcohol once or twice a week. usually i drink over 500 kcal. and then when i wake up-i log everything. and then i think, damn it, this would be a good piece of chocolate cake that i haven't had in weeks.
  • speediejane
    speediejane Posts: 496 Member
    i count in my brandy for weekends and exercise to make room:bigsmile:
  • deadgirl81
    deadgirl81 Posts: 412 Member
    Of course I count it - I have tried to cut down, and make do with maybe a glass of wine with my meal in the evening occasionally, but I still make sure I count it!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Even Russia has decided that beer isn't a food any more http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/944136--russia-classifies-beer-as-alcohol-not-food
  • MelanieAG05
    MelanieAG05 Posts: 359 Member
    You definitely have to count it........you would definitely benefit from not drinking that everyday though. Your body burns off the alcohol before it burns off fat. I used to drink A LOT of wine - mostly at the weekend. I exercised so I could have it in my diet, was under cals most days, but not losing any weight. I have now stopped drinking temporarily (about 3 weeks) to try to kick start the weight loss and also to get out of the habit. I am drinking 2-4 litres of water per day, eating 1400 cals plus some exercise cals if I need to and since Monday last week I have lost 4lbs! This was all on the advice of a personal trainer.
  • Kyrosh
    Kyrosh Posts: 238
    Just don't drink alcohol... Your body doesn't need it, what a waste of calories! Have a nice steak instead :laugh:
  • magairlin
    magairlin Posts: 93 Member
    Hi. I stopped drinking beer the day I joined this site a few weeks ago and believe it or not I don't miss it at all. When my husband is having a few beers I have a couple of vodkas with soda or a diet drink instead. I save many calories in this manner. I know that spirites are not good for the liver but I don't drink that much of them. I never thought that I would give up beer as I absolutely loved it but when I realised the "empty calories" I was consuming I realised that something had to give. I had always known that beer was high in calories but it wasn't until I joined this site that I realised what a waste of calories it is. You must count those calories because you won't lose weight otherwise. Best of luck.
  • moomaq
    moomaq Posts: 24 Member
    I think all my additional weight was caused by drinking.
    bottle of wine here, bottle of beer there. and it is all calories.
    I could easily drink my todal allocated calories in 1 day.

    BUT, my fitness pal highlights where you are eating drinking excessive calories. it does this to try
    and point you in the right direction. Helps break a habbit.

    I can imagine 4 beers a day = A big GUT. you have to make a choice
  • purple_tux1
    purple_tux1 Posts: 250 Member
    1/3 of your daily caloric intake in beer?

    Just what I was thinking. :noway:
  • joselo2
    joselo2 Posts: 461
    Just don't drink alcohol... Your body doesn't need it, what a waste of calories! Have a nice steak instead :laugh:

    See this is where some of us split. I mean, I LOOOOOOVE food, but sometimes I feel drink is a better use of cals.... because wearen't machines, we have social needs as well as physical needs, and enjoying a night out with your friends, or going to the local pb most evenings is important to some people.I LOVE going out with my friends, having a few drinks, letting loose hhaving a dance, a flirt, lots of FUN! Hours of fun! Eating a steak just isn't the same. Am not saying a need drink to have a good time, but I enjoy the occasions where drink tends to be involved, going clubbing etc. I think this might partly be because I am British and we have a different attitude to drink than Americans (basically, we like it alot and don't see it as sinful). I think we don'tgot to judge people who like drink, nothing wrong in that. As I say,it is just about managing it from a health perspective. Maybe I could live a little longer if I quit drinking, but I'd rather live a richer life of FUN, and part of that is night time socialising!!
    xxxx
  • lesliefb
    lesliefb Posts: 88 Member
    Not a dumb question at all. I think a lot of people wonder about this, so I'm glad the question was asked. One of the easiest ways to cut back and drop extra weight is to stop drinking your calories. It's not just alcoholic drinks, but also juice, pop, coffee drinks, etc. Did you know that some Starbucks drinks have like 700+ calories?

    When I started learning about calories and nutrition, I was like "hell no am I gonna waste 300+ calories on a beer!" But it wasn't that important to me, so it wasn't a big deal to drop it. But as others have said, you also need to have a life and socialize with friends. So if having a couple of beers on Friday night is your ritual, go for it, but plan around it by making sure the rest of your day is healthy and active. Don't waste calories on chips for lunch if you know you'll be having a couple of drinks later that night! lol

    Looks like you're pretty small already, so it might even be that you could reach your goals by concentrating on a maintenance calorie goal and doing focused weight training. 1200 is pretty low, so just double check that is right for you.
  • azfires
    azfires Posts: 8
    How about give it to your self as a GIFT as you earn a drink... thats what I do!!! no more Iwant a drink or lets go to the bar...
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    yes you count it!! I drink wine and always count it, it accounts for alot of calories .....empty calories :frown:
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    My calorie goal is 1200 a day, and I drink 2-3 standard drinks (355ml bottle beer) every day, which is about 300-400 calories. This means I can only eat about 800 calories a day , or be 400 calories over...

    I starve over 800 calories a day... any help pls?


    Obviously good health is not your goal. First problem -
    *1200 calories is too few for most people
    *eating 800 calories a day to accommodate drinking every night smacks of some type of eating disorder.
    *stop drinking, eat more
    *if you must limit yourself to one drink a day
    *reevaluate your goals and priorities

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