Alcohol...

XFitMojoMom

I used to drink red wine, or single malts every night with dinner and as a night cap. I recently switched it to herbal tea. Now I'll have tea during the week, and my treat on weekends is a bottle of wine. Working for me so far.

Fieldsy

Alcohol is not just bad for empty calories. When you get intoxicated, you choose wrong decisions. You tend to slack off and eat bad foods. The day after you usually do the same and you do not workout due to hangover.

cashmandue

I lost 38 pounds in 3 months when I quit drinking completely. I did NOT change my eating habits during that time (as I was already eating pretty healthy except days when I was "hungover"), nor did I work out anymore than usual (3 times a week).

Just by not drinking, I lost that much weight.

I'm just sayin'....

Nelski

I also drink Mojitos again the clearer the drink the better.

The alcohol might be clear and not as high in calories as some, but this drink is high in sugar so beware.

claire30

I have a glass of red wine about 3 times a week, but ALWAYS include it in my daily calorie allowance. I just make sure i keep a careful eye o n my food for the rest of the day.
As from next week, i will only be having the glass of wine on a friday night , as i weigh myself on friday morning.

justvopoloswife

My problem is slightly different. It is not that I have a favorite drink that I can't give up. For me it doesn't matter what I drink as soon as it makes me drunk. And I believe I am not one of a kind...I think that we drink not for the taste but for the effects. And if it doesn't make me drunk I see no point in drinking...Therefore, advices like have a single vodka and a pint of diet coke, won't help...Yes, you can criticise me and say I am an alcoholic. Yes, I can deny it in response...but I'm still a 20 years old student who is enjoying her life!
I've been dieting for the past 5 years and I am sick of it. I can't believe that I have to restrict my drinking as well. Why can't they invent sugar-free and low calories alcohol like they did with fizzy drinks?

LittleSpy

<snip>
It comes down to this, you can either choose to believe that drinking "a couple of drinks a few times a week" is going to hurt your weight loss and health, or you can choose to live in denial of that fact.
<snip>

Your explanations are so spot on and so patient it's admirable.
I sit here reading and where I end up is just wanting to shake someone. :laugh:

Yes, justvopoloswife, lots of people drink because of the way it makes them feel. I would think that's *part* of the reason we all partake from time to time. I believe the alcoholic factor comes in with dependency -- do you *need* to drink to relax? to socialize? to feel like yourself? That's when there's a real problem.
I know I certainly didn't have those 3 PBR's yesterday because it's such a wonderful brew. I also know 36 ounces of beer didn't do anything to facilitate my health and weight loss. It's a trade off, same as most (all?) other decisions and choices you make. Yesterday, the beer, and the buzz, and the socializing (and the pizza) were worth it to me and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. The difference is that I'm not going to sit here today and pretend what I did yesterday fits in with a day-to-day "healthy lifestyle." It'll be okay occasionally, but it's not healthy, even if I did only end up at 1643 calories (which is easily still weight loss mode for me).

I had a friend in high school who lost a TON of weight in just a few months. I swear I don't think she ever ate anything -- just a 6 pack of beer every night. She went from maybe 160 to probably 110 pounds at most.
Yeah, she's 5'1" and weighs about 250 pounds now (and is maybe the craziest and most unhappy person I've ever known).
Point of story: If losing weight is your goal, you can absolutely do it and still drink a whole lot of alcohol. If being HEALTHY is your goal, you're going to have to cut way back on your alchol intake. Period. It's as simple as that.

vanessadawn

As the original post states, she doesn't want someone to preach to her about not drinking. I believe that she, myself and other casual drinkers on this site have a good understanding of the pros/cons on weight, health etc from drinking. But it is a choice we have made. I don't want to make my whole eating/drinking about depriving myself of things I like and a vodka water or beer now and again isn't going to kill me. I say if you want a drink now and again, go for it. Being overly meticulous and obsessed with your diet and weight loss can be a dangerous thing as well.

LittleSpy

As the original post states, she doesn't want someone to preach to her about not drinking. I believe that she, myself and other casual drinkers on this site have a good understanding of the pros/cons on weight, health etc from drinking. But it is a choice we have made. I don't want to make my whole eating/drinking about depriving myself of things I like and a vodka water or beer now and again isn't going to kill me. I say if you want a drink now and again, go for it.

I don't think anyone here is insinuating that an *occasional* drink will "kill" you.
The bottom line is, as Banks so patiently wrote, you're in denial if you think drinking alcohol won't hinder your health (and healthy weight loss) goals. Does that mean you should *never ever ever* do it? Not necessarily, but you do need to understand you're not doing your body any favors when you drink. It's fact -- it's nothing to be defensive about, it's just the truth. That's the point I was trying to make. It's 100% your choice.
Again, I made the choice to drink just yesterday. And, again, I'm not going to allow myself to believe that it didn't hinder my health goals. It's not a huge deal, but it is what it is. That's all.

Of course, I can't speak for everyone else who responded.

Edit: I'll also confidently state I think there is nothing wrong with being focused on developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Focus is very different from obsession.

HonestOmnivore

I am, BY NO MEANS, saying you need to give up alcohol. I drink sometimes, and I accept that, but I drink realizing the consequences of it. You can't "build drinking in" to your diet, that's just silliness, you CAN however, give yourself a break every couple of weeks and use alcohol moderately as a social mechanism (or what ever you want to do with it). Ease up on yourself, don't get angry if you have a night of drinking, just limit yourself.

It worries me more when people say "I can give up sweets, but not my <put your drink of choice here>". Analyze what that means, really dig in and think about it. What is the definition of the inability to stop doing a specific activity?

Banks - I think I agree with what you're trying to communicate - but I would argue with your choice of words. A diet is like a budget - simply a statement of either a plan or of the actual. I can build Twinkies, fruit-loops and ice cream into a diet - that wouldn't be HEALTHY or well advised of course!
If you (as I assume) mean a diet in the more casual sense to mean "weight loss program" I would still argue that it's better to build into your diet/weight-loss program the calories you believe you will really eat. I have an irrational need for starlight mints. I eat six every day and it's about 100 calories of nothing (sugar free so god only knows what I'm eating). Eating these is an evil I've accepted. Likewise I understand that my love for a good wine is like my love of horses - financially foolish! The wine is also calorie foolish. I'll let you debate the "toxicity" with the scientists there are plenty of studies to throw at each other on that end of the debate.

But I strongly believe that putting a glass of quality red wine into my body is no worse than many other empty calorie foods people build into their own diets. Foods like mashed potatoes, or fruit juices or health foods like watermelon add very little value to our bodies but aren't something that would draw this kind of "poison" lable. A glass of good wine is the same. It adds value (how much is open for debate) it is a LOT of calories, but it has been part of healthy diets for centuries!

Just sayin!

PJilly

If you (as I assume) mean a diet in the more casual sense to mean "weight loss program" I would still argue that it's better to build into your diet/weight-loss program the calories you believe you will really eat. I have an irrational need for starlight mints. I eat six every day and it's about 100 calories of nothing (sugar free so god only knows what I'm eating). Eating these is an evil I've accepted. Likewise I understand that my love for a good wine is like my love of horses - financially foolish! The wine is also calorie foolish. I'll let you debate the "toxicity" with the scientists there are plenty of studies to throw at each other on that end of the debate.

But I strongly believe that putting a glass of quality red wine into my body is no worse than many other empty calorie foods people build into their own diets. Foods like mashed potatoes, or fruit juices or health foods like watermelon add very little value to our bodies but aren't something that would draw this kind of "poison" lable. A glass of good wine is the same. It adds value (how much is open for debate) it is a LOT of calories, but it has been part of healthy diets for centuries!

Just sayin!

I absolutely agree with all you just wrote, right down to the horses! (I have one that costs me an arm and a leg, but I love her to death!) I drink my one glass of wine with dinner every evening, and I also have my daily serving of dark chocolate chips (where you have your mints). I account for these in my food diary, and it's all working well for me this way.

mattysmom

I drink ALOT on the weekends and the only advice I can offer is to exercise. I chose to "drink my dinner" and have no snacks all day to save room for lots of alcohol. And to be honest I still go over on calories when I drink beer. During the weekdays I keep vodka in the freezer (good quality) and just have a shot when I want a drink.

kgrutch

Alcohol is a drug, it's poison to your body. Just like cigarettes, just like cocaine, just like many other bad things, you can either choose to accept that, and work out a reasonable plan or you can choose to live in a quasi-denial state.

i would say this is a little extreme. most of us do not have such an extremist attitude about alcohol. i think we are exposed to more environmental toxins on a daily basis that we are even aware of that are probably more detrimental than the occasional drink of alcohol.

