Alcohol - two reasons not to drink?

From the other side:

I've had a beer every now and then since I've been losing weight. If there are issues with not being able to control yourself with the alcohol, don't necessarily blame the brew. I never blamed a fork for making me fat.

I make room in my life to have it because I like it.

I have had to do the same thing. I am trying to cut alcohol out! Sper Bowl was hard. We sat at Buffalo Wild Wings and watched the game. We were there from 3:30- 10:30..... 5 wings and 6 beers later.....Monday was horrible. I am so glad football season is over. I use to drink vodka and unsweeten ice tea...

did anyone watch the news today about alcohol mixed with diet drinks is more potent than alcohol mixed with regular drinks.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/06/diet-or-regular-choice-alcohol-mixer-affects-intoxication/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+foxnews/health+(Internal+-+Health+-+Text)

I limit it because of my anxiety and depression. Those are two solid reasons for me not to drink.

Alcohol definitely affects me the next day if I have more than 1 drink [depending on how much food I eat with it]. It's a number of things:

-It dehydrates me. I try to drink a bunch of water before and after drinking, and before bed and maybe in the night if I wake up. It helps but doesn't totally fix things. This makes it harder to do a workout or even deal with life the next day sometimes. I'm not even talking about drinking enough to be hung over, it just makes me rather sluggish and bleary. I notice my eyes look much more tired the next day, but that's probably because...

-It affects the quality of my sleep! My friend often talked about "Passing out" after drinking and/or smoking weed and differentiating it from just sleeping. Drugs like that [and I consider alcohol and caffeine drugs] will make my sleep less restful. I never dream when I "pass out" after drinking, but if I wake up in the middle of the night and drink some water, then go back to sleep I will actually dream. Sleep is never as restful, however heavy it may feel, so I always end up more tired than if I had just slept without it.

-It affects my judgement. If I get too drunk I'll eat some ****ty food, which will make me feel ****tier the next day. Eating before drinking [and smoking weed when I used to do that] helped a lot as it made the body metabolize it faster and being full staved off any appetite changes. Drinking water obviously helps too, but it takes awhile to fully process some of that stuff and you can only drink so much before you're water-logged and feeling sloshy.

So aside from the empty calories, it definitely makes it harder to stay on track for all these reasons. I've been restricting my drinking to only with others and not buying beer anymore. It's funny, I think I could go without drinking forever and be alright, and just as easily get back into the habit of going through six packs and bottles of wine or vodka like they're nothing. Genetic per-disposition I suppose.

From the other side:

I've had a beer every now and then since I've been losing weight. If there are issues with not being able to control yourself with the alcohol, don't necessarily blame the brew. I never blamed a fork for making me fat.

I make room in my life to have it because I like it.

This. Moderation (which is different for different people) is the key.

This post has really made me want a cocktail.

I find that it sucks the life out of me. I enjoy it during the moment, but I'm either exhausted afterward or completely unmotivated. Even just one glass of red wine gives me a wicked sinus headache the next day. I can't say I'll never have it again, but more and more it isn't worth it. I would much rather have food that energizes me and helps me achieve my workout/life goals than something that tastes good for 10 minutes and leaves me useless.

Alcohol stimulates your appetite and lowers inibition, it is a dangerous combo which often leads to lack of self control.

This. When I drink more than a couple, I get hungry and have a "who cares" attitude about it. Before I know it, I'm cramming junk.

I LOVE my wine...but well, it's emply cals, and when I drink too much I end up hungover, dehydrated, can't exercise and just end up mad at myself that I consumed all those calories and feel too sh*tty to work it off. :frown:

bump to read later, I also need motivation to cut it out!

I was a very heavy drinker and i didn't trust myself so i gave up a year ago

This.

Heh .. I don't have a drinking problem, I have a stopping problem.

meh. I give it up from time to time for diet reasons but I dont very often drink enough to get hungover anymore- for the same reasons you cited: i feel like crap and eat bad foods. I love my beers but they are so fattening I had to cut way back:(

This post has really made me want a cocktail.

Oooh, a nice Mojito would be lush!

Or a Paloma......delish!

Just have a sip of the drink in your pic.

lol. If only I could.

Personally I stay just about totally away from wine and beer. Definitely packs on the pounds. If I have anything its liquor and only something I enjoy in a straight shot. The mixers seem to be worse for me than the actual alcohol. They seem to be what makes me feel bad and what makes me want to munch. But it's still empty calories that could better be used somewhere else. I try to limit it to times on weekends when I have been the most active and have a few calories I can blow!!!

Alcohol and food issues go hand in hand..... if you have control issues with alcohol, you will with food even if you don't drink. Gotta work on the underlying issues which are making you consume too much of anything.

They are empty calories, and I log them when I do drink (usually vodka or tequila soda with lime - no sugary drinks - or wine). I find my drinking in moderation does not affect my workouts the next day, this is just me though. Everyone is different.