Anyone else gone off alcohol?

Options
135

Replies

  • charlicee
    Options
    The fact I am limiting my alcohol, going low cal and low carb, is upsetting several of my friends, because when I visit they often invite me to a glass at their place. Granted, I am not much of a drinker, even social drinker, because I have always had a low tolerance, even though I have been allowed to drink since I was 14. I may have some moscato or a sweet Riesling with my dinner on the blue moon occasion, or try a shot of some new vodka or whiskey, but I also prefer to eat my calories, not drink them away.
  • iseanu3
    Options
    I just started MFP and am struggling with this as well. I usually drink every 2-3 nights and I tried counting the calories but I got too loopy and stopped. I really enjoy my drinks but I don't want to weigh what I do now. I think about quitting but that sounds so boring. I am 45 and I only STARTED drinking 3 years ago. There have been a lot of good things said on this topic but I could use more. Please help me figure this out as well...
  • hmg90
    hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
    Options
    I'm having real problems with alcohol. Not like alcoholic type problems, just the pressure on me to drink often. It's never been a problem before I started counting calories but now I realise they've made up a big part of excess calories over the years. Go out to the pub? Friends buy you a drink. Friday night in with the boyfriend? Bottle of wine to celebrate the weekend. I don't enjoy myself as much if I don't have a drink anyway, because I'll be the sober one amongst loads of energetic drunk people and I just wanna go home. If it's with my boyfriend then he'll say I've got to have at least one otherwise he'd be drinking alone. Then there's my sister who every now and then will come round with a bottle of wine, and my dad who will bring me a few cans of cider in from the shop on a weekend when he comes up to visit. Alcohol is just everywhere for me and a lot of the time I feel obliged to drink and make merry or else be boring.

    I'm the same as this...
    I grew up with parents having a glass of red wine for dinner, my teenage years was spent in France where rose wine with lunch was pretty common. Even now at 23, I like to relax with a Gin tonic after a rough day.
    I feel like since the alcohol is a big problem I come across as an alcoholic or something, but compared to most college students I don't actually drink that much - I never get flat out drunk or black out like some do. But I do enjoy getting tipsy and it's pretty much always part of a night out, whether it's clubbing or just a drink with a girlfriend.

    I don't see going cold turkey as possible long term. I have a date in about a week in a nice restaurant and I'll probably have wine with dinner. I think one or two days per week should be fine if I work it in and am still at 1200 the other days. But I just find that it slows my metabolism sooo much... So if I can I will try to not drink anything at all on most days. Curious to see how the weight loss goes from now on.
  • GeordieRover
    GeordieRover Posts: 22 Member
    Options
    Drinking is a comfort habit perhaps,one trick that is helping me is to pour zero sugar lemonade into a pint glass with approx 200 ml of beer at most.
    You still get the beer buzz but consume much less alcohol.
    Basically a shandy with no sugar.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,968 Member
    Options
    I didn't move to wine Country to stop drinking it.:smile:
  • Melmade
    Melmade Posts: 349 Member
    Options
    Yes and no. My husband & I are usually regular drinkers. We go through periods of drinking more and less. My weight doesn't take a hit with drinking as long as I'm working out regularly. I can still log and not really count the alcohol calories and lose weight, as long as I'm working out. Otherwise, I gain and feel poorly. When I do drink, however, it's dry wine or vodka soda with lemon--not high-calorie, sugar-laden drinks. When I go out for drinks with friends I try to always have a pint glass of water or soda water between each drink.
  • hmg90
    hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
    Options
    Well that was a promise that went down the drain..I suppose next time I'll start my dry month with NO gin in the freezer.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
    Options
    I just budget calories for special occaisions, date nights, or meals out. Most of the time I would rather eat my calories, and over indulging in alcohol has never been a problem for me. The local donut shop in my neighborhood is next door to a liquor store. I always say I have a much bigger problem with the donut shop! But there are certain meals with which I like a glass of wine, and I do like a margarita with my chips and salsa when we go out for Mexican. And I always log the calories.

    I guess what I am saying is that as long as too much alcohol is not a problem for you, then perhaps you need to consider what will be a lifelong sustainable plan for you. Because you are not going to be on a diet forever! So learn to manage it now, and include it in your calorie allowance occaisionally.