astrosnider

All I can say is I used to be like you. My favorite place to go on vacation was a wine region -- whether it was Napa Valley, Sonoma, Walla Walla, or the Champagne area in France -- I loved them all. I created a mini-wine cellar in a cool part of my house and stocked it with winners of the Wine Spectator ratings. I loved single malt Scotches and regularly prowled the liquor store for the latest ones to arrive in the U.S.
A couple of years ago I gave it all up, mainly to lose weight but also to save money since I was getting ready to retire. I am not judgmental about alcohol and would definitely say that giving it up is giving up one of the joys of life. But two years later I can't say I really miss it. When you are short like I am (5' 3") and have a rather slow metabolism, you just don't have many calories to spare. Plus so many other high-calorie treats go so well with alcohol, like chips and guacamole with margaritas or sangria, red wine with bleu cheese, sauternes with foie gras, etc., etc.
I know people who are content with one glass of wine with dinner, but I found it hard to be moderate. It was easier for me to give it all up and introduce myself to a new, sparer way of eating. Now a glass of Perrier tastes just fine with a salad and grilled chicken breast, which is a typical dinner.
Another way to go at it would be to try giving up alcohol for a set period of time, say three months, and see if it does help you lose weight. Then at the end of that time you can decide whether you want to go back to having the occasional glass or wine or micro-brew or whether you'd rather spend those calories on other things.
Personally, I have found it a lot harder to go without bread and butter than without liquor.

LittleSpy

Alcohol is a drug, it's poison to your body. Just like cigarettes, just like cocaine, just like many other bad things, you can either choose to accept that, and work out a reasonable plan or you can choose to live in a quasi-denial state.

i would say this is a little extreme. most of us do not have such an extremist attitude about alcohol. i think we are exposed to more environmental toxins on a daily basis that we are even aware of that are probably more detrimental than the occasional drink of alcohol.

I don't understand how you think what he said is extreme. It's just facts. It's one thing to accept facts and find a way to work around them but it's another thing entirely to be in denial about the truth.
Sure you're exposed to toxins on a daily basis. With alcohol you're adding more on top of that. If it is what it is, why not call it what it is?

I don't mean to crawl up Banks' @$$ here, but it's a little alarming to read so many folks being defensive against simple truth. The truth is, alcohol can hinder improvement to health and weight loss. It really is, in moderate to large quantities, essentially as detrimental to health as many other drugs (and much worse than some). That's not extreme opinion, that's fact. If you, like me, enjoy alcohol, you should probably just accept it for what it is, then deal with it and work around it, incorporating it into your lifestyle as you see fit. Or, you can be in denial about it.

Sure, you can lead a relatively healthy lifestyle while incorporating small quantities of alcohol into your diet. But, no matter how much you may enjoy it, it's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination to spend your weekend getting sh**faced. And, it's probably always going to be a healthier decision to limit your alcohol intake to 0-1 drinks/day. It boils down to your choice. Whatever you choose is up to you. But it still is what it is.

HonestOmnivore

I don't understand how you think what he said is extreme. It's just facts. It's one thing to accept facts and find a way to work around them but it's another thing entirely to be in denial about the truth.
Sure you're exposed to toxins on a daily basis. With alcohol you're adding more on top of that. If it is what it is, why not call it what it is?

I don't mean to crawl up Banks' @$$ here, but it's a little alarming to read so many folks being defensive against simple truth. The truth is, alcohol can hinder improvement to health and weight loss. It really is, in moderate to large quantities, essentially as detrimental to health as many other drugs (and much worse than some). That's not extreme opinion, that's fact. If you, like me, enjoy alcohol, you should probably just accept it for what it is, then deal with it and work around it, incorporating it into your lifestyle as you see fit. Or, you can be in denial about it.

Sure, you can lead a relatively healthy lifestyle while incorporating small quantities of alcohol into your diet. But, no matter how much you may enjoy it, it's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination to spend your weekend getting sh**faced. And, it's probably always going to be a healthier decision to limit your alcohol intake to 0-1 drinks/day. It boils down to your choice. Whatever you choose is up to you. But it still is what it is.

I agree - - - - - somewhat.

Getting shi# faced is not good period:indifferent: . Drinking a beautiful, hand crafted micro brew is, on balance, unhealthy (:sad: ). While there are studies that will suggest limited amounts of hard alcohol may be good for one's health, it's far less than "Fact" and open to debate:huh: .

But I would suggest that the science behind a daily glass of red wine is solid. Now some of you might surmise that my picture implies I have a wine problem. I do.:blushing: But I also have lots of other problems I wouldn't ever try to defend in the world of alcohol.

