Alcohol

natstar26 · May 2014

Haha I haven't been out in years and im going out tomorrow night, so amped lol wooop I am just going to do 60 mins intense cardio during the day, so I wont have to worry so much about ohh I can only have 1 drink bahaha

_mlee_ · May 2014

Psshhh wine and beer don't have calories... It's like water :drinker: lol

marisarinde · May 2014

Ok am I the only one who doesn't count drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) in their calorie count? It'd just be too much work!! I drink soy milk and alcoholic drinks all the time (weird mix, I know haha) plus the occasional sweet tea, lemonade, or ginger ale. Idk why, I've just never felt the need to count those. Oh well :P

marisarinde · May 2014

Psshhh wine and beer don't have calories... It's like water :drinker: lol

Lol I'm with ya!

ahoy_m8 · May 2014

I had to cut back. Now I work it into my calories for the day. Sometimes it fits and sometimes it doesn't.
I do notice a difference when I haven't drank for awhile around retaining water. Other than that, I don't think it matters as long as you remain at a defict.

Sometimes that extra 20 minutes is so I can drink! :drinker:

^^^ this

_mlee_ · May 2014

Ok am I the only one who doesn't count drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) in their calorie count? It'd just be too much work!! I drink soy milk and alcoholic drinks all the time (weird mix, I know haha) plus the occasional sweet tea, lemonade, or ginger ale. Idk why, I've just never felt the need to count those. Oh well :P

I am a liquid cheat! I don't usually count anything I drink lol

chrisdavey · May 2014

Ok am I the only one who doesn't count drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) in their calorie count? It'd just be too much work!! I drink soy milk and alcoholic drinks all the time (weird mix, I know haha) plus the occasional sweet tea, lemonade, or ginger ale. Idk why, I've just never felt the need to count those. Oh well :P

grossly inaccurate. But if you have the same each day then you could work it out.

Aaron_K123 · May 2014

Ok am I the only one who doesn't count drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) in their calorie count? It'd just be too much work!! I drink soy milk and alcoholic drinks all the time (weird mix, I know haha) plus the occasional sweet tea, lemonade, or ginger ale. Idk why, I've just never felt the need to count those. Oh well :P

Let me guess, when you diet you aim to eat 1200 calories? I've seen people on here before who say they eat 1200 calories but when asked it turns out there is a bunch of things they just don't count for whatever reason. All the things you just listed all have a lot of calories and they definitely count towards your caloric total. If you are very regular in your consumption and have a very low calorie goal and don't count them then the end result could be healthy weight loss but you are not really tracking everything.

Most of the things you listed would have about 200 calories in a glass.

dressthatfits · May 2014

I cut it our completely but, ate my calories instead of drinking them. Usually have something sweet in the evening so I can't have alcohol as well and it wasn't that tough to take it out of the diet. I now only drink for special occasions, maybe once a month. Try and fit in whatever is most important to you, if it's booze then exercise a bit more that day.

Linnaea27 · May 2014

When I was losing weight, I decreased the amount I drank quite a bit. I think I gained a lot of the 11 lbs I lost, in the first place, by having too much wine! I would still have a small glass of wine once or twice a week and half a bottle of beer once or twice a week, but only on days when I had exercised enough to be able to eat enough along with it and still be under my goal. Or, if it put me over my calorie goal, I'd make up for the the next day.

I don't think this hindered my progress at all. If you want it enough, you can fit it in.

teagirlmedium · May 2014

When I lowered my alcohol intake I lost weight faster. Drinking less took a bunch of calories out of my diet, but I switched them with other calories.

manicautumn · May 2014

Vodka + crystal light and perrier

WendylovesSteve · May 2014

Yes! I have almost completely cut alcohol out because of its high calories. There are some drink mixes also that you can buy now that come in at 95 calories per 4 oz. serving such as Jose Cuervo Light Margarita mix that includes the alcohol - not bad compared to a regular 4 oz. serving of margarita at 180 calories. It does indeed hamper my ability to lose weight, so I chose to cut back. :grumble:

Anaralar · May 2014

I make a beer a night work. Before counting on the reg I'd have 2-3 most nights. Now I appreciate each drink and my dog appreciates the extra evening walk. Seems to be working so far, but I'm about a month in of regular and accurate counting.

brower47 · May 2014

show previous quotes

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

Alcoholics often get very skinny (although, often they are "skinny fat" with fatty livers). The point is, that alcohol is an impediment to weight loss--but if you cut your calories enough, you will lose weight anyway. If weight loss were the only criteria, then it would appear not to matter--however, maintaining one's health while eating at a deficit can be a much trickier proposition.

I've maintained my health, lift regularly, hit my macros and micros over a weekly average, have increased strength, have lost weight and I just started running again. I guess having one or two drinks, 2-4 times a week hasn't compromised my health, my fitness or my weight loss goals.