    Just my 2 cents worth!
  • Florawanda
    Florawanda Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    It's really a matter of whether I want to spend 2-300 cals on something that not only gives me less resistance to chockies, etc. but OR to have a filling pudding or snack. Most of the time its a no-brainer. However, we have always made Saturday special, with a bottle of wine between us, and where it used to be half and half, I now tend to have one and a bit glasses, and make sure I have been to the gym or been out for a walk to earn that treat! Occasionally I might have a half pint of beer, but I can make it last for ever - ditto an orange juice.
    If you have an event coming up where wine/ drinks, is served, try to plan and visualise yourself refusing a drink, etc. Or try to think of a strategy that will avoid you being pushed to have another drink. Eg offer to pass round the nibbles - you can't hold a glass as well as two plates of nibbles!!
    Good luck!
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    Options
    I haven't been able to drink since December of 2012, when I started taking a medication that doesn't mix with alcohol. I hated it at first, since I was an avid craft beer drinker, but I adjusted pretty quickly. My health and well-being are more important to me. The two biggest changes I've noticed is that I sleep a lot better and that I've found healthier ways to deal with stress.
  • LB30
    LB30 Posts: 109 Member
    Options
    I've been trying to give it up for the time being. I love beer. Especially good, craft beer. I have always leaned toward binge drinker, but up until about 2 years ago, it never mattered. I only drank if my husband and I went out somewhere. With little kids, that was rare. I never drank at home, and we usually never even had beer in our fridge. Once we found a love for craft beer, we started buying it. And, since we no longer have a babysitter, we mostly enjoy beer at home. At first, it was only on a Friday or Saturday night. Then I started enjoying one or two during the week. I started supplementing with Yuengling Lite because it is low calorie and low alcohol, but I was just drinking more of them. When I realized I was drinking 'a few' multiple times a week, coupled with chasing the same 2 lbs for more than a month, I decided beer needs to mostly go. I had none during the week, last week. I even skipped a work-related happy hour to avoid it. I indulged on Friday night (high calorie craft brews, of course, so I was way over my daily cals), but I have abstained the rest of the weekend. Its a start. I do like sleeping better and feeling more alert in the morning. I was down those 2 lbs as of Friday. I'll weigh again next friday, and hopefully they won't be back and I'll be down a little bit more.
  • ebayaddict0127
    ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
    Options
    For the most part, I have. I was drinking every day for awhile before I started dieting. Now I'm down to once every other Saturday. So far so good. I do miss wine so much.
  • girlpaint
    girlpaint Posts: 43 Member
    Options
    I was a 4-6 pints-per-week drinker for years (and mind you, those were Imperial pints, mostly), and I've basically given up alcohol. That helped immensely with the weight loss I must say. I thought it would be really hard because I LOVED beer, but personally, it wasn't that hard at all.

    I definitely miss drinking way less than I like looking in the mirror and being happy with what I see.
  • KatherinesRiver
    Options
    A while back I was into Tequila. It felt good at the time. Got me into major trouble too. I had the help of a friend who literally locked me in my room for days. I dried out. This was years ago and the addictive tendencies run in my family. I have not had a drink since. No drugs. Just food issues which I am now dealing with.

    Stay away from Tequila. Like the song says.

    Katherine
  • stealthbob
    Options
    I don't miss it, first week (6th jan) I was so bored at night I would go to bed early! I used to drink a few glasses of wine a night, my stomach is defiantly going ( lost 5inches in January) but I'm putting that down to diet and gym 3x week .

    So true...bed early has been a weird reaction to my cutting out beer drinking. It is after all the reason why I shot up to 454 lbs, not hard when you average 4-6 a night.

    Dec 31 2013 was my last any drink...31 pounds later its a no brainer. I am going on Disney cruise with my family in March, plan on a couple then...next time my annual fishing trip in May. I think if I hold it to these special events then it wont hurt my progress overall.
  • dudehitscar
    dudehitscar Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    I'm off it. I'm a regular drinker and I'm really not struggling with it much. I gave up alcohol for long periods of time when I lived in Saudi Arabia too.

    I look forward to going into bulking phases so I can enjoy a craft beer without guilt.
  • WhyLime113
    WhyLime113 Posts: 104 Member
    Options
    I've never been a big drinker, so I don't see much point. I figure it can't hurt me if I already do it so rarely (usually I go months without it, and when I 'stock up' I don't have it more than every few weeks). I've started using wine in cooking though, just as I started eating better, and still been losing weight and feeling good. So it's not that alcohol is bad. It's just important to keep it in moderation. If you can't do that then I do think it's good to cut it out.

    That said, if you cut it out, then reintroduce it, you may gain a lot of the 'beer belly' back. If you don't want to cut it out forever, maybe instead teach yourself to take it in moderation
    Also, I highly recommend upping your caloric intake! 1200 is too low for most people. Unless your doctor or nutritionist is telling you to eat that low, you're probably better off eating at least 1400. To which you may be able to fit in an occasional drink!
  • MSWDiet
    MSWDiet Posts: 399 Member
    Options
    I CAN'T DRINK & LOOSE WEIGHT; NEVER COULD. TO MAINTAIN MY WEIGHT LOSS I'VE CUT MY ALCOHOL USE WAY DOWN ALTHOUGH I'M NOT EVEN A WEEKLY DRINKER. IT JUST DOES NOT WORK FOR ME EVEN IF MY TOTAL CALORIES ARE UNDER CONTROL.

    NOT DRINKING NEVER STOPS ME FROM GOING OUT. I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE I'M ON A DIET FOR LIFE. WHEN DIETING I NEED MORE SOCIAL ACTIVITY. I HAVE A REPUTATION FOR ORDERING BOTTLED WATER AT BARS (TIP LIKE YOU'RE DRINKING, STAFF DEPEND ON IT).

    FORTUNATELY FOR ME I FIND IT ITS EASIEST TO PASS WHEN I'M OUT. MY WORST TEMPTATION BE IT FOOD OR ALCOHOL ARE AT HOME. THIS THREAD KEPT ME FROM A NIGHT CAP TONIGHT, THANKS!


    I'M NOT YELLING AT YOU I'M HARD OF SEEING. ;-)
    .
  • BeckyGee84
    BeckyGee84 Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    I'm going to try to cut way down starting this week. I really blew it this past weekend because of a stressful Thursday. I had a few margaritas. Then on Friday, a friend came over whom I haven't seen in a long time so we drank a lot. Then yesterday I didn't feel like exercising and went way over my calorie goal for the day. So starting this week I'm going to try to drink only once every other week. My bf wanted me to drink with him today but I didn't. It would be a lot easier if he was willing to cut down too.
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Options
    I don't like to drink my calories so I tend to stay away from it, and it doesn't really fit into my lifestyle right now anyway. I still go out on occasion, but I get to have fun, remember it and not feel like **** the next day.