Tips on reducing wine consumption?

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Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I totally understand the question!

    I wouldn't recommend going for a wine box as it's easier to drink more when you can't see the tell-tale bottle going down.

    Have a few nights with no wine - I find having a class in the evening that I have to drive to helps me with this.

    Have something nice and non-alcoholic available as an alternative - a jug of water in the fridge with some sliced apple and a cinnamon stick, or some mint and cucumber. Or keep some frozen lemon or lime wedges in the freezer ready to make your water a bit more special. Sometimes I serve water in a wine glass just to enjoy the feel of it in my hands. I often also buy alcohol-free wine. It's quite high in sugar, though, but it satisifies the "oepning a bottle of the right shape and pouring it into a glass" itch.

    If you're out for dinner, practise before hand what you're going to order, so that you don't have to think before saying "A sparkling water, slice of lime please!"

    Pour a glass, then half way through it, top it up with water. Watered down wine is very common in Europe.

    Don't buy more than one bottle at a time.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    The AA comments are not funny, there is a big difference between an enjoyable habit that one does not want to give up and an actual addiction.

    Personally, I know I do have a drink problem. I don't drink daily and I can go weeks without it without issue but when I go for it I'm a binge drinker. Le sigh.

    Personally then, I've cut it out completely for January.

    I know what works for a lot of people is they exercise and use those exercise calories for their nightly / weekly tipple. An entire bottle of wine is only 500-600 calories so even if you like to get drunk every now and then it isn't that bad calorie wise - you just need a good hard run. :-)

    i'm not advocating that every day though.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    i don't understand the question

    Hehehe ...

    <Backs out of thread>
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I dont drink if I have work the next day or if I haven't hit the gym yet that day.
    Best of luck to you and your husband.

    I drink ... <rummages around the noggin for some conditions, fails to find any, considers not posting this as it adds nothing to the thread (especially as I've already backed out of it), says "Ah nuts to it" and hits Post Reply anyway>

    Gym? What is this gym of which you speak? ;)
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    If you are drinking every day and you mention you are drinking when you feel down in your original post then the only approach is to recognise this is not a habit, but an addiction.

    The AA comments are not funny - but they may be what the OP needs to hear. First thing to do is speak to your doctor to see what help there is to manage the addiction. All best.
  • Lotte34
    Lotte34 Posts: 429 Member
    Someone gave me a wonderful tip last week which is really working for me: drink Cranberry Juice in from a wine glass instead of wine. Something in the tart aftertaste is similar to that of wine. Its working wonders for me. Day 5 of absolutely no alcohol!
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
    I love wine myself! My shop has wine called The Skinny Vine- Thin Zin(other varieties as well), and SkinnyGirl wine products, they are significantly lower in calories.

    Unfortunately, I've realized that wine is VERY high and cals/sugar and if I want to reach my goals, I cannot drink it as often as I want. If I want to drink wine on a certain night, I work extra hard in my workout to make sure It remains within my goals.

    Also, grab a 500 ml glass of water and chug it before you start drinking :)

    And don't keep any in the house - only grab a small bottle when you feel like having a few glasses. That way it's not always readily available!

    Hope this helps.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    I bought myself some 125ml glasses, which is a standard "small" size - you'd be amazed how much smaller that is than a usual glass! I also have a large glass of fizzy water alongside my wine to make sure I don't have a big gulp just because I'm thirsty. Only drink out of exercise calories, to make sure you're getting full nutrition from your food before you waste calories on booze. Make a bottle last at least two days, and it's recommended to have at least two days off drinking altogether.

    These seem like very sensible ideas to me!
  • Missrlr
    Missrlr Posts: 1
    fizzy wine is lower in calories and alcohol than still wine (9 to 11% compared to 10-15%) and less sugar as it has been fermented (unless you go for Sec or Demi-Sec stuff)

    Also don't drink the night before work or if you are driving the next morning before 9am - basically means I "can" drink 2 nights per week, but not if I am driving one of those nights.

    Made a huge difference but of course parties and special occasions arise and then I alternate alcohol with non-alcoholic and make spritzers at least 50% soda (if not more) plus add ice to it to bulk out.

    Never open a bottle alone, always share it can also help
  • Angie1366
    Angie1366 Posts: 85
    I was like you - it was a glass a night then for a lot of the year nearly a whole bottle a night. I stopped. I saw 600 calories per bottle - at a cost over over £5 (english) a bottle - I saw my waist getting fatter!

    I was sick one night on it!

    I was embarrassed putting out the bottles in the recycling.

    You have made one big leap toward reducing your intake by talking about it....

    Do you know... I have a bottle in the fridge right now which has a glass left in it. I look at it and smile... I have decided to leave it there as a reminder that I will not be beaten!
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    Stop buying it! If it's not there you won't drink it. If you are out to dinner, order ice tea!
    ^^^^^
    THIS
    Stop cold turkey for just 12 months, then re-evaluate the situation.
    Good Luck!
  • RunningDirty
    RunningDirty Posts: 293
    Just keep losing body fat and suddenly you'll become a very cheap date. You may even acquire the rare talent of determining your body fat percentage based on the total ounces of vino you must consume in order to at least get a nice buzz going. :bigsmile:
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Like others said, just stop. You'll find that you really didn't need it and it was a waste of time and money.

    I used to think that when people told me, if you can stop anytime, then stop, and I'd think, I can, I just don't want to. That really wasn't true. Stopping was very difficult. I would say it was harder than stopping smoking. This means there's some attachment there, maybe addiction. Now, that I'm clean, I had a few drinks Christmas Eve, after being sober 6 months, and hated the way I felt. Now, I really just don't care for alcohol and can't believe how I used to drink.

