Does alcohol count towards your daily calories?

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  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
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    It's pretty simple. If you want those 500 calories of alcohol, then you are going to have to do some exercise to fit them in..
  • JengaJess
    JengaJess Posts: 109 Member
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    I'm not sure of your height/ weight, but chances are, you can eat more than 1,200 calories and still lose weight.
    I drink more than 500 calories on the weekends. I make sure to burn more on Friday at the gym and typically only eat 1,300 calories and then drink the rest in vodka :laugh:
    But I'm eating 1,700ish calories (probably more like 1,800 allowing room for miscalculations and extra calories).
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    Use this to help you out- you might be able to eat more calories and still lose weight. I've lost about .8- 1 lb a week eating 1,700ish calories a day. And probably more on the weekends (I'm kind of careless about logging on the weekend).
    But definitely don't eat only 700 calories and then start drinking.
    Also, find some low cal options if you need to (my go to is flavored vodka and club soda!)
  • FlashMorehouse
    FlashMorehouse Posts: 138 Member
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    I know alcohol has calories in, but can you count it towards your 1200+ exercise? It has calories but no nutritional value so should it be an extra that you have to work off or can I actually count it towards your daily goal? Everyone reiterates that you must log it, but it has no nutrition.
    The problem is you shouldn't drink on an empty stomach, and if I plan on drinking 500 calories I shouldn't only be eating 700.
    What I have done previously is eaten my 1200, tried to do 500 calories of exercise to earn some of the alcohol and just accept the rest as going over my goal so I am not sick.

    Yes I shouldn't plan on drinking that much but I'm a student. It's allowed.

    It does in my world. Calories in. Calories out. Doesn't matter where they come from.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I think I know what the OP is asking - she has 1200 calories for the day, which is presumably supposed to be spent on fuelling her body. If she spends them on alcohol, is she doing herself a disservice? Answer - probably. Hence I think the plan of "earning" the alcohol calories is a good one. That was she still gets 1200 calories of food with actual nutrients.
  • smokinkudzu
    smokinkudzu Posts: 20 Member
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    i try to leave about 100 calories for my nightcap, but i don't log my whiskey intake very often
  • PurpleCupcakes01
    PurpleCupcakes01 Posts: 141
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    I would do a workout and use those calories to drink. You need at least 1200 so I wouldn't just do 700.
  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
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    I think I know what the OP is asking - she has 1200 calories for the day, which is presumably supposed to be spent on fuelling her body. If she spends them on alcohol, is she doing herself a disservice? Answer - probably. Hence I think the plan of "earning" the alcohol calories is a good one. That was she still gets 1200 calories of food with actual nutrients.
    What she said.
  • odddrums
    odddrums Posts: 342 Member
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    Yep! getdrunknotfat.com is a great resource for staying under your goals, but rum and diet coke is a popular drink, or really any alcohol and diet soft drink. some days I can and don't go over, other days I go over and just don't care, or some days I just exercise more and use those calories. One major benefit it you see how much you're really drinking and end up drinking less, which realllllllly helps you meet your goals faster. Other major bonus, drinking less means you save money, and I become more of a lightweight so I end up drinking less and staying drunk longer! Many wins!
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    I enjoy a glass of wine, and it's more-or-less the first thing I put in MFP every day, so I can make sure I can fit it in AND still meet my macros. Depending on the drink it does have other nutrients, but not a lot, and a better strategy might be to alternate alcohol with water or a zero calorie soda (fruit juice is calorie-dense). It's ridiculously easy to consume a load of calories with a few drinks. DH nearly keeled over when he figured out what a not-so-teeny martini was in terms of calories. And that was before he drank it..

    Also, my understanding is that MFP overestimates exercise so I would be careful about eating (or drinking..) back many calories.
  • NahrasWay
    NahrasWay Posts: 78 Member
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    IMO eat your 1200 calories (if that's your goal, as suggested you probably can eat more) and get all your nutrients in and since you've planned for that 500 calories of alcohol then do your workouts to get that 500 calories. You need the nutrients and the stuff in your Macros more than you need the alcohol. Even if you didn't do the workout .. I kind of feel it would be better to get all that stuff in with your 1200 calories of food and go over on your calories for one day than it would be to only eat 700 calories of food and not get your nutrients and then drink that extra 500 empty calories just to reach a calorie goal.

    That's just MY opinion, to each their own and I am definitely no expert.

    Enjoy your time out though!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    Anything you put in your mouth should be counted. Calories are calories regardless of their nutritional value.

    Exactly. I see too many people skipping drinks especially, which can add 100's and 100's of calories a day to your intake.
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    Hi there! A calorie is a calorie, and it's gotta be logged, if you want to monitor any progress. However, you should realize that it's sabotaging your weight loss goals. Your body considers alcohol a toxin, and and it will process it before using up actually useful nutrients. I'd rather have another protein shake before bed to aid recovery, instead of passing out with a night cap..... Same calorie count, anyway.... Just my opinion..
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
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    I think you are getting confused between calories and nutrition.

    For calorie and weight loss you want to log everything you eat, for nutrition you want to make sure what you eat is a balanced diet to give your body the nutrition and fuel it requires.

    Personally I like to think beer has a lot of minerals, heard that on CBC but I haven't found any online proof yet.

