anyone cut out alcohol completely to lose more weight?

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  • amyjax
    amyjax Posts: 102
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    I stopped drinking alcohol at home, and it has definitely helped with my weight loss. I was drinking 2-3 glasses (Ikea wine glasses, so more like a bottle really) most Fridays and Saturdays and it was getting silly. Now I've lost a lot of weight, I feel healthier, my skin is clearer and I don't spend the weekends all sluggish and hanging. If it's one of those very rare occasions when I'm on a night out then I'll have a couple of glasses of wine, but that's all.
  • dfonte
    dfonte Posts: 263 Member
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    I'm glad i don't live near an IKEA. I would lose money.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
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    I've completely cut out alcohol for the past couple of weeks as I'm TTC and I don't think it's had any reflection on my weight loss. Cals in vs cals out :flowerforyou:
  • Falenea
    Falenea Posts: 263 Member
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    Yes, I cut alcohol out of my diet and noticed a difference immediatly.. Alcohol is worse than just the calories it contains for many reasons. One, it almost immediatly turns to sugar, so if you're not doing anything, it will likey just go right to fat. The high calorie content contains no nutrients, so you're swapping calories and getting no nutrients out of it. And finally, as we all know, our inibitions go way down after a drink or two, and it is really easy to justify snacking (cheese goes so nicely with wine) that before we know it, we've eaten more than intended. Finally, it makes you retain water, so you're "puffy" in the face, and your whole body is swollen.

    I think if you're really serious, cut it out of your regular diet, and have it for special occasions only, like a party or weekend BBQ.

    If I'm going to consume over 150 calories (roughly the amount in a glass of red wine) I would rather have something my body wants and can use in my next work out. And I don't know about you, but I never really had just one glass of wine. ;)

    Yes, wink wink, we always say one glass and it never really is, is it! :laugh:

    Yes it is......... one glass you fill over and over and over :laugh:
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    If I'm in serious weight loss mode, I eliminate alcohol. Empty calories, lowers inhibitions and can lead to overeating and I once read that a study said it might have a physiological effect on how the body burns calories.

    At other times, I drink moderately.

    So if you want to enhance your weight loss, definitely give up alcohol for a while.
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
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    I have currently cut it out completely and notice a major difference for the better both mentally and physically. I do think it will help with weightloss.
  • fatfrost
    fatfrost Posts: 365 Member
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    Heavens no! I'd rather be fat
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    Hi there, I am not losing weight as fast as I would like and I am wondering if I cut out alcohol completely if it will speed things up for me. I usually drink about 3 regular size glasses of wine each evening, and I do make space for those calories in my allotted calories for the day. I just don't even feel really good about it anymore. Just wondering if anyone else has made that sacrifice to not drink, except on a rare occasion, and then found you lost weight at a faster rate? Thanks in advance for your opinions!

    I think that while we can enjoy the things we love , if you're not feeling good about it anymore it might be time to try cutting back for a while.
  • elborikenpuro
    elborikenpuro Posts: 1 Member
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    No really, I just bar code the alcohol and count in into my calories. losing weight isn't worth it if you're losing your sanity in the process. Sometimes you just need a glass of wine, or a beer, as long as you just accompany your meal with it, and not just pound them back on the couch, i believe you'll be fine. i have 10oz of merlot everynight, and all i do is make sure i've burned enough calories in that day to compensate. for me, i'd rather just balance it then eliminate it.
  • Levinia2013
    Levinia2013 Posts: 30 Member
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    I have cut it out, but i feel that you should just cut it down. your not trying on a diet your training yourself to eat for life.
  • SlimSumday
    SlimSumday Posts: 379 Member
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    *Read below, maybe this will help answer your question, I was given this in a weight loss seminar that I tool last year*

    When it comes to alcohol, the biggest question I get is "what is the best drink to have calorie-wise if you are watching your weight.?".
    The tricky thing is that caloric content isn't the only thing to consider. Light beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine (yeah right), or a shot of liquor has a mere 150 calories or less. Not too bad right? But here are some other things to consider.....

    Successful weight loss is all about keeping your body in "fat burning mode". A car engine only has gas to use for fuel, but your body on the other hand can draw from a number of sources such as carbohydrates, fat, protein, and ACETATE. The source of fuel it chooses largely depends on its availability. So let's say you have a few drinks ...
    Alcohol is converted in the liver to a substance called acetate - a premium choice of fuel for the body. Therefore even a small amount of alcohol causes a sharp rise in acetate and puts the breaks on fat burning/fat loss. This is very similar to how your body reacts to sugar and simple carbohydrates. The body uses these preferred sources for fuel, and fat gets pushed to the back of the line - exactly what you DON'T want when trying to lose weight/body fat.

