Alcohol

Options
Lunaluna01
Lunaluna01 Posts: 21 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hi all, I'm new to MFP have had years of dieting but hopefully doing it slowly will work for keeping it off this time.

Anyway I have a question.....is it ok if the calories average out over the week, i.e. can I save up calories throughout the week so that I can have a few glasses of wine at the weekend?
«1

Replies

  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    Options
    Generally, yes. But make sure your daily calories aren't too low in efforts of binge drinking.
  • fpelletier
    fpelletier Posts: 365 Member
    Options
    Hi & welcome, I can't really say what you should or shouldn't do, if it were me though, I'd just work it into my daily calories by doing some exercises :) I don't eat perfectly and I don't deprive myself of anything, I just make it fit in. :) Good luck on your journey!
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Options
    I tend to use exercise calories on the day to allow for a drink or two rather than save up during the week

    And if you enjoy a glass of wine or two at the weekend then giving them up may make your new eating habits far less sustainable
  • aelphabawest
    aelphabawest Posts: 173 Member
    Options
    So, I drink usually a glass of wine or a bottle of cider most days. Some days I have more, but I do this with the awareness that I will not likely lose weight that week. When I did my Big-Weight-Loss (60lbs) I noticed that when I drank more than a glass, I did not lose. I might not gain, but I did not lose. It messes with your metabolism a lot.

    That being said, some weeks are worth being zero sum re weight loss in the name of wine.
  • GuyDSwain
    GuyDSwain Posts: 2
    Options
    I agree with Chris. I too like a glass or five of wine at the weekend. I tried to save some space for those Friday / Saturday glasses, but it isn't too efficient, so I tend to exercise more to make some extra room. Not only do I feel better, I seem to drink a little less, and I feel as though I have earned that little luxury.
  • Dragonflag07
    Dragonflag07 Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    Like the other poster said, don't deprive yourself of anything - the sense of deprivation works against you in the long run.

    Personally after three years of training hard all week and having a few beers at the weekend, i quit the booze. I was fed up with 5 steps forward and 2 back. Just a personal thing but when I was drinking i was more likely to eat crap and the next days training and diet often suffered. Might be an idea to take a break from the drink for a month to really find your feet then see where it goes from there.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    Options
    As with anything, work it in with your calorie goal. There's nothing wrong with thinking about total calories for the week and leaving room for more calories on certain days.
    It messes with your metabolism a lot.

    No.
  • Jill_with_a_G
    Jill_with_a_G Posts: 58 Member
    Options
    I'd personally rather eat those calories instead of drink them!
  • aelphabawest
    aelphabawest Posts: 173 Member
    Options
    It messes with your metabolism a lot.

    No.

    First off, I was speaking from personal experience and observation. So maybe I should have said "it messes with my metabolism a lot."

    Secondly:

    "Drinkers were less likely to have major weight gain or loss (gaining or losing ≥10 kg) than were nondrinkers." (e.g., http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/140/10/912.short )

    Or, in the world of not-medical journals:

    "That may not be such a big deal if you rarely drink, but if you enjoy a few cocktails every day or even several times a week, it could dramatically slow down your weight loss." http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/why-alcohol-can-prevent-you-from-losing-weight-3349.html

    "Research has shown a 20% increase in calories consumed at a meal when alcohol was consumed before the meal. There was a total caloric increase of 33% when the calories from the alcohol were added." http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/page3.htm#weight

    "Because your body can't store alcohol and must metabolize it right away, other metabolic processes suffer. Your body won't metabolize sugars and fats as efficiently during the metabolism of alcohol, and drinking heavily can cause your metabolism to slow. This can contribute to weight gain, as can the empty calories found in alcohol." http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/how-alcohol-affects-metabolism.html#b

    All I was saying was: Drink. Go ahead and enjoy it. Just be aware of what it does to your caloric count & your metabolism.
  • leslielrd12
    leslielrd12 Posts: 115 Member
    Options
    Yeah I try to keep up with exercise and only drink 1 night usually. But I also work 1 weekend day as a waitress for a breakfast diner and don't factor in the calories I burn there, so I feel that gives me some breathing room.
  • Laurenmp16
    Laurenmp16 Posts: 344 Member
    Options
    I drink a couple of times a week and am still losing. I normally will exercise extra that day to alot for the calories. Most of the time I have room within that day's calories rather than trying to save up over the week. I try to have as many healthy choice days as I can, then make up for the drink days with exercise.

    Club soda and vodka are your friend! Add a splash of cran if you don't like the flavor, or squeeze in lots of lime. Good luck! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • sweet_blasphemy
    sweet_blasphemy Posts: 129 Member
    Options
    Personally, I have. Last week in fact, it was my birthday so I knew I was going to want to get a little silly. The few days leading up to it, I pulled back on cals a bit and spent a little extra time at the gym each day. Day of, had a puny breakfast and measly lunch and did a ton of walking on the beach & boardwalk in the hot sun. Had a pint and and then some of rum, (mildly regretted it the next day ;)) AND dinner at P.F. Chang's AND a mini vegan cheesecake and this week I'm down 3lbs. So I'd say it works for me... for now.
  • imhungry2012
    imhungry2012 Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    I had a free nutritionist consultation today at work and I told her I only drink on weekends and told her generally what I eat daily. She told me I should stop drinking all together and that I was eating too much protein!

    So I punched her, ate some chicken and pounded a beer. jk. But she seriously did tell me that.

    My opinion is if it is not interferring/hindering your goals...drink up and make sure you are still getting enough nutrients on the days you are "saving" the calories.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    Options
    is it ok if the calories average out over the week, i.e. can I save up calories throughout the week so that I can have a few glasses of wine at the weekend?
    Yes. I typically try to hit goal each day but if you're hitting your weekly goal with an up and down each day you should still be able to lose. There's nothing wrong with banking a few calories for some weekend fun. Just make sure you're logging your weekend fun correctly.
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
    Options
    I had a free nutritionist consultation today at work and I told her I only drink on weekends and told her generally what I eat daily. She told me I should stop drinking all together and that I was eating too much protein!

    So I punched her, ate some chicken and pounded a beer. jk. But she seriously did tell me that.


    Marry me (I'm sure well find somewhere where it's legal)
  • Maisylouise2
    Maisylouise2 Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    HAH!
  • depjo01
    depjo01 Posts: 9
    Options
    I have a one glass of wine every night with dinner. It works for me.
  • jclark0523
    jclark0523 Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    It does slow down your metabolism. Because alcohol is nothing but empty calories, your body's response when drinking it is to put all else aside and just work on getting it out of your system. With that being said, i don't think you have to quit drinking completely to have successful weight loss, but you need to go into it knowing it will definitely slow things down. I did a lot of research on this and was not happy to learn this cause I love my beer!
  • maryhitt
    maryhitt Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    See this:

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/11/26/alcohol-weight-loss/
  • joyincincy
    joyincincy Posts: 228 Member
    Options
    Like the other poster said, don't deprive yourself of anything - the sense of deprivation works against you in the long run.

    Personally after three years of training hard all week and having a few beers at the weekend, i quit the booze. I was fed up with 5 steps forward and 2 back. Just a personal thing but when I was drinking i was more likely to eat crap and the next days training and diet often suffered. Might be an idea to take a break from the drink for a month to really find your feet then see where it goes from there.

    This, for me anyway. I am beginning to realize that alcohol for me (most likely related to racial background) is not a smart move for me when addressing weight issues. In my case, it is like 2 steps forward and 5 back - not good. BTW - I love wine, any alcohol really, so this is not an attempt to sway people into not drinking, just my personal experience.

    Good luck to you OP!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories