Wine?

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  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I just posted this on another post, but it applies here too.
    to answer the question you wanted to ask. Yes, all alcohol is a bad choice. Not necessarily because of the calories though, while Alcohol does contain 7 calories per gram, that's not the issue. the issue is because of how alcohol is perceived in the body. The body perceives it as a poison (essentially), and because it can be burned, it prioritizes it above other types of energy (I.E. carbs), so when you drink alcohol, the body essentially puts other calories on hold until it's gone. This is fine if you don't do it often and don't do it in large quantities, but if you have it often or in large quantities, it can and will cause you to gain fat. This is true of any type of alcohol.

    this doesn't include any of the other reasons alcohol is bad for you either, I.E. liver damage, kidney damage, brain issues, decreased ability to make good choices, the hangover factor, dehydration...etc.

    the one thing I will say is that one 5 oz. glass of wine has been shown to have positive effects (as people posted above) IF you only have 1 glass, 1/2 a bottle is what 12 to 14 oz of wine? which is more than recommended. So I'd say if you're going to do that, I'd cut the amount down a little (half), but other than that, you should be ok.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    I drink a glass or two of white or red, depending on my mood, though I know red is better for you all around. However when I do it, I tend to eat less, I usually pair it with a couple healthy apps like tuna or lettuce wraps or something light. Moderation moderation moderation!
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    I had the same experience as many others...When I drank, I didn't lose weight. When I stopped drinking alcohol the pounds just melted away and this happened without changing my eating habits (calories) or excercise routine. But, if you want some recommendations for good, inexpensive red wines this list came from Consumer Reports in their Dec. 2010 issue:

    Cabernet Sauvignon:
    Rosemount Diamond Label 2008 ($9)
    Mirassou 2008 ($10)
    Root 1 2008 ($11)
    Casillero del Diablo ($10)
    365 Everyday Value Trackers Crossing 2008 ($7) - sold only at Whole Foods

    Chianti:
    Toscolo 2008 ($10)
    Melini Borghi D' Elsa 2008 ($8)

    Merlot:
    Yellow Tail 2009 ($6.50)
    The Little Penguin 2009 ($7)

    Pinot Noir:
    Estancia 2008 ($15)
    Redtree 2008 ($9)
    Angeline 2008 (12)
    Castle Rock California Cuvee 2008 ($10)
    Black Mountain Painted Ridges 2008 ($7) - Sold only at Trader Joe's.

    Good luck.
  • cupajoe
    cupajoe Posts: 155
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    I agree with some previous posters - it does dehydrate you - I ALWAYS weigh up the next day, whether or not the poundage sticks around. Maybe if you only drink that much on your "cheat day" which most people have once a month or so.

    Something that has gone unmentioned is something you're definitely going to notice as time goes on. If you do cut back on drinking and as your body mass decreases - you're gonna find you are drunk WAY faster and probably won't need as much.

    It takes very little these days to make me all kinds of loopy and I, like you, used to knock back two bottles of wine (total) with my husband some days - usually with pizza or something else awful. Today if we go through one bottle of wine together we'd better be at home otherwise I don't know how we'd get back there!

    So don't feel like its too much of a burden to cut back. Eventually it will pay off - literally - as drinking becomes cheaper! :drinker:


    This is also true...I find that I am a real light-weight anymore-lol. I used to be able to down a bottle by myself no problem, and now I feel the "perks" in no time. Barefoot brand Shiraz, Pinot Nior, or merlot are my fave. I also noticed that it was difficult to cut back on things like my wine intake at first, but after I started having some real success with my weight loss I became far more aware of the # of calories I was consuming (and knowing how long I would have to workout to BURN those calories). It made it far easier to turn things down.
  • glitterballv
    glitterballv Posts: 133 Member
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    I love wine. It's really the only alcohol I would drink because I actually enjoy it.
    However, I have always found that even if I save up the calories all week I will gain slightly if I have been drinking once at the weekend. Granted, I am talking a big night out but only maybe every 4-6 weeks at the most and otherwise only having the odd glass of white every 2-3 weeks...

    This time I'm going teetotal for a couple of months I think...
  • coachniquenya
    coachniquenya Posts: 60 Member
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    Awesome! Thanks bizco
  • emmyvera
    emmyvera Posts: 599 Member
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    I haven't noticed too much of a difference at all and I still drink a few drinks a week. But I always (okay almost always) make sure I have the calories I need to do so. I also ALWAYS drink water with my beer/mixer whatever. I also am very careful about what I drink. I drink either a light beer, a gin and diet tonic or a small glass of wine.

