Alcohol.

lmd_1979
lmd_1979 Posts: 130
in Health and Weight Loss
I have decided to stop drinking Beer/Lager and drink Red Wine instead. Will this aid me in my weight loss?

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Not necessarily, it depends on how much of each you drink.
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    I have a bottle here to demolish, however I only drink once a week.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    You're going to drink the whole bottle?
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    You're going to drink the whole bottle?

    Lol, well considering how much I used to drink, a bottle of Red Wine doesn't seem that much or is it?
  • RotterdamNL
    RotterdamNL Posts: 509 Member
    For losing weight it's too much at once, you can spread that bottle out over the week, like 1/2 glasses a day but i guess your only in for it to get drunk so on that notice i can't give you any advice than to find a way to quite drinking ;)
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    I'll have a glass and see how it goes, never drunk Red Wine before so don't know how it tastes, as for binge drinking I quit doing that because of issues.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    beer has a lot of good stuff in it. http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442463947

    why you would drink (or eat) something you don't like, or in your case have never tried before, for health reason, i don't understand.

    red wine does have some good stuff in it too. it's packed with anti-oxidants.

    drink your lager. enjoy a pint a day. it's good for you.
  • kaylagaston13
    kaylagaston13 Posts: 14
    Just see how you can fit it into your calorie intake limit. A typical glass of red wine is 100-125 calories, so I can't see it hurting if you just have some here and there throughout the week.
  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
    Alcohol is 11 kcal/gm, no matter what its formualtion. The higher the percentage of alcohol in your chosen drink, the higher the calories per ml. Drink what you like in moderation, log the calories, and make sure you're at a deficit. You can look at my diary and see that I over-do alcohol every weekend, but that I make up for it by cutting calories during the week and I still lose weight.
  • thelowcarbrecipes
    thelowcarbrecipes Posts: 89 Member
    For me, alcohol was one of the things that added a lot of carbs and calories, I have cut them out completly this year and its working wonders so far.

    Do you really need to drink it?
  • MaggieLoo79
    MaggieLoo79 Posts: 288 Member
    I don't like red wine. I do like margaritas (and pretty much every other hard liquor vodka/tequila/gin drink). I just make those days my cheat days. I try to make sustainable changes.
  • bjg2993
    bjg2993 Posts: 107
    I usually drink equivalent of over a bottle in one sitting at least a couple of times a week (I'm a student and go out drinking a lot with my friends) and it hasn't done anything bad for me in terms of my weight AS LONG as I fit it into my calorie allowance and get drunk enough to poorly dance like an idiot for a couple of hours that evening...

    Red wine is also good alcohol choice due to the antioxidants it contains. There is a lot of variety to them as well, personally I recommend buying a decent quality one (you often get good bottles on offer for around £5+ or so down from £10+) and trying a few brands and types. Personally merlot is my wine of choice, but there are some really nice others which are harder to get for cheap, such as montepulciano d'abruzzo and malbec.

    here's a nice diagram of varieties by flavour:
    http://www.bellalimento.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Wine-Cheat-Sheat.jpg
  • HawkeyeTy
    HawkeyeTy Posts: 681 Member
    Quit trying to "justify" your drinking..
  • JMel86
    JMel86 Posts: 124 Member
    Wait, drinking a whole bottle of red wine in one sitting is bad? >:-]
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    Update: I only had a 240ml glass last night, it was ok and at 12% does get you tipsy quickly.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    Alcohol is 11 kcal/gm, no matter what its formualtion. The higher the percentage of alcohol in your chosen drink, the higher the calories per ml. Drink what you like in moderation, log the calories, and make sure you're at a deficit. You can look at my diary and see that I over-do alcohol every weekend, but that I make up for it by cutting calories during the week and I still lose weight.

    It also has a high thermic effect which will negate some of those calories, in theory.

