Occasional Alcohol Consumption

kateauch · May 2013

Ok....So I'll be honest....

I'm 23 and have a healthy social life which often times includes enjoying a few adult beverages. I understand that moderation is the key to almost everything in life but I don't think I can completely cut alcohol out of my life (I love my vino!) so I'm a bit stuck.

Right now I probably have 2-3 beers/glasses of wine/mixed drinks a week and I'm definitely going to cut down significantly but I was wondering if anyone else has had this challenge.

I would love any recommendations for healthier types/brands/strategies for having the occasional cocktail. Thanks!

lcvaughn520 · May 2013

That honestly doesn't sound that bad. I still drink alcohol (actually just posted about this on a different thread). I'm sure it does kind of hinder my weight loss but I'm not willing to become a hermit

Stick with calorie free mixers for your mixed drinks - club soda, diet coke, water with a squeeze of lime, etc. I do not believe in those reduced calorie beverages. They're normally reduced calories because they're reduced alcohol content. Just drink what you drink and be smart about it.

kateauch · May 2013

Thanks Laura!

pugsleyjean · May 2013

I have the same problem and love having a drink or 6 with friends. I don't do it every day, could be one time a week and others could be spread out like 2 drinks today and 2 later on in the week.

I used to drink flavored vodkas and mixing it with sprite, sugar free redbull, ect but found that is a lot of sugar and calories. I have now switched to vodka/water and adding in a couple drops of my favorite mio for some flavor. Also try Skinny Girl Cocktails. I just found out about these so I haven’t tried any yet but they have wines at 100 calories.

There are some days where I know that I will be out drinking later so I try and get more exercise in the day to give me back some of the calories I will drink later

Cheers and good luck!!

kateauch · May 2013

I never thought of the Mio idea. Good call! Thanks!!

AprilLove125 · May 2013

I was JUST going to post about this! It's kismet.

I prefer wine or beer to anything mixed. I used to drink vodka but found lately that mixing it with anything made it too sweet. I try to stick to red wine, but my hubby like white or blush so that is in the house more often. I got used to having a drink or two after work at night with him during the week, something I never did when I lived alone. I found the pounds creeping on, so I limit myself to two nights a week where I indulge, and one night on the weekend where I may have a little more.

I think anything in moderation is fine, and I agree, I really don't think I want to cut it out completely. I enjoy a beer with my dinner, or wine when we're relaxing at night. I always add it to my daily totals and try to stay within my daily limits no matter what.

I think it's perfectly fine :-)

RivenV · May 2013

If it was kismet for AprilLove125, then it must be double-kismet for us all because I also was going to post about this.

I do like to have about one (or two) alcoholic beverages on any given day. Most week days this means a glass or two of wine before (and then after) dinner as the night wears on. This still fits into my daily caloric/macro sets, so I've just been assuming this whole time that it's ok. Occasionally, I switch this up with some beer or a mixed drink that I don't feel is too unhealthy (Guinness/Gin & Tonic).
It doesn't sound to me like you're going crazy with your drinks or your calories/macros. I can't help but think that if we were all to cut alcohol out of our diets completely we would certainly lose weight faster, but if you don't see yourself giving up alcohol entirely one day, that's not a sustainable solution. I think you're doing just fine trying to watch what you drink and being conscious of your decisions.

debralekicsummers · May 2013

I love my wine, i don't usually drink during the week, but i like a few glasses over the weekend, socially , sometimes a little too much socially lol...... About 2 months ago i was diagnosed with pcos and insulin resistance and they put me on Meformin , i read that you should not drink or limit your alcohol intake while taking these meds, apparently it makes you feel really ill and you can get lactic acidosis. I know they say you can have in small amounts but after reading about it i decided not to. It is hard sometimes especially when we visit friends or they come over,so now i am down to opening the fridge , sniffing the bottle and putting it back or i might sneak one sip of my hubbies wine lol.............

JesterMFP · May 2013

My strategy for drinking is to log everything, keep it in moderate amounts (drinking less + weight loss have both led to getting drunk on less

), and if I'm drinking for the buzz rather than for taste, I stick to a spirit + low calorie mixer. So, I usually have rum and diet coke, or vodka and diet coke, or gin and slimline tonic etc. If I'm drinking for the taste, or to accompany a meal, obviously I'll have what I like and enjoy a glass or two of red wine. I also try to make sure that if I'm going to be drinking, I'm getting plenty of nutrients, and that I'm well hydrated.

