Alcohol

I try to just behave during the week. I feel like I deserve a couple of glasses of wine or beer on the weekends!

Wine or hard liquor.
Hard liquor is higher in calories per ounce than wine, and is often mixed with soda, which increases the calorie count. If you’re going to drink liquor, use calorie-free mixers like diet soda or diet tonic water. One shot glass or mixed drink will contain about 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

It depends on how aggressive your goal is. Alcohol slows your metabolism down, so if you drink several times a week you're going to lose weight a lot slower. Also, a serving of beer is probably gonna hurt you more than a serving of liquor because of the calories and the carbs...

Absolutely not. Depriving yourself is not the way to go, just enjoy some things in moderation.

I never found an instance where drinking was unavoidable. But if you take into account the calories from the alcohol and still end up in an acceptable calorie range, then go for it.

Personally if I'm going to drink, I'm going to drink beer, and none of those crappy light beers either. I want something full flavored: Guinness, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, almost any pale ale or IPA. But if I do drink, I'm torturing myself the next day to work off all of those calories.

Just stick with doing shots..there is only 69 calories in one shot of Tequila..and being that is Tequila..you won't be slammin' them..like one might with a beer..or a mixed drink..

There is also so many light beers and other beverages out there..and I have been told but I haven't tried them yet..there is this new skinny girl alcohol brand..that is lighter on the calories..I guess they have wines..vodka..tequila..etc..

I honestly don't worry about my alcohol too much. I may record it if I have a beer with dinner, but if I'm going out with my friends I usually dont't. That being said, I usually vodka soda or vodka crystal lite and I gave up the margaritas. I waitress on the weekends for an extremely busy diner, but I dont' record those calories burned either. I figure it usually ends up being a wash

Its really pretty simple
If you HAVE to drink thats a problem you should address if you want to have a drink or so occasionally and your calories allow it fine knowing that you will retain some fluids be a little heavier the next day and probably not feel 100% if you exercise the next morning
I eventually gave it up since I found the downside more than the upside and really dont miss it at all any more
but it wont trash your program just be smart about what when and how much

She's 22!! I don't think she was saying she HAS to, just she WANTS to, as I am sure most people do when they're that age. I know I did and calorie content never crossed my mind (I was not overweight by any stretch of the imagination)

My advice would be to enjoy this time of your life and if that includes drinking so be it. Since you are on the right track by even being concerned about the caloric content of what you are drinking, use that information to make wiser choices ie: lite beer or using diet as a mixer.

But anyone that is telling you to give it up completely when you are college age probably isn't being realistic or remembering their youth correctly.

:drinker: :smokin:

Its fine if it fits your macros. When you say a few a week im hoping your thinking the range from 2-3. one beer is about 250 calories, so if your on a calorie deficit its hard to stay under budget. The worst thing is losing the macro nutrients you need for energy, muscle building from protein, and even micro nutrients loss because beer and alcohol take up so many calories and they are empty as we all know.

But if your not to worried about what your macro nutrients are and it fits your macros and hitting your calorie goals, then why not.

I believe articles on cardiovascular health say up to 2 drinks/day ("official" servings, which may mean 1 beer or glass of wine is 2 servings) is actually beneficial.

Actually, drinking alcohol hinders fat burning and weight loss. Alcohol cannot be stored by our cells, therefore, it must be oxidized (burned off) by the body, so your body will always burn alcohol first before any other body fuel. I have a moderate library of nutrition books and have read this more than once. On a quick search, here's a very basic article which describes how our bodies process alcohol vs. fat and other fuels.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/280263-alcohol-fat-burning/

Having said that, I do like my vodka, but when I'm restricting my calories, I pick my battles. Am I willing to stall out any potential fat burning with a drink (or four)? Husband and I, with all good intentions, do try to limit it to the weekends. However, I've always noticed the most consistent and forward moving weight loss when I completely abstain (unfortunately!).

Also, as a note, I worked with a nutritionist here for a 7 week period last year. She recommends, if one chooses to drink, sparkling water with vodka. Especially potato vodka (should you have an undiscovered gluten intolerance).