Anybody drink alot and lose weight

kayygreat
kayygreat Posts: 20 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm in college so a lot of my friends are newly 21 and want to go out every Thursday-Saturday. I recently joined this site because I've gained 30 pounds since I got to school(without drinking). I don't want to miss out on memories with my friends because I'm at home trying to lose weight but I also want to look and feel good in the clothes I'm wearing.

So any advice?

Replies

  • firelle
    firelle Posts: 118 Member
    I limit myself to one drink. Also, some places (like restaurants) have "Skinny" versions of popular sugary drinks.
  • tat2dzombiegirl
    tat2dzombiegirl Posts: 54 Member
    I track what I eat during the day to ensure a calorie reserve the night I go out. Eat a little something before you go out so you don't get sick. Vodka and soda water is my favorite drink, vodka has the highest alcohol content/lowest calories 90 or so, soda water has 0. Try infused vodka for more flavor, I always add lime. A light beer and a shot is also good. Just try and stay away from sticky sweet mixers.
  • gjulie
    gjulie Posts: 391
    I see your point also you can gain alot of weight while drinking because it gives you a false appetite,Im a lot older than you I always went out with my friends had a great time and never drank much you could try white wine spritzer water dilutes the drink or spirits with diet mixer avoid beer thats loaded with sugar,Im very boring I tend to stick with plain water I know its a very difficult place to be,but the important thing is having a good time with your friends even if you had a glass of water to each alcholic drink!you will feel alot better next day too!!!!!!!:laugh:
  • steelmaggie228
    steelmaggie228 Posts: 75 Member
    I drink a lot- my social life is super active and I'm not a lightweight...here are my tricks.

    ALWAY ask for or use sugar-free or diet mixers- bring your own to parties. Be prepared
    Never Jager
    Vodka and Tequila are the least caloric for shots- do them chilled with muddled lime.
    Take your vitamins.
    If you're a beer drinker, save it for special occasions and stick to good beer, make those calories worth it.
    Stay on your feet, burn extra calories walking or dancing while drinking
    Don't drink wine
    Don't drink Mike's Hard, even the "lite" kind is crap
    Don't drink Joose, Four Loko, etc. Not worth it.
    Don't drive drunk.
    Tip your bartenders well
  • keithmustloseweight
    keithmustloseweight Posts: 309 Member
    Have some calorie-free recreational drugs instead.
  • swisswife
    swisswife Posts: 47 Member
    If you drive why not be the designated driver and ensure your friends get home safely and then you will be the only on to actually 'remember' what happened on the nights out !!
  • kayygreat
    kayygreat Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for the advice! So do bars have sugarfree or diet mixers? If not what should I order when I go out?
  • steelmaggie228
    steelmaggie228 Posts: 75 Member
    Thanks for the advice! So do bars have sugarfree or diet mixers? If not what should I order when I go out?

    They should have diet soda- at least diet coke and usually they'll have sugar-free energy drinks. You'll have to ask your bartender, every place is different. Worst case scenario, order tonic and limes for a mixer.
    Here's what I normally order.

    Cherry vodka with sugar-free Red Bull
    Vodka tonic with limes
    Tequila tonic with limes
    Chilled vodka or tequila shot with muddled limes
    Diet Sierra Mist and tequila
    Diet rum and coke <
    I'm actually not a rum fan, but this is like 64 calories
    Diet Jack and coke
    Diet Dr. Pepper and Fireball
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    stick to lite beers. Don't drink to get hammered. Stay at a nice buzz. If you can, eat before you go out, take a b12 pill, drink green tea and have water as you're drinking. Don't be those pigs at the end of the night who inhale fast food after a night drinking.
  • mrssmith329
    mrssmith329 Posts: 5
    I drink vodka waters with lemon wedges...simple and not too many calories and you only need 2 too feel a great buzz
  • michelleal90
    michelleal90 Posts: 6 Member
    From bar tending and reading the nutrition labels on the mixers, I can tell you to stick to drinks that are not fancy. think gin tonic or vodka soda water. The frozen margaritas where I work were 1400 calories, all carbs! Also, drink in moderation, not only to avoid the hangover tomorrow, but from my years gone freshman college experience I know I can put away a whole pizza while intoxicated.
  • AggieFan2011
    AggieFan2011 Posts: 551 Member
    I too am in college and have friends who want to go out on a consistent basis. I'm still figuring out how to balance it all out and some night I do end up going over with my calories, but for the most part I've learned to plan for it. If you know that your friends are going to want to go out try and save up some calories for the drinks. Also, check the calorie content in drinks before you actually go out that way you know exactly what you should order at the bar and won't get blindsided by ordering a drink that you didn't know had such a high calorie count. Trust me this happened to me the first night I went out after joining MFP... it was not pretty. Haha

    Also, as some people have mentioned offering to be the DD for the night is a good idea. I do that quite a bit, and I just tell my friends I'll drive because I'm low on cash and don't want to spend a lot of money on drinks. Also, alternating drinks with water is helpful and it keeps you hydrated which you will be very thankful for the next morning. I also am just by nature a very fast drinker, but I've learned how to sip my drinks slowly so that they last longer. You don't have to give up nights out with your friends you just have to learn how to balance that with making smart choices when you're out at the bars or parties. Oh and remember it's a learning process, if you have a night where you end up going over don't freak out about it. It won't completely ruin your weight loss goals. You just have to get back on the wagon the next day. :smile:
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    I did a fair amount of drinking in college. FWIW, though some of my fondest memories of those times involved intoxicants, the best memories of that time are of the people I knew and the places I went, not the the times I got wasted. Barely remember those nights.
  • Claire_x90
    Claire_x90 Posts: 94
    I used to drink A LOT and I couldn't shred the weight.