    The bottom line is alcohol is a waste of time, like so many other things we like to consume. Just calculate for it like you would anything else. But forget about the idea of red wine somehow being much better for you than any other alcohol because of grapes,antioxidants,resveratrol, etc. That's just marketing and nonsense. If you have a problem and need help then seek it, that's one thing. If you're looking for an excuse to drink then don't make an excuse, just drink and know you're taking a step back. Contemplating it too much give's it too much power. And the idea of trying to exercise off bad food consumption is a great way to speed up eventual failure. For my steps back I prefer tequila myself.
  • pktorm
    pktorm Posts: 24 Member
    Hey man, I appreciate the honesty about how much you drink. I love to drink too but my desire to loss weight and maintain a healthy life style is more important to me right now.

    I'm Korean and love my "SOJU" and like many Koreans, I could easily drink a bottle that totals in 540 calories. Nights out with my buddies or even being around my Korean family, drinking 2 bottles per person is common. Business dinners it gets worst.

    What has worked for me in past, I would "JUICE" for 7 days. Go to costco and spend $80 on a juicer and another $100 on lots of good veges and fruits. When you juice, you shouldn't drink any alcohol or coffee, sugars, or anything but juice.

    I think this might be a wake up call to your body. If you find yourself craving alcohol then you might have bigger problems.

    Anyway, after 7 days ease into a good diet and try ONE glass of wine. The room will probably start spinning because your tolerance has dropped. Hopefully, you won't have the urge to drink the whole bottle.

    BTW, many people drink a whole bottle.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    Have some red wine if you like it! It's my tipple of choice when I do drink. Calorie wise it's failry reasonable and I would much rather have a glass of red than a manufactured chocolate bar.
  • FiresongUK
    FiresongUK Posts: 27
    I don't think it's fair to suggest OP has a drinking problem just because he fancies a few drinks. Some people just have a higher tolerance for alcohol and one glass of wine would do little more than a cup of water for them. I don't know why anyone would drink alcohol if not to feel some effect from it.

    Being a student, it's unavoidable for me a lot of the time. In fact, I attribute most of my weight gain to wine nights, pub nights and clubbing nights multiple times a week over the past few years. I never drink alone but I never have 'just one'. The objective of drinking for me is to become more sociable. I have mild ASD and get bad social anxiety a lot of the time, and having some drinks lets me be more open and fun around my friends. I guess you can call that a bad coping mechanism, but it works for me and they're all drinking too.

    General tips:
    The best thing for me is to go to a nightclub or somewhere similar. Dancing is great exercise and after a few drinks I wear myself out. That's got to negate at least a few calories! When you're dancing around, you don't care so much about going back to the bar for another drink just yet either. Also, don't go over the top. Drink slowly so you know how things are affecting you, and stop once you get to a good place. You can drink more if you feel the effect starting to wear off, just remember it takes up to an hour for alcohol to take effect. If you don't overdo it, you're less likely to feel like heading to the takeaway afterwards too.

    Substitute alcohol for snacking in your daily calorie count and if you're going to drink the equivalent of a bottle of red or more, try not to do it more than once a week. Maybe think of it as a cheat day, or a reward :) Good luck.
    Anyway, after 7 days ease into a good diet and try ONE glass of wine. The room will probably start spinning because your tolerance has dropped. Hopefully, you won't have the urge to drink the whole bottle.

    This is a good idea. Maybe a tolerance break is what I need as well!
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    Quit trying to "justify" your drinking..
    Quit being judgemental. Unless you're an alcoholic, there's no reason to abstain from alcohol unless you want to.
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    I did think where this thread was going when some of the posters were saying that I may have a drinking problem but I don't and didn't want to get into a confrontation so thanks to the above posters.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I have decided to stop drinking Beer/Lager and drink Red Wine instead. Will this aid me in my weight loss?

    I still drink my beer...Molson 67 only has 67 cals a bottle and it's nom nom...esp in the summer, or I have Moose light...coors lights...or vodka which is 40 cal an oz...

    Drink what you want if it fits in your daily goal....I do and it hasn't slowed me down

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