Alcohol

I fit it into my calories/exercising as well, I do have about 2 a day!

I drink regularly (at least once or twice a week) and I've been consistently losing my weight...low and slow as I want. I fit it in. I will never give up something unless I'm willing to give it up for life cause this isn't a stop-gap but a lifelong journey.

Agreee with so many of the reasons listed.
a) When i drink, I drink more than 1 or 2 or 3 drinks
b) When i drink, I make careless food choices
c) When i drink, my night of sleep is horrible

All 3 above result in less progress.
For now, while I'm trying to drop about 10-15 lbs, I am trying to cut out drinking competely.
Maybe when I am trying to maintain, I'll allow a few drinks as long as I budget the calories sufficiently.

Like another post said, I can ruin a whole week with 1 night of fun.... Not worth it!
I stop to think -- what is MORE important to me ?

Agreed! if you want to get serious about losing weight and getting healthy its time to get off the sauce!

False.

Fascinating Reply Randomtai!

Have you had to cut back or completely quit drinking before seeing results in your weight loss attempts? I love wine and beer, but I feel like I should completely stop drinking for a while. I'd like to know what you did that helped you cut back or completely quit drinking.

To answer your OP,

Yes I needed to quit drinking in order to see results in weight loss and achieving my running goals. I love red wine, beer and Vodka, as my name suggests. My suggestion is this, if you are asking if you should stop completely, then give it a try. Make it a good try for a decent amount of time (1 month), track your progress and see how it works for you. Then after a month decide if not drinking works for you or not.

Just for fun I looked around for an article or study where drinking alcohol supports weight loss or athletic ability and I could not find one, not one article! I did find article after article, including studies supporting not drinking alcohol supports weight loss, and faster recovery after a workout.. (I copied two of them in an earlier post)

Have a nice day!

I had to cut it completely out. Not because of the calories from the alcohol, but because when I'm drunk, taco bell and McDonalds are my best friends and I don't just stop at one burger or burrito.

I agree that giving it up while dieting makes it easier to lose weight. I would rather use my calories on food. I find I generally feel and sleep better without booze. I am almost at my goal weight and at this point am not sure if I will drink again. I dont need it.

I cut it completely while I was trying to lose weight (6 months). I now drink maybe once every two months. If that. The body doesn't metabolize the alcohol like it does other food. It converts it almost directly to fat, and since I'm trying to lower my bf I try to avoid it.

The body converts it to fat? Do you have a link I could read?

http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/page2.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson194.htm

here are a couple interesting articles I looked up. I quit drinking alcohol while I was trying to lose weight.
Training for a half marathon, drinking and running did not work out for me at all.
The first week was the toughest for me once I got passed that I was good to go.

Neither article states that alcohol can be converted to fat.

Exactly.

From article one:

"Alcohol can lead to weight gain from the calories it provides and by causing you to eat more calories after consuming the alcohol."

Article two:

"Here's the problem with all alcoholic beverages, and the reason I recommend refraining from alcohol consumption on the diet. Alcohol, whenever taken in, is the first fuel to burn. While that's going on, your body will not burn fat. This does not stop the weight loss, it simply postpones it, since the alcohol does not store as glycogen, and you immediately go back into ketosis/lipolysis after the alcohol is used up."

OP: Calories in vs out for weight gain. If it fits in your calorie goal, enjoy a beer, a glass of wine or whatever.

I believe that the advice on MFP is "Don't drink your calories".

Alcoholics often get a majority of their calories from alcohol and it has devastating effects on their health. There is no nutritional value in alcohol (other than carbohydrate calories) and frankly, most people cannot afford the empty calories while on a calorie deficit (especially women who already have reduced calorie limits over men). There are a few nutrients in beer and wine but distilled spirits are basically just a "pure poison" that the liver must process.

In addition, the liver is impaired in fat burning for up to 24 hours by the processing of alcohol. One of my MFP pals drinks every day (it looks like mostly vodka) and in analyzing the rest of her food diary, I see a LOT of nutritional deficits. I hope she retains her health but I fear she will not.

Alcohol isn't a carbohydrate. It's its own macro nutrient. If a person gets all of their daily micro nutrient needs met through the foods they eat, and have some additional exercise calories left at the end of the day, there is not problem with having a drink or two.

Up to 24 hours? I can't imagine this would apply to anyone other than alcoholics that consume the majority of their calories through alcohol. One or two drinks (150-300 alcohol calories) will be metabolized within hours, however long it takes for the body to use 150-300 calories and will not have a significant impact on weight loss.

No, I LOVE alcohol and fit it in daily and I'm still losing weight.

If you think you have a problem with alcohol, like you drink more than ~2 drinks a day, then you should most definitely cut back for your health.

