Wine substitute

TonyG111160

I enjoy my wine - however it is my downfall!
I know I will never lose weight untill I can drink much less.

I enjoy a glass or two with my evening meal most days.

My problem is I dont know what to replace it with, I find water to be totally boring and tasteless, I hate cola and other fizzy drinks, even one cal or zero options are just too sweet.

Does anyone have any suggestions how I can replace the wine in my diet with something more sensible and healthy.

Cheers!

mazdauk

How about decanting into those little bottles that hold about 1/4 of a big one and only drinking that? (I totaly agree there is no real "substitute"). Bavaria alcohol free lager are very nice -they taste like alcohol! - and are bout 15 calories less per 330 bottle than a 125ml glass of wine. But because you get much more, you only have one, then dinner's over so no need for more!

Vailara

I used to often have a glass of wine in the evenings. I'm not a fan of any of the drinks you mention either! However, I've found that hot skimmed milk, low-cal instant hot chocolate or decaffienated tea/coffee give me something to sip instead. I still occasionally have wine, but not nearly so often as I used to. I didn't drink a lot of it, so it wasn't so much the wine that was the problem as the fact that it gave me an appetite! I find that the other drinks I mentioned don't make me feel peckish in the way that wine does.

I don't suppose those drinks would go so well with a meal though.

Good luck on cutting down!

windyskyborn

San Pelligrino with a splash of cranberry juice!:flowerforyou:

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

If you can keep your consumption to one or even two glasses every couple of days, why not find a place in your diet to cut the calories? I can't see your diary to make suggestions on what you could cut, but if you're getting a substantial number of calories from carbs, cutting a piece of bread a day (presuming you get your fiber, and the nutrients you would get from the foods) would allow for the wine. Ditto a piece of cheese, or two small pieces of candy, or any number of things. And if you don't want to cut any of those things out, you can always slightly lower the portions. (take an ounce out of your meat portion, cut pasta by a half ounce dry measure.......)

Cutting back on something you love, rather than eliminating it, is just as important to success as cutting calories. You have to do something sustainable.

I'm a beer and wine and whisky drinker. I know I will always be a beer and wine and whisky drinker, so rather than making it my downfall, I've worked to incorporate it in moderation.

Gail3260

I know exactly what you mean as I was where you are now when I started this. If you had told me 18 months ago that I wouldn't miss my wine I'd had said you were bonkers. I can honestly say that I don't.

I now know that I was drinking most of it out of pure habit. A nice glass or two of wine was what we had with a nice plate of food. I don't like water either but I started by replacing wine during the week with sparkling water.....IN A WINE GLASS! It sounds daft but it worked because I liked the way the glass felt in my hand. Now I only drink wine at weekends.

I drink San Pellegrino or Badoit, neither of which is cheap but they are less gassy than the usual carbonated stuff. If you can't face the idea of plain water try sparkling with a dash of something. There's a nice ginger and lemongrass cordial made by Bottlegreen and you can get it from Tesco.

Good luck!

gottolosethisfat

I enjoy my wine - however it is my downfall!
I know I will never lose weight untill I can drink much less.

I enjoy a glass or two with my evening meal most days.

My problem is I dont know what to replace it with, I find water to be totally boring and tasteless, I hate cola and other fizzy drinks, even one cal or zero options are just too sweet.

Does anyone have any suggestions how I can replace the wine in my diet with something more sensible and healthy.

Cheers!

I would try having one glass and cutting other things out of your diet for it. Or try a long drink like a spirit which has less calories. I love wine and beer and its the worse but I swapped to vodka and it cut the calories!

vikkistarr89

Vodka and Cranberry Juice!

neanderthin

If you leave wine out, it will be one of the factors that sabotage your long term goals like most diets that deprive people of what they like. If possible enjoy a glass of wine, just understand there are limits to consumption just like everything else.

mmapags

If you leave wine out, it will be one of the factors that sabotage your long term goals like most diets that deprive people of what they like. If possible enjoy a glass of wine, just understand there are limits to consumption just like everything else.

^^This. I enjoy a glass or 2 most days with dinner. I plan it in and it has very little affect.
Un giorno senza il vino è come un giorno senza il sole. - Italian Proverb

(A day without wine is like a day without sunshine.)

geralynhoerauf

For the month of January 2013 I wanted to eliminate all adult beverages just to start off my weight loss attempt. I was easily drinking 3-4 glasses of wine a night, or the same in shots-and-beers. I was also just drinking out of boredom and we've never been into diet sodas.

I substituted 1-1/2 teaspoons of unfiltered apple cider vinegar in 8 oz of lemon-lime seltzer water and drank one before dinner and then another with dinner. After the first month I found that I didn't miss the alcohol as much as I thought and I have continued to use the vinegar drink as a pre-dinner cocktail. I also discovered that we had been drinking some pretty marginal wines (buying the sale bottles in quantity), so I've switched to more expensive labels and limit myself to one glass a night and only on days that I work out.

Sabine_Stroehm

Vodka and Cranberry Juice!

More calories, and way more sugar. How's this better?

Sabine_Stroehm

If you leave wine out, it will be one of the factors that sabotage your long term goals like most diets that deprive people of what they like. If possible enjoy a glass of wine, just understand there are limits to consumption just like everything else.