    These days I usually do a shot of tequila and then a tequila mixed with soda water which I drag out.
    After that I just drink soda water and pretend I've got tequila in it still cause people want you to drink haha

    (tequila and vodka have the fewest calories and no sugar that I'm aware of)
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    One more thing. The winter/spring of my senior year, I lost a lot of weight, about 50 lbs. Looking back, I should have done it sooner. It was a lot more fun doing college stuff as a thin person than as a fat person.
  • Artemis00diana
    Artemis00diana Posts: 90
    Alcohol and parties are also my biggest enermys T__T Being 23 and styding + wanting to be social is really hard while trying to lose weight. I try to drink the light soda with vodka if posible and stay away from beer as much as I can do (but it is just so much cheaper XD)

    (please add me as a friend, so we can help each other have a healthy way to party Hard ;))
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    http://getdrunknotfat.com/

    I guess someone had to post it ;)

    Personally I drink an unGodly amount of red wine and still seem to make progress.
  • briebear77
    briebear77 Posts: 253 Member
    Have some calorie-free recreational drugs instead.

    Good idea, except that just makes me eat all the food :sad:
  • keithmustloseweight
    keithmustloseweight Posts: 309 Member
    Have some calorie-free recreational drugs instead.

    Good idea, except that just makes me eat all the food :sad:

    Depends what you're using I guess. Try something else.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    If you drink regularly chances are you will gain weight.. I remember the days..I put on 40lbs in 6 months of partying..just drinking and eating out...I did loose it all but over years it crept back on and now that it has been 20 years later it don't come off as easy...

    They were fun times..can't say I would do anything different just be ready when the weight adds up.
  • Kristin2984
    Kristin2984 Posts: 54
    A few people suggested tonic as mixture. A 12 oz bottle of tonic has around 120 calories. A 12 oz bottle of club soad has zero. Club soda is water that is carbonated. Tonic is carbonated but has a slightly bitter taste. Drink whateve you want but know that tonic is not a calori free mixer.
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    Have some calorie-free recreational drugs instead.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
    pregame! I do shots at home first if i want to get crunk(after some time following mfp calorie limits it only takes me 2-3 shots haha) that way I know what I'm drinking exactly and it saves money.

    We usually all go to someone's house and pregame first and take the night bus to the bars, or whoever's driving measures theirs out and shoots it in the parking lot when we get there. The logic behind this practice is that we're all poor, and happens to fit in nicely with my calorie counting without anyone knowing I'm even counting
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
    I drink from fri-sun with no problems. Would probably be a bit simpler if I didn't, but still doing fine. I work my calories on a weekly basis, generally from mon-thurs I aim for around 200 under my goal, fri I break around even and saturday and sunday I go over to add up to my weekly goal.
  • TheeGeeMarie
    TheeGeeMarie Posts: 59 Member
    Train hard so you can eat enough nutritious calories and still have all kinds of wiggle room for those delightful empty calories.

    Drink vodka or tequila with water or soda water (plus lemon, lime, whatever melts your butter). Avoid beer.

    Slam an ice water every one or two drinks

    Make munchies ahead of time so you're not tempted to eat crap when you're hammered. My favorite is baked sweet potato chips. It's important not to attempt to make healthy munchies when you're already drunk, though. That's how thumbs get sliced open.

    Finish the night off with a coconut water - keeps you hydrated, prevents hangover.
  • Izzwoz
    Izzwoz Posts: 348 Member
    In my going out and drinking days, I was skinnier than I am now with less alcohol. I figured that as we always went to nightclubs and spent hours on the dance floor, the calories burnt dancing made up for the ones consumed with the alcohol ... So as long as you keep active and/or can fit the calories into your overall target, you will be fine ... Just be careful not to just drink your daily allowance, that would get you into all sorts of problems.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,347 Member
    Tonic has around the same calories as any other non-diet mixer - beware! the bitterness doesn't mean it is less sweet.

    Spirits with diet mixer, or with soda and fresh lime are the best bang for your buck.
  • MeeshyBW
    MeeshyBW Posts: 382 Member
    I drink a lot- my social life is super active and I'm not a lightweight...here are my tricks.

    ALWAY ask for or use sugar-free or diet mixers- bring your own to parties. Be prepared
    Never Jager
    Vodka and Tequila are the least caloric for shots- do them chilled with muddled lime.
    Take your vitamins.
    If you're a beer drinker, save it for special occasions and stick to good beer, make those calories worth it.
    Stay on your feet, burn extra calories walking or dancing while drinking
    Don't drink wine
    Don't drink Mike's Hard, even the "lite" kind is crap
    Don't drink Joose, Four Loko, etc. Not worth it.
    Don't drive drunk.
    Tip your bartenders well

    Dang, this girl knows what she is talking about!

    Muddied lime is your friend. :)

    IMO you can't go wrong rocking a G&T with lime. If you must have beer, go for a Coors lite or something similar. Only about 100cals.

    WINE IS EVIL (when you are having a session!)

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