Is WINE a no no?

mamacarmen1969
mamacarmen1969 Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone
I love to have a couple of glasses of red wine (measured -- 4 ounces each!) on Fridays and Saturdays. Using MFP its easy, of course, to see the calorie content etc, but I have read that alcohol is just "empty" calories that should be avoided at all costs if one is trying to lose weight. How do the rest of you out there use/not use moderate alcohol consumption in your diet plan? Thank you!
Kristin
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Replies

  • RhineDHP
    RhineDHP Posts: 1,025 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:
  • mamacarmen1969
    mamacarmen1969 Posts: 7
    RhineDHP, you have just made my Saturday night!
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    They are "empty" in a sense, but if you are meeting your nutrition goals and have room, drink up!

    Besides, research shows people who have a drink or two live longer :drinker:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Nothing is a no no if it fits into your calories. I have a glass of wine often (or beer, or a mixed drink) - just measure and log it.
  • tehboxingkitteh
    tehboxingkitteh Posts: 1,574 Member
    Unless you have an alcohol problem, then no. Make it fit your calories... Measure. Log. Enjoy.

    And now I have an ad for wine.com on my computer. Thanks OP. Not srs.
  • Lynn_babcock
    Lynn_babcock Posts: 220 Member
    I try to save enough for about 6oz of red wine. It's supposed to have other health benefits.. and it tastes good.

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  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    If wine and beer are nos then I don't want to live.
  • rickvw1970
    rickvw1970 Posts: 13
    Agreed with others: just count the calories like any other. Don't deprave yourself from little joys but rather make it fit into your lifestyle. I drink beer, substituted sometimes with Miller 64 (yuck) but also heavy bodied Blue Moon and also love some wine now and then. I just make it work with my calorie budget and if I go over then I need to exercise to comp for the joy.
    Enjoy that wine. Hasn't stopped me from losing the weight.
  • rickvw1970
    rickvw1970 Posts: 13
    I just saved MorgueBabe's life.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:

    I would argue that alcohol is the exception to the "calories are calories" rule- carbs and fat and protein all do things for your body- alcohol is 7 cal/g that actually does nothing for your body in a nutritional sense.

    That said, there's no problem with saving a few calories on the weekends for a couple drinks you like- and wine even has some positive antioxidants, so it's ok.

    UNLESS you can't stop drinking once you start or it causes you to binge eat or it leads to depression feelings the next day- then you should probably abstain.
  • rickvw1970
    rickvw1970 Posts: 13
    And I can't type.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    I started losing way before I found MFP - I have lost over 5st (70lbs), all the while enjoying Friday night beers (although I am more of a lightweight now).

    I dont even log em.

    So there.
  • SLLeask
    SLLeask Posts: 489 Member
    Wine a no no?


    No, Never, NO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :bigsmile: :drinker:
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:

    I would argue that alcohol is the exception to the "calories are calories" rule- carbs and fat and protein all do things for your body- alcohol is 7 cal/g that actually does nothing for your body in a nutritional sense.

    That said, there's no problem with saving a few calories on the weekends for a couple drinks you like- and wine even has some positive antioxidants, so it's ok.

    UNLESS you can't stop drinking once you start or it causes you to binge eat or it leads to depression feelings the next day- then you should probably abstain.
    I was under the impression that alcohol had carbohydrates in it, as the caloric value doesn't come from fats or proteins. Where do the calories come from, or is it your contention that carbohydrates do "nothing for your body in a nutritional sense"?

    Also, as has been noted before, you don't get extra credit for exceeding your target numbers for nutrients. If you like the nutrient foods, great, but once you've hit your nutrition goals, there's no reason to skip the wine purely based on its nutritional value or lack thereof.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I drank wine/beer regularly while I was losing weight (66 pounds) and have continued to do so while maintaining my weight loss. I've found that it's pretty easy to drink moderately and eat healthily and get the results I want.
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    I drink so much wine. I'm losing steadily.

    Cheers!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:

    I would argue that alcohol is the exception to the "calories are calories" rule- carbs and fat and protein all do things for your body- alcohol is 7 cal/g that actually does nothing for your body in a nutritional sense.

    That said, there's no problem with saving a few calories on the weekends for a couple drinks you like- and wine even has some positive antioxidants, so it's ok.

    UNLESS you can't stop drinking once you start or it causes you to binge eat or it leads to depression feelings the next day- then you should probably abstain.
    I was under the impression that alcohol had carbohydrates in it, as the caloric value doesn't come from fats or proteins. Where do the calories come from, or is it your contention that carbohydrates do "nothing for your body in a nutritional sense"?

    Also, as has been noted before, you don't get extra credit for exceeding your target numbers for nutrients. If you like the nutrient foods, great, but once you've hit your nutrition goals, there's no reason to skip the wine purely based on its nutritional value or lack thereof.

    Alcohol itself is a 4th macro- it has 7cal/g. Most alcoholic beverages also have carbs- like beer and wine have sugars- but plain vodka, for example, has no carbohydrates, fat, or protein but still has calories- the calories are from the alcohol itself. \

    Alcohol is a form of a carbohydrate if you look at the chemical structure but it's not a carbohydrate in the way your body digests it, thus it's considered it's own separate macro.
  • lngrunert
    lngrunert Posts: 204 Member
    I have wine (or beer sometimes) just about every evening. Like the others, I just make sure it fits into my total calories for the day.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    I follow a low carb eating plan and I have a glass of red wine almost each night.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    its not the best choice. I choose low calorie beer like bud select (99 calories per 12 ounce bottle) or I drink scotch and water (65 calories per shot).
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:

    I would argue that alcohol is the exception to the "calories are calories" rule- carbs and fat and protein all do things for your body- alcohol is 7 cal/g that actually does nothing for your body in a nutritional sense.

