Drunken eating?

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2

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  • betho217
    betho217 Posts: 50 Member
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    This thread makes me feel better. This is something I struggle with too and it feels good to know I'm not alone. Love the advice to have something planned for when you get home that will satisfy a craving but that's not super terrible for you.
  • sugarnspice0613
    sugarnspice0613 Posts: 109 Member
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    Drunken binging is what caused the majority of my weight gain. Giving up alcohol is I think the biggest factor in my losing 50 lbs because it does make me binge eat...every time. But I also want to feel like I live a little so I still allow myself those nights. I just do it a whole lot less and immediately get back on the wagon. You deserve splurges every once in awhile! I've read the comments saying to eat a healthy snack or take one with you...but really?!? I don't think I've ever met a person who after drinking said they were super hungry and to please pass the celery. If someone does have that willpower after drinking then that's great, but I know for me it's never going to happen. I just make it a treat night and realize it doesn't mean I failed! I wake up the next day and keep moving forward.
  • thrillho3
    thrillho3 Posts: 50 Member
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    I asked this same question here. Some people had some good advice :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1039778-drunk-snacking
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    Drunk eating isn't so much a problem as Ambien eating is for me. If I find food before I fall asleep...forget it...carton of ice cream anyone?:grumble: :explode: :laugh: :sad: :blushing:
  • justiceevers
    justiceevers Posts: 43
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    Just plan ahead. If you know you are going to want fast food later, save some calories, carbs, and fats for that. Eating unhealthy food doesn't have to kill your diet, just make sure it fits your macros. IIFYM for the win!
  • manders376
    manders376 Posts: 53 Member
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    I have this problem too! Mostly I just plan for some extra calories when I know I am going to drink. Willpower leaves me after maybe 2 drinks, lol (I don't drink very often so don't hold my liquor well!!)
  • cevalid
    cevalid Posts: 59
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    Know where you're coming from.

    I looked over my weight loss chart (been weighing myself daily) and although I've only been doing this for four weeks, there are four little mountain peaks on my chart. Its the Saturday/Sunday peak, and I know its thanks to Friday/Saturday drinking and consequent binging.

    Perhaps giving alcohol a break, not forever, but just for a little while, is an option. Its one I'm going to try over the next few weeks. I'm sure my brain cells will thank me.
  • MrsFowler1069
    MrsFowler1069 Posts: 657 Member
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    Lots of options:

    1) Don't drink or drink less
    2) Exercise earlier in the day to create a buffer
    3) Eat less during the day or over a couple of days prior (do not confuse this with not eating beforehand, which is not pretty!)
    4) Eat before leaving or early in the evening
    5) Have food with you that is a good choice that you genuinely love so that it's appealing to you when the munchies come upon you.
    6) Actually make good choices when eating out afterward lol (Oh, did I laugh? Sorry...but don't mind me. It can be done.)
    7) Have food already planned and/or prepared at home for afterward
    8) If you do go over, there are other options, too:
    a) Eat slightly less over the next couple of days
    b) Exercise a little more over the next couple of days
    c) Accept that it was one evening and just move on. Stuff happens and every day is new.

    ETA: One other good thing is that as you begin to weigh less and as a consequence of not being stuffed with heavy foods all the time, you will not likely be able to drink as much anyhow. Cheaper on both the financial and calorie budgets! Bonus!
  • thelaurameister
    thelaurameister Posts: 689 Member
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    Yup, I have this problem a lot. Given this past Saturday and the ridiculous amounts of pizza rolls I ended up consuming, I'll sound like a hypocrite lol, but I've found a few things that help a bit (when i stick with it, at least. It's tough, especially when you have a good buzz going, but it does help when you do it!):

    1.) Drink a 1/2 or full glass of water in between each drink. Helps with the hangover and keeps you fuller so you don't tend to eat as much when the drunchies hit. Only downside is that it makes you visit the bathroom a lot, which isn't so bad at home (I drink at home, I enjoy going out but it isn't worth the money to me usually) but it can be a burden when you're out on the town.
    2.) Choose something spicy. You may eat less of whatever it is, and it also increases your level of satisfaction off of smaller amounts.
    3.) Know what you wanna eat before you start drinking. Pre-log it, and you're more likely to stay accountable to it.
    4.) Might be a weird thing just for me, but I find that I love the taste of mint when I'm feeling a good buzz. So if I brush my teeth, I usually don't care to eat, and usually slows down my drinking. This could be hit or miss for you because I've told this theory to other people and they hate it because the toothpaste flavor makes them nauseous when drinking. Just depends on which way you are with it.
    5.) Avoid snacky foods. Candy and chips are hard to limit when sober, it's only worse when inebriated.
    6.) Eat something with lots of protein for dinner, it keeps you fuller longer.

