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Giving up drinking?

megnay
megnay Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I think something that's been hindering my weight loss a lot is my drinking habits. I go out a lot with my friends (I'm a university student) but I really want to try to cut down, or cut it out completely. Not only are drinks suuuuper high in calories, but it'll be better for my mental health too... and better on my bank account. I never even knew how many calories were in drinks, I always just ignored it. I drink cider and in ONE tall can there's 250 calories and I can EASILY drink 4 of them... That's insane.

Do you guys have any suggestions on how to cut back on alcohol?
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Replies

  • vanginmi
    vanginmi Posts: 41
    I try to have a glass(s) of wine on the weekends. As I don't think if I was to obstain...it would be a practical or long term solution I could stick with.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Netflix and a Snuggie
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
    I think just going dry and on wagon is the only real answer.

    I went on the wagon Jan this year until Easter, it made change to my weight loss

    I found one substitute was soda water with splash of lime

    Maybe not the same as a lovely pint of cider, but a nice drink anyway
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Getting pregnant helped me. :laugh:

    Joking. Sort of.

    When I was trying to cut back on the calories but still have a few social drinks, I switched to hard liquors like vodka and rum with a light mix. I now prefer vodka and a lemon or lime Perrier water.
    There are about 97 calories in 1.5 ounces of vodka. 0 calorie mix makes for a light drink (you can do "diet" drinks if you like).
  • oneoddsock
    oneoddsock Posts: 321 Member
    You can either...

    a) Cut it out altogether - good for your waistline but carries a risk of falling off the wagon on those days when you just need a drink

    b) Find healthier alternatives - dry white wine has less calories, or you could go for spirits with diet coke/lemonade. It's worth doing some research so that you don't end up completely depriving yourself.
  • OkamiLavande
    OkamiLavande Posts: 336 Member
    Save calories up for a drink and stick to more filling drinks that have different flavors to them. Pick one high calorie drink and sip it over a period of time and it winds up being more substantial and your night can last a lot longer that way. If you don't like high cal or girly drinks...vodka tonic or gin and tonic with lime. I'd recommend a cosmo because those you can sip on and get full. Or a screaming orgasm(I know) but that one just tastes like coffee and heaven in a glass.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I have cut down to one drink a week. But, I never drank a lot. I really don't handle alcohol well. When I was in college I went to dance parties. I dressed up in costume, danced, kissed. It was more fun not to drink. Outdoor activities like hiking. Being active, adventurous, outdoors, dancing. Finding other types of fun, excitement, enjoyment in an active mentally and physically way. Meditation and yoga for relaxation. Reading. Learning something new. Going out to see dance and comedy shows.
  • brookemart81
    brookemart81 Posts: 62 Member
    I haven't been a big drinker for a while (in my 30s now and married, so don't really go to bars much; self-employed so no happy hours or anything like that) but before I started this weight loss thing I'd have a few drinks at a time once or twice a week. I hadn't specifically set out to cut back, but tracking calories has had me wanting to save mine for food and not waste them on something that's not going to fill me up at all. So I mostly haven't been drinking. If there's a social event where I know I'll want to have a few, I make sure to save up some calories for it, and a few times I've specifically planned to have a drink with or after dinner and avoided snacking that day to make room. The desire to have more than one drink in a sitting (excepting the rare social event) doesn't really seem to be there- I think just the psychological effect of telling myself "ok, this is your one drink" causes me to slow down and enjoy it more, vs. just drinking as reflex and grabbing another when I'm finished.
  • bybyadipocytes
    bybyadipocytes Posts: 51 Member
    Netflix and a Snuggie

    ^ This! Its hard to just have one, especially when everyone one else is drinking to get drunk. Maybe try and have a glass of wine, then a glass of water to always have something in your hand-you won't overindulge and you won't be deprived. Or just stay in, and study! :)
  • cnekniher
    cnekniher Posts: 71 Member
    I'ma college student too, so I totally feel you! Drinking is half of what made me gain so much weight over the past year... college kids drink on weekdays too, constantly.

    I've found that the best thing for me is what other people have said; pick a drink you like, and stick to one, maybe two on a special night. My one friend that's losing weight too likes to take a tequila shot before we drink and then just get one so she doesn't feel like she has to drink her drink quickly to take off the edge.

    I like wine, never been a big beer gal. But some girly drinks are great too! Good luck!
  • megnay
    megnay Posts: 65 Member
    I'ma college student too, so I totally feel you! Drinking is half of what made me gain so much weight over the past year... college kids drink on weekdays too, constantly.

    I've found that the best thing for me is what other people have said; pick a drink you like, and stick to one, maybe two on a special night. My one friend that's losing weight too likes to take a tequila shot before we drink and then just get one so she doesn't feel like she has to drink her drink quickly to take off the edge.

