Anyone put weight on from wine?

Mslmesq
Mslmesq Posts: 1,000 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm wondering if anyone else put weight on from drinking wine, or other alcohol. I've been thin most of my life, but the weight slowly creeped on (about 15 lbs) when I got into the very bad habit of sipping about 2-3 glasses of wine every night. One day I couldn't zip up my bigger clothes in my closet and that is when I joined here. Half of my weight is off already, but I've simply cut out all wine except one glass a week.

Here is my issue: i still love red wine. Food and calories are not my problem. So, after I've lost all the weight, then what?

For those with a similar love of red wine, what do you do to cut back on the wine calories,but still enjoy? Do you limit yourself to a glass or two on weekends only? Or did you find another drink substitute?
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Replies

  • kbeardmore22
    kbeardmore22 Posts: 283 Member
    I love wine too:), but I try to treat myself no more than 3 days a week and if I have any I have just one glass. It's not good to
    deny yourself the things you love, but the key is moderation and also to save some calories if you indulge. Good luck!
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    Pretty simple here. Wine has calories.

    If you haven't changed anything else and you're drinking 2-3 average sized glasses of wine a day, you've upped your daily calorie intake between 250 and 375 calories a day.

    Options are reduce calories:
    Drop those calories out somewhere else and keep drinking the wine
    Stop drinking the wine (or some balance between this and the previous)

    Or burn 250-375 more calories a day by being more active.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Definitely. I was drinking about 3 liters of wine a day which is like >2,000 calories a day just from alcohol! If you can, cut back to just a glass a night or a few on the weekends. You may wanna check out getdrunknotfat.com to see how your drink stacks up calorie wise. If not, there's always AA :tongue:
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I measure my servings of wine, unless I'm having it at a restaurant. Having up to 4 ounces of wine a day and counting the calories has been fine. I enjoy it, but I don't want to have more because I need those calories for food.
  • LB2812
    LB2812 Posts: 158 Member
    Oh yea :drinker: As soon as I started drinking more frequently, I noticed my clothes getting tighter! For me too it's not just the calories in the wine, but also the calories of whatever snacks I end up having with it! I'm still working on it, but my goal is to just have on the weekends. No more than once during the week. Treat it more like it's a "treat" rather then just a routine part of the day. I find a lot of times, i'm just going to have a glass out of habit (end of the day, wind down, watch tv...) than because I really want a glass of wine. In those cases, I just make tea. Gives me something tasty to sip and keep my hands busy for no calories. And then when I do have the wine I know it's because I want it and it's more enjoyable.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I WORSHIP WINE!
    if your a true wino, add me.
  • lilcassers
    lilcassers Posts: 163
    It's pretty much a given that one will put on weight from wine. It's all sugar.
  • onematch
    onematch Posts: 241 Member
    I tried to cut back on wine but I always wanted more than one glass when I would indulge. For me, the only solution has been to cut it out completely. It hasn't even been that hard, which has been surprising! I'm not going to say I'll never drink again, because for me that is totally unrealistic. But, I plan to limit it to special occasions and to not keep it in the house.

    Good luck!
  • spottedkathy
    spottedkathy Posts: 196 Member
    I LOVE my red wine. I can drink it and not gain weight as long as I do it in moderation. If I have a glass everynight with dinner I can maintain. But if I go over that, I will gain. If I know I am going to drink on the weekends I won't have any on the weekdays. I can give up bread and pasta but will never give up my red wine! :)
  • GoodSelf
    GoodSelf Posts: 10
    My problem is that one glass turns into three and then a snack or two. And ta da! My waistline is bigger than ever. I think I'm going to have to take Tracita70's approach and cut it our completely and keep it out of the house. Nothing else seems to work.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    It's pretty much a given that one will put on weight from wine. It's all sugar.

    You won't gain fat weight from wine while eating at a calorie deficit.

    OP, I drink wine and still lose weight. As long as you track it properly and stay at a deficit you are fine. I measure out my wine and track that. I don't drink it nearly as often as I did but I won't give up wine. I have six bottles in my house right now as I just came back from a weekend at Niagara on The Lake.
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
    I have had a love affair with wine all my life and just gave it up. I haven't drunk any in a month, at least.
    Reason being i bought some scales and started weighing myself every day. If I even have one glass of wine the next day I'm at least 1 kg heavier.
    It's not just the calories , its more complex than that. It causes fluid retention, bloating, dehydration, messes with your hormones. I just saw the pattern on the scales and that made it so easy to finally give it up.
    Its easier not to bother at all and start seeing results, then to try to find a balance I was sick of trying to figure out how much I could get away with and still get fitter/lose weight.
    Try it for a month. It won't hurt. You can always go back to it.
    I have my birthday this Friday and am trying to figure whether I'll even bother with the customary Champagne or two.
  • moonshine_betty
    moonshine_betty Posts: 169 Member
    It's pretty much a given that one will put on weight from wine. It's all sugar.

    You won't gain fat weight from wine while eating at a calorie deficit.

    Thanks for saying this...I was about to but you beat me to it.

    I drink wine, beer, liquor, etc. and still lose weight. HOWEVER, for me it is key to do so in moderation....not just because of the calories but because the more I imbibe, the more likely it is that I'll get the happy drunk munchies which result in me eating whatever crap I can get my hands on. But a glass or two with dinner has never impeded my weight loss as long as I keep within my calorie allowance.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    For me, I'm pretty sure it's all the extra food that slightly intoxicated me convinces me that I need to eat.