There have been times where I stopped drinking completely. Once was for 6 months, another time was for 2 months, and most recently was for Lent for 40 days. I did not lose an ounce of weight from it. Alcohol doesn't effect me in terms of weight, overall calorie consumption does.

I log every calorie I intake and make sure it fits into my daily calories. If I go out with friends on a Sat night and have 4-5 drinks, sometimes I'll spread them out thru the week so to lower my daily calorie intake for the rest of the week to make up for drinking a lot in one night. It works!

I believe that the advice on MFP is "Don't drink your calories".

Alcoholics often get a majority of their calories from alcohol and it has devastating effects on their health. There is no nutritional value in alcohol (other than carbohydrate calories) and frankly, most people cannot afford the empty calories while on a calorie deficit (especially women who already have reduced calorie limits over men). There are a few nutrients in beer and wine but distilled spirits are basically just a "pure poison" that the liver must process.

In addition, the liver is impaired in fat burning for up to 24 hours by the processing of alcohol. One of my MFP pals drinks every day (it looks like mostly vodka) and in analyzing the rest of her food diary, I see a LOT of nutritional deficits. I hope she retains her health but I fear she will not.

Alcohol isn't a carbohydrate. It's its own macro nutrient. If a person gets all of their daily micro nutrient needs met through the foods they eat, and have some additional exercise calories left at the end of the day, there is not problem with having a drink or two.

Up to 24 hours? I can't imagine this would apply to anyone other than alcoholics that consume the majority of their calories through alcohol. One or two drinks (150-300 alcohol calories) will be metabolized within hours, however long it takes for the body to use 150-300 calories and will not have a significant impact on weight loss.

It is generally counted as a carbohydrate because it has calories and it is not a fat or a protein. I recognize that it is in a category all by itself but is is handled in a way that is similar to the handling of fructose in the body.

from Fitday.com "...[alcohol impairs fat burning.] Alcohol can affect the amount that your body can burn. A study found that consuming 24 g of alcohol [the amount represented by a glass and a half of wine] could decrease your body's whole body lipid oxidation [i.e. the] ability to burn fat, by a staggering 73 percent. When alcohol passes [through] the liver, it produces a by-product called acetate, which inhibits the fat burning capabilities of the body. This means that if you drink alcohol constantly, the fat burning processes in your body take a back seat. This results in more fat stored in your body, which can significantly increase your weight.

Increases Appetite

Another study has proved that alcohol consumption results in increase of appetite more than any other type of drink. Not only do meals appear tastier and more appetizing when there is a bottle of beer to pair with it, people also get hungry more after drinking alcohol. People who are seriously trying to lose those extra pounds should try their best to avoid beer and other alcoholic drinks so as not to perk up their appetites.

Decreases Testosterone

Drinking alcohol can decrease the production of testosterone and increase that of cortisone, a muscle-destroying hormone. Aside from the fact that decrease in testosterone can affect a male's sexual drive, it can also have an effect on his weight, especially if he is trying to build and tone his muscles. To successfully build muscles and burn fat, it is imperative to up one's testosterone levels and get rid of cortisol. More on that, drinking alcohol also affects muscle distribution. In simpler terms, more fat goes around the waist and there is less overall muscle mass in the body.
Reduces Vitamin and Mineral Absorption

Another harmful effect of alcohol that has something to do with weight is the decrease in vitamin and mineral absorption. This happens because, when you consume too much alcohol, the liver becomes preoccupied in turning alcohol into acetate. Therefore, any vitamins and minerals that you take in just goes straight to the detoxification process. In other words, alcohol interferes with the absorption of most nutrients. Even if you eat a healthy meal right after drinking alcohol, it won't be as [beneficial].

Causes Dehydration

Since alcohol is a diuretic, which can elevate rate of urination, it can cause dehydration. Water is very important not only to muscle building, but also to general health. It can impair the progress of your muscle building program and at the same time, affect your overall well-being.

Next time you grab a bottle of beer or a glass of wine, think about its repercussions to your health and your weight loss regimen."

I have noticed that I also get puffy after having a few drinks,just like another poster mentioned.

I have 1-2 margarita's on Friday date night with my husband. I do adjust my food intake that day to ensure the drinks fits my macro's.

When I was in weightloss mode , I did not drink any alcohol. I reached goal in 6 months and my BF was at 23%. My ultimate goal is to be a 20%BF.

My BF had slowly creeped up to 26%, since I added the alcohol back . I have been thinking about cutting the alcohol out again and increase my strength training . I hope this helps with lowering my BF!!