^^This. I enjoy a glass or 2 most days with dinner. I plan it in and it has very little affect.
Un giorno senza il vino è come un giorno senza il sole. - Italian Proverb

(A day without wine is like a day without sunshine.)

+1. I have wine with dinner most days. And did while I was losing weight. Just make sure it's 1-2, not a bottle. Decanting a specific amount helps.

now_or_never13

I drink lower calorie versions of wine now for the most part.

Skinny Grape and Skinny Girl are both pretty good options. They are only 80-85 calories per serving. About 400 calories for the whole bottle.

SwimFan1981

Red wine is good for you :bigsmile:

meaningful99

I agree with Gail. Save the wine for the weekends, and during the week have sparkling water. It's yummy and adult-tasting because it's not sweet.

SwimFan1981

I drink lower calorie versions of wine now for the most part.

Skinny Grape and Skinny Girl are both pretty good options. They are only 80-85 calories per serving. About 400 calories for the whole bottle.

How does it taste?

SteveJWatson

Brandy? Thats like distilled wine, I guess...

Seajolly

Have some kombucha! Pour it in a wine glass even, if you like. Kombucha gives me a little buzz like wine but doesn't have the alcohol and it's great for you!

K_Serz

If you leave wine out, it will be one of the factors that sabotage your long term goals like most diets that deprive people of what they like. If possible enjoy a glass of wine, just understand there are limits to consumption just like everything else.

^^This. I enjoy a glass or 2 most days with dinner. I plan it in and it has very little affect.
Un giorno senza il vino è come un giorno senza il sole. - Italian Proverb

(A day without wine is like a day without sunshine.)

I agree here. Heres a suggestion. Bookmark this post. Come back in a week or two and re-read your original question. I hope you would find it as silly as I do.

Wine is already a good drink compared to the thousands of other choices of drinks you could make. If you like it as much as you say (which sounds like me too) removing it completely will drive you crazy. Have your wine, but cut back a little bit.

You can also use http://www.getdrunknotfat.com to look up some "healthier" alternatives to the ones you are drinking. The red, drier wines tend to have better benefits than the sweeter rose/white wines.

Lucky for me the redder and the drier the better!

FatDadSlim

I would find an exercise i enjoy doing, then prohibit my wine intake unless i burned sufficient calories prior to consumption. No need to cut it out if that's what you really enjoy and only want to lose weight then this is my advise.

If you want to get healthy as well then I would maybe cut back to a bottle a weekend (or a 250ml glass every other day depending on your preference) still making sure it fits in my daily calorie allowance

Unknown

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MinMin97

Kombucha is excellent as a wine substitute. Also hits the spot for a soda craving. I have read, and have been told by others, that kombucha actually helps someone who drinks more than they should (they think) or are acually alcoholic.

Rachshuv

1 shot of vodka, sparkly water and a squeeze of fresh lime in a large wine glass.
I agree with the rest, done cut it out completely but 1 glass a day, down to every other day, down to just on weekends will do you well. Good luck!
X

IbiH

If it's red wine the only plausable combination is La Casera and make it into a Tinto Verano. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Casera. Otherwise add soda water to white or rose wine.
I'll never give up my wine, I count it in with my allowance.

now_or_never13

I drink lower calorie versions of wine now for the most part.

Skinny Grape and Skinny Girl are both pretty good options. They are only 80-85 calories per serving. About 400 calories for the whole bottle.

How does it taste?

I find them both really good. I prefer Skinny Grape over Skinny Girl however both are really good.

For the OP, I forgot to mention... you could also make a wine spritzer to lower the amount of wine you are drinking without realizing it. Have half a glass of wine with half a glass of sparkling water.

Vailara

If you leave wine out, it will be one of the factors that sabotage your long term goals like most diets that deprive people of what they like. If possible enjoy a glass of wine, just understand there are limits to consumption just like everything else.

I know why you're saying that, and I kind of agree, but .... personally, I've stuck much longer with this diet when I've cut the wine-drinking right down, compared to previous times when I've kept drinking a glass or two most days. I know for a fact that drinking wine increases my appetite, and I've talked to other people who've found the same thing (and I've read about a study which found the same thing!). It makes dieting harder, basically.

Some people might be absolutely fine just including alcohol in their daily calorie goal. But the OP has identified that it's a problem for him, as it was for me. I've found that now I've largely cut it out, I don't feel the "need" for it any more, and usually don't even think about it. It doesn't feel like I'm depriving myself any more, and I'm able to eat more of other things that I like.

tiny_clanger

Tonic water works for me as a nice substitute, not sweet and very adult-tasting, especially with a small dash of Bitters or a slice. Served in a proper glass with ice, too. But then V&T's are my personal diet downfall!

JustJennie1

Wine substitute? That is blaspheme in the highest form!!

I know what you mean though. My husband and I imbibe nightly however I typically make sure it fits into my calories. If I overindulge (like on the weekends) I don't really worry too much about it.

While it probably is counterproductive to my results I enjoy a glass or two a night and I'm not going to completely cut something out of my diet because then when I add it back in guess what? There goes the results that I worked on so if I can balance it in my menu then I do.