    More than 3 glasses, and I'm sending someone Wendy's for a couple double stacks. And if driving isn't an option, I have Dominos on speed dial.

    Alcohol causes me to lose inhibitions when it comes to eating. I have to measure and stick to 1 or 2.

    But as my name indicates, it's usually whisky that I drink at night. 1.5 ounces measured of the good stuff.
  • Bankman1989
    Bankman1989 Posts: 1,116 Member
    Definitely. I was drinking about 3 liters of wine a day which is like >2,000 calories a day just from alcohol! If you can, cut back to just a glass a night or a few on the weekends. You may wanna check out getdrunknotfat.com to see how your drink stacks up calorie wise. If not, there's always AA :tongue:
    GEEZ! That a lot of wine. Did it come by bottle or crate? I drink it but try to limit myself to one cup every 2 days. Notice I said cup not glass.
  • tigerlily8045
    tigerlily8045 Posts: 402 Member
    Make sure that you are drinking lots of water too. I find that one or 2 glasses off wine will make me gain 5 lbs of water over night and then clothes don't fit.
  • _crafty_
    _crafty_ Posts: 1,682 Member
    There are calories in wine?!?!

    Damn, I've been doing it wrong.
  • sammycat1
    sammycat1 Posts: 56 Member
    I'm no expert, but after years of experimenting with wine/ no wine- no wine wins hands down

    Even figuring in wine into my calories in/out it doesn't matter, for me wine = a gain no matter what even just a few glasses a week.

    I've given it up since July 7th and have lost 8lbs. For my body no wine is the only way.
  • mousemom18
    mousemom18 Posts: 172 Member
    I love wine. In fact I am a collector with (*ahem) many, many bottles in the wine cellar. I have toured wineries and taken courses and attended winemaker dinners and tastings. There is no long term weight loss plan for me that doesn't include wine.

    BUT - while I am working on my weight I make sure to 1) incorporate the calories in my logging 2) make them up with exercise and 3) alternate wine drinking days with non wine-drinking days.

    Just because I love something doesn't mean I have to have it every day.
  • silverinc13
    silverinc13 Posts: 216 Member
    I wouldn't say wine alone - call it excessive drinking in general! Regardless I still drink, just in moderation - most of the time ;)
  • mindimo
    mindimo Posts: 10
    So glad I found this group. I love my wine too. Mostly red, but can do white in the summer too. My drinking has increased in the past year+ (job stress, etc). I have put on over 10 pounds. I have been able to maintain my weight most of my life, even after having 4 kids. So, I definitely think the wine (or me) is to blame because I eat pretty darn clean and exercise regularly. However, I will say that this past week, when I measured out the servings, stuck to 2 (5 oz) glasses and tracked them, I was able to still lose weight. If I cut back to only weekends and do that, I think there is hope for moderation while still losing weight.

    So question....does anyone notice that drinking vodka is better for weight loss (over wine)?
  • Amyp7777
    Amyp7777 Posts: 79
    Yes, I gained weight from eating what I normally ate, exercising only as I normally did (not much) and drinking wine. I love red wine too much to give it up. I lost weight by eating differently than I normally did (healthier), exercising differently than I normally did (often) and still drinking wine. I did cut down through the week, by mixing white wine with sparkling water. But one or two nights a week I have a.. ahem..generous serviing of wine. It hasn't stalled my weight loss, or not enough to make it worth giving that up.

    Re: Vodka... yup, more bang for your buck, I believe.

    Just log it and make room for it where you can.
  • kpick41
    kpick41 Posts: 81 Member
    I've had to limit my wine consumption to weekends. Unless, I'm going out and have had a killer workout.
    I build the wine into my daily calorie allotment for the day. I also mix wine with seltzer water for more of a spritzer, and alternate glass of wine/glass of water.
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    LOL... absofreakin'lutely!

    I love it... I switched to "skinny girl" and there's 510 calories in a bottle.

    So sad I know this :/

    hahaha
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,170 Member
    wine, and all alcohol, also has an effect on the liver, especially when drunk quite often which will slow down your metabolism.
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    Well I'm sure the wine didn't help. I think it had more to do with all the cookies and junkfood though.

    I haven't cut it out, I might go crazy without it. I just make sure I log it and that it fits into my day (sometimes it doesn't- I drink it anyway).
  • jaxCarrie
    jaxCarrie Posts: 214 Member
    Love my wine. Not going to give it up. Account for it (log it, measure it) and exercise so I can have it. ..sometimes I go over, sometimes I don't. I try (with mixed success) about making poor food choices when I drink said wine (like 8oz of cheese.) Moderation is key....but gotta live.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    DeadVim dutifully checking into an alcohol thread ... Red wine specific too, even better :)

    Do I cut down? No, I drink an unGodly amount on a disGUSTingly regular basis.

    Drinking it right now in fact.

    Empty calories rock.

    Almost at goal, looking like a lean mean drinking machine, Jeez I am awesome.

    Really, you should see me.

    Modest too.

    Chin chin :)
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member


    Almost at goal, looking like a lean mean drinking machine

    lol, that tickled me :laugh:
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
    I love my wine and I make sure that I fit in in my macro goals for the day, but I have noticed that I might not be as truthful about how much I actually drank. Therefore, I am going to reduce my intake to weekends only... Should help my wallet too... Sometimes I wish I liked bottles that are less than $30!

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