Any weight loss from those who stopped drinking alcohol

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  • _db_
    _db_ Posts: 179 Member
    When I started MFP, I was having 3-5 beers a night during the week, and 4-7 a night at the weekend. I quickly noticed that the extra calories from beer was going to make it nearly impossible to lose any weight, so I cut back to 1-3 a day. I'm pretty happy with my rate of weight loss, and quite sure I might not be losing any if I continued to have the extra 400-500 calories a day from the extra beers...that's a pound a week. Oh, I'm also a drunk muncher, so in addition to the alcohol calories, I'd often stop for some crappy fast food on the way home and that was probably another 1500+ calories a week.

    It wasn't too difficult to lose weight after I cut out ~5000 calories a week in beer and beer-induced-munchies.
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    When I started MFP, I was having 3-5 beers a night during the week, and 4-7 a night at the weekend. I quickly noticed that the extra calories from beer was going to make it nearly impossible to lose any weight, so I cut back to 1-3 a day. I'm pretty happy with my rate of weight loss, and quite sure I might not be losing any if I continued to have the extra 400-500 calories a day from the extra beers...that's a pound a week. Oh, I'm also a drunk muncher, so in addition to the alcohol calories, I'd often stop for some crappy fast food on the way home and that was probably another 1500+ calories a week.

    It wasn't too difficult to lose weight after I cut out ~5000 calories a week in beer and beer-induced-munchies.

    Sounds like me exactly (except for the munchies). I think for dudes who drink a fair bit of beer, especially more calorific beer, just reducing consumption can result in pretty quick losses.
  • tommyn1
    tommyn1 Posts: 1 Member
    Twice a year I give up drinking for two months and lose about 1 kilogram per week. If you stop drinking and do not replace those missing calories with calories from extra food (i.e. if you are on a diet that excludes alcohol), you lose weight. Fact. The effect will be accelerated if you take exercise. The only downside is hunger. (I just dealt with that by eating a bacon sandwich.)
  • itsjustmish
    itsjustmish Posts: 107 Member
    I find that for me personally, my body really does not react well to alcohol in terms of weight loss (or even maintenance). Even if I account for it in my calorie allowance I do still tend to find that if I drink regularly then I gain weight and feel more out of shape generally. If I stop drinking & eat those calories instead then I find my body tends to respond much better. It's a bit strange, and obviously everyone is different, but for me regular alcohol intake is definitely detrimental. I do still have the odd drink here and there, but that's usually one or two drinks every couple of months these days!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    I on average drink alcohol once a month. And yes, it was a lifestyle change which had a significant effect on my weight loss (reduction in about 4,000 calories monthly) and my ability to maintain my weight.
  • VJ97
    VJ97 Posts: 37 Member
    stop drinking . . . :noway:

    find a way to fit it into your daily/weekly intake or bust your *kitten* at the gym to earn it.



    Absolutly!!! Everything in moderation I log log every pesky alcohol laden calorie and do ok :drinker:
  • lenazwinter
    lenazwinter Posts: 1
    For the past year I have consumed about 3-4 glasses of red wine per night (about 5x a week). I eat more healthfully now than at any other time in my life, though my exercise has been almost nil.

    I stopped drinking wine last Monday - with a one glass exception - and less than a week later I have lost six pounds. Nothing else has changed; not my eating habits, exercise - nothing. Too much of a coincidence. I know that red wine averages about 160-190 calories per *glass* and if you multiply that times 4 - my god!
  • toronto_j
    toronto_j Posts: 206 Member
    I was never a big drinker but I like to enjoy 2-3 drinks/night if I go out on a weekend so I build my day's consumption with that in mind, and log my beverages the best I can. I also think about what I can order that will bring the calories down. For me, the biggest downfall for alcohol is that my willpower around food just dies, so I'll eat whatever's in front of me (like pigging out on party hors d'oeuvres) or hit McDonald's if I'm coming home from a bar.

    I think having 3-4 drinks a night is concerning for other reasons besides weight gain. I would pass out from that, no joke.
  • scyian
    scyian Posts: 243 Member
    I have cut out alcohol and I think it has helped me lose weight. I think the best benefits is how I feel. I use to sleep so badly and now I sleep fine.
  • delo100
    delo100 Posts: 1
    I just quit cold turkey, both because I was gaining weight and I was increasing the amount I was drinking little by little, which could be a warning sign of a problem. I'm so in hopes it will help me with losing. Reading all of the posts, it appears to be a mixed bag. I was so in hopes when I searched for this subject, that the answer would be a resounding YES!! You will lose tons of weight! haha
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
    Alcohol stalls me. I stopped drinking at home (no night on the couch with a glass of wine/beer...or two) anymore. Only if we go out to Happy Hour once a month or a concert or some random occasion. My lower tolerance saves me some $$ now too, ha!
  • lizzybathory
    lizzybathory Posts: 229
    I don't have a success story yet, but I have just recently started tracking - and looking back over the past week, I've consumed an entire 2,420 calories of alcohol in the past week. And that's with me trying to be conscious of what I'm putting in my body, and limiting it to one or two a day. Yikes - it's hard to believe I WOULDN'T lose weight quickly if I just cut that out.

    Talk about a wake-up call.

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