Alcohol causing me to go over calorie limit
AggieFan2011
Posts: 551 Member
I know a lot of people on here say that they have a cheat day each week, but I haven't gone over my calorie limit yet and this is the first day that I have. I feel like I'm going to ruin my whole weight loss by going over my limit. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but it just makes me feel like I'm breaking a commitment to myself or something. The problem is that being that I'm in college a lot of my friends want to go out to bars, and alcohol has an insane amount of calories. I want to go out with them, but it's hard when I know that I'll be tempted to buy drinks and do shots even though I know it's not good for me. Does anyone else have this problem or a similar problem? What ways have you found to say no and stay at your daily calorie intake? Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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If I'm drinking in aka socially at my house or a friends I buy the gallon on cranberry diet juice 5 cals a cup lol. And mix it with vodka as low cal as u could get lol .. I still have this problem tho sooo *Bump* I often notice after just a night of drinking my weightloss will stall for all of 3-4 days so say I usually lose 2 lbs every 7 days it'll take like 12 instead .. That I have no clue about lol0
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it is hard to start with because you want to be included and not feel left out. don't beat yourself up over the fact if you do have a drink but try and remember when you are out why you started your weight loss healthy lifestyle in the first place. there will be times when its hard but its the ones who can pull through will succeed in the end.
i used to drink a lot but i have been tee total since May of this year. i still go out but i have learnt to say no. whatever you do, don't give up we all started for a reason you will be glad you carried on0 -
if you think you're good at handling your alcohol you could always go for something with high alcoholic content say 40%+ if getting drunk isn't the issue then how about going for a light beer? I know I'm an alcoholic and I usually tend to just try to burn it off before I drink or eat less later0
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Don't feel guilty, remember that every day isn't perfect and I don't believe that a diet should stop you from enjoying yourself. It's okay to go out and chill with your mates once in a while, just fit it into your calories and macros for the day. What is your calorie goal anyways?0
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I'm in college right now and sometimes I have the same problem. Tomorrow is my birthday, so a couple of my guy friends asked me, at the gym might I add, if I wanted to go out drinking with them. I said no. I had just increased my squat weight, and I didn't want to waste that awesome feeling I got from it on some "useless" calories in alcohol. This is something a lot of people don't understand (god help my male friends). They work hard in the gym, only to blow it by drinking copious amount of alcohol. Then they wonder how I got my *kitten* in shape in three months. It's because I had a goal, and I did everything I could to achieve it, including skipping some social gathering.
However, this doesn't mean you can never go out again. You just need to be conscious of what you drink. Look up the calories in some mixed drinks. Remember their names, and ask the bartender to make that healthier option for you. If you're drinking beer, and as a college student I'm going to assume you are, look up the lowest calorie beer you can find and bring your own. If all these options sound too tiresome, just drink less. One glass of 400 calorie beer is always better than two, or three, or four.0 -
Don't get drunk. Have one drink, or two. I never understood why people feel the need to have to get drunk when they drink. Or if you don't want to drink at all order a club soda and lime.0
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Don't feel guilty, remember that every day isn't perfect and I don't believe that a diet should stop you from enjoying yourself. It's okay to go out and chill with your mates once in a while, just fit it into your calories and macros for the day. What is your calorie goal anyways?
I'm on a 1,500 calorie a day diet. The problem is that I didn't get a chance to work out as long as I would have liked to today so it caused me to go over. I know I shouldn't feel guilty about it because it's clearly not something that happens all the time, but it is hard not to worry about it at least a little bit... Thanks for the encouragement though! I'll just be sure to work even harder in the gym tomorrow and make up for it.
Don't get drunk. Have one drink, or two. I never understood why people feel the need to have to get drunk when they drink. Or if you don't want to drink at all order a club soda and lime.
It isn't necessarily about getting drunk, but even a two or three drinks can push me over if I don't choose the right things. I don't go out to drink excessive amounts, but having even a few light beers at the bar with some friends can add up pretty quickly.
