How does everyone account for drinking alcohol

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  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    I just scaled down, naturally. Not because I don't like it but because I like food better (more filling). Ugh, never thought in a million years I would ever say that.
  • christinalong1991
    christinalong1991 Posts: 74 Member
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    Alcohol is a triple whammy for weight loss. To be honest, its not just about the actual amount of calories in the alcohol. 2 things: It slows down your metabolism for several hours after drinking, so whatever calories you get from the alcohol, your also burning much less than your body normally would. Second, the way your body digests alcohol, it is converted directly into body fat (visceral belly fat to make things worse!) not "burned off" thru exercise. So basically, when looking at the consequences, I tend to triple whatever the amount of calories are in the alcohol in order to keep myself focused on what it's really doing for my weight loss, so if 500 cals is worth a 150 calorie margarita, I'll have it! but usually, it isnt!
  • litoria
    litoria Posts: 239 Member
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    I just don't.drink.it! Booze is the single fastest way to fall of the healthy living wagon. I gave it up when I decided to do the right thing by my body..
  • fatfrost
    fatfrost Posts: 365 Member
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    often
  • YesIAm17
    YesIAm17 Posts: 817 Member
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    Alcohol is a triple whammy for weight loss. To be honest, its not just about the actual amount of calories in the alcohol. 2 things: It slows down your metabolism for several hours after drinking, so whatever calories you get from the alcohol, your also burning much less than your body normally would. Second, the way your body digests alcohol, it is converted directly into body fat (visceral belly fat to make things worse!) not "burned off" thru exercise. So basically, when looking at the consequences, I tend to triple whatever the amount of calories are in the alcohol in order to keep myself focused on what it's really doing for my weight loss, so if 500 cals is worth a 150 calorie margarita, I'll have it! but usually, it isnt!

    Sources? Citations?
  • colortheworld
    colortheworld Posts: 374 Member
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    Alcohol is made of water. Water is 0 calories. Ergo, alcohol is 0 calories.

    Alcohol is definitely not 0 calories. There's other ingredients besides water. As a general rule, the lighter in color the alcohol, the less calories. Something like a shot of vodka with a splash of cranberry juice, club soda, and a twist of lime is a great diet drink.
    Beer especially can be high calorie... Same general rule applies here.
    That being said, I usually drink not more than once a week, and I dance and move around a lot more than normal when I do. I don't count my alcohol intake on here, as I normally eat a lot less that day as well. I just use it as a cheat day.
  • NMTSPARKS
    NMTSPARKS Posts: 4 Member
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    Scientists suggest beer after a workout
    http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/10/scientists-suggest-beer-after-workout/
  • colortheworld
    colortheworld Posts: 374 Member
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    Alcohol is a triple whammy for weight loss. To be honest, its not just about the actual amount of calories in the alcohol. 2 things: It slows down your metabolism for several hours after drinking, so whatever calories you get from the alcohol, your also burning much less than your body normally would. Second, the way your body digests alcohol, it is converted directly into body fat (visceral belly fat to make things worse!) not "burned off" thru exercise. So basically, when looking at the consequences, I tend to triple whatever the amount of calories are in the alcohol in order to keep myself focused on what it's really doing for my weight loss, so if 500 cals is worth a 150 calorie margarita, I'll have it! but usually, it isnt!

    Sources? Citations?

    I have no citations either, but alcohol is absorbed straight into the blood stream, not digested like food. That's easily verified by a quick internet search.
    I've always heard alcohol turns to sugar in your system. This makes sense to me, due to the fact whenever I drink too much my blood sugar levels drop.
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
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    If you can fit it into your caloric intake are you ok with it. I am not talking about daily drinking. I am talking about once a week HH or a rare night out. I realize it can fit in your calorie budget but doesn't it truthfully slow your metabolism?

    Also do most people stick with vodka when they are drinking since it is low in cals and sugar?

    How does one slow a metabolism by drinking alcohol? Oh i see. The blood vessels relax, becoming less restricted, allowing blood to move more freely around your body and thus requiring your heart to do ever so slightly less work.

    wow.
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Alcohol is made of water. Water is 0 calories. Ergo, alcohol is 0 calories.

    I like you. :smile:
  • eh_its_sarah
    eh_its_sarah Posts: 61 Member
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    I have honestly TRIED to cut it out.. but it's so hard! Especially when the weekend comes. I find that I try to eat healthier the day that I decide to drink..