    Also I think someone said, check with other online calculators 1200 calorie goal might be too low.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    A calorie is a calorie, no matter where it comes from. So, yes, it counts.
  • LividMuffin
    LividMuffin Posts: 47 Member
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    Living with such a low calorie allowance must be a pain in the ****! :D I would probably save like 100kcal couple days beforehand, eat properly on the day of drinking and save another 100 few days after. This way you will compensate for the booze and won't starve yourself.
  • kjarvo
    kjarvo Posts: 235 Member
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    A calorie is a calorie, no matter where it comes from. So, yes, it counts.

    But a person living off 800 calories of food and 400 calories of alcohol a day can't be healthy, they won't be getting any protein, fibre, etc. from the alcohol, just calories.
  • kjarvo
    kjarvo Posts: 235 Member
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    Anything you put in your mouth should be counted. Calories are calories regardless of their nutritional value.

    Exactly. I see too many people skipping drinks especially, which can add 100's and 100's of calories a day to your intake.

    I didn't say skip it. I keep mentioning I DO log it. Let me reword it, not 'does it count' - 'can you drink alcohol instead of food for your 1200 calories that you need to live if you are in a coma, before you die. Or do you need 1200 calories of actual food and the alcohol is horrible extra empty calories'.

    Another note - I aim for 1200 calories a day, it works for me as my goal. Most of the time I eat more. Last few days - 1332, 1164, 2548 including 564 of alcohol, 1154 including 50 of alcohol, 1458.

    I am going out tonight, I want to know how much to eat. As for exercise I don't think 500 calories is too hard to earn. Because I put 1200 as my base I log all activity, so walking to uni and back 20mins, walking to the shop 10, walking to town tonight 15. 45 mins of walking = 173. Then if I do 50 mins of insanity = 466 and 8 mins of calisthenics = 75, 10 mins of weights 35 and I am on my feet all day today. I know mfp overestimates, but that adds up to 749 not counting the time spent making a model all day in uni. That's probably 500 with the overestimations.

    So do I have to eat 1200 of food, then have my alcohol - i.e. eat 1700 cals today and have to do the exercise. Or can it count towards my daily food goal of 1200 needed to feed myself and only eat 800 today with an additional 500 of alcohol - 1300 altogether if I don't do the workout.
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
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    A calorie is a calorie, no matter where it comes from. So, yes, it counts.

    But a person living off 800 calories of food and 400 calories of alcohol a day can't be healthy, they won't be getting any protein, fibre, etc. from the alcohol, just calories.
    If someone is having 400 calories worth of alcohol every day they might want to step back and review their life. That's roughly 3-4 glasses of whiskey or almost 1 bottle of wine or 2-3 bottles of beer.
  • TRD66
    TRD66 Posts: 310 Member
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    Unfortunately, yes.

    If you want a drink (and I partake as well), best thing to do is to schedule a little exercise in to compensate. As someone said earlier, choose your drink wisely as well as the calorie range is quite significant. I have moved away from beer/lager on the whole and now drink more wine, especially red.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    Anything you put in your mouth should be counted. Calories are calories regardless of their nutritional value.

    Exactly. I see too many people skipping drinks especially, which can add 100's and 100's of calories a day to your intake.

    I didn't say skip it. I keep mentioning I DO log it. Let me reword it, not 'does it count' - 'can you drink alcohol instead of food for your 1200 calories that you need to live if you are in a coma, before you die. Or do you need 1200 calories of actual food and the alcohol is horrible extra empty calories'.

    Another note - I aim for 1200 calories a day, it works for me as my goal. Most of the time I eat more. Last few days - 1332, 1164, 2548 including 564 of alcohol, 1154 including 50 of alcohol, 1458.

    I am going out tonight, I want to know how much to eat. As for exercise I don't think 500 calories is too hard to earn. Because I put 1200 as my base I log all activity, so walking to uni and back 20mins, walking to the shop 10, walking to town tonight 15. 45 mins of walking = 173. Then if I do 50 mins of insanity = 466 and 8 mins of calisthenics = 75, 10 mins of weights 35 and I am on my feet all day today. I know mfp overestimates, but that adds up to 749 not counting the time spent making a model all day in uni. That's probably 500 with the overestimations.

    So do I have to eat 1200 of food, then have my alcohol - i.e. eat 1700 cals today and have to do the exercise. Or can it count towards my daily food goal of 1200 needed to feed myself and only eat 800 today with an additional 500 of alcohol - 1300 altogether if I don't do the workout.

    I am up for earning alcohol calories by exercise, but choose wisely. Intense cardio and exercise that needs a lot of repair work will need nutrients. You will start to get injuries and health issues if you don't meet your protein carb fat vitamin and mineral requirements.

    I like the idea of walking or swimming for booze. I do this when I'm not training so hard. I am training ten hours a week at the mo and can only afford the odd splurge now. I just don't recover and feel under par.

    Losing weight is a very stressful thing to ask your body to do. Alcohol makes it much more difficult. Try and compartmentalise it. I feel like you're playing with fire a bit.

    Ps you're going to dislike me for this, but your diet is not very high in nutrients, if you're going to do this thing properly, you have to make sure you're eating high nutrient food, especially on such low cals. You need to get more veg and less processed food happening. You will feel so much better than any alcohol buzz you can get.

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