cityjaneLondon · May 2013

I have one drink every day. - in fact I'm just about to have it. - 6pm! :laugh:
I log it as 100 calories. Very occasionally, special occasions, I might have 2 and very rarely 3. Always logged.
Why not? As long as one drink doesn't turn into a binge.
This is for LIFE. You have got to love the way you eat and drink. I LOVE mine and look forward to every little delicious morsel and every lovely sip. My current fave drink is Pernod.
I have lost 42 lbs.

cwolfman13 · May 2013

I lost 35 Lbs while regularly consuming alcohol...and not always in moderation either. You cannot store alcohol sugars as fat BTW...they have to be metabolized immediately...it is generally the **** you eat while/after you drink that causes problems because your body has to store that stuff as fat because it is solely working on the alcohol and can't metabolize anything else.

sixpackdream · May 2013

I usually have one drink a day (a light beer) usually later in the evening when I am relaxing. Once in a while on the weekend I might have two with guests.

From everything I have read, and I read a lot, this is probably more healthy than drinking just about anything else except water.

silverinc13 · May 2013

I generally have a glass of wine or a beer everyday, sometimes a few more on the weekends! As long as it fits my daily intake of calories and carbs i'm really not concerned at all with it. Just be sure to drink plenty of water to counteract any dehydration! It's not a bad thing to work out a little harder to have that extra drink

Angimom · May 2013

I have the same problem and love having a drink or 6 with friends. I don't do it every day, could be one time a week and others could be spread out like 2 drinks today and 2 later on in the week.

I used to drink flavored vodkas and mixing it with sprite, sugar free redbull, ect but found that is a lot of sugar and calories. I have now switched to vodka/water and adding in a couple drops of my favorite mio for some flavor. Also try Skinny Girl Cocktails. I just found out about these so I haven’t tried any yet but they have wines at 100 calories.

There are some days where I know that I will be out drinking later so I try and get more exercise in the day to give me back some of the calories I will drink later

Cheers and good luck!!

This is my solution too! (or 6 was a perfect line, lol) Mio's rock! And if you go to a resturant and they don't have flavored Vodka, no problmo!

run_way · May 2013

I still drink, but I have found that when I am eating clean consistently, if I drink any hard alcohol it makes me sick. I still drink wine, and I love beer so I make it worth it by having a stout, for a lower calorie option, Guinness has about 120 calories per 12oz which is only about 10cals more than Bud Light :noway:

K3Daw · May 2013

I can certainly relate. I love my wine and won't give it up. My husband brews his own beer and he won't give that up either. So it's a matter of knowing the consequences of that 2nd or 3rd glass of wine/beer. My husband and I actually laugh about it now. Before getting involved in myfitness, we would have those extra drinks without pause. Now we plan it out. More exercise throughout the day enables us to have that second or third glass if we choose. That or skimp on meals...it's a matter of how tough the day has been.

)

msrootitooti · May 2013

I usually have anywhere from 1-5 drinks on the weekend. I make sure to log it. I admit there isn't always room for it so it can make me go over. It hasn't affected my weight loss.

loveachallenge · May 2013

I have 1-2 drinks mostly every evening. It helps with the stress from work and life. Its my time to relax and I really enjoy it. I make sure it fits into my macros. I will usually have beer (sometimes light, sometimes not) or captain and diet.

kateauch · May 2013

Thanks everyone! This is all GREAT info and now I don't feel so bad about indulging once and a while. As you all have said, just factor it into the calorie count for the day.

justal313 · May 2013

I had a day last year where we were going to go out for an EPIC PUB CRAWL. Before leaving for the pub crawl I put in a 90 minute run to have a bazillion calories. However that is when I discovered that losing weight killed my tolerance.

I logged all my drinking calories and then splattered them all over an alley before passing out and being carried home by my buddies. :drinker: :sick: :sick: :sick:

bcattoes · May 2013

Right now I probably have 2-3 beers/glasses of wine/mixed drinks a week and I'm definitely going to cut down significantly but I was wondering if anyone else has had this challenge.

I would love any recommendations for healthier types/brands/strategies for having the occasional cocktail. Thanks!

2-3 drinks a week is not going to affect your weight loss much as long as you track those calories and keep a deficit.

As far as healthier options, in general wine is healthiest - about 100-150 calories per glass, is usually sipped rather than chugged, has nutrients and is easist on your liver.

Beer is second - also easier on your liver than liquors but usually higher in calories per glass than wine and often consumed in higher quantities. Also tastes better with greasy fried drunk foods than wine.

Liquor is usually less calories than beer or wine but is hardest on your liver. It's also often mixed with high sugar drinks, which can derail weight loss. Some liquors make your clothes fall off and can lead to mistakes faster than anything other than computers and handguns.

Occasional Alcohol Consumption

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