alcohol and dieting

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  • jos05
    jos05 Posts: 263 Member
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    I can completely relate. My biggest vice has always been drinking! And I can finally say that I feel comfortable with my decision to give it up. I have been alcohol free since Aug 1st....and yes I realize this isn't a long time; but the longest I have gone without a drink in the last 9 yrs ... was 3 days....tops! ***Except for about 2 yrs ago when I stopped for about 2 weeks...when I initially started my weight loss journey. I let alcoholic drinks...consume my weekends and all of my social time. But I finally have a complete handle on it...
    I noticed that when I was drinking...it really just held me back in the gym. Your body takes time to eliminate it completely and after a while...you spend more time trying to catch up completely. Ugh! I am just so much happier without it...

    Someone recently told me something that has just stuck with me...
    I've eaten and drank my way through life; doing what I want...for the last "x" amount of years...it's not a hard chore to just do what needs to be done for a short time...to recover the years of damage I've done... IDK...it's just kind of stuck with me...
    If I can drink for 9 yrs... (started at age 26)...can't I just give it up long enough to get my life, my body, and my fitness under control...

    Best of luck to you! I know this journey is different for each person...so I wish you the best of luck...moderation is the name of the game and in some cases we know it's best just to give things up... find what works best for you.
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
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    Have to agree with Paige and MizTerry; IIFYM rule and moderation.

    I have times where 8oz of bourbon just hits the spot :-). And I do not go over my macros.

    Calories are calories and I control the hungries. I try to workout extra hard on the days when I think I may have a drink or more.

    Its what counts over the long run not what happens in a day. It took us a period of time to get where we needed to lose weight and it will be the same to get back into shape.

    Just one ole man's opinion............
  • emilyGPK
    emilyGPK Posts: 83 Member
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    I am on 1200 calories and have a glass of wine every few days within that limit. I don't keep a lot in the house to avoid getting carried away and buy single serve containers.
  • AlliSteff
    AlliSteff Posts: 211 Member
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    I have week day booze out from my home. I used to sit on the couch with a glass of wine or 2, almost every night. Now, if I drink during the week, it is at an event- which occurs rarely.

    I try to drink only 1 weekend day....and if I go a little over, it is ok. I have cut so much of it out of my life, and I dig some wine with dinner or a good beer
  • Chuck_Finley
    Chuck_Finley Posts: 29
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    I'm on about 1,000 calories a day for a bit now. I reward myself for my dedication with a Friday and Saturday night of drinking. It's not ideal weight loss, but sometimes you need inefficiencies to keep yourself from completely giving up.

    For me, not drinking would be a dealbreaker.
  • Luluke7767
    Luluke7767 Posts: 35 Member
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    I follow the IIFYM
    I generally add a shot of vodka to some Crystal Ice drinks that have zero cals or I have a glass of barefoot cabernet. It's not too bad.
  • Luluke7767
    Luluke7767 Posts: 35 Member
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    What does IIFYM mean?
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    What does IIFYM mean?

    If It Fits Into Your Macros
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
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    i don't drink alcohol very often now.. just on very special occasions.
  • Mariachicat
    Mariachicat Posts: 311 Member
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    I stick with vodka Martinis with olives. One is a great buzz and it's not that high calorie so I can have two last me a couple of hours. Works for me.
  • Chuck_Finley
    Chuck_Finley Posts: 29
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    Rum and Diet Coke is actually a pretty decent drink. Although I never order it in public. It just screams insecurity I think.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
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    I quit for various reasons but a plus side was the quick weight loss. Like other people have mentioned it's easier to let your guard down about the food you snack on while drinking and the food you consume the next day. The one time I gave in I had about three 8 oz cups of Coors and I was buzzed. Nice that it didn't take long :)

    Of course, now that fall is around the corner and the Woodchuck pumpkin/fall ciders will be out, that's another story. It's going to be hard to say no to another 200 calorie bottle of cider by the fire pit on wkends :drinker:
  • PattiLovingLife
    PattiLovingLife Posts: 4 Member
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    I view alcohol as I do any food that I enjoy. Moderation. Count calories. Log it. Work for it.
  • dreamer12151
    dreamer12151 Posts: 1,031 Member
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    I know for me, I enjoy a drink or 2. I quit smoking almost 2 1/2 years ago, and really, it's my only "vice". I make sure I add the calories into my count, and I never "drink to excess". But it's my heritage, my DNA! lol I enjoy me plonk!

    Since I started training for duathlons, though, I have found my eating has naturally gotten "better" in that I'm not craving the "bad" things I once was, and alcohol is just following along. Now I can limit myself to once a week or less.

    If you want it - and you are over 21, or 18, depending on where you are - and can limit yourself to be within your own guidelines, then enjoy it safely. Just make sure you log it. I've seen some people modify their daily food journals on MFP to have a category for alcohol.
  • LanceDuvall
    LanceDuvall Posts: 66 Member
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    Big problem area for me especially in the summer. I do great during the week, exercise daily eat in control and promise myself all week that I will not drink over the weekend. Once Friday hits all my efforts go out the window I get a second workout in the afternoon and then I lose all my will power and breakdown. I love sitting on the front stoop and having the first beer to celebrate the end of the work week. One tastes great, the second one even better and so on and so on. Then time flys by and all oppurtunities to cook a healthy meal are gone and know it's take out time but while waiting for take out it's time to break out the chips. After ordering way too much food and polishing off at least 1500 to 3,000 calories I finish the day with more beer and then a pint of my best friends Ben and Jerry. Saturday more ot the same, I do well all day and get plenty of exercise and then about 6 pm I start binging on food and beer and by the time Sundays come I just binge on food all day and on occasions drink also.

    So I weigh myself on Friday and usually show a loss and then get on Monday and I put on every thing I lost the week before. This has been going on for about 20 years.

    So the summer is coming to an end I wll make an effor to eliminate the booze. I want this upcoming weekend to be alcohol free and to see if I can post a loss on Friday and comeback on Monday still in negative territory.
  • LanceDuvall
    LanceDuvall Posts: 66 Member
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    Big Charleston Heston fan?
  • weightliftingaddict
    weightliftingaddict Posts: 28
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    I'm with eric_sg61. Also quick drinking for a little over 6 months. And now I enjoy 2 or 3 beers/ week (max). Coupled with a cleaner diet, I feel so good now that I can't go back.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    Someone recently told me something that has just stuck with me...
    I've eaten and drank my way through life; doing what I want...for the last "x" amount of years...it's not a hard chore to just do what needs to be done for a short time...to recover the years of damage I've done... IDK...it's just kind of stuck with me...
    If I can drink for 9 yrs... (started at age 26)...can't I just give it up long enough to get my life, my body, and my fitness under control...


    I like that, thank you!
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    Perhaps you should take the IIFYM approach on this one.

    +1
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
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    There is also the theory that alcohol is metabolised before fat so it can slow down weight loss- not sure if I am explaining that correctly.

    Even if this were true -if you are within your calorie allowance this won't make a difference.

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