Alcohol consumption and weight loss

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JhaubT
JhaubT Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
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?
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  • moondawg14
    moondawg14 Posts: 249 Member
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    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?

    Mixed drinks are rarely, if ever, low cal. Alcohol has a fair amount of calories, and by the time you add sour mix or whatever, you're looking at more calories than you'd like for just one drink.

    Look at the low-cal beers like Mich Ultra or similar, they have few calories. They also have not much "beer taste" so if you're an aficionado, you might be unhappy!

    The other thing is to just eat a fair amount of protein/fat earlier in the day and save your carbs for drinking!
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
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    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.
  • brianalynnx
    brianalynnx Posts: 25 Member
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    I don't drink often but every couple weeks when with family or friends I do like to have a couple as well :) Typically I plan ahead on these days and get my large workout in early, then eat less for breakfast and lunch knowing I will be needing to adjust for the alcohol calories later. When I do drink I found a Mikes Hard Lite that I love, which is around 110 calories a bottle. Or if you want something a bit stronger I go for Bacardi diet and be sure to buy a shot measure for easy use! Tastes great and runs 115-130 calories per drink depending on if you go for 1oz or 1.5oz shots. The few times I do drink in a month I surprisingly always see a 1-1.5lbs loss on the scale next day. I think the key to drinking while on a serious diet is moderation and preplanning :)
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    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.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
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    Only thing that has worked for me is the 5:2 fasting diet. Eat 500 cals twice a week for women and 600 for blokes and the other five eat normally. I drink lot one day a week (Saturday night) Weight is dropping
  • arac62
    arac62 Posts: 65 Member
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    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.
  • Fattymatty89
    Fattymatty89 Posts: 10 Member
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    Just do shots! A lot of calories in the booze as it is (60-80cals/Oz)
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    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.
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
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    Definately ditch beer and cider! Low alcohol content and bloaty bloat bloat.

    I stick to white spirits (vodka, gin, white rum) with diet mixer - lemonade or cola. To pace myself I'll get a shot of liquor in a large/pint glass of cola.

    I also like a local sparkling wine which is about 540cals a bottle/ 100cals a glass (flute).

    But the best thing I have found is a diet soft drink that has the same golden, bubbly appearance as sparkling wine (sugarfree L&P).

    I'll often take a bottle of that to parties as it looks (to me and others) as if I have a glass of champers and it is under 20cals for the 1.5ltr bottle(also tastes pretty good with vodka)!

    I had the caterers use it on my wedding day for every 2nd drink so that there were no chances of a 'drunk bride'.

    If you are anything like me, when you have a hangover you just want to eat ALL THE THINGS the next day so I also find having mixers/replacements is also pretty good for pacing myself.
  • lira1972
    lira1972 Posts: 5
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    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.....
  • soysauce6626
    soysauce6626 Posts: 118 Member
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    I make alcohol fit into my diet. I make sure to save calories for those days. I typically go for Michelob Ultra or a nice jack and diet coke
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    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.
  • melwharris91
    melwharris91 Posts: 80 Member
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    Try to get a workout in. My go to is absolute mandarin with sparkling water and a twist of lime.
  • jogglesngoggles
    jogglesngoggles Posts: 362 Member
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    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!
  • Katieweso
    Katieweso Posts: 6 Member
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    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. :-(
  • dlbaron
    dlbaron Posts: 79 Member
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    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.
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
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    eat a few bites less than normal the day you will be drinking

    drink light beer or alcohol and soda waters

    dance your butt off or engage in drunken activities

    don't eat that burrito at 2 am when you think you are hungry.

    i believe that the last tip is what makes people who like to drink fat.
  • Phalin
    Phalin Posts: 4 Member
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    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. :-(
  • KellyyT
    KellyyT Posts: 41 Member
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    i LOVE mixed drinks! i can't stand beer and i like to have a drink now and again.

    i pick out water flavorers, like dasani or mio fit or even crystal lite, which has zero or low cals and mix it normally with water. then i toss in a shot of light rum or vodka with ice to the top! it's fruity with the kick of liquor. each drink hits about 100 cals. this won't work if you don't like that "diet" flavor that my boyfriend says the aspertame in the flavorings gives.

    a diet coke and rum, diet sprite with vodka, or diet gingerale with jack is good too! any of those combos are just as yummy at about 100 cals! :)
  • KellyyT
    KellyyT Posts: 41 Member
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    haha. aaaand i just noticed my profile pic are of margaritas! i sound like such a lush! =P

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