Demon drink - what do you do about alcohol?

ciobair · August 2012

I like a beer on occasion and just make sure to count the calories.

But, generally, I'd rather eat my calories than drink them.

Jaymazing · August 2012

I own a bar...so...ha...the demons and I know each other well. But I find that when I get in a good routine of eating well and exercising, I just naturally cut back because I don't want to feel like crap. I want to be able to perform my best in my workouts, so that motivates me more than getting tipsy. But when I do drink, I stick to vodka with a squirt of lemon, or wine. I also love me some jagerbombs made with diet redbull. I feel like I'm burning it off because the redbull gives me wings on the dance floor. Lol.

argenterie · August 2012

If you look at my food diary, you can see that I indulge "that demon" nearly daily. I always account for it in my journal, and I drink lower-calorie versions of my favorites. I try to keep my food total under a certain amount so it doesn't ruin my week's work!

trunkfish · August 2012

Thanks for your great replies. Maybe Vodka is the ticket as it seems to get the thumbs up here. I'm clearly knocking it back more than a lot of you so maybe it should be just one large Vodka of an evening and several days abstinence in between. Can but try...:happy:

SarahSchoenberger · August 2012

We make daquiris w/Crystal Light Strawberry daquiri mix, ice and rum. Really yummy and very low in calories! Oh and only on the weekends! Gimlets are good too(2 shots of vodka, and one shot roses lime juice) in a tub and fill the rest of the cup up w/Diet 7-up. I hope that helps a bit...:blushing:

missoularocks · August 2012

I try to avoid the demon drinks M-Th and have cut back significantly on the weekends.
Also, beer is a lot less cals than liquor.

queendeej · August 2012

I enjoy drinking. But I've had to accept that it has a negative impact on my diet. What I've done is cut back on the amount of alcohol that I drink and I only drink if there is room for it in my calories. ;(
Good luck!

RuthSweetTooth · August 2012

I drink a glass (and I usually weigh it on the scale until I know that glass well) of wine each evening.
I work at a vineyard on weekends, so that's literally abstinence for me.
Limiting to 1 glass allows my blood pressure medicine to work, and I am much healthier already.

cz611 · August 2012

I exercise more if I know I'm drinking that day :drinker: I had to give up drinking every time I was knocked up and nursing....since I no longer have to deal with that madness :laugh: I'm not giving up drinking. :drinker: (But, that's just me)

Sabine_Stroehm · August 2012

I try to avoid the demon drinks M-Th and have cut back significantly on the weekends.
Also, beer is a lot less cals than liquor.

Beer isn't really lower than in calories than liquor. But beer is typically lower in calories than popular mixed drinks. It's the mixers that typically raise the calories.

amiguito123 · August 2012

I just don't drink it. It's been so long since I had an alcoholic beverage, I can't even remember what it tastes like anymore...

krinio · August 2012

I never really drank a lot tbh, but now that i'm health-conscious (the last year or so) I just make sure I have the calories for it. Usually when I go out it's a thursday night, cause my favourite club has its student night then, so if im attending i'll make sure to go to the 7.15am spin class that morning and drink a ton of water during the day.

I think moderation is key for sure.

Skeels · August 2012

A few drinks on the weekend never hurts..........I stick with Rum

jofjltncb6 · August 2012

:happy: do you do loads of exercise to make up for the calories

Do this, once you figure out how much work it is to work off one drink you really won't feel like having a second.

Indeed. Many people find this to be true of a lot of their "old lifestyle" food/drink choices.

sharleengc · August 2012

I have never been a huge drinker so cutting it out or having 1 drink a month isn't a big deal for me.

My husband, who uses MFP too, cut it out completely and he used to go out twice a week and drink plus have a little at home. Heck, we even had a bar in our house. He went cold turkey and didn't miss it at all. Now, over a year later, he drinks a little more but not too often, usually when we are visiting friends or family.

TravisBurns · August 2012

It's just like junk food or anything else. If you wanna lose weight and have it you're gonna have to work hard for it or it will set you back. By cutting it out completely you make things much easier on yourself. Both for your health and your weight-loss.

verbalriot · August 2012

I definitely still drink (NYC girl here in her 20s...) but I drink less beer, more strong stuff and really see it more of a treat now than a regular occurrence.

lwagnitz · August 2012

I've heard many times that clear liquors (like vodka, or silver tequila... mmm patronn

) are the lower calories and/or healthier option.

I love vodka with soda water and a twist of any kind of citrus. Grapefruit preferably. Lemon or lime are just as great.

I also think that Patron is to die, but just take those as shots

I've grown to be kind of a beer snob. I used to love hard liquor, now I love beer more. But I HATE light beer. Not just because it tastes like I'm drinking carbonated Fox River water (polluted as all hell), but it gives me the worst stomach ache. Only time I've ever thrown up drinking was drinking Bud Light... and trust me, it wasn't the amount..yuck!

