Have you given up alcohol to lose weight?

No! But I keep the calories in check and counted for. No good cardio burn then no alcohol. I wouldn't sit around table playing cards though... that could cause too much drinking. I had some extra alcohol last night so I made up for it by doing way more cardio today. As long as the week works out to an appropriate negative deficit I'm happy.

Some people do in fact give up things instead of occasionally having a smaller, reasonable amount that fits into their caloric intake but I feel this is a mistake since it will then most likely become the very first thing you crave. It will be on your mind haunting you until you indulge so a less dogmatic approach where you can have some of whatever you want so long as it conforms to your overall plan, is in my humble opinion, superior for the long term.

I've just lessened my intake.

I started by 100% cutting it out for 2 weeks to curb it....I'd gotten into drinking out of habit. And then I reintroduced it as and when I fancied it really...as a general rule I tend not to have any during the week and will have it once at the weekend (but sometimes my 'once' is 4 or 5 glasses... hah).

No doubt drinking less would speed up my weightloss....but I LIKE wine and I want this journey to be enjoyable and sustainable. I'm not looking to enter any body perfection competitions...I just want to be healthier and fitter (and to drink some wine!).

Nope, I lift heavy.

Pints.

I struggle with this every weekend. I'm dry during the week, but when my weekends come it's party time. I usually have 3,000+ calories on the weekends (due to drinks) and I know it's slowing my progress. And like everyone else is saying, a few beers turns into a food binge as well. But I just can't give up my beer!

I know that if I cut back dramatically the weight would fall off much faster. A girlfriend of mine recently quit drinking and she's dropped almost 30 lbs just from that. It's amazing. I try to work out more to be able to fit in extra calories but I'm rarely under my calorie goal when alcohol is involved.

Given it up? No.

But cut back substantially. I probably used to have a beer or glass of wine 3-4 nights a week and most of the time it was 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine on each of those nights.

Now I maybe have 3 drinks per month. My current drinking is much more planned, not done out of habit. I already know that tomorrow I'm meeting friends in the afternoon for beers. I'll have no more than 3, and since the pub we're going to doesn't have very good food I won't be tempted to indulge there. Also, since I don't ever drink and drive I will walk to and from the pub which is 1.5 miles from my house so I'll get a brisk walk of 3 miles in as an added bonus.

It's all about fitting it into my calorie allotment for the day. It sounds weird probably, but I actually enjoy my drinking more now because I know I've worked to "earn" it.

Nothing better on a hot day than a well-crafted Gin & Tonic that fits within your calorie goal.

Not to lose weight, just to live a healthier lifestyle. A lot of negative stuff came along with alcohol consumption for me outside of the fact that it's horrible for someone weight training.

drinking alcohol whenever i feel like it is the one thing i miss about changing my diet. i miss having 2 or 3 beers with meals and then having 6-8 during happy hour.

Haven't quit drinking beer, just cut WAY back on how often (maybe once or twice a month) and how much I drink when I do (2, maybe 3). I just know that when I do drink, I have to balance it out a couple of days before & after, so I go heavier on the workouts, water & fruits/veggies on those days.

Personally, I don't believe in depriving myself of anything. If I want a beer, I'll have one. I just won't have that 3rd, 4th, or 5th beer.

Sort of given it up. I look at how important something is to me. Are the calories really worth it? Right now, no - alcohol calories are not worth it. I like the sweet fruity drinks and they are loaded with calories. If I really wanted the drink, I would have it.

When I look at what I could have eaten for the same amount of calories it is a no-brainer.

Unintentionally I cut down quite a bit but I wasn't a huge drinker before either. My usual was 2-3 glasses of wine a week and at least one cocktail if we went out to eat. When I started eating healthier I just started (not really even consciously) checking myself before I pour or order alcohol and thinking, do I really want this at the risk of going over my calories for the day? About 75% of the time the answer is no and I pass. I haven't missed it at all because when I really want it, I have it.

Funny you ask this question because just this week I made the decision to forgo drinking to try and help myself lose the last 19lbs to my first gaol of 100lbs. I have no intention to stop totally but at least make a significant cut back.. wih me luck!!

I cut back on alcohol mainly because I was trying to get healthier rather than purely to lose weight. I don't eat when I drink but once I started drinking I couldn't stop. I'd developed a pretty serious drinking habit and was going off the rails a lot. I feel better in myself for drinking less and I did notice the weight started to come off much more quickly, also my tummy got flatter )

Tbh because I was dedicated to getting healthy I didn't really find it hard to stop drinking so much and I just stopped buying as much. I was really surprised when I went to a weekend long music festival a couple of weeks ago and initially found myself wondering if I wanted a drink at all. I did have a few drinks throughout each day in the end but I never felt drunk and I'm pleased to say I remember a lot more of the bands than the last time I went.

Given up alcohol? NO, NEVER! Reduced my alcohol consumption? Yes! Everything in moderation.

Double post