    Alcohol also decreases testosterone levels for up to 24 hours making it impossible for your body to repair or build lean muscle (yes, even for women!). People who drink on a regular basis (more than twice a week) tend to carry a lot less muscle and more fat regardless of how hard they weight train or exercise in general. Even people with small amounts of body fat will not see as much muscle definition. There are other causes for lack of muscle, of course, but this can be a big one.

    Alcohol increases your appetite and decreases your resolve to be good and not overindulge. And although we think it will help us relax, sleep more, and feel better, it actually interrupts sleep patterns, and over time can cause anxiety and depression. You see the vicious cycle there?

    So bottom line, if you are serious about feeling better, losing weight, and/or seeing some of that lean muscle show through, skip the alcohol or limit it to one or two drinks ONCE a week or on the weekend - not every day.
    If that truly is a challenge for you, at least for a short time, you might need to ask yourself some tough questions.

    Find another way to unwind and relax. Re-define your fun!
    Hmmm...definitely something to ponder.
  • deepbreaths_strongmoves
    deepbreaths_strongmoves Posts: 54 Member
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    So bottom line, if you are serious about feeling better, losing weight, and/or seeing some of that lean muscle show through, skip the alcohol or limit it to one or two drinks ONCE a week or on the weekend - not every day.
    If that truly is a challenge for you, at least for a short time, you might need to ask yourself some tough questions.

    Find another way to unwind and relax. Re-define your fun!

    I agree with all of this. Moderate drinking for a female is one drink per day, which means a 5oz glass of wine. This does not mean you can stock pile for the weekend :) I'm not sure what you mean by 3 "regular" glasses of wine a night. What I do know is when you cut out something like that I can't imagine it not being helpful. When I don't drink I feel a lot healthier and I know some of my friends feel the same way! Re-defining your fun is SUPER important. Good luck with your decision!
  • justjayce
    justjayce Posts: 11
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    I've thought about it.

    Then I open a bottle of wine and laugh and laugh...

    This!
  • rotill
    rotill Posts: 244 Member
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    I have cut it back a lot, and now I feel awful when I do drink. I tend to drink socially, but in periods I avoid it totally, and I always feel much better. Also, the main bulk of my weight loss was caused by cutting out alcohol and chocolate.

    As for drinking 3 glasses of wine each night - that's 21 units a week. According to the World Health Organisation, 14 units a week for women and 21 units for men is a very high intake of alcohol. WHO recommends that the intake pr week is between 0-14 units for women.

    This means that your intake is already high enough that you are risking your health by alcohol use alone.

    My advice is to cut back to between 7-10 units a week, saving some of those up for a splurge for special occasions or just the week-end. If your husband really needs his drink outside in the evening, join him with a cup of tea, a glass of juice, or even a virgin mary or a grape juice, if you don't want to reveal that you're not keeping him company. It will give you more energy in the long run, lower your risk of several lifestyle diseases, and most likely you'll see a pretty quick effect on your weight.
  • mstrickland9
    mstrickland9 Posts: 102
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    Hi there, I am not losing weight as fast as I would like and I am wondering if I cut out alcohol completely if it will speed things up for me. I usually drink about 3 regular size glasses of wine each evening, and I do make space for those calories in my allotted calories for the day. I just don't even feel really good about it anymore. Just wondering if anyone else has made that sacrifice to not drink, except on a rare occasion, and then found you lost weight at a faster rate? Thanks in advance for your opinions!

    I think that while we can enjoy the things we love , if you're not feeling good about it anymore it might be time to try cutting back for a while.

