Demon drink - what do you do about alcohol?

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Replies

  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I quit drinking on July 28th, and I haven't missed it at all. I feel much healthier and in a better state of mind and am losing weight and looking better than I've looked in a long time. Alcohol causes all kinds of problems that are unseen. I never thought I could not drink. But, if I can, anyone can.
  • i usually eat little through the day, but eat dinner before going out and exercise during the day or the day after. or eat normally and just workout as much as possible during the day and day after.
  • Cheesburgerlover
    Cheesburgerlover Posts: 16 Member
    I like to drink too. I have battled with alchoholism on and off. Alchohol can leave you bloated for up to 3 days after youve drank it & it also tends to make you hungry or want to eat more after you've consumed it, so it is a weight loss killer. I know this from personal experience. If you dont want to give up drinking completely then a little wine in moderation is a good option. White its lower in calories than red wine. Hard alchohol is loaded with calories and Beer just gives you a beer gut.
  • sevfam
    sevfam Posts: 76 Member
    Im a beer girl, usually one a night. I figure it in to my daily calories. 10 more minutes on the treadmill = one more beer!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Alcohol is not nutrition. So, stealing calories from nutritious sources and replacing them with crap non-value added empty calories is stupid, to say the least. Just go over your calories when you drink. It's not like it matters. It's not nutrition or food.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    I drink a lot less, and when I do, I stick to spirits.
  • anna_lisa
    anna_lisa Posts: 486 Member
    I am a non drinker. so none issue
  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
    I don't drink, at all. I haven't touched a drop since I started losing weight. A few reasons really. The first is that I can do without the calories. The second is I don't really like the taste, so if I don't drink enough to get drunk there's literally nothing attractive about alcohol for me. It would take far too many calories to get drunk. Plus, when I am drunk, I tend to eat absolute rubbish which would undo a whole week's work. I'm just not willing to take that chance.
  • misswager
    misswager Posts: 67 Member
    I use to have the odd glass of wine here and there, but I am trying to cut it out completely. I have done pretty good. When I do drink I keep under the suggested units and drink 2 glasses of water for every glass of wine.

    I still enjoy a glass of red wine, but its very few and far between. Alcohol does affect your fitness, training & weight loss
  • My hardest thing to cut out is alcohol. The days/nights that I know that I am going out I make sure to workout an extra 15minutes and then instead of having 10 drinks I get 5 drinks. It is all in how you look at things if you just cut it all out you are possibly making it impossible to see the finish line. Also, I drink two glasses of water for every one drink while I am out so that it makes it all even! Good luck you can do this!
  • I am a beer drinker, which is probably the worst. So on the one or two nights a week I indulge, I limit myself to 4. I have taken to drinking Michelob Ultra. Low in calorie and frankly, low in taste as well- but it isn't as "heavy" feeling as a regular beer and calories mean more to me.
    If you like a mixed drink or two, Bacardi and Dt. Coke is rather low in calories and has ) carbs (or so I hear) I am just not a fan of rum.
    Whatever you do, don't deprive yourself too much of what you like to do- just try to find substitutions that are healthier. Deprivation just causes you to relapse and give in eventually and give up. All in moderation.
    I am a newbie on these boards but have done this weight loss battle up and down a few times.
    i am on track and determined now in a way I never was before.

    So good luck!
  • hunter624
    hunter624 Posts: 252
    drink it and log it, and with all things moderation.

    :drinker:
  • RuthSweetTooth
    RuthSweetTooth Posts: 461 Member
    I have a glass of wine a night, most of the time. I used to drink two-three glasses, but it added up and now I'm wearing it. I also exercise. Can't tell how much you are drinking, but if you are drinking three or more drinks every night, you've got to cut back. I am losing fine without starving myself and I can still have wine, dessert most of the time, and foods I love. No cravings here.

    Ruth
  • lucy5599
    lucy5599 Posts: 92 Member
    In the beginning I cut it out completely, But I do like a beer,:drinker: so now I just try to limit and don't have it on as many days. I log it though.
  • enigrebua
    enigrebua Posts: 113 Member
    If I'm going in a 'night out' which is uncommon these days, I stick to clear spirits like vodka and diet mixers such as diet coke or diet lemonade. I tend to have had enough by 4 drinks anyway so it doesn't really add up to a horrendous amount and I don't do it often enough to worry about. I steer away from beer, ales, dark spirits, wines and full sugar mixers if I can.
  • dittmarml
    dittmarml Posts: 351 Member
    Spent alot of time in Europe and got into the habit so I drink red wine, 1 glass 4-5 times a week with dinner; 2 glasses if I'm really splurging on the weekend. I do mean glasses, not cups; a standard pour is 5 oz and that's what I drink.

    I consider it an "add-on" so I check where I am with my calories / macros prior to pouring; since it's at the end of the day and I already know what I'm having for dinner I can enter it and then see if I've got the room. If I do and I want a glass, I have it. If I don't or don't want the glass, I don't. Pretty simple.
  • jenbison
    jenbison Posts: 38
    Hi. I like to drink alcohol too. I have learned to cut way back over time. I love a good dark beer or ale and I have switched alot of my beer drinking to bud light lime but haven't cut out the good stuff completely. And for liquor, the white liquors are best (gin, vodka) and skip the sugary ones. Mix them with a little bit of juice and the calories aren't too bad. And always a good idea to track those calories and try and exercise to keep your calorie intake balanced. Good Luck! Alcohol is a culprit to weight loss but does not have to be a demon.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I'm not in a position to do exercise because I'm recovering from an injury, but in any event I don't think it's a good idea to rely on exercise for weight loss: exercise is for health.

