Alcohol
Lunaluna01
Posts: 21 Member
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?
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?
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Replies
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Generally, yes. But make sure your daily calories aren't too low in efforts of binge drinking.0
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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!0
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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 sustainable0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
I'd personally rather eat those calories instead of drink them!0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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:0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
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?0
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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)0 -
HAH!0
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I have a one glass of wine every night with dinner. It works for me.0
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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!0
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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!0
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