Please stop being so absolute. It's not a choice between health or abstinence.

marisarinde · May 2014

Ok so I've gotten a lot of feedback about my alcohol comment. Let me clarify:

I drink alcohol about once a week, if that. My calorie goal (according to MFP) is 1200, which I am almost always under. I exercise every single day for at least a half hour, usually more, with cardio and strength training included.

So no, I don't count my drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). But it's not impeding my progress, either. I only started my account on here about a month ago and I've already lost 6 pounds.And not to toot my own horn but if you look at my pictures, or my BMI (which is about 22, by the way), I'd say I'm doing pretty good. Yes it's possible that I'd be losing weight quicker if I never drank any alcohol, but I'm still losing weight without cutting anything completely out of my diet, like dessert or alcohol. So I'm good. Thanks for the advice though, but I think I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing.

marisarinde · May 2014

Please stop being so absolute. It's not a choice between health or abstinence.
[/quote]

^THIS

KettyLoyd · May 2014

If you want to lose your weight, then quit beer and wine completely, but not for a while, for always. I f you quit for a while you will lose weight at that time, but when you will start, you will gain weight again.

Springfield1970 · May 2014

show previous quotes

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.

Thank you. The articles provide us with all the information we need.

I've limited alcohol to special occasions now. It behaves like Kryptonite in the body of a sports person. I've been reading a lot lately about it and can no longer deny how negative and detrimental it is for me, it just undoes all the training, repair and vitality of my amazing bod!

randomtai · May 2014

If you want to lose your weight, then quit beer and wine completely, but not for a while, for always. I f you quit for a while you will lose weight at that time, but when you will start, you will gain weight again.

No I think I am doing quite fine.

randomtai · May 2014

Ok so I've gotten a lot of feedback about my alcohol comment. Let me clarify:

I drink alcohol about once a week, if that. My calorie goal (according to MFP) is 1200, which I am almost always under. I exercise every single day for at least a half hour, usually more, with cardio and strength training included.

So no, I don't count my drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). But it's not impeding my progress, either. I only started my account on here about a month ago and I've already lost 6 pounds.And not to toot my own horn but if you look at my pictures, or my BMI (which is about 22, by the way), I'd say I'm doing pretty good. Yes it's possible that I'd be losing weight quicker if I never drank any alcohol, but I'm still losing weight without cutting anything completely out of my diet, like dessert or alcohol. So I'm good. Thanks for the advice though, but I think I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing.

You are definitely not eating enough. Or logging accurately. No way someone 5'10" should be eating 1200 calories. :noway:

itodd4019 · May 2014

I like that Randomai and Brower don't give in, they take the time to read those reports and everything

good discussion

Aaron_K123 · May 2014

show previous quotes

Ok so I've gotten a lot of feedback about my alcohol comment. Let me clarify:

I drink alcohol about once a week, if that. My calorie goal (according to MFP) is 1200, which I am almost always under. I exercise every single day for at least a half hour, usually more, with cardio and strength training included.

So no, I don't count my drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). But it's not impeding my progress, either. I only started my account on here about a month ago and I've already lost 6 pounds.And not to toot my own horn but if you look at my pictures, or my BMI (which is about 22, by the way), I'd say I'm doing pretty good. Yes it's possible that I'd be losing weight quicker if I never drank any alcohol, but I'm still losing weight without cutting anything completely out of my diet, like dessert or alcohol. So I'm good. Thanks for the advice though, but I think I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing.

You are definitely not eating enough. Or logging accurately. No way someone 5'10" should be eating 1200 calories. :noway:

But she isnt only getting 1200. Her intake is ??? calories because she isnt tracking a major source of her intake. Glass of milk, a lemonade, a sweet tea, a couple beers...that is easily 1000 calories.

Sad thing is if she talks of her success on "1200" calories someone who actually tracks might attempt that and hurt themselves.

I fully agree by the way though that 5'10" 20 years old and not overweight a true diet of 1200 calories would wreck your body leading to loss of muscle mass and possibly bone density. I seriously hope she isn't recommending that *kitten* to anyone.

SanteMulberry · May 2014

show previous quotes

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

Alcoholics often get very skinny (although, often they are "skinny fat" with fatty livers). The point is, that alcohol is an impediment to weight loss--but if you cut your calories enough, you will lose weight anyway. If weight loss were the only criteria, then it would appear not to matter--however, maintaining one's health while eating at a deficit can be a much trickier proposition.

I've maintained my health, lift regularly, hit my macros and micros over a weekly average, have increased strength, have lost weight and I just started running again. I guess having one or two drinks, 2-4 times a week hasn't compromised my health, my fitness or my weight loss goals.