I truly appreciate the advice from everyone though! I think choosing the right kinds of drinks will help. Especially choosing light beers over some of the other mixed drinks and heavier beer options that I tend to pick. I think before I go out next time I am going to look up the calorie count on the drinks I like to order before ordering them and remind myself why that isn't a good choice. Tomorrow is a new day and I plan on getting back on track! 0 -
i used to drink a lot but i have been tee total since May of this year. i still go out but i have learnt to say no. whatever you do, don't give up we all started for a reason you will be glad you carried on
Thanks for the encouragement! You are so right, I started this for a reason and I need to stay focused on my goals. In the long run it will definitely be worth sipping on water at the bar after I have a drink or two in order to achieve my weight loss goals!0 -
GIRRLLL LET ME TELL YOU! I just turned 21 in August. im on the same page as you, but like some others have replied, vodka is the lowest in cals. so what i do is get vodka, and add some 5 calorie Red Bull, works like a charm and alot of my friends already drink RedBull and Vodka. Try that! also Cosmo's are also low in cals if yall are out.
heres a chart, as long as you think out your night and plan ahead youll do fine with out over doing your cals) drink up galss!
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=8930 -
Ok..Ok..Great party last night .. next day.. what to do ?
Any recommendation for the next day??? should be reducing cal? drinking more water? .... etc. etc
what would be the suggestions to reduce the effect ....0 -
It's not the end of the world. I have a drink or three fairly often, every two or three weeks, I have even more. I just make sure I log it all so that I know how much I went over. I then check how much I went over my TDEE (NOT BMR or calorie goal!!!) and usually I don't, so I don't worry any further about it. If I went over, I'd do a little exercise (exercise in my world consists of walking for a bit...hahha).0
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like the person above is alluding to, if you have a 500 cal deficit - you can eat 500cals over your limit and still not gain.0
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Getdrunknotfat.com
And contrary to popular belief vodka is not the lowest. It's actualy everclear, but if you are in a state in which everclear is not legal, like I do, then Jose Cuervo gold is the best. Alcohol to calorie ratio wise at least.0 -
I think everyone's suggestions are great so far. I just want to give my personal input. I've managed to lose the weight while still enjoying drinks and good food a couple nights a week. If you keep yourself under control 5 or 6 nights a week, going crazy on occasion won't destroy all your efforts. If I wasn't able to splurge every now and then, there's no way I could've stuck with MFP. But after 4 months, I am almost at my goal weight and feeling really great about my progress. Maybe I lost the weight a little slower than someone who's extremely militant, but I don't feel like I've been dieting doing it this way. It's become a lifestyle, and drinks here and there are definitely part of my lifestyle. I still get to have fun and look great doing it! You just need to do what's best for you and makes you happy. If hanging out with friends and having a drink is something you enjoy, then you need to do that. Best wishes on your journey! 0
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bump for later!
thanks for posting!0 -
When I'm cutting, and plan on having a big night, I'll eat solely protein-based meals, low carb, low fat, throughout the day.
i.e:
1. Egg white/ham omelette
2. tuna/salad
3. chicken/veggies
4. protein pancakes
or other variations of above^
So, I'll eat around 1,200kcal of that, which still leaves around 1,400kcals of alcohol before I'm even touching weight gain.
Generally drank half a bottle of vodka or more with diet soft drink, occasionally beer instead of that.
Drank like that once or twice a week, didn't hinder my weight loss at all over my 12 week cut. Everything went exactly to plan.
TL;DR - Eat higher protein, low carb foods for the day. Fill in the rest with booze, preferably spirits with diet soft drink. No harm to weight loss.
Edit: I'm a teenager; I drink lots when I do drink.0 -
One beer, one club soda, one light beer, one club soda, another club soda, one beer....
By the time you get to club soda #4, you won't want beer #3.
