anyone cut out alcohol completely to lose more weight?

eli_802

freshman year of college i stopped drinking 2nd semester (much to the horror of all my friends haha), and lost a bit of weight rather quickly. i definitely think that cutting out alcohol will speed up the process a bit!

missability

I am 50 yrs old....in 2007 at the age of 44, for the first time in my life, I began drinking a particular wine that is very sweet.....(A friend introduced it to me), and it was love at first sip.......

Due to stressful circumstances, virtually non-existent marriage....yadda yadda yadda....a sip turned into 4 ounces, 8 ounces, half the bottle...and on and one....from once or twice a week to almost every night!

Last September I was up over 300 pounds!...Didn't eat much, but from about 7PM on...I more than made up for the food calories with my wine calories.....I stopped....started MFP on January 1, (4 months ago)...I now weigh 231.8......In all fairness, I obviously wasn't exercising when I was drinking and depressed. Now I walk most days, about 2 miles, I do my stationary bike and Resistance bands routine 4 to 6 days a week. and I am eating very healthy, 3 to 4 times a day, nothing after 8 PM but water and green tea.....I cut out sugar substitutes and have had 3 teaspoons of organic raw sugar in 4 months.

Is cutting out the alcohol responsible for my success thus far? Well I would say that giving it up is not the ONLY reason I am doing well, but I am also sure it contributed greatly, and that if I started drinking it again, the weight would find it's way back onto my body.....

I'd just like to throw out there that I do not think I was teetering on becoming an alcoholic....I think it was a sugar addiction, plain and simple.....if there were nights I didn't have any wine in the house, I just grabbed a bag of fun size anything...:) and substituted....having gone though that experience I often wonder if there are really as many alcoholics in this world as we think...OR if they are really just addicted to the sugars/grains in the alcohol? ....hmmmmm

sunshyncatra

I think cutting anything out completely is setting yourself up to fail.

elleloch

Im starting the new Bob Harpers Jump Start to Skinny. This program calls for absolutely no alcohol for the 3 weeks you do this. I enjoy a vodka and Coke Zero a few nights a week... but I am going to see how this will affect my weight loss.... Worth a shot.

Is that the one where he recommends like 800 calories a day for a few weeks? Lol.

supermodelchic

It free's up your liver to do what it needs to do, alcohol will always get processed first., Try no alcohol for 2 weeks and see what results you get!!

shar140

Hi there, I am not losing weight as fast as I would like and I am wondering if I cut out alcohol completely if it will speed things up for me. I usually drink about 3 regular size glasses of wine each evening, and I do make space for those calories in my allotted calories for the day. I just don't even feel really good about it anymore. Just wondering if anyone else has made that sacrifice to not drink, except on a rare occasion, and then found you lost weight at a faster rate? Thanks in advance for your opinions!

Yep! Back on December 4th (I remember, since 2 friends had birthdays that day and I had a couple drinks) that I was going to cut out alcohol completely, for the rest of the month. I was scared, frankly, due to social situations and the holidays, but honestly, after about 1-2 weeks, I didn't want it. I was fine without it, and managed to drop 10lb that month, even with it being the holidays! After being stalled for about 6 months. (I know it wasn't due completely to lack of alcohol, but I know it definitnely helped)

So my question to you then, is what does it hurt to try? What's the worst that will happen...maybe you save a few bucks? Experiment and find what works for you!

I still have a drink sometimes, but I'm limiting it, and going for quality over quantity. (Of course, I know I didn't follow that over the weekend, but it's been since November since I had more than a couple drinks at once.)

Pierced

I have not had any form of alcohol since 2/25/13, my last round of cocktails was Sunday 2/24/13. I remember it well. My friends have enjoyed having a DD though. I had messed around with MFP for about 2 year. Would loose 20 gain back 15. Made some major changes end of February and am down 42 pounds.

BEERRUNNER

Helllll naaaaaahhhhh Playa!!!!! I need my nighttime buzzzz on! Its my way of winding down after a good days work.
This is how I make up for it!

1.) Run an extra Mile at the gym!
2:) Lift HEAVY!
3.) Drink lots of water during the day. Hydrate!
4.) MULTIVITAMIN up!!!!
5.) Alot of Sex! Usually after I get my buzzz on :devil:

Thats how I roll!!!!

Like the awesomely tanned man Im quoting is trying to say....just make a calorie deficit and its gonna be all good!!!!!!!:bigsmile:

nattymommy33

I avoid it as much as possible when trying to lose. Not only does my body retain more water when I drink, I'm using calories for alcohol that could go to foods that will give me real nutrition and I need good foods to be the focus when I'm cutting calories or I feel crappy. And there's the fact that after a drink or two, I'm much more likely to blow off my diet. I try and skip it during the week and only indulge a little on the weekends.