    That said, there's no problem with saving a few calories on the weekends for a couple drinks you like- and wine even has some positive antioxidants, so it's ok.

    UNLESS you can't stop drinking once you start or it causes you to binge eat or it leads to depression feelings the next day- then you should probably abstain.
    I was under the impression that alcohol had carbohydrates in it, as the caloric value doesn't come from fats or proteins. Where do the calories come from, or is it your contention that carbohydrates do "nothing for your body in a nutritional sense"?

    Also, as has been noted before, you don't get extra credit for exceeding your target numbers for nutrients. If you like the nutrient foods, great, but once you've hit your nutrition goals, there's no reason to skip the wine purely based on its nutritional value or lack thereof.

    Alcohol itself is a 4th macro- it has 7cal/g. Most alcoholic beverages also have carbs- like beer and wine have sugars- but plain vodka, for example, has no carbohydrates, fat, or protein but still has calories- the calories are from the alcohol itself. \

    Alcohol is a form of a carbohydrate if you look at the chemical structure but it's not a carbohydrate in the way your body digests it, thus it's considered it's own separate macro.
    Source for this, please?
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    I started losing way before I found MFP - I have lost over 5st (70lbs), all the while enjoying Friday night beers (although I am more of a lightweight now).

    I dont even log em.

    So there.

    getting a buzz quicker and cheaper is definitely a bonus of losing weight!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:

    I would argue that alcohol is the exception to the "calories are calories" rule- carbs and fat and protein all do things for your body- alcohol is 7 cal/g that actually does nothing for your body in a nutritional sense.

    That said, there's no problem with saving a few calories on the weekends for a couple drinks you like- and wine even has some positive antioxidants, so it's ok.

    UNLESS you can't stop drinking once you start or it causes you to binge eat or it leads to depression feelings the next day- then you should probably abstain.
    I was under the impression that alcohol had carbohydrates in it, as the caloric value doesn't come from fats or proteins. Where do the calories come from, or is it your contention that carbohydrates do "nothing for your body in a nutritional sense"?

    Also, as has been noted before, you don't get extra credit for exceeding your target numbers for nutrients. If you like the nutrient foods, great, but once you've hit your nutrition goals, there's no reason to skip the wine purely based on its nutritional value or lack thereof.

    Alcohol itself is a 4th macro- it has 7cal/g. Most alcoholic beverages also have carbs- like beer and wine have sugars- but plain vodka, for example, has no carbohydrates, fat, or protein but still has calories- the calories are from the alcohol itself. \

    Alcohol is a form of a carbohydrate if you look at the chemical structure but it's not a carbohydrate in the way your body digests it, thus it's considered it's own separate macro.
    Source for this, please?

    It doesn't need a source, it's basic nutrition. You can look it up in literally any nutrition textbook if you like.

    You can look at the MFP standard entry (no asterisk) for vodka for a sanity check if you like- it has calories with zero carbs, zero protein, zero fat. Those calories come from the alcohol content.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:
    Well not quite. Alcohol inhibits fat loss until it's burned up. So drinking quite a bit of alcohol while trying to lose body fat may be delayed.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:
    Well not quite. Alcohol inhibits fat loss until it's burned up. So drinking quite a bit of alcohol while trying to lose body fat may be delayed.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Not quite, I understand it thus: alcohol is the simplest carbohydrate and will be broken down in preference to others, all fat loss will be inhibited until the body has used up the energy available at any given moment in time.
  • VpinkLotus
    VpinkLotus Posts: 849 Member
    I think that if you have any "no-nos" at all, you will not be succsessful long term. You have to learn how to live in moderation every day. if you treat certain things like you are horrible to have them, you will probably rebel and feel bad. Have anything you want in moderation and learn how to make healthy choices most of the time so you don't have to give anything up. Myself, I save enough cals for a glass of wine just about every night.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:
    Well not quite. Alcohol inhibits fat loss until it's burned up. So drinking quite a bit of alcohol while trying to lose body fat may be delayed.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Very interesting ninerbuff, so I guess a calorie is not a calorie then?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:
    Well not quite. Alcohol inhibits fat loss until it's burned up. So drinking quite a bit of alcohol while trying to lose body fat may be delayed.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Very interesting ninerbuff, so I guess a calorie is not a calorie then?
    A calorie is still a calorie. Macro nutrients and how each body specifically handles them is different. I may burn carbs much more efficiently than someone who has hormonal issues with carb intake. Doesn't mean that if we both ate 100 calories of carbs that the count is different. It's still 100 calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Calories are calories. You will have no problem losing weight if you have a few glasses of wine here and there.

    Drink up! :drinker:
    Well not quite. Alcohol inhibits fat loss until it's burned up. So drinking quite a bit of alcohol while trying to lose body fat may be delayed.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Very interesting ninerbuff, so I guess a calorie is not a calorie then?
    Not at all. It just happens to occupy a favored metabolic pathway and until it is exhausted, your body will not turn to other sources for conversion to ATP.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    ...but I have read that alcohol is just "empty" calories that should be avoided at all costs if one is trying to lose weight.

    They are relatively empty calories, yes, but with a little planning there is no reason weight loss has to stall with empty calories.

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