Enjoy a beverage, but make every other one low or no calories. You can still be in a social situation without a beer in your hand. If your friends mock you for this, find new friends.0 -
Don't drink the sweet mixes.Too much sugar. Drink gin or vodka mixed with something sugar free. Don't drink too many. Drinking beer is like drinking "liquid french fries." If you are going to drink tequila, make it Patron. It is made w/agave. More expensive, but very smooth. I f I want a drink, I make a margarita with "Skinnygirl and fresh strawberries. Make sure you either negate the calories/carbs with exercise or cut something from diet. Remember, alcohol is empty calories. Good luck!0
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one word: bath salts.
no calories. gives you super powers and suppresses apetite!0 -
Drinking beer is like drinking "liquid french fries."
oh my god. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ - quits beer for life.0 -
I drink every weekend and I enjoy it. Im at that point in life when Im constantly on a hen do, or at a wedding, or a birthday party. I exercise like a demon during the week and try to get a couple of classes in on a weekend to burn off the cals. I increase my deficit during the week so that I have those extra cals for the rose wine (its my favourite). If im trying to drink low cal I have gin and slimline tonic (it makes me an emotional wreck after a few though so be careful!).
If I denied myself my nights out with friends, then I dont think I could carry on!
Enjoy yourself, try your best to log it, and get moving before and afterward to earn some buffer cals!
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One night out isn't going to ruin all your hard work.
Alcohol is high in calories, but I tend to go for the spirits now, having been a wine drinker before, you get a lot more drink for your cals.
If you actually don't mind missing the alcohol and just don't want to look like the odd one out, I order a brandy and coke, and then just a coke on my next trip, and I alternate them. No-one can tell and even better, I don't get tempted by the drunken after pub kebab, and I don't wake up with a hangover.
If you do enjoy the alcohol, exercise beforehand, and 'earn' the cals for the night out.0 -
no one is paying attention to what YOU drink.
others only care about what THEY drink
stick with club soda or diet drinks and don't tell ANYONE that you are not drinking0 -
Opt for liquor, like vodka, instead of beer or malt liquor. It has far less calories and gives you a better buzz anyhow.
Also, you can often ask for a diet rum and coke or a diet Redbull as a chaser. And if you know you're going out, you can always try to plan your calories for the day accordingly by leaving some caloric room for drinking. Then there's the option of upping your calories to maintenance just for the day. You'll not gain weight, but you'll have a few more calories to work with. Afterward, though, you'll need to drink a ton of water the next day. That'll help with any bloat you feel or that might show up on the scale. Plus, you need to hydrate after drinking anyway. 
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MODERATION That's all you need mate. 0
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I try to set my calorie goal to allow for some "fun" foods and drinks during the week. I also exercise every day, which gives me extra room when I want to allow myself that. I would make sure you really eat lots of vegetables everyday so you are also getting the nutrition you need and feel satisfied. Try changing your choice of drink mixer - seltzer water with vodka and a lime is low in calorie and you have to sip it. I also (if I remember) try to have two glasses in my hand at all times - one is water. I happen to mindlessely sip away at alcohol even if I don't want it, so having the water keeps me sipping on good stuff.
Whatever you do, dont beat yourself up if you don't eat or drink perfectly. Just do something to move you in the right direction the next day.0 -
Drink in moderation or do more exercise.
Personally I have found the worst thing about alcohol is not the drinks themselves but their ability to then make me consume high quantities of calorie laden junk and hide under the duvet rather than go train...0 -
I'm not a big drinker but I know that a regular beer has ~200 cals so if I go out to dinner with friends I'll have 1 maybe. But my boyfriend used to be an every night at the bar getting loaded kind of drinker. He was also a runner. He said he would run so he could drink whatever he wanted. I do it with food, when I know there's a party or something with a lot of food I know I'll want to eat, I work out harder the day before, day of, and day after to burn those extra cals I'm consuming.0
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I'm in the same situation. I generally drink spirits with a diet mixer over beer or anything creamy. Honestly? I don't log my nights out. I rarely have more than one a week (as heavy as they may be...), if that, and ultimately I know I'm not going to stay in on my own during my only three years at university whilst all my friends go out. There's no point worrying about it or beating yourself up about it I make sure I'm under for the day food-wise anyway and make sure I'm super duper good for the rest of the week - maybe try and balance it out with a heavy gym session or when you're out dance yourself into a coma to counteract it! Haha.
I find the hardest part the hangover munchies...0 -
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