    A shot of vodka has 75 calories. I try to chase it with lemon water, therefore there are no added calories.

    Meh.. I do find that it messes up with my weightloss the next couple of days after. I wish it didn't have such negative effects, since you know, it's so much fun to drink.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    Just drink until you forget, that way there's nothing to remember.

    If you can't remember it, it didn't happen.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    Alcohol is made of water. Water is 0 calories. Ergo, alcohol is 0 calories.

    Alcohol is definitely not 0 calories. There's other ingredients besides water. As a general rule, the lighter in color the alcohol, the less calories. Something like a shot of vodka with a splash of cranberry juice, club soda, and a twist of lime is a great diet drink.
    Beer especially can be high calorie... Same general rule applies here.
    That being said, I usually drink not more than once a week, and I dance and move around a lot more than normal when I do. I don't count my alcohol intake on here, as I normally eat a lot less that day as well. I just use it as a cheat day.

    You might need to drink til your sense of humor returns...
  • myohmyohmyohmy
    myohmyohmyohmy Posts: 3
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    The secret is never to binge drink as if you were at some teenage cornfield kegger (more than 4-5 drinks at one sitting) and to keep alcohol consumption within moderation (1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men).

    Studies show that moderate (wine) drinkers are healthier, live longer and have lower weight than teetotalers or those who just (over) drink in the weekend. See for example this link: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/advice/health/drink-wine-for-weight-loss

    There is a reason why the French and Italians eat fatty foods and drink alcohol regularly with their meals but most stay thin: they don't get all out of control and pig out nor drink to get drunk as is typical in American or English culture, for example.

    I treat wine as just another foodstuff that is part of a civilized dinner where you eat slowly and mindfully, enjoy conversation and savor your one helping of natural, home-cooked food. I drink 1-3 glasses of red wine almost every night with my evening meal. Everything that passes my lips gets logged, including water and wine. Cutting alcohol for a cut while "dieting" might accelerate fat loss temporarily, but I think dieting is almost always a bad idea: it is much better to adopt a permanent long-term lifestyle that is healthy and happy: almost daily alcohol (wine) consumption is proven to be an excellent candidate to include in such a lifelong lifestyl. The fat/weight loss will follow naturally and at a natural pace and is much more likely to stay off. And, you will still be living a life worth living.
  • ElsaVonMarmalade
    ElsaVonMarmalade Posts: 154 Member
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    Some good citations and studies linked here: http://www.muscleforlife.com/does-alcohol-consumption-affect-weight-loss-and-muscle-growth/

    Life is for living. Not for triple-counting every beer.
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
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    I don't do it very often at all so when I do I usually (of late) don't track it. To be honest, after the 4th drink I'm not thinking straight let alone tracking how many drinks I've had.

    If I have a drink during the week with dinner I make sure it fits in with my calories or I won't have it & sometimes I think twice about it.

    I unfortunately always get stuck into the rose, white wine/champers or ciders when out because when I get a vodka with something it's gone in 10 seconds & I'd drink twice as many.
  • jaycbrf4
    jaycbrf4 Posts: 36
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    I don't count calories, just carbs So Bacardi counts as Zero Carbs. Not Zero calories, My mistake...

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  • fitmusiclifeviola
    fitmusiclifeviola Posts: 99
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    If Alcohol is like a vitamin then, like vitamins, you don't need to log them.

    The LOGIC is sound. Dispute it if you like, but the logic is sound.

















    It's the premise that's faulty.
  • mag131
    mag131 Posts: 542 Member
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    Alcohol isn't as much of a problem as is the binging that unleashes when i have more than 2 drinks! I have a quick add called "pary binge" and just start all over in the morning.

    This is how alcohol gets me in trouble also. Especially the next day when my blood sugar is out of whack and all I want to do is eat mass amounts of carb laden junk food. It's extra bad the next day if I was drinking wine.
  • NicoleCooney92
    NicoleCooney92 Posts: 43 Member
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    I like wine with some of my meals and I like to go to the pub to watch football and have a few drinks. I can't do this everyday (I suspect a good portion of my current condition can be attributed to beer and pub food); but I plan for it as best I can and pre-log before I go out.

    And yes, when I go out I usually stick to Vodka and soda. That's because the pub we go to doesn't have the light beer I like and they charge too much for wine.

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