Alcohol consumption and weight loss

I like to add a little rum to my diet Pepsi. My husband adds Vodka to his OJ. He's not on the same diet as I am, lol.

As long as it fits into your calorie goals (and macros) it won't have an effect on your weight loss.

At this point, I am at maintenance and I make room for a drink or two in my daily goals. When I was actively losing weight, and at a 500 calorie deficit, I would trade off sometimes if I wanted a drink - instead of a dinner roll with butter, I'd have a glass of wine.

As for specific drinks, regular Beers range from around 130 calories and up (I don't drink "lite" beers) depending on the style and ABV. Wine hangs around 120 calories, but of course varies based on variety and ABV as well.

Hard liquor starts at about 70 calories an ounce or so (depending on alcohol percentage). To keep mixed drink calories down, it is best to use light mixers (soda water, lower-calorie mixers, or have it neat. I sometimes have a scotch and soda (1.5 oz scotch) as a nightcap and it's around 104 calories (for Johnny Walker Red). The gin and tonics I make are right around 200 calories if I use regular tonic, and 140 if I use diet.

if you get flavored, sweetened liquor (i use bacardi razz, etc) you can mix it with seltzer water and it tastes like mildly sweet soda. I really like it and it comes in between 60 and 100 calories per standard drink depending on what you use.

I would trade off sometimes if I wanted a drink - instead of a dinner roll with butter, I'd have a glass of wine.

Same here. I work it into my daily goal, and sometimes it's a trade off - do I want this beer with my pizza or a scoop of ice cream later? And sometimes I still have both. Tonight, so far, I opted for the beer. We'll see if I have cals left (or if I feel like eating) ice cream later. :bigsmile:

But I still have beer, wine, and the occasional mixed drink. Sometimes I'm over for the day, but I figure this is life - I'm not giving up the stuff I like forever, so I fit it in.

I have a daily drink of 1 Pure Blonde Beer (107 cals) and 150 ml of Berri alcohol reduced wine (60 cals) with soda water. The glass is more soda water than anything with just a taste of the wine (I let it stretch over 2-3 glasses). I also get my water intake in as I drink 1.25 litres of soda water. I have been allowing the drinks into my calorie intake for the day and have lost weight by doing this. Some nights I may just have a beer so the wine calories I can have spare calories for something else after dinner like a low cal cookie etc.....

If it fits your macros. I'm a beer fan, and I usually try to give myself one night a month where I don't watch what I drink (my version of a cheat meal). The rest of the day, I eat sensibly and usually go to the gym, which leaves me with a large surplus of calories that can be consumed as liquid deliciousness. I'm not going to hit my carb macro for that day, and that's fine. It's one day a month. I'm going to gain weight the next day. That's fine, most of it will be retained fluid. As long as it isn't too often, it shouldn't cause more than a hiccup.

plan for it..I work out extra on Saturdays because chances are I'm going to be drinking on Saturday nights...Also, Shots!! the big calories/carbs/sugars come from the mixers!

I'm good about my hard liquor- I always do shots, whiskey on the rocks, or vodka soda. Whiskey sours are looong gone, plus sour mix is sickeningly sweet anyway. My biggest problem is giving up beer-- and I mean the good, craft-brew stuff. I do not and will never do light beer; it's just not worth it. I've been drinking a lot more wine and a lot less beer, but sometimes I can't help it. I don't think there's a trick to it, just doing what everyone else has said. Work out hard, eat less that day, and try to drink slow so you don't overdo it and drunk eat later, adding even more calories to a cheat day. What I need to start doing is building up a calorie deficit earlier in the week with longer workouts, more protein, and fewer snacks so that I can indulge over the weekend (because I'm going to end up doing it even if I know I shouldn't) and end up under or at the right weekly net goal.

Other than to stop drinking all together, does anyone have any useful suggestions for those of us who like to drink a bit on the weekends and still want to drop the weight? Or possibly even low calorie mixed drink recipes that work for you?

So ironic. I was just thinking the same thing. I eat so well during the day then fall apart when I want a drink after work. Especially after work when one drink becomes a few. :-(

haha. aaaand i just noticed my profile pic are of margaritas! i sound like such a lush! =P

pre log and allow about 500cals for 2 drinks. This is not chocolate milk martinis or something, just normal G&T or something. Remember, alcohol can effect your body in other ways other than just calories. I still have a few glasses of red a couple of times a month though