Alcohol

Generally, yes. But make sure your daily calories aren't too low in efforts of binge drinking.

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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)

I have a one glass of wine every night with dinner. It works for me.

See this:

http://www.builtlean.com/2012/11/26/alcohol-weight-loss/

I have drinks, often several at a sitting, and it hasn't negatively impacted my loss at all. When I'm not actively trying to lose, I have at least a couple of glasses of wine per night, or a couple of cocktails, but I always figure in the calories. In weight loss mode, I tend to do alternate day fasting, so I'll have very low calories one day and normal calories the next. Cocktails are never a part of my fasting days, but are almost always a part of my eating days. :drinker:

I will have wine or beer on occasion. I don't think there is anything wrong with banking calories. I did that for a BBQ a while back and still lost weight.

I don't think you should cut your calories too low. Be careful if you're doing that.

This is what I do....

I try to save some calories (I don't succed all the time though), when I exercise I don't eat those calories back and save them for the day I plan to go out (friday or saturday) and also the day I go out I try to exercise a little more and I eat at mantainance that day.

Example: I eat 1200 every day except saturday, which I eat at mantainance at 1700.
During the week and that saturday I save 500 calories of exercise.

I eat 1700+500=2200 that day.

Also, if I drink too much I don't eat much the next day because of the hang over LOL

So at the end for me it's like I eat at a calorie deficit 6 days a week and 1 day I eat right at mantainance.

I think I finally have this all figured out. I have my daily activity set for sedentary and eat 1200 calories daily. I get out and walk for 30 minutes 5 days a week. I have consistently lost weight almost on a weekly basis. I read an article here where they talked about alcohol and am a believer in a calorie is a calorie. I eat a balanced 3 meals a day a snack and always ice cream for desert. Now I have added a good brand cocktail to my meal plans. The good stuff doesn't have the fillers that make you fat. I got my information on alcohol from a site called "get drunk not fat". My drink of choice is Bacardi gold rum with only 98 calories for 1 shot which is 1 & 1/2 oz. I love all the wisdom everyone has here, thanks and keep them coming in.

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!

Me toooooooo!!!!! I looooove my Beer. I drink low alcohol beer but it still contains approx 95 calories per bottle. Do you think drinking low alcohol beer interferes LESS with one's metabolism?