    I like to have a drink or two several times a week. I try to work it into my overall calorie max, which is quite low because of my size, sex, and age. If I'm in full diet mode, which I do a few times a year for short periods, I usually eliminate alcohol.

    I try to stick to beer -- usually Amstel Light -- or wine. Mixed drinks are too many calories.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    I drink it. Lately I've been sticking to wine or stuff I can make at home. They say the clear stuff is better for you but the darker stuff (higher calories) will get you drunk more - so if you're going for less, and more punch, go dark - amaretto, whisky. I usually stick to vodka cranberry when out because they're usually less than 100 cal and can get me feeling good with just one and that's typically all I need if I don't have a lot of calories to "spend" on alcohol.

    Wine is about 220 calories for 6 oz of the stuff I like so I typically only have one glass when I'm at home. I justify it because it's supposed to be "good for you" but I can still get a nice buzz or relax before bed or if a friend is over for dinner, etc.
  • dalehall64
    dalehall64 Posts: 290 Member
    I'm like a lot of people in this thread. I drink also, but since I started logging and trying to get in better shape, my consumption has been cut way down. At one point, the weight loss becomes more important than the wanting of a drink. But, on the nights I do feel like a drink, although it's not nutrition, I do log the calories and count them in my daily total. When I drink beer, that 137 calories for my Bud Light Platinum (12oz) or Miller Lite (16oz) looks like a lot for a few drinks. I do have my favorites when it comes to liquor too and they are less when used with Diet drinks. Like it has been said, everything is ok in moderation. If you log it, you will make yourself more accountable for it, IMHO.
  • weekends only and as long as I can afford the calories - don't exercise to make space for alcohol.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Plus, when I am drunk, I tend to eat absolute rubbish which would undo a whole week's work. I'm just not willing to take that chance.

    Sometimes alcohol acts as an appetite suppressant for me. At others, such as receptions with high calorie hors d'oeuvres, it removes inhibitions and I end up eating more.

    I like alcohol too much to give it up, but I fully acknowledge that if I didn't drink and didn't eat sweets, 80% of my calorie issues would be eliminated.
  • RiverMelSong
    RiverMelSong Posts: 456 Member
    I love white wine, I just drink less frequently. I never drank more than 3 glasses in one sitting anyway (HATE feeling even slightly tipsy), but now I have those 3 glasses on the weekends or when I go out, and not during the week :)
  • Endelle
    Endelle Posts: 7 Member
    I'm a lush lover myself. I haven't cut it out and will treat myself once when opportunity arises. but i try to track what i'm drinking and fit it in with my calories. I've also found that after losing some weight I'm not needing as much to get that happy buzz I go for with a drink. Been saving me some money too!

    Now I save drinking for social events or have one drink if i've had a very long hard day
  • julimonster
    julimonster Posts: 243 Member
    I'm not a big drinker but when I do I stick to UNflavored vodka & tonic water (they DO make diet tonic water if you're concerned) or an "organic" Bloody Mary. Sometimes a glass of red wine if I substitute it for a serving of fruit with dinner. Good luck!
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Alcohol is not nutrition.

    I don't think anyone is claiming that alcohol is nutritional, with the exception of certain red wines, which even then can only be consumed in small quantities. It does provide some benefits, such as relaxation, but it obviously has to be consumed in moderation.

    And of course it has to be logged. Everything we consume counts.
  • Anthonydaman
    Anthonydaman Posts: 854 Member
    I enjoy cocktails, for the first part of my MFP journey I cut alcohol all together. As I got closer to my goal I loosened the reins and started have a nightly cocktail. Today is my 180th day here and at this point I have basically cut processed food out of my diet I eat as much fruit,vegetables, lean meat, and drink as much as I want with no ill effects. I have successfully held my goal weight for five weeks with no problems.
    You still have to make smart alcohol choices, like food. You can't drink a strawberry daiquiri, but you can definitely have a vodka and soda or two.
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    :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.

    This has not worked for me yet...I am having a Summer fling with Jose and it is well worth the extra exercise, lower food consumption to enjoy a night with him...Now once Labor Day gets here I am quitting as I know it is not good for me and I really only enjoy it in the Summer around/in the pool :devil:
  • MizzDoc
    MizzDoc Posts: 493 Member
    I have all but removed alcohol from my intake. But every now and again I will have a single glass of white wine. And I am talking like once every three months.

    However, I have grown fond of Fre Wines (alcohol removed wines) and its usually around 60-70 calories for 8 oz. It gives me the feeling of a glass of wine without all the alcohol and without all the calories.
  • CDG1013
    CDG1013 Posts: 106 Member
    Two things I refuse to give up...coffee and alcohol. I don't drink a lot, but on the weekends I will have a few shots of Jack, Jaeger, or a couple of beers. I just don't have any during the week, limit my alcohol to a few drinks on weekends, and try to save a few calories during the days I do drink to avoid going over.
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