    I like wine, never been a big beer gal. But some girly drinks are great too! Good luck!
    Smart idea! Honestly, I just really enjoy being drunk so the idea of not drinking a lot is kind of weird to me. But I'm going to give it a go! It also really messes up my work out schedule, so this'll be a great test. I'll save SO much money!
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
    A lot of brands now are low calorie... I have seen it for beer and hard booze...
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
    Well...I never really started drinking in the first place.

    Maybe come up with a list of special occasions where it will be "okay" to drink? For example, I only drink when I'm at the Formula One (once every year) and on New Year's. It's very rare that I'd have a drink between those times.

    So, maybe say, "A drink on my birthday, a drink on New Year's, a drink on Christmas, and a drink at the end of each exam period." Rather than going out all the time.

    And honestly, if you need alcohol to have a good time, then you've got bigger problems than it being too many calories.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I used to drink a lot and liked pretty much everything e.g., wine, beer, martini's, etc... and never really considered how many calories and how much sugar are in alcoholic beverages either!

    Now, the only thing I can manage to drink once in a while is a sweet or dessert wine during a dinner out and I mean sipping it over the course of a couple of hours. Even then I have a hard time finishing it.

    For me, the better I ate and healthier my body got the less alcohol it could tolerate. I mean, I don't get a buzz... I get physically ill off of even just one beer. So needles to say, I don't drink anymore. In fact, I don't drink any calories. I stick to water, black coffee and various teas and really just water and that works for me.

    My body, head and bank account are all better as a result :)

    It took me a little while to be able to go out with friends and family and be the sober person in the group but that changed too... in fact, I have more fun being the sober one now, I'm the life of the party and best the part is I don't feel like crap the next day!
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,321 Member
    drink wine or vodka and water with a lemon or lime garnish..then and count the calories. beer will give you..the beer belly. and of course no mixed drinks with sugary mixers.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    I think something that's been hindering my weight loss a lot is my drinking habits. I go out a lot with my friends (I'm a university student) but I really want to try to cut down, or cut it out completely. Not only are drinks suuuuper high in calories, but it'll be better for my mental health too... and better on my bank account. I never even knew how many calories were in drinks, I always just ignored it. I drink cider and in ONE tall can there's 250 calories and I can EASILY drink 4 of them... That's insane.

    Do you guys have any suggestions on how to cut back on alcohol?

    Sign up to an event such as a race and then tell yourself you should train instead of drinking.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Unless you are an alcoholic, there is no secret to quitting drinking. Just quit if you want to. The only thing people tend to have trouble with is the pressure at social events - if you don't drink people tend to look at you like you are a) a freak or b) a recovering alcoholic. I, for one, am not afraid to stand up for myself and just say, "I don't drink much anymore". But you can also handle it with a quick joke like "I prefer to get my carbs from dessert!" or even just say that you are the designated driver (that usually scores some "awww, thats so sweet!" from the female bartenders/servers).

    I am not a fan of completely cutting out foods long term, but I will say that it is extremely easy to completely trash your week with 1 night out involving alcohol and it can stall you if you do it every weekend. I still drink (mostly hard liquor), but I keep it to one or two drinks typically and that is maybe once every 4-6 weeks. Maybe once or twice a year will I go big!

    Just realize that you are in college and parties happen virtually every weekend. You don't have to go get blitzed at each one!
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    oh, and why waste your time on low cal drinks? Either drink what you like or don't drink... imo
  • kuntry_navySD
    kuntry_navySD Posts: 106 Member
    workout first thing in the morning. ain't very fun hungover
  • MissMissle
    MissMissle Posts: 293 Member
    I hear ya... I much enjoy grabbing some beers with friends but MAN those calories add up quickly... (See Saturday diary, i was like, 1000 calories over)

    Being at University it's even harder because you are right smack in the middle of that going out culture - plus its easier to drink any day of the week because you may not have class or work at 5 am the next day!

    Drinking is a social thing... so here's what I do...
    - Pick a spirit you like - like bacardi, and get it wil diet soda, or vodka with soda water and a splash of juice. Drink it slowly, and as the ice metls, ask for more ice. The drink still tastes yummy, lasts longer, and doesn't have as many calories as some of those college trendy micro brews that put on my freshman 15 way back when!
    - After every drink, order a water....with a lemon wedge, a lime wedge, and a cherry hey why not! Or, jazz it up with a soda water and a splash of cranberry with lime! I mean these are basically cocktails in themselves, just sans booze, they are tasty, you can still hold a drink close to your chest while you chat (you know the drink hold pose) and feel social, plus with all that fruity jazz in your cup you wont have to succumb to the over and over and over question again and again of "why aren't you drinking????" because they will think you are....
    - If you want to go the beer route just do a bud select... I think they are like 66 calories, and of course, a water in the other hand...

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