Echoing what most have said here... I cut alcohol for 6 weeks at the start of my weight-loss plan. It didn't do much to move the scale. Then I joined MFP and maintained a food/drink calorie deficit, and weight came off regardless of having some limited amounts of alcohol. If I do drink, it *can* lead to poor choices and also lead to not caring as much about consoming extra calories like bread or tortilla chips on the table. So, I try to limit my intake to one-to-two glasses, otherwise it's a slippery slope. If I have more than 2 drinks, I am fuzzier and a somewhat tired for the following day, and that hampers my overall workout & food efforts. Sometimes it's just not worth it, but if you plan your intake accordingly you're fine. Good luck!

I believe that the advice on MFP is "Don't drink your calories".

Alcoholics often get a majority of their calories from alcohol and it has devastating effects on their health. There is no nutritional value in alcohol (other than carbohydrate calories) and frankly, most people cannot afford the empty calories while on a calorie deficit (especially women who already have reduced calorie limits over men). There are a few nutrients in beer and wine but distilled spirits are basically just a "pure poison" that the liver must process.

In addition, the liver is impaired in fat burning for up to 24 hours by the processing of alcohol. One of my MFP pals drinks every day (it looks like mostly vodka) and in analyzing the rest of her food diary, I see a LOT of nutritional deficits. I hope she retains her health but I fear she will not.

Alcohol isn't a carbohydrate. It's its own macro nutrient. If a person gets all of their daily micro nutrient needs met through the foods they eat, and have some additional exercise calories left at the end of the day, there is not problem with having a drink or two.

Up to 24 hours? I can't imagine this would apply to anyone other than alcoholics that consume the majority of their calories through alcohol. One or two drinks (150-300 alcohol calories) will be metabolized within hours, however long it takes for the body to use 150-300 calories and will not have a significant impact on weight loss.

It is generally counted as a carbohydrate because it has calories and it is not a fat or a protein. I recognize that it is in a category all by itself but is is handled in a way that is similar to the handling of fructose in the body.

from Fitday.com "...[alcohol impairs fat burning.] Alcohol can affect the amount that your body can burn. A study found that consuming 24 g of alcohol [the amount represented by a glass and a half of wine] could decrease your body's whole body lipid oxidation [i.e. the] ability to burn fat, by a staggering 73 percent. When alcohol passes [through] the liver, it produces a by-product called acetate, which inhibits the fat burning capabilities of the body. This means that if you drink alcohol constantly, the fat burning processes in your body take a back seat. This results in more fat stored in your body, which can significantly increase your weight.

Increases Appetite

Another study has proved that alcohol consumption results in increase of appetite more than any other type of drink. Not only do meals appear tastier and more appetizing when there is a bottle of beer to pair with it, people also get hungry more after drinking alcohol. People who are seriously trying to lose those extra pounds should try their best to avoid beer and other alcoholic drinks so as not to perk up their appetites.

Decreases Testosterone

Drinking alcohol can decrease the production of testosterone and increase that of cortisone, a muscle-destroying hormone. Aside from the fact that decrease in testosterone can affect a male's sexual drive, it can also have an effect on his weight, especially if he is trying to build and tone his muscles. To successfully build muscles and burn fat, it is imperative to up one's testosterone levels and get rid of cortisol. More on that, drinking alcohol also affects muscle distribution. In simpler terms, more fat goes around the waist and there is less overall muscle mass in the body.
Reduces Vitamin and Mineral Absorption

Another harmful effect of alcohol that has something to do with weight is the decrease in vitamin and mineral absorption. This happens because, when you consume too much alcohol, the liver becomes preoccupied in turning alcohol into acetate. Therefore, any vitamins and minerals that you take in just goes straight to the detoxification process. In other words, alcohol interferes with the absorption of most nutrients. Even if you eat a healthy meal right after drinking alcohol, it won't be as [beneficial].

Causes Dehydration

Since alcohol is a diuretic, which can elevate rate of urination, it can cause dehydration. Water is very important not only to muscle building, but also to general health. It can impair the progress of your muscle building program and at the same time, affect your overall well-being.

Next time you grab a bottle of beer or a glass of wine, think about its repercussions to your health and your weight loss regimen."

And yet I lost 40 lbs while regularly consuming alcohol. I guess I'm a special snowflake.

I fit it into my calorie budget but don't drink wine on days I don't go to the gym.

I don't normally drink that often anyway but when I do it is normally a big one Typically on those days I "try" to implement the lean gains strategy of high protein, low C&F. It normally works for most of the day haha. Also making sure I'm active while drinking.

I have now cut it out completely as
A: macros are lower and I prefer food
B: when I drink, it makes me more hungry and more likely to over consume

(now prepping for BB comp so need to be more strict)