    I'm not here to tell anyone what to do, but seriously, if you think you can't stop, even for a few weeks, you do have a problem.
  • Sweet_Pandora
    Sweet_Pandora Posts: 459 Member
    I enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner. I have cut it out to weekends only.

    Karen
  • Erica_theRedhead
    Erica_theRedhead Posts: 724 Member
    I'm the same way. I LOVE my wine. And it only got worse after a trip to France in September where we were drinking probably 1-2 bottles/day. Since I've been home, I've added wine to my nightly routine, and I did develop a nice little wine belly. In the past month, I still allow myself to have it about 4 nights per week, but I only drink it out of exercise calories. I actually made a sign to remind me (5 miles= 1 bottle of wine) and work from that equation on how to moderate my intake. Best of luck!
  • annie7hudds
    annie7hudds Posts: 199 Member
    Suggestions:
    Spend twice as much per bottle by buying better wine and then drink half as much.

    Enjoy wine as a treat rather than as a part of a daily routine.

    Volunteer to drive when you go out (and don't drink of course!).

    Set aside some "dry" days in your week. (Go for a walk instead?)

    This .

    I only buy nice wine now - and appreciate the taste. I could happily drink every night, but i feel better in myself if I limit it to one or at most two per week.

    In lieu of wine I sometimes have a nice wineglass full of diet tonic or dry ginger. It feels like am having a 'proper' drink as it is in a posh glass.
  • annie7hudds
    annie7hudds Posts: 199 Member
    Oh, and calorie wise -- I try to imagine a glass full of pasta.

    You wouldn't eat dinner and then go out for more pasta would you? That idea helps me anyway.
  • resamarieh
    resamarieh Posts: 16
    I also love wine. Just because you have some every night does necessarily make you an alcoholic. Of course, if it's affecting other things in life...then maybe worry. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with it!

    The calorie bit though...ugh yeah. I like everyone's idea of putting some kind of diet soda with it. That way you still get the taste of it, but aren't hating on all the calories the next morning lol.

    Also, I hope your husband finds a job soon! What a stressful time!
  • hollyNhollywood
    hollyNhollywood Posts: 426 Member
    I love wine too.
    I don't have it daily but when I do have it, I fit it in (except for the sugars usually)
    And I only have a 6 oz. glass.

    Oh and log it in ahead of time, plan your day out and make sure you have room for it. Only using your exercise calories, as others have said, is a great idea.

    Moderation is key!
  • astrylian
    astrylian Posts: 194 Member
    "Drunkorexia".

    Wow, I do that a lot but never thought about it in those terms.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
    A little wine is good for you. Actually I have heard a good red wine everyday is great for your heart. That being said, if you feel the need to learn how to 'quit' drinking wine like you would quit smoking cigarettes you may want to speak to a professional about that.
  • joanneaugust
    joanneaugust Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks for all the positive replies but never realized people were so mean and negative on this web site! Will make sure I never post again to avoid all the haters! Joanne
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    COLD TURKEY!!!!

    I quit booze over 15 years ago. (Maybe 1 -2 glasses of wine and 1 - 2 beers per year on special occasions since I "quit")

    I also quit sugar loaded soft drinks a little less than 2 years ago. Like the booze, small exceptions from time to time.

    I dropped both cold turkey. As a point of interest, quitting Coke was harder than quitting alcohol. I literally had the shakes on and off for about a week when I gave up Coca~Cola.

    Now my main beverages are water (lots & lots), coffee (usually mornings only), tea (Chai & green), fruit juices & plain soda water.
  • kuntry_navy
    kuntry_navy Posts: 677 Member
    i was always more of a whiskey drinker. but, i just go to the gym bright and early. keeps me from drinking all night knowing i gotta hit it hard in the morning. hungover deadlifts ain't fun at 430
  • vfnmoody
    vfnmoody Posts: 271 Member
    Start by logging every sip you drink. If you are okay with the calories then you can look at the frequency of consumption.
    The hardest part is actually keeping accurate track of what you consume. We tend not to notice how much we consume of the things we like the most hence the weight increase.
    AA is not for everyone but if you are using a physically addictive substance every night you will be addicted. That will make weight loss a little harder but still possible.
  • GdeVries
    GdeVries Posts: 232 Member
    Seriously, why all the hateful comments? The lady asked a question, you don't HAVE to answer. And being nice is always the way to go!

    The bummer about wine (and all alcohol ) is all the darn empty calories. Yes, it's tasty. Yes, you look so hot after having a couple of glasses. And everybody else looks amazing, too.... :) But there are still all those empty calories. I'd have to agree with a number of previous posters:

    1) try to limit the number of days you drink. The bonus to this, is the alcohol effects you more as you become less used to it. :)
    2) work it into your food diary ahead of time, so you know how many calories you intend to put away. It may surprise you so much that you drink less.
    3) mix with soda

    good luck to you!
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    they actually coined a term for this called drunkorexia (saving cals for alcohol), and at some point I am sure the advising doctors on the DSM will include it!

    she wants advice on how to cut down, if she can't just cut it out...there is a problem, and potentially addiction. don't be so shocked!

    This is just making assumptions and being ridiculous. I too enjoy wine and don't want to give it up, but I'm not an alcoholic. It's simply that, something I enjoy and don't want to give up. I'm guessing you don't drink and so it's easy for you to just make a blind judgement.
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    The AA comments are not funny, there is a big difference between an enjoyable habit that one does not want to give up and an actual addiction.

    This, thank you.
  • joanneaugust
    joanneaugust Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks Butterfli!
    People sure get excited on this website!
  • Chikipiwi
    Chikipiwi Posts: 117 Member
    Stop buying it! If it's not there you won't drink it. If you are out to dinner, order ice tea!

    ^ This - It has help me with my chips addiction

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