:drinker: I love micro brews - a great English Ale makes me go a little weak in the knees ! GreyGoose? YES PLEASE!:flowerforyou: I've even enjoyed a glass of crisp white wine on a warm summer evening:ohwell: - but much to my deep regret - none of these are defensible.:frown: The evidence just overwhelms on the negative side. At best they may do no harm in small amounts:grumble: , at worst they lead you to think the portly blow-hard in the corner looks like that cute professor from Gilligan's Isle.:brokenheart: (Ok there may be worse worsts).

Including space in my daily glass or three of red wine really really can be part of a healthy, quality diet.:bigsmile: The benefits are well recorded and the science is well reviewed. Sure I could get some of the benefits from eating pills filled with powdered grape skins - but the best results seem to come for the wine its' self.

Plus - how else should God tell us he loves us and wants us to be happy? Did you SEE the beer gut on ol' Franklyn:noway: ? Surely he got his messages mixed up!:ohwell:

cvtga

I would never preach to anyone about their habits whether its drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes, its simply is none of my business. I believe the question you asked is how to balance a healthy diet and indulging. I work hard all week watching my calories and exercising. My weekends are meant as a time to relax with family and friends and let the stress of the week prior go away. My alcohol of choice is vodka and I mix it with flavored seltzer. I skimp a little on Friday's food or increase my workout to compensate for some of these calories. Saturday I watch what I eat and don't exercise (I don't exercise on weekends) and I drink anyway. This is my indulgence of choice. Some people eat a bowl of ice cream or go and get a Big Mac, that is what they like, I like getting liquored up with my husband:drinker: For me if the number on the scale goes done I'm doing something right.

Laceylala

I LOVES me some high quality gin in the spring and summer, oh yes I do. And in the winter? Jameson in hot toddy's. I'll drink wine every once in a while but I'd much rather drink harder stuff.

These days, due to the sugar content in booze, I only allow myself drinks on the weekend, and usually only on Friday or Saturday night. I notice that when I drink a lot, or eat a ton of sugary foods, I am much more bloated and do not lose weight at all.

It sucks. It's lame. It's no fair. But it is what it is.

SnakePlissken

Professional drinker here. Showbiz.
Also a giant history of being a gym rat.
After reading this entire thread I can say that a bunch of you are fooling yourselves.
Read thru the posts. Most people can't, won't, don't want to give up the booze for 5 days, if that. 5 days! You pass the alcoholism test whether you want to know it or not. You CAN'T do it..... and say so.

Look. If you diet below your caloric needs by 500 cals a day, you will lose a pound a week. Add some cocktails and that changes the equation completely. Not just calorically, but in the way your body is able to process and work. Booze makes you less efficient. You're working so hard trying to eat well, but then your treat turns off the cal furnace and sloppy up what the liver is trying to accomplish.

I guarantee anybody here that if you were to quit alcohol for 30 days, exercise and watch your diet that you'd lose 2 to 3 times the weight you'd lose if you didn't drink. Liquor is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to close the door on,.... it is the cake they want, and drink it too.

SHBoss1673

I have to agree with Snake on this one.

Like I said, I enjoy beer every once in a while. For instance, I had a work event last night, and had two delicious IPA's that were NOT low calorie. That's fine, because I drank them knowing I was putting off my health for a day or so. I can live with that, it's not an issue for me, and it makes me happy.

Look, alcohol is NOT good for the human body, that's a simple fact, there's not opinion involved. And again, I'm not an advocate of any all or nothing lifestyles, we all need to find a balance that's acceptable to us. If you enjoy drinking with your friends or whatever you do, that's fine, just figure out a way to do it less. If friends have a problem with you being sober more, then ask yourself if they are truly friends or just drinking buddies. If you find that you CAN'T drink less, then you have a problem that probably needs to be addressed, whether it's alcoholism, or just an addictive personality.

Do what you like, it's no skin off my nose if someone continues to drink multiple times a week to excess, just don't continue and expect to see results in spite of it. It's probably not going to happen.

nickyh13

I love cocktails....ciaparainas are my favorite (not sure I've spelt it right!!). I now try and make a lower calorie version. If you love limes you'll love this......

Here's how I make them.....I muddle a lime with two spoons of granulated sweetner. Add a dash of cachasa (never check the oz's but a nice glug lol). Then I fill the glass with crushed ice. Mix it all together. Get a straw and sip away. I take my time with it and by the end of the night I've maybe had two!!

All things in moderation I say. I always lose weight having alcohol, but my quantities have vastly reduced!! I save my drink for Friday and Saturdays when I'm socialising.

leelu

My comment here is not going to be for or against the drinking - only measure measure measure - a glass of wine - a slug of vodka .... as these things are so high in calories dont delude your self that your only having one when your really having 3