We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

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
This discussion has been closed.