I am very committed to the diet, but I love to drink :(

RAmberge

Im so frustrated.. I worked my butt of all week to diet and I had a few beers with friends and counting calories is new to me. This means getting a buzz I enjoy, and its not like I work tomorrow.. but what man dosent enjoy a good 7-9 beers on the weekend. Your telling me that is 3 days worth of calories? Now I know where "beer belly" comes from. Im willing to drink gross juicer green vita drinks, diet means and replacement shakes.. but in 4 hours I just consumed almost half a weeks worth of calories?? It's never enough... I quit smoking, I quit fast food, I spend hundreds of dollars on vitimans, suppliments and healthy foods.. but I love to drink. I cant give it ALL up. Im feeling very, very challenged and it's not fun anymore. Hoping my friends will help me thru it all.

trudijoy

i drink, but not that much - that's a choice though, god knows in my younger days i could put it away with the best of them. I'm incapable of a hangover lol.

I find having wine then water, switching to spirits with low or zero cal mixers, or choosing light or low carb beers totally help.

You can also do excercise and earn calories to spend on beer. this won't help you lose, but will stop you gaining. eat low calorie filling food as well, and you should be okay. 9 beers is about 1000 calories, i think. for me that's just over half my daily intake, so if it were me i'd be on salads and things during the day if i knew i was going to be drinking that much at night

JeneticTraining

9 beers is around 1000 calories give or take. That's half a days worth of calories. It's okay to indulge once in awhile. In fact, I reccommend it. You don't need to consume gross foods or spend hundreds on vitamins/supplements. Vitamins come naturally in nutrient dense foods - vegetables. You just have to finds ways to substitute foods you love. For example, making a pizza using a pita pit, veggies, and some chicken.

Cr01502

I drink on the weekends.

Try lower calorie options to beers. I like beer so I usually have a couple of beers at the beginning of the night then switch to diet and vodka.

jjrichard83

Some people like drinking to the point of being drunk or buzzed. If that is you, then avoid carbs on your "drinking days". Avoid any grains, starchy foods, etc. Just eat veggies & some protein. This will help you feel the buzz quicker, and possibly you'll need to drink less to get the same results. It'll save you some coin too!

sandradev1

I drink mostly on weekends. I put the alcohol I know I'm likely to have in my diary earlier in the day and just try to eat as best I can to keep my numbers within target if possible.

d3va

Yep, i know the feeling. I live in what can be consider Beer City: Milwaukee. I have a microbrewery down the street and taverns on every corner. We are know for binge drinkers and drunk driving, etc.

Drinking is the norm here - but yes - ever since starting my most recent weight loss program - my bartenders miss me.

I do try to stick to rum and diet cola.

But I also had a funeral last week and drank so much I didn't log cause I didn't keep track of all my drinks.

I agre with an earlier post, its ok once in a while - but now it's good that you understand where hidden calories are in non-food things we put in our bodies.

MizTerry

And the problem is...what?
I understand, I quit smoking January of 2012 so my vice is having wine or a shot of vodka. If I can fit it in my diary, I don't much worry about it.
Each body is different. If you're worried about it, put them down for about three weeks and see what happens.

Warchortle

Question
1) Why do you like drinking?
2) Are you really that committed?
3) Why do you need to drink 8-9 beers?
4) Is 6 extra beers on a weekend worth more than your goals?

I'm pretty sure if you really wanted to you could work around it. Guinness is one of the lowest calorie beers and is served most places and doesn't taste like piss light beer.

Do you like the taste or enjoy getting messed up? Getting to the root of why you can't give something or in moderation is more valuable than complaining how it doesn't fit your macros.

megsmom2

"What man doesn't enjoy 7 to 9 beers"....? Uh...lots of people. Don't get me wrong..I enjoy a cocktail now and then or a glass of wine occasionally. I drink...but don't need to drink to enjoy myself or relax. If you feel like you must drink to have fun, I would at least consider the idea that it might be the beginnings of a problem. How about one or two beers...or sometimes none...and doing something different with that leisure time?

ecw3780

If you are replacing food calories with alcohol calories you could be headed down the road to some disordered eating. Drunkorexia...it's a thing. You can also lose weight by not eating if you are drinking, but I wouldn't recommend it. Try finding the root of your drinking problem before you focus on dieting...because 7-9 beers is a drinking problem.

kelly_e_montana

I do too. I am an every other weekend binge drinker. I talked to an addictions counselor about it and honestly he said, "Do you spend money you don't have?" Answer: No. "Do you fight with friends or family?" Answer: No. "Do you drive while you're drinking?" Answer: No. "Does it impact your work?" Answer: No. "Do you have any health problems associated with your drinking?" Answer: No. He said, "Well, I wouldn't put it at the top of your list of things to worry about."

Honestly, however people are gonna hate on this, I just don't eat dinner the night I drink. That means I get drunk fast, drink less, and go home earlier with less chance of a hangover. Plus, I don't have the dinner calories. I refuse to feel bad about it if I've actually gone through an assessment and have been told not to feel bad.