Honestly, don't drink as much as I used to. Living in Wisconsin though, it's a temptation pretty hard to resist. You're surrounded by it, and every activity includes it. Where I'm from, there's no such thing as underage drinking. lol

myfitnessval · August 2012

i drink way less now, maybe twice a month. it just doesnt seem worth it to cut out food or exercise more to booze up, plus avoiding hangovers is key for me because thats when i'm most vulnerable to a binge lol. now IF i drink, i choose straight vodka with a lemon or lime or diet soda. if its wine i choose the dryest one (less sugar) or champagne.

skeeter2584 · August 2012

It's certainly OK to have alcohol every now and then as long as you're careful. If I were to consume alcohol, I would do it AFTER working out because my body would still be in "calorie burning mode" to an extent. If I felt uneasy about drinking a whole can of beer or glass of wine at once, I could always take about half instead. FYI - a gram of pure alcohol is worth 7 calories, almost as much as a gram of fat. The alcohol in beer, wine, etc. is ethyl alcohol, or ethanol. Pure ethanol has a density of 0.789 grams per milliliter. Suppose I drank 12 fluid ounces of beer and I wanted to know how many calories came from the alcohol itself. For the purposes of this discussion, I'll assume that a "typical" beer is 5% alcohol by volume. There are 355 mL in 12 fluid ounces, and so you have 355 * 0.05 = 17.75 mL of pure alcohol in there. Since a milliliter of pure ethanol weighs 0.789 grams, those 17.75 mL would weigh 14.00 grams. As mentioned above, alcohol yields 7 calories per gram. This can of beer would therefore provide about 98 calories from the alcohol itself. Fat yields 9 calories per gram; you get 4 calories apiece from a gram of protein or carbs.
Hope this helps!!!

LorinaLynn · August 2012

I don't drink often. Maybe 1-2 times a week at most, typically on weekends when I'm not logging my food anyway.

meabhaline · August 2012

I open mouth and consume demons.

hahah me too

i love wine a bit too much

indieway · August 2012

Drink whatever you want, but do not overeat. :devil:

Bottom line is keep track of your alcohol calories, get some form of exercise every day, and eat a sensible meal with all of your alcohol calories accounted for. I'm a late riser, so I try not to drink before noon. I skip breakfast, except for coffee. I also have no lunch. I realise that this is not the healthiest, but it works for me, because I usually do not get up before 10am, and I stay up late.

A light beer is less than wine, and about the same for an ounce of pure alcohol (40% or 80 proof). If you just like having a drink in your hand, try Budweiser Select 55. Yep, it's only 55 calories and it tastes better than Miller 64's, which are watery. You will find that a beer will make you feel full, so I replace that full lunch with a beer or two, and just have a healthy snack instead.

One thing I did find that is great for summer is drinking Malibu Coconut Rum on the rocks. Put it in a Martini glass for a little glitz. It's tasty and it will give you a slight buzz and keep your calories in check. I know it's hard to keep from drinking more alcohol in the summer, when it seems everyone is drinking.

It's working for me because I do not eat much; therefore, I can afford the alcohol calories. Good luck, and listen to all those who swear off alcohol, or limit it to one or two a day, if you love to eat. I'm on a 1200 calorie a day diet, not counting my exercise.

BackTatJIM · August 2012

I get tanked once a week ;-) but eat great and don't drink the other 6 days

jadesign19 · August 2012

I've cut back a lot. I used to drink skinny girl and still enjoy it once in a while. But lately I stick to rum and diet coke, gin and tonic, lite beer , or a glass of white one.
Funny since I've been on MFP, I don't enjoy it as much because it's just not worth the calories. Also I'm officially a light weight now,

kristapennie · August 2012

I was a HUGE beer drinker until I found out 1 corona = 143 calories....doesn't work so well for a night of drinking and only 1200 calories a day!

my new secret trick is I order vodka sodas and bring MIO with me in my purse to flavour it up. I tried the same once with crystal light singles but they have added calories where MIO doesn't (and it's a bit of a mess!)

turned out to be a riot as we were adding flavour shots to peoples beer!!!

Jaymazing · August 2012

my new secret trick is I order vodka sodas and bring MIO with me in my purse to flavour it up. I tried the same once with crystal light singles but they have added calories where MIO doesn't (and it's a bit of a mess!)

Great idea! I'm definitely going to try this!!

Anola13 · August 2012

I really think it all depends on you. I love my wine and I will not allow any diet to take that from me. My sacrifice was to drink it less. I try to only drink once or twice a week and it most definitely is part of my calorie county for the day. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to take responsibility. I do feel a lot better and I have noticed a difference. If your willing to cut it out, cut it out. Do what works for you.