    Just a few tricks I've picked up, hope it helps!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Yeah, drinking spikes the blood sugar and decreases inhibitions. Both are disasters when it comes to staying away from the munchies.
  • babyj0
    babyj0 Posts: 531 Member
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    Ah.. drunk eating. I think most of us have that problem. Lol... I usually just try to pre log what I'll be drinking and eating. And maybe try to workout a little extra so I can spoil myself. :smile:
  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
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    UGH. This is a HUGE problem for me. I feel your pain. As if drinking a million cals in beer or wine isn't enough, I crave salt so bad that I'll eat total crap. Whether it be mcds or convenience store crap. The only way I've found a way around it is to have less nights where I drink so I'm less tempted. Good luck!!!!
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    As soon as the drinks are flowing all the willpower seems to go out the window lol

    I think your right, from now on if I'm going out I think I'll have to prepare a snack for coming home before I go out and just look forward to that :)

    Thanks guys, i just the feeling I've let myself down but I'm glad I'm not the only one this happens to :)

    So when you are drinking you are easily convinced to make bad decisions? How you doin'?:smokin:
  • Beckaroo94
    Beckaroo94 Posts: 66
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    YES! I'm at university and we get a voucher code for 50% off dominos. I have an account where all I have to do is enter a password. Don't even haveto fiddle with my debit card. Once I ordered 2 medium pizzas. And ate them both over the night and next morning. Not my proudest moment -_-

    Also one club we go to is 2 mins away from a McDonalds. If you have a student card you get a free cheeseburger with your meal....
  • agdyl
    agdyl Posts: 246 Member
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    In order to not binge eat when I drink....I just have to not drink. Can't really have willpower to resist food when you don't even have the manual dexterity to drive a car.

    Same here. I just quit drinking. I really thought that would be harder, but it isn't, and I feel like I have just as much fun going out with friends and I feel WAY better the next day. Don't know why I didn't do that sooner.
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
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    It's hard to control munchies after drinking, but if you try to drink water throughout the night, it usually helps. Also, I've learned to keep some healthy snacks in my car so when I'm driving home, I can eat that and not raid the fridge when I get home as badly! If you're out with friends and everyone's eating late at night at a bar or diner, it's hard, but water or club soda can help curb that appetite and so you can try to make healthier choices or maybe not eat as much (think of splitting appetizer with friend or something).
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
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    If you can't resist the fast food on the way home, just save up your calories during the day and workout . You'll be fine. :)
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
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    You're gonna have to cut out the booze, plain and simple. There is no willpower when tipsy. And even if there were...here's the really bad news...alcohol MUST be burned by the body as energy as the preferred fuel when it is consumed. Therefore, whatever you eat after that will more than likely be stored as fat. So, in a way, your attempts at drinking "lower calorie" beverages have miniscule effect, because it doesn't matter if you're drinking light beer, or strawberry daiquiris, the alcohol content portion will be the energy used over the coming hours, until it is all used up, and all the food (including the caloric value of the drink, ie the the strawberry mix of a daiquiri) you consume will be stored as fresh, new fat.

    (Don't shoot the messenger.)
  • llangstraat
    llangstraat Posts: 130 Member
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    On the downside, well yes - alcohol has a tendency to lower inhibition universally, and it'll go into your eating patterns too.
    On the upside, bodies don't know a 24 hour clock. If you go over by 1000 calories in one night, you can cut 166 calories per day (by eating less or more workouts) for the next six days and still end up even.

    tl;dr: No big deal, it can be adjusted for.

    ^^^^ This ^^^^ :drinker:
  • maddyowen
    maddyowen Posts: 6 Member
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    Omg! this happens to me every weekend. I eat really well all week and train but as soon as the weekend comes I'm like stuff it I'm going to have a bottle of wine. Then the munchies start. This usually turns into a two day thing. I have come to the conclusion that if I want to loose weight then I'm going to have to give up drinking for a while. Especially as I'm an all or nothing kind of girl.

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