    I think adding a lot of water really helps! And I'm always sure to get up and boogie too - makes me feel like I'm working some of it off :bigsmile:
  • peggybrant
    peggybrant Posts: 144 Member
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    I no longer drink 1 month now...but the time before this win I quit I lost 20 lbs without doing a thing. I did acquire a sweet tooth tho which dr said was because of the sugars my body had gotten use to in the alcohol that i was no longer consuming. No weight loss yet this time so we will see. I quit smoking at same time. I feel so much better tho cuz even if I wasn't hungover which I usually was I was still sluggish. This time I quit drinking so I could quit smoking and so far all is great. It definately helps knowing I have God on my side and since I've decided, or i should say God decided, for me to take him more seriously it's all been really easy keeping it out of my life.
  • Laura80111
    Laura80111 Posts: 958 Member
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    I do love wine, but when I was determined to lose the weight last year I gave up the wine except for very special occasions (anniversary, birthday )

    I guess it's a matter of how badly you want to lose the weight:huh: , are those calories worth it? You've set yourself a goal for Valentines Day, so do you really think you can achieve it drinking the wine?:ohwell:

    Sometimes you just have to sacrifice to get to the ultimate goal:wink:
  • MKSullivan
    MKSullivan Posts: 12
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    Wine is always tough for me too. I have the good intentions of having one glass and one glass only. But one usually leads to another and so on. Then I feel poorly the next day so I eat something greasy thinking it will make me feel better. That usually doesn't help, just makes me feel worse. THEN I do miss my workout as well. I've decided wine will have to be saved for weekends only...and only one glass.
    The tough part about wine is that a serving of wine is meant to be around 6 oz. At restaurants or at a friends house, the pour tends to be way more than 6 ounces.
    I found some really cool glasses in this months Weight Watchers magazine. The glasses look art deco-ish but the lines on the glasses are actually measuring lines - 4 oz, 6 oz and 9 oz. A good way to monitor your wine comsuption!

    Found the wine glasses for sale online:

    http://wine-trax.com/ordernow.html
  • Hourglass25
    Hourglass25 Posts: 340 Member
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    I love........wine!! And it has also been hard for me to cut down, but I have. Now I just have a glass, or two sometimes when I was used to have a bottle in two days. If you drink the ones that have less of a percent in alcohol it won't be *kitten* bad.
  • Yellowstone1983
    Yellowstone1983 Posts: 131 Member
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    I didn't read all the responses so I hope I'm not repeating information. One reason why drinking can slow the weight loss is that alcohol and fat are both processed through the liver. So when you drink, you're liver has no choice but to focus on processing the alcohol (so it doesn't poison you) pushing fat loss to the side even if you are working out and eating healthily.
  • CombatVet_Armywife
    CombatVet_Armywife Posts: 300 Member
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    I just posted this on another post, but it applies here too.
    to answer the question you wanted to ask. Yes, all alcohol is a bad choice. Not necessarily because of the calories though, while Alcohol does contain 7 calories per gram, that's not the issue. the issue is because of how alcohol is perceived in the body. The body perceives it as a poison (essentially), and because it can be burned, it prioritizes it above other types of energy (I.E. carbs), so when you drink alcohol, the body essentially puts other calories on hold until it's gone. This is fine if you don't do it often and don't do it in large quantities, but if you have it often or in large quantities, it can and will cause you to gain fat. This is true of any type of alcohol.

    this doesn't include any of the other reasons alcohol is bad for you either, I.E. liver damage, kidney damage, brain issues, decreased ability to make good choices, the hangover factor, dehydration...etc.



    ~~Great info! I am taking college classes and in one of my previous BIO classes we learned a bit about this. What you said is absolutely true AND you said it in a way that is easily understandable.

    Having said that....I have been a wine lover for many years. Once I started with MFP, I cut wine back to one night on the weekends. Then, I entered a challenge back in October to give up wine for the entire month. I did. My weight loss results were awesome!
    Then of course, once October was over, I very much enjoyed having my wine on the weekends again. Between mid-November and through the entire month of December I have lost NOTHING. The only thing that changed in my diet during that time was the wine.

    I was still getting PLENTY of exercise, water, and eating the right foods (anyone who knows me knows how hard I work at this)....wine was the ONLY factor. SO.....as much as I HATE it.....I officially gave wine up for good as of Jan. 2nd. At least until I reach my goal weight, maybe then I will change my mind, maybe not.

    But being stuck at a plateau for a month and a half has been SO aggravating....if wine is the issue, I'm more than happy to give it up! Those who don't have to....you're lucky and I'm happy for you (hate you a little too!) :tongue:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I didn't read all the responses so I hope I'm not repeating information. One reason why drinking can slow the weight loss is that alcohol and fat are both processed through the liver. So when you drink, you're liver has no choice but to focus on processing the alcohol (so it doesn't poison you) pushing fat loss to the side even if you are working out and eating healthily.

    fat is actually processed in the duodenum (part of the small intestines), not the liver, via bile secreted from the gall bladder. The liver makes bile, but it is a separate process. The liver doesn't actually process any of the 3 micro-nutrients, it takes the results of the breakdown in the stomach, colon, and intestines and converts them to glycogen for distribution and storage. (among other things the liver does). Since alcohol doesn't need much in the way of breakdown (it's already a carbon chain similar to sugars) it is processed in the liver both detoxifying alcohol and breaking it into usable chemicals and fed into the krebs cycle for energy use.

    But I get your point. When the liver is busy taking care of alcohol, it can't do other things, like convert glucose to glycogen for distribution. This means the glucose is shuttled out of the liver for another trip around the circulatory system where a portion is siphoned off for lipogenisys (fat storage). Also alcohol inflames the stomach and intestines disrupting digestion of food, thus decreasing your vitamin and mineral absorption rates. thus you pass more food out of your body without fully processing it for it's vital nutrients.

    And now I see that I simultaneously gave a brief, partial description of digestion and went WAAAY overboard on the geek meter. Sorry about that guys.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    love you Banks!

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