Wine...

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minus15go
minus15go Posts: 27
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, so here's the deal....

I can go all day eating really healthy

and then there's dinner time and I end up drinking wine...and not just one glass, more like a bottle.

So if I drink a few/a lot of glasses of vino and I'm still under my calorie count, is that still on track?

Honestly wine is my "Achilles Heel". I could go all day eating a minimal amount of calories but when the evening rolls around all I want is a bottle of wine. I work out, I eat healthy, but I drink wine a little more than the average bear. What are your thoughts? I need some feedback...

Replies

  • Ripgirl
    Ripgirl Posts: 172 Member
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    I know EXACTLY what you mean.

    Check it this post from a while back..... :sad:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/62997-the-alcohol-question

    Good luck!
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    From what I've read, your body wants to burn and get rid of the alcohol first before it'll burn fat. So when you drink, it spends a few hours burning off the alcohol in your body before you'll go back to burning off the fat. If you drink alot (more than a few glasses), your body could spend a day or more burning it off. So in the long run, it might be a detriment to your weight loss. However, a glass I wouldn't see too much of an issue with. I still drink a glass or two, or a beer, on the weekends. Although I'm visiting my college friends this weekend up at Cornell so I'm sure i'll be breaking my no more than 2 drink rule... haha.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    That topic that is posted above mine is exactly what I was referring to. It explains it better than I can... lol
  • SarahAlt
    SarahAlt Posts: 44
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    Ummm... everything in moderation? I don't think wine itself is a diet killer. I am a fan of a good glass of wine, myself. However, alcohol does tend to dehydrate. Staying under your calorie goal is great, but maybe not so great if it's empty calories that don't go towards nurturing your body, giving it the energy it needs to properly process the food you do eat and the wine you do drink. Be kind to your body and take it easy on the wine, maybe. That's just my opinion.
  • minus15go
    minus15go Posts: 27
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    That was definitely informative...now I have to muster up the will power to adhere to your advice!
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
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    I uhm.. have a thing for wine. I've started making sure I have a quality box wine on hand - and YES there are a few decent box wines! A box lets me have a nice glass of wine at night and not have this open bottle that's just begging to be finished off! I can pour myself a 4 or 6 oz. pour, and go to the far end of the house and enjoy my wine with my meal, or better yet, eat my dinner with water and have my glass of wine later with an oz. of cheese.

    I used to drink a glass every night but now I've been having a glass only about three nights a week. I save calories for it and I don't feel badly. I think a glass of red wine is defensible and it's not any worse than one of those 100 calorie packs of junk food people eat!

    If you don't make this new approach to life something you can really embrace and love, it won't stick.

    Good luck!
  • Ang8178
    Ang8178 Posts: 308
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    Up untill last month I drank alot! I love wine also but I can also put hard alcohol away like you wouldn't believe :laugh: I'm not sure about all this calorie counting, or how the body burns alcohol, or if it hinders your weight loss. All I can tell you is what has worked for me this month. When I stopped drinking on a regular basis I lost more weight. Even if I drank and was under my calorie goal with it, I still had a very hard time losing. Last night I had two glasses of syrah. I corked it put it in the fridge and had water after. Red wine will last 3 days opened just take it out of the fridge about 30 mins before you want to drink it. From now on this will be a once in a while thing for me :frown: I don't like seeing people around me be able to drink and I'm sipping on water, but I really want to meet my goals.

    I know they say all this is a life style change, this will be the hardest one of all for me to change! When I know I'm going to drink I put it in my food calories at the start of the day so I know what I can have. Good luck with cutting back on the wine, I know it's hard but can be done. :flowerforyou:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I'm definitely an everything in moderation kind of girl... but if you have enough calories at the end of the day to have a whole bottle of wine, you're not getting the nutrients you need. And the alcohol (I know wine isn't a very high percentage - but again, if you're drinking a whole bottle...it adds up) is going to make you retain water because alcohol is dehydrating...so you could gain and it may take you awhile to get it off. Example:

    For my 21st birthday, I had about 7 shots and one 4 oz. drink (that was mostly alcohol). 2 days later I weighed and I had gained 3 lbs. I barely was over my calories on my birthday and didn't go over the days in between then and my weighing...I was drinking a lot of water. So basically, I was doing everything right - save for the alcohol. It took me almost 2 weeks, drinking over 120 oz. of water everyday, making sure I was in my calories EVERYDAY to lose those 3 lbs.

    Is it really worth it?
  • Joanneh
    Joanneh Posts: 40 Member
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    I drink every weekend, and stick to my calories apart from the alcohol. Its usually just one night where I have a lot of alcohol calories. Its just meant that I am not losing at all - I've toned up etc due to exercise, but my goal is 7Ibs lower than what I am , and I know if I keep the drinking up I am not going to reach that goal. However I seem to be able to maintain while doing this - its just a choice I have to make - keep or lose the drinking to keep or lose the 7lbs!!
  • IrishChik
    IrishChik Posts: 464 Member
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    I am just now starting to be a wine drinker. My local market will have locally produced wine for about $5 a bottle. After hearing about all the heart health benefits, I thought maybe a glass now and then would be OK. It has also been the drink of choice for my movie night get together's with my girl friends. My aunt told me she turns her one glass in to two by adding some tonic water or seltzer. I have not tried this yet, but she seems to love it.

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