Alcohol and weight gain?

msliu7911
msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
edited January 9 in Health and Weight Loss
I'd been doing the past couple weeks (dropped 4 lbs!) by eating very clean, drinking tons of water, and exercising often. Then this weekend came along. I didn't quite pig out or anything but most of my meals were at restaurants (high sodium) AND to top it off.. Saturday night I drank a few toooo many drinks.

Got on the scale this morning and I'm up 4 lbs from where i was Friday morning!!! :( Has this ever happened to anyone? I'm really hoping I haven't just erased 2 weeks of hard work... Its also that TOM this week so I'm wondering if the alcohol just added to the usual bloat/water gain?

Disclaimer: I usually have maybe 2-3 glasses of white wine per WEEK at MAX... so this Saturday was definitely in excess of my usual. Just don't want anyone thinking I'm a professional binge drinker on the weekends and still hoping to lose weight. :)

Replies

  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    Water retention, we all fluctuate 2-5lbs a day, weight loss isn't linear......and so on.......think long term, not short term. It doesn't work that way. I drink alcohol(wine, gin, scotch) and still lose weight/get cut.
  • cyberiarob
    cyberiarob Posts: 229 Member
    I wouldn't worry too much about it - your fluid levels are probably just off.

    I actually have the opposite problem - I stay within my calorie goal but have some drinks (4-6 maybe) and will lose a few pounds, I assume from dehydration. It goes back to normal within a day or two for me.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Water retention, we all fluctuate 2-5lbs a day, weight loss isn't linear......and so on.......think long term, not short term. It doesn't work that way. I drink alcohol(wine, gin, scotch) and still lose weight/get cut.

    Agreed. It is likely the sodium, all it takes for me is one meal out at a restaurant to jack up my weight by 2-5 pounds for a few days!
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    As the others have said, I drink alcohol and eat out as well.. if that happens usually I don't bother with the scale for about a week of being back on track.
  • kksctt
    kksctt Posts: 2
    I still love my beer, but only one day a week.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    Water retention, we all fluctuate 2-5lbs a day, weight loss isn't linear......and so on.......think long term, not short term. It doesn't work that way. I drink alcohol(wine, gin, scotch) and still lose weight/get cut.

    Agreed. It is likely the sodium, all it takes for me is one meal out at a restaurant to jack up my weight by 2-5 pounds for a few days!

    Wow! That seems like my same problem. Alcohol aside.. all I have to do is go to a restaurant and order a "healthy" salad.. then forget to have them put the dressing on the side- and I "gain" weight! Theres sooo much sodium in things and I guess we all react differently.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    Thanks all, this is making me feel much better. I'm thinking of not getting on the scale until the end of the week or so.
  • BonaFideUK
    BonaFideUK Posts: 313 Member
    condiments, dressings, etc, can turn a health meal into a pretty unhealthy meal quite easily
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