Amyp7777

I've thought about it.

Then I open a bottle of wine and laugh and laugh...

Haha! Yea, it's just not happening for me, either.

lcvaughn520

I could never cut it out completely...say what you will, but I'm in my mid-20's and a big part of my lifestyle entails meeting up with friends for happy hours, dinners, etc. But what I have done is stopped mindlessly drinking at home by myself most nights.

I used to automatically pour a glass of wine when I got back from work, and then inevitably resulted in me drinking more than I should most nights (just like by myself, sitting on the couch). I don't know if/how cutting back has helped - usually when I do drink, I go over my daily calories. It probably does slow my weight loss, but since I don't want to lose THAT much, I figure that I'll be happier if I do everything in moderation and keep other aspects of my life in check too.

Bonus, I actually feel a lot better most mornings, not sick and tired!

Deipneus

Hi there, I am not losing weight as fast as I would like and I am wondering if I cut out alcohol completely if it will speed things up for me. I usually drink about 3 regular size glasses of wine each evening, and I do make space for those calories in my allotted calories for the day. I just don't even feel really good about it anymore. Just wondering if anyone else has made that sacrifice to not drink, except on a rare occasion, and then found you lost weight at a faster rate? Thanks in advance for your opinions!

I went on a two month hiatus.. zero alcohol... but not to lose weight. I just wanted to do it. I'm sure there's a correlation between alcohol and weight loss but I didn't see it.

klp1017

I've cut down a lot in the past month, from drinking a good amount 3 nights a week to 0-1 drink every two weeks. I think this is only working for me though because I plan on going all out MDW, and I want to look good that weekend. I'll probably go back to drinking more often when I'm closer to my goal weight and summer is officially here.

dfonte

I had the reverse happen to me. Alcohol tried to cut me out completely. I said, hey there now Mr. Boozie, you aren't getting away that easily. I grabbed that Fosters oil can and drank it down. The remaining cans accepted me as their god once again and followed suit. Be careful.

justal313

No thank you. I can tell you though that I drink considerably less than I used to. Losing almost 100 pounds has transformed me into a bit of a cheap date.

I definately have my post run beers. In fact my new catch phrase is "Where's the beer tent, what do you think I run for, my health?"

DEBAUD

:drinker: LOL!!!!!!!!!!

I've thought about it.

Then I open a bottle of wine and laugh and laugh...

lls8209

Obviously everyone is different, but I gave up alcohol for Lent a couple years ago and lost no weight. Although I did not stop drinking to lose weight, I expected it to be a welcome side effect, as I was probably consuming about 30 drinks per week (of every kind and calories beer, wine, margaritas, shots). I went 40 days and 40 nights with no booze and didn't lose a single pound. However, I felt AWESOME. So much more energy (unlike you, I didn't have the casual couple of drinks per night --was much more of a binge drinker). And, yes, I had weight to shed (at the time, I was 28 yo, 5'6 and 145lbs). I say try it out for two weeks...or cut back--it couldn't hurt. Best of luck to you!!

carolmcgov

I don't drink. I can think of so much yummy food I would rather spend the calories on. (yes i am a non drinking irish person, we do exist)

Lyerin

I don't drink a whole lot anyway, but I haven't had any at all for almost 8 weeks. It's just not something I want to "spend" my calories on. If I really want something though, I would have it but would make sure to count it into my day.

Siege_Tank

Alcohol also decreases testosterone levels for up to 24 hours making it impossible for your body to repair or build lean muscle (yes, even for women!). People who drink on a regular basis (more than twice a week) tend to carry a lot less muscle and more fat regardless of how hard they weight train or exercise in general. Even people with small amounts of body fat will not see as much muscle definition. There are other causes for lack of muscle, of course, but this can be a big one.

Bless your heart, You were spot on with the facts until that paragraph. Here, let me fix it for you.

Alcohol also decreases testosterone levels slightly for up to 24 hours, with a greater decrease in testosterone based on the amount of alcohol you consume making it harder for your body to repair or build lean muscle if you lifted that day, or plan to lift the next day(yes, even for women!). People who drink on a regular basis (more than twice a week) tend to carry a lot less muscle and more fat. Whether these results are from studies that didn't differentiate between alcohol intake, exercise levels, and diet composition, or whether it is all caused by alcohol consumption is not known. People with over 15-20% body fat will not see as much muscle definition. There are other causes for lack of muscle, of course, but this can be a big one.

Fixed it for you