Alcohol

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debbieb1971
debbieb1971 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

Without sounding like i have a problem - i usually have a couple of bottles of wine over the weekend - and i'm going to find it really hard to go without this weekend. I work hard all week and use it as a reward to myself. However, i don't want to waste my calories on alcohol - especially in my first week of following a proper calorie controlled diet.

How do others cope, or do you still manage to have the odd glass or two.

Deb
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Replies

  • alyssalanier
    alyssalanier Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm the same way and without sounding like I have a problem, it is worth it to me to eat salads on Fridays and Saturdays and go for a jog so that I can enjoy my wine without the guilt. Good thing I'm not fond of beer.
  • yaseyuku
    yaseyuku Posts: 871 Member
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    Personally, I was a big drinker before trying to lose weight. Now when I want to drink, I allot for it in my daily calories.

    This might not work if you're prone to binging while drinking, but I personally just wasted a lot of calories on drinks themselves. Limiting myself to a certain amount (and not every day) has generally worked for me.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
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    I'm the same way and without sounding like I have a problem, it is worth it to me to eat salads on Fridays and Saturdays and go for a jog so that I can enjoy my wine without the guilt. Good thing I'm not fond of beer.

    The light beer that I drink actually has fewer calories in a 12 oz serving than the 5 oz servings of white wine that I drink, so I don't really find it that hard to fit beer or wine into my calorie budget, and I love both equally.
  • cosmic8o8
    cosmic8o8 Posts: 131 Member
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    I still enjoy my happy hours, but have cut back on how much I go out during the week. When I drink, I try to limit myself to no more than two cocktails a night.
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
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    When you go out, space out your drinks with a glass of water in between.
  • JBeaner
    JBeaner Posts: 8 Member
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    I treat myself to a 6 pack of bottle Michelob Ultra. I really watch my calories the day I will be "treating" myself, but as of late, I hardly finish the 6 pack. I make sure I alternate glasses of water in between the beer.
  • 1brokegal44
    1brokegal44 Posts: 562 Member
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    Cut back. Find alternatives. Log everything. I'm a big wine drinker, but it's just too easy to suck down half a bottle (or more) before you realize it.

    Mixed drinks are better for me. Gin or vodka with diet tonic, or the classic 7&7 using diet 7up. Vodka and cranberry juice using light or diet cranberry...You get the idea. :drinker:
  • Poprocket_2012
    Poprocket_2012 Posts: 142
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    I treat myself to a bottle of red wine every friday evening and i'm still losing
  • AAllin38
    AAllin38 Posts: 20
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    i still drink....
    that's how i cope with that problem.
    haha..
    .

    I prefer jameson - on ice.
  • wcj61
    wcj61 Posts: 13
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    If I had to swear off wine, I'd quit MFP. Seriously. Some things are more important than others. Personally, I can't drink an entire bottle of red by myself in one sitting, and I'm not small. Those who can might think about drinking a little less before it becomes a problem! That being said, I'm gonna open something yummy this evening and see how far I can go.
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
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    i still drink....
    that's how i cope with that problem.
    haha..
    .

    I prefer jameson - on ice.

    Is it too soon to say WOULD BANG?
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    Personally (and there's no real reason for this, I just like it), I take one week off alcohol and the next on. In an "on" week, I will drink a bottle of whiskey or two bottles of wine.

    It hasn't hindered my progress at all. Just make sure you have the calories for it.
  • aletadiana
    aletadiana Posts: 54
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    I am also a person that enjoys wine and could easily drink a bottle and a half- two bottles over the course of Friday-Sunday as it's a big part of dinners with my friends, family and socializing after. Wine with dinners is a standard thing with almost everyone I know. However, I have found that naturally I desire it less when I am going to have a tough workout the next day. So my Friday night drinking has naturally dropped off aside from 1 glass with dinner and then I plan for it with my calories counter on Saturdays. However I never ever cut back on my "base calories" I only use extra calories that I have gotten through working out because obviously substituting regular food with wine IS a problem :) Sometimes it causes me to go over my calories, but it hasn't seemed to be a problem with the results I'm seeing because my weeks are so much healthier now.
  • fysty75
    fysty75 Posts: 88 Member
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    When you go out, space out your drinks with a glass of water in between.

    This!!^^^^^^^^

    I stick with wine mostly.

    I made the mistake this past saturday of Beergaritas. consumed an estimated 4000 calories that night not to mention my stuff at home. BRUTAL. but it was a "one off" thing. I go with wine or if i feel like hitting the hard stuff it's on the rocks, neat or with water and just a splash of diet coke for colour. the research i have done suggests NOT to have diet coke with liquor as it affects the metabolization (I just invented a word???) of the alcohol. also, if not used to drinking neat or on the rocks, it REALLY slows you down as it takes a while to get used to the taste!

    happy drinking!!:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    i still drink....
    that's how i cope with that problem.
    haha..
    .

    I prefer jameson - on ice.

    Jameson.... a man after my own heart
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,266 Member
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    I have a Pernod every night, logged as 100 cals. On Friday I might have two. - did tonight. Or share a bottle of wine. - logged as 300. But log it all,, it makes you think about it. Drink can lower your willpower, watch out for that. No munchies! :noway:
    The good news is that as I have lost weight I can drink far less than I used to. Half a bottle has me well out of it! :laugh: :drinker: :blushing:
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    This exact question seems to come up every weekend on MFP.
  • dressagester
    dressagester Posts: 53 Member
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    I :heart: alcohol

    You can deal with this two ways:

    1. Cut back on the wine, burn more calories to "earn it," or eat slightly less during the week to make up for weekend consumption. It all averages out.

    2. Do what you're doing and enjoy the hell out of it - and expect progress to be a little slower.

    Choose the option that you feel is sustainable in the long run and makes you feel best.

    CHEERS! :drinker:
  • AAllin38
    AAllin38 Posts: 20
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    i still drink....
    that's how i cope with that problem.
    haha..
    .

    I prefer jameson - on ice.

    Jameson.... a man after my own heart

    I'm about to have a Friday Jameson soon... care to join?
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    A couple of bottles? LOL! I enjoy the refreshing honesty!

    I tell people all the time that I exercise so that I can drink more wine. I'm sort of kidding. Not really.

    I log it. Sometimes I give up some of the "deficit". SOme days I have burned enough calories in training that I can drink/eat whatever I want. It would be easier to lose weight and have less body fat if I didn't drink wine. But life would be less fun. It's all about choices :)

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