The enemy known as... beer!

devpow
devpow Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all. I am looking for some guidance, motivation, and advice today. First things first: I am not an alcoholic or a heavy drinker. But the truth of the matter is, I enjoy an occasional beer or glass of wine. Before I was seriously monitoring my weight, I would probably have 2 or 3 alcoholic beverages per week. I could drink more when I was younger and not gain weight; these days, however, drinking puts me off my weight loss for several days, not to mention that it gives me cravings I find hard to control. I know some of this is water weight but it is still very discouraging.

I moved to a new area not that long ago and so when I meet new people, the socializing often centers around bars. I would enjoy partaking in a drink every now and again but am trying to figure out how not to have it sabotage all my hard work. I have not had a drink at all in over two weeks and I'm supposed to meet a new friend for happy hour this afternoon.

What would you all do?

Replies

  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
    Go and have a drink. Don't go overboard and have multiples.

    I would go and have a glass of wine, or a rum and diet pop. Ensure you eat healthy throughout the day and try to get some extra exercise in.

    Don't weigh yourself tomorrow! Once you have finished your drink order a diet pop, or a water with lemon so you are still drinking something but not with added calories.
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    Jesus said to love your enemy.
  • MrDude_1
    MrDude_1 Posts: 2,510 Member
    eat a light lunch.
    enjoy your evening.
  • TrimAnew
    TrimAnew Posts: 127 Member
    Eat before you go. You'll snack less and drink less at the bar if you have a full stomach.

    Then, go ahead and enjoy a beer.

    After your beer, drink water, or water with lemon, unsweet tea, etc.

    I rarely drink, but even when I do order a beer I always order a water for the rest of the time. Sometimes I even order a water and an beer at the same time, and alternate drinking from both throughout the meal.

    This trick helps for other situations too. Restaurants often feel the need to constantly "top off" your glass of soda or sweet tea. I didn't used to mind, but now that I'm trying to watch what I eat/drink more, a never-ending glass of sweet tea is a big problem because it's hard to not keep drinking it. I try to just order water when we go out, but sometimes I just want a little bit of something sweet instead. Unfortunately most restaurants make their tea very sweet (upwards of 1 cup or more of sugar per gallon, hence why southern chemistry teachers use sweet tea as an example of a "super saturated solution" in classes--the only way to dissolve that much sugar in water or tea is to make the liquid hot when you add the sugar) which is bad for me. This weekend, I tried ordering a sweet tea and a water with my meal at a local joint. When the waitress came to top off my tea, I stopped her. When she noticed my glass of tea was empty and tried to refill it, I instead let her know (nicely) that I was done with it, and asked her to please take the empty glass away. She was confused by this (what kind of southerner doesn't want their sweet tea refilled?!) but it worked. I let her top off my water glass as much as she wanted though.
  • MrDude_1
    MrDude_1 Posts: 2,510 Member
    just an idea btw...

    if you intend to get drunk, there are lower calorie alternatives... drink them.
    if you're seriously only going out for an hour or two, and not drinking heavy... get whatever you enjoy.


    straight liquor with a zero calorie mixer are usually the lowest calorie drinks. (60-100cals roughly)
    followed by the superlight beers(60-100 cal)
    followed by the light beers(100-120 cal)
    then theres the regular beer.. (200ish)
    I always drink real beer... usually some craft beer .. they can be up to 500 cal per glass.. so you have to watch it, but if you enjoy a real beer, its almost a meal in itself.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    Plan for it ...... eat light during the day ..... but just have one or two beers ........ beer is like its own food group :laugh:

    Have a great time !
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
    If i am drinking wine then i mix it with soda or lemonade to make it into a long drink (and therefore last longer) or if drinking shorts with mixers i make sure every other drink is missing the short - still looks and feels like drinking but with half the calories

    Beer is harder - can you get away with drinking it mixed with lemonade - i dont know

    Good luck and enjoy yourself - remember you have to find a way of making the diet and life mix well together - if this means allowing for some beer then so be it (i love chocolate and ice cream - i alawys make sure i have enough claories - every day - to include those in my life)

    Could you change exercise calories into alcohol caloires (i mean work out/walk a little bit more to get those extra calories)

    Diane
  • devpow
    devpow Posts: 3
    Thanks everyone. I did exercise today; had a light bfast and will have a light lunch. The trick I'm not sure about is this: is it better to save calories, knowing that I will have less restraint later, or eat something so that I will be full and less likely to indulge? Seems like there is mixed advice.
  • Spatialized
    Spatialized Posts: 623 Member
    "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Benjamin Franklin

    That said, go easy. Having a beer when out with friends is not a bad thing. Having half a pizza and washing it down with a six pack is. Have a snack before you go, limit yourself and don't waste calories on "light" beer - it's not really beer and doesn't give the satisfaction so you end up drinking more (my opinion onlly here).

    If I know I'm going out and will be drinking craft beer (lots of calories there depending on what you get), I'll do extra work to increase my net thereby "earning" the beer. It's been working so far!
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    Beer is my friend, not my enemy! I tend to like the craft beers and hard ciders (Magners, Angry Orchard) which tend to be in the 150-200 calorie range. (And NO, I will not drink any of the low calorie crap beers, I am a total beer snob) And dammit, I like to have a beer while I cook! I have found that I HAVE to work out if I want to drink, else I will go over my calories. So I earn my beer!


    S/N: just realized I said the same thing as the guy above me! LOL!
  • WarriorReady
    WarriorReady Posts: 571 Member
    Eat healthy before you go. Drink your beer - enjoy! I usually will have a beer then a glass of water then back to beer. (I know it has been mentioned by others too.) If you know you like to eat after drinking make a plan and make it healthy! :wink: Just enjoy also, after you drink your body can't burn fat for up to 4 hours so no killing yourself trying to exercise those calories away. LOL Have fun! Cheers! :drinker:
  • jplord
    jplord Posts: 510 Member
    Check out the group "you booze, you lose" here on MFP. We are a bunch of people trying to figure out the same thing you are.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Also, know that water weight isn't any kind of "sabotage" of your efforts. It can be flushed/sweated out pretty easily.
  • PinkEnvyx
    PinkEnvyx Posts: 172
    I totally eat less on day I want to drink because when I drink it's the 6 pack! I love beer!
    I can say the month I didn't drink beer or liquor I lost 11 lbs once. Interesting.
  • aph1421
    aph1421 Posts: 6
    I'm a big craft beer fan too, and eat moderately-sized meals and exercise probably 5 times a week so that I can have a beer (one!) most nights with dinner. If it's a day when I can't exercise, sometimes I have half a beer or none at all, but I don't think it's impeded my progress at all. Sometimes I do think about how much MORE weight I would've lost if I didn't have the daily 200+ calorie beer but...my quality of life would be lessened and I'm 3 lbs away from my life-time goal, so whatevs.
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
    woah woah woah. Dont talk about my boyfriend like that. Beer is great and you should enjoy it. I failed miserably at weight loss when I cut out foods and alcohol that I love. I was just downright miserable. Eat well, excersise (maybe a little extra) on those days. Enjoy your life.
  • lh1626
    lh1626 Posts: 241 Member
    :happy: I won't lie.....I way over indulge once a week. My husband and I take advantage of "mommy and daddy" time. I plan for it though. I do tend to do the pizza later...or something not so healthy. The next day for lunch---to help me feel a bit better----I will indulge. However, the next day get back on track. Exercise...either earn it ahead of time or make up for it after. You can always balance it out with your exercise and maybe eating lighter on some days rather than others.


    Years ago when I lost a bunch of weight, I used to indulge on the weekends and exercise 4-5 days a week just with walking. It all depends on how you manage yourself and your calories. MFP is about living life, not restricting yourself or being "on a diet". I went way overboard last thurs and fri and still lost this week! Go have fun!
  • LilRock25
    LilRock25 Posts: 71 Member
    By happy hour do you mean dinner as well?

    Form a plan & stick to it. Find a drink that you know you will enjoy, after that stick to water. Or before that.

    Last night I met a friend of dinner & happy hour. I planned out my meal & pre-tracked everything on here. During dinner I only drank water. As our meal was winding down I did enjoy a pint of a good beer. Because I knew I was only allowing myself 1 I didn't order it when I knew I'd mindlessly drink it & not enjoy it.
  • RenfieldX
    RenfieldX Posts: 87 Member
    Thanks everyone. I did exercise today; had a light bfast and will have a light lunch. The trick I'm not sure about is this: is it better to save calories, knowing that I will have less restraint later, or eat something so that I will be full and less likely to indulge? Seems like there is mixed advice.

    Save some calories and/or up your exercise on the day that you're going out for a beer. A moderate pace 45 minute walk in the morning or evening is enough to offset the calories in your 1 beer. The occasional beer shouldn't really impact your weight loss. Even if you end up slightly over on your calories for the day, it's not the end of the world. Remember that the daily goal that you see includes a 500-1000 calorie/day deficit, so going over by 1-200 every now and then will have minimal impact. It's what you do most of the time that matters.

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