Alcohol - your opinions

spitzj

My experience is that if I log it I can make it work into my diet. I wasn't going to give up beer and an occasional dram of a good single malt. It does make it much harder to stay within the goal which usually results in me 'buying' calories on the treadmill in advance of anticipated drinking. I think the key is to honestly record it (and everything else).

sgrubby

I no longer use mixers. Instead of lots of cheap mixed drinks, I now slowly sip premium spirits on ice. Quality over quantity. No hangovers and it's easier to pace yourself. There's approximately 70 calories per ounce in whiskey, rum, vodka, gin and Tequila. Drink the good stuff and look at it as a special treat.

emtjmac

Alcoholic beverages can have a lot of calories. Just gotta be aware of that.

TheStephil

I suggest only weighing in on Fridays (or whatever your weekly weigh in is) and not weighing in on a Monday after drinking. You are most likely going to be bloated from the weekend and seeing that on the scale can only hurt your motivation.

I'm not a huge alcohol drinker but occasionally I like to drink or eat a bit higher on the weekend. I plan my week's calories around this. If I know I'm going to drink 300 calories in alcohol on Saturday (or whatever your average is) then I try to lower my calories a bit over the week. While large amounts of alcohol can be unhealthy, moderate drinking won't destroy your weight loss goals as long as you work your calories around it.

lassapoo246

Alcohol definitely adds calories to your diet in the bad form of unnutritious sugar. Try changing to healthy red wine and treat it as a weekend treat but limit it to no more than 2, 4 oz. glasses/day as each glass is an extra 100 calories added to your daily intake. Perhaps try to exercise so you can afford your little luxury.
Sip it slowly! DB

awake4777

Alcohol is not only a diet killer, it is a life killer. So much better not to have to think about it. Nothing good comes from alcohol consumption. Even though I've never had a DUI, or been to rehab, I feel fortunate to have been able to eliminate it from my life completely (8 years ago). Then I got addicted to oxycodone, due to a back injury and then was able to kick it. Maybe I have an addictive personality. I workout when I am stressed.

KathleenC12

You don't say how much you are drinking, but if you're consuming hundreds of calories more, yes, it will show and set you back. I haven't read every comment, but think you already know "the answer". I cut back and the first 2-3 weeks were less than fun but now it's OK.

Check out the alcohol consumption guidelines for your country. Not much until one is in the unhealthy consumption category- and sorry, we don't get to abstain and binge and have it average out.

jakescastle88

The most important part about dieting for me is that it needs to be applicable to real life. Alcohol is bad for you... I don't think there is anyone who knows what they are talking about who would argue otherwise. For me, alcoholism in college is one of the things that led to me gaining a whole lot of weight in the first place and and was one of the things I had to tone back quite a bit to begin dieting. But honestly, what are you gonna do, be a hermit and stay in on Friday nights when your favorite band is playing downtown because you're afraid that you're going to drink too much? Of course not... If you drink, you should plan ahead.

If I drink Alcohol, I log it, and understand the effects of what I've done to myself. In fact, I usually log beers ahead of time, in anticipation of how much I think I am going to drink that night, knowing that I will possibly go over. That way I don't have to whip out my mobile app at the bar and log stuff in front of people. I keep a number in my head of how many beers I'm going to drink (I tend to stay away from the hard stuff because it makes my self control dissipate) and I try to stick to that. One thing to be careful of... Most alcohol on the MFP database is user added, and only the calories are there. It doesn't take into account sugars and carbohydrates, make sure you look at the nutritional information before you add it to your diary.

Alcohol is obviously served a bunch of different ways, with varying nutritional values. If you're going to drink liquor, you shouldn't drink it with pop. Try vodka and soda with Lime juice or something. It doesn't taste the same but you aren't drinking extra calories along with it. You also wont be so hungover in the morning.

If you are drinking beer, stick to light beer. If you are planning on going out and having an average evening (for me that would be like 4-5 beers over several hours), you can usually get an "extra beer" for the calories if you are drinking light beer as opposed to full calorie. For those of you who count carbs, I know my last statement isn't true at all. I feel like a weenie ordering a Coors light (since I probably should just be adding it to my cups of water/day count ), but I feel better about it in the morning.

One last thing... Dieting in general requires a lot of self control. One thing I have found since I've decided to change my ways is sometimes I have a lot more fun If I'm not absolutely hammered, and girl's attitudes have definitely changed a little towards me when I'm not rambling about useless BS because I'm drunk and its the first thing that comes to mind. You don't have to drink to have a good time, and other people notice and tend to be respectful about your decisions.

jakescastle88

i will have 2 5oz glasses of red wine. I alot for that and will exercise just to have them. I would rather have my wine than sweets!