Please stop being so absolute. It's not a choice between health or abstinence.

I think there are a lot of caveats to drinking and trimming body weight, and some of the less knowledgeable here will take what you have said as carte blanche to drink while drastically reducing calories. When you have sufficient calories (such as those doing cardio and a fair bit of lifting) some can afford to waste a few calories on alcohol (and make no mistake, it is nothing but wasted calories). But many simply cannot afford it. As I said before, I have a friend on MFP who drinks about a third of her 1,100 to 1,300 calories in vodka/gin or beer and many of the remaining calories are spent on nutrient-poor processed food choices. She has already had health breakdowns that worry me. I'm hoping she sees this thread.

randomtai · May 2014

show previous quotes

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

Alcoholics often get very skinny (although, often they are "skinny fat" with fatty livers). The point is, that alcohol is an impediment to weight loss--but if you cut your calories enough, you will lose weight anyway. If weight loss were the only criteria, then it would appear not to matter--however, maintaining one's health while eating at a deficit can be a much trickier proposition.

I've maintained my health, lift regularly, hit my macros and micros over a weekly average, have increased strength, have lost weight and I just started running again. I guess having one or two drinks, 2-4 times a week hasn't compromised my health, my fitness or my weight loss goals.

Please stop being so absolute. It's not a choice between health or abstinence.

I think there are a lot of caveats to drinking and trimming body weight, and some of the less knowledgeable here will take what you have said as carte blanche to drink while drastically reducing calories. When you have sufficient calories (such as those doing cardio and a fair bit of lifting) some can afford to waste a few calories on alcohol (and make no mistake, it is nothing but wasted calories). But many simply cannot afford it. As I said before, I have a friend on MFP who drinks about a third of her 1,100 to 1,300 calories in vodka/gin or beer and many of the remaining calories are spent on nutrient-poor processed food choices. She has already had health breakdowns that worry me. I'm hoping she sees this thread.

Why not tell them instead of being passive aggressive about it, if it concerns you so much?

The_Enginerd · May 2014

show previous quotes

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.

Alcoholics often get very skinny (although, often they are "skinny fat" with fatty livers). The point is, that alcohol is an impediment to weight loss--but if you cut your calories enough, you will lose weight anyway. If weight loss were the only criteria, then it would appear not to matter--however, maintaining one's health while eating at a deficit can be a much trickier proposition.

And yet, quite a few studies have determined the life expectancy for moderate drinkers is the highest, and even heavy drinkers had a higher life expectancy than those that didn't drink at all.

SanteMulberry · May 2014

She is really just an acquaintance and I suspect that she would be somewhat annoyed by my unsolicited advice--she often has a pretty negative attitude. Not sure it would do any good even if the advice came from a close family member--she seems to be pretty into drinking. And the more she drinks, the less she eats. I'm just offering general advice here for others so that they might guard against falling into the trap that she appears to be in.

martinel2099 · May 2014

I don't drink as much during the weekdays now, I've almost cut it out completely except at happy hours or the occasional bad day beer.

Nothing wrong with alcohol just understand that it is empty calories that won't help keep you full. Stick to "skinny" versions of drinks or light beer, avoid super sugary drinks like Margaritas that contain amazing amounts of calories.

SanteMulberry · May 2014

show previous quotes

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.

Alcoholics often get very skinny (although, often they are "skinny fat" with fatty livers). The point is, that alcohol is an impediment to weight loss--but if you cut your calories enough, you will lose weight anyway. If weight loss were the only criteria, then it would appear not to matter--however, maintaining one's health while eating at a deficit can be a much trickier proposition.

And yet, quite a few studies have determined the life expectancy for moderate drinkers is the highest, and even heavy drinkers had a higher life expectancy than those that didn't drink at all.

I would be wary of "studies" done for the Distiller's, Brewer's or Vintner's Associations. Those "who don't drink at all" may skew the numbers because they have a disease, who are former alcoholics or who are older people who tend not to drink much (they are often unsteady on their feet and have been advised to avoid drinking among other reasons why older people tend not to drink). I'm not saying that young, healthy people need to avoid alcohol entirely (although, while they are attempting to lose body fat, alcohol certainly doesn't HELP the process). But, in general, calorie restriction and alcohol don't mix very well.

GemmaRowlands · May 2014

When I started losing weight, MFP gave me a limit of 1,200 calories per day and, because of my hectic desk job, I was struggling to get much exercise done. So I felt that if that was all the intake I was allowed, alcohol was a bit of a waste. That was in 2011 and I barely ever touch the stuff now - just don't feel the need anymore because I got so used to not bothering.

I'm all too aware that even a couple of glasses can add several hundred calories, and it's just not worth it imo when I can have calorie free flavoured water that tastes so nice!

Alcohol

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