    Thanks for this, I think this is pretty much where I am at right now, just don't feel good about it anymore, for a variety of reasons.
  • mikevocalist
    mikevocalist Posts: 1
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    I have struggled over the last 5 years of my life with weight gain. I reached a point that I hadn't been to in such a long time. When I graduated from high school I weighed 315 lbs. By the time I had finished college, I had brought myself down to 200 lbs. while in college, I drank whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and was still able to lose the weight because of my harsh training regiment that a friend of mine had me on. Years later, I was still drinking (not as much as my previous years) just about every day. I was having atleast 3 beers a night and slowly reversed the intensity and frequency of my workouts.This is when the weight started to pile back on. I'm 32 now and a month ago I weighed in at 261 lbs. I was devastated that my denial had led me this far. I knew choices had to be made, and alcohol was one of them. I could keep the weight, or ditch alcohol for a while and make a legit run at my fitness goals. Along with a diet overhaul, I was able to throw out the tasty booze for bottles water and 90 minutes in the gym a day. I've lost 12 lbs since that change and it has opened my eyes to a new understanding of things. I'm not a kid anymore...I'm an adult. (I'm a musician, gimme a break with the late realization of maturity!) I had to stop treating my body like an amusement park. I'm going into the prime of my life and I want to look the part as well. Sure ill drink again, but my decisions will be far more frugal and fastidious. So basically, yes alcohol was a problem and cutting it has kick started my weigh loss journey. Good luck to you and sorry for making you read a short story in order to get an answer out of me.
  • mumtoonegirl
    mumtoonegirl Posts: 586 Member
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    nope, but I am not a big drinker, I assure it fits in my calories and enjoy!
  • u00rlsz
    u00rlsz Posts: 1 Member
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    I have found that for me personally, drinking alcohol makes a HUGE difference in my weight loss (actually lack there of). However, when I drink - I drink (not one or two, but usually several) so I'm not sure if it's just the alcohol itself, or that I eat more, eat junk food, and eat late at night. I've been stalled about two weeks because I've been drinking lately after losing over 20lbs - I'm going to Hawaii in two weeks so I've committed to cutting out all alcohol and losing those last few pounds.
  • jmarie1967
    jmarie1967 Posts: 51 Member
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    *Read below, maybe this will help answer your question, I was given this in a weight loss seminar that I tool last year*

    When it comes to alcohol, the biggest question I get is "what is the best drink to have calorie-wise if you are watching your weight.?".
    The tricky thing is that caloric content isn't the only thing to consider. Light beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine (yeah right), or a shot of liquor has a mere 150 calories or less. Not too bad right? But here are some other things to consider.....

    Successful weight loss is all about keeping your body in "fat burning mode". A car engine only has gas to use for fuel, but your body on the other hand can draw from a number of sources such as carbohydrates, fat, protein, and ACETATE. The source of fuel it chooses largely depends on its availability. So let's say you have a few drinks ...
    Alcohol is converted in the liver to a substance called acetate - a premium choice of fuel for the body. Therefore even a small amount of alcohol causes a sharp rise in acetate and puts the breaks on fat burning/fat loss. This is very similar to how your body reacts to sugar and simple carbohydrates. The body uses these preferred sources for fuel, and fat gets pushed to the back of the line - exactly what you DON'T want when trying to lose weight/body fat.

    Alcohol also decreases testosterone levels for up to 24 hours making it impossible for your body to repair or build lean muscle (yes, even for women!). People who drink on a regular basis (more than twice a week) tend to carry a lot less muscle and more fat regardless of how hard they weight train or exercise in general. Even people with small amounts of body fat will not see as much muscle definition. There are other causes for lack of muscle, of course, but this can be a big one.

    Alcohol increases your appetite and decreases your resolve to be good and not overindulge. And although we think it will help us relax, sleep more, and feel better, it actually interrupts sleep patterns, and over time can cause anxiety and depression. You see the vicious cycle there?

    So bottom line, if you are serious about feeling better, losing weight, and/or seeing some of that lean muscle show through, skip the alcohol or limit it to one or two drinks ONCE a week or on the weekend - not every day.
    If that truly is a challenge for you, at least for a short time, you might need to ask yourself some tough questions.

    Find another way to unwind and relax. Re-define your fun!
    All great info, and yes, I used to drink 5-6 nights a week (vodka) and since I am down to one night a week and limit it to 2 drinks, I am losing MUCH better. In my mind, alcohol was part of the problem...
  • blackcloud13
    blackcloud13 Posts: 654 Member
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    I haven't cut it out - but I've cut down. I probably average 3 pints a week now, down from about 10-12. Its hard to tell whether that was the main factor in losing weight as I changed so many other things at the same time! However, I think it helped.

    Also, the time I started gaining the weight all those years ago does coincide with when started drink (on nights out) more frequently

    So my guess is between the extra calories, the "science bits" above, and the fact that late night drinking makes early morning running a bit harder, cutting helps. No need to go to zero, though!

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