Me too! Wine is one of life's great pleasures. However I have learnt to appreciate it just one glass 1 or 2 times a week and always make sure I have calories remaining to allow it.

In moderation, A glass of certain types of red wine per day has shown in a study conducted by Anthropic-Scientists from the Blue Zones project that In conjunction with a natural diet, a glass of red wine per day (not 2 or 3) can actually have health benefits and can lead to longer life expectancy. Google "Blue Zones" if you're skeptical.

WildcatMom82

These days I log what I drink, once in awhile it'll be a couple glasses of wine or vodka with diet soda. In college we must have gone out 2-3 nights every week, lots of binge drinking, then lots of pizza. I still somehow managed to lose 75 lbs, though over a few years. It probably would have been faster without all that. It boggles my mind how it was possible to lose anything that way, I certainly wouldn't be able to nowadays!

GamerLady

Alcohol combined with it making me non stop hungry while drinking, is why I gained the weight I had to lose to begin with. I'd never drank much before but once our friends started coming over more years ago, that's all they wanted to do was drink, hang out at our house gaming. So I got in the habit of drinking with them, 1 year later, I had gained like 38 lbs. I'd not been that big since I had our son. I decided I did not like the way I looked and was disgusted I had let myself gain that weight just hanging out with friends. Quit drinking completely and our friends moved away, we see them maybe once a year now. Apparently, we were only cool while we were drinking with them I guess. I could care less though, and there's no way I'd ever do that to my body again.

To me it's not worth gaining weight just to get drunk. I just will not ever do it again. I'd rather be healthy and live longer.
I wouldn't tell someone to drink or not drink, if you're an adult, you choose for yourself. No one can tell you what you should do with your body, you already know it.

emsoquena

I want to know more about this. Because I've started working out and dieting just more than a month ago, and since then I haven't had alcohol. Well, I had one bottle of ready-to-drink cocktails two weeks ago but that's it.

And that's kinda my problem since it's summer here and I'm expecting a lot of beach trips and summer parties. I don't want to be a party pooper but then again, I don't wanna screw up my diet. I want to know how much alcohol would be okay.

holothuroidea

It's fine if you can do it in moderation, like no more than 4 drinks per week. You won't gain fat from it if you keep it within your calorie goals (although it will make you retain water, which will show up on the scale).

However, if you drink more than that and still keep it within your calorie goals, I'd worry about not getting enough nutrition. Alcohol is one of those empty calorie treat deals, and in my experience it's good to keep your intake of them to less than 20% of your calories.

emsoquena

It's fine if you can do it in moderation, like no more than 4 drinks per week. You won't gain fat from it if you keep it within your calorie goals (although it will make you retain water, which will show up on the scale).

However, if you drink more than that and still keep it within your calorie goals, I'd worry about not getting enough nutrition. Alcohol is one of those empty calorie treat deals, and in my experience it's good to keep your intake of them to less than 20% of your calories.

Well, that's a relief. I think I'll only drink twice a month. I will try to exercise as much control as I can. Thanks so much!

ginaxxxxx

For me it's a few glasses of chilled white wine at the end of the week, but it does make me eat more crisps..
but I hope I can adjust the calories intake the next day to compensate..
I think it's better to have one treat than to be depriving myself...

dcampus

Thank you all so much for this - I think the most worrying thing is how much I drink compared to these suggestions. I live in London and as a young professional, within my network there is a big drinking/socialising culture. The rest of April is going to be alcohol-free for me and I will see how I get on. Thanks again and any more comments welcome.

rebecca8787

What do you drink on a typical night out?

When I was skinny a few years ago I stopped drinking on a night out and only had like, white wine every once in a while if i did fancy a drink.

I LOVE cocktails, and I love lager/cider, but i'm having to cut those out. I dont go out that often, maybe once a month but when I do, I usually binge and I have no idea how many calories ive been throwing into myself in the form of blue, fizzy, cocktails.. lol

I heard red wine is ok to drink in moderation, and I'd say spirit-wise, you can go for a few vodka/soda/limes.

I think the 2lbs thing might be due to bloating and water retention cos both of those are a result of alcohol, even if you havent gone over your calorie allowence.

baptiste565

just drink spirits with calorie free mixer. very thermogenic

RenCara

I just include it in my calorie count for the day. I am sure I would see more progress if I didn't have that glass of wine nightly but it's not worth the trade off for me.

rachelklewis3

I like to have a wine with dinner- not every night but a couple times a week. I have had no problem fitting that into my calorie goal. In my opinion, if you account for it and you drink in moderation it's not a problem. I'm fairly new at this but it hasn't affected my progress thus far. My tip would be if you are going to drink switch to something lower calorie. I'm also for only weighing in once a week as others have mentioned.

kimad

Realistically you aren't putting on 2lbs of fat, the alcohol is making you retain water... load up on your water, and you will have a lose by Friday..just my two cents.

I love beer, it may be my favorite thing in life -- actually no, that's cupcakes - so I won't give it up.
Maybe find a lower cal beer or alcohol if you don't want to give it up?

simpsona5

I'm glad it's not just me that doeas this. Its not so much the drink but the bad food that tends to go with it. I have learnt not to worry so much as by the Tuesday I'm back down to the pre-weekend weight and then make further weight loss before the next weekend.

So long as I keep heading in the right direction I'm Happy to blow a bit at the weekend.

mistesh

I don't log alcohol, but probably would if my habit was to drink beer or add stuff like tonic water and orange juice. A shot of straight alcohol, no added sugar although made from fermented sugars, is about one hundred calories, and I almost never have more than two shots in a day, with almost none of it before dinner. As for water intake, one glass before each of the three daily meals and one glass for every shot of alcohol. Also, sometimes a cup of peppermint tea at the end of the day to soothe the gallbladder during sleep. I'm presently at three pounds below my ideal weight.

yourstylistami

Alcohol does not turn to fat. It can not be stored by the body. Your body spends all of its energy trying to get rid of alcohol after you drink and therefore can not burn fat while doing so. Alcohol itself is rarely the problem (this is why you see skinny alcoholics. However alcohol increases appetite in many people, either the day of or day after drinking. Also, alcohol is often mixed with soda or juice which adds empty calories. Therefore it is not the alcohol itself, but the added food/mixer calories that truly cause the problem.

likeschocolate

I am currently stuck in a dieting vicious circle.... Every weekend I am virtuous with logging and calorie consumption, and if I weigh on a Friday morning I can easily shift 1-2lbs without a problem. However, at the weekends I tend to be more lax with my logging, especially when it comes to alcohol and sure enough, I have usually put on 2lbs by Monday morning.

Not only is this annoying, I cant imagine its very healthy and I wanted to hear your thoughts on alcohol and how damaging it can be to a good diet? ...

Sounds like you already have your answer

I would avoid it.

error_number_404

not much of a prob for me. i do shots of straight liquor or put it in diet soda and count it as dinner instead of having a meal. im a lightweight so it only adds up to about 300 calories by the time im wasted lol.

anaduffy

I live in a big drinking town and when I go out I do drink more than I should but what I do is I work out extra before I go out and I try to dance to at least three songs between each drink if I can. but if that doesn't work try drinking tons of water and do extra workouts the next day no matter how hung over you are

spamantha57

I had about 8-10 shots of vodka late last night. How I'm feeling right now is reason enough for me to know I don't want to do this all the time.

I'm normally really good 95% of the time, so when I have a day like this I don't beat myself up over it. And like I said, I don't feel fabulous today like I have the past week, and I want to feel fabulous.

I do drink wine though, about 1-2 glasses maybe 3 times a week. I'm perfectly content with that level of consumption. Red wine is good for you anyway in moderation.

Kst76

I refuse to give up alcohol. There is around 650 - 680 calories in one bottle of wine. If I know I'm going to drink, I just make sure I don't go over my calorie intake for the day. However, to me its not the alcohol that's bad, its the munchies that goes along with the wine.

hockey247

This is such a hot topic with me and my friends right now. We all work stressful jobs where happy hours and drinking is not frowned upon but almost expected and all of us drink moderately and in the past-- extreme. I am happy to say that I no longer abuse alcohol to help with stress, I stopped drinking beer during the week last year and lost NOTHING. My other friend used to drink an entire bottle of wine a night and she stopped and lost nothing as well.

However it brings up interesting points. If one was to give up soda, they would lose weight. Someone mentioned that the calories from a night out of drinking would be like eating cookies and I agree but my body doesn't. If I EVER ate the caloric equivalent in cookies to the calories consumed from some of the beer I drink-- I would gain immediately.

So, I don't believe its a diet killer unless the behavior leads you to make poor food decisions or feel so horrible the next day that you completely mess up the nice rhythm you had going on before the splurge.

Also, once I was doing an extreme diet and was struggling with the last 5 lbs. I added 4 oz of red wine at night and I hit my goal.

Either way, I personally want to begin to eliminate alcohol. I feel better without it but I can't say I am going to stop.