alcohol and your weight loss?

I rarely drink except during football season. But when I do I just account for the calories by eating less carbs that day. My total calories stay within my goal regardless. I usually drink 3 or 4 light beers and that's it, so not a real issue for me.

Oh yeah, football. Well damn, this is gonna be a tough one.

Oh yeah, football. Well damn, this is gonna be a tough one.

I just drink one per quarter and have either lunch or dinner with it depending on if it's a night or day game. I love it, we have a large group that all watch the game every week together at this bar I go to .

Most of the time, I can stay under my calorie limit even with beer (although my nutrition totally tanks). But, It definitely makes me retain water. I usually drink on Friday nights, so my weight will look high on Saturday and even Sunday sometimes, but be back down to normal or below by Monday.

Two things I've learned about myself. 1) If I drink so much that I get a hangover, it is very hard to stay under calories the next day (tip: one Whataburger tacquito is 450 calories!) and 2) If I drink multiple days in a row, the "water" weight will last 4 or 5 days, which really feels like a set back. So, I've tried to stop doing that.

Today is 17 days without a drink. I usually drink on the weekends (beer and vodka sodas) Although I am doubtful that I can put down booze all together cold turkey, but I am going to try and consume less, and drink less often.

I have stuck to my work out and diet for (today is day 28) and I have lost 10.5 pounds since my Saturday morning weigh in. I am sure since I have stopped drinking alcohol for the past 2.5 weeks that this has contributed a little bit to my weight loss. not only is alcohol empty calories, I make horrible eating decisions when I drink (eating pizza at 1 am, or eating a bunch of chips) For the most part I can control food decisions if I have a few beers, but if I am drunk I will eat whatever.


Frankly, I am sure alcohol is most likely the main contributor to my weight today, wether it be the alcohol its self, or the decisions I have made that come a long with it.

I am really going to try as hard as I can to refrain from drinking, or take 2 weeks off after the last time I drink. It is Labor day weekend so I am most likely to have some drinks. I just need to have better control.

My story is very similar. I'm feeling pretty awesome actually, having cut waaaay back on my booze intake lately. I had a fun night and several drinks while camping with friends two weeks ago, but otherwise haven't touched it. I also believe that alcohol (and the choices I made while/after drinking - not exercising the next day for example) contributed a great deal to my weight gain to begin with.

I am starting to think about alcohol like I think about cake. I love it, it's delicious and wonderful, but I'm only going to have some when it's a special occasion and really worth it. For me, a Saturday night glass of good wine with my hubs who I've barely seen all week - worth it. Drinking just because it's Tuesday, not worth it. I'm going to a wedding next weekend and I'll definitely have cocktails, probably all three days, but I'll log them and make sure they are fairly low sugar/low cal drinks. I am sure I'll go over my calories but I'll walk a lot that weekend and will up my exercise from now until then, and for the week after.

In the past when I have done a more "crash diet" type of thing, I drank quite a bit still and ate less during the day to make up for the calorie difference. It left me feeling weak and like crap, and of course the "diet" didn't last long.

I can completely sympathize with EVERYTHING that you are saying. I have been in a slump for quite some time due to dringing and bad food choices. I am going to start tracking everything, working out more and decreasing my alcolhol intake. Your post was encouraging. Thank you. Good for you on your weight loss. That is amazing

Not sure.

I still drink a couple of times a week, usually a bottle of beer or a glass of white wine, or hot rum toddies in winter. I don't like spirits when mixed with diet drinks, so my drinks are higher in calories, but I drink a lot less of them than I used to.

I usually drink and eat too much when I'm miserable. Eating properly, exercising and cutting down on the booze happened at the same time for me, so I can't single it out. But I imagine it both added to the excessive calories and helped fuel the low mood that prevented me from cooking and exercising.

I like drinking though, I don't have any plans to give it up entirely.

Like other people have said though, if I'm going out with friends, I find it easy to plan my drinks calories, but often fail to factor in how weak my resolve is after a few pints and end up getting chips on the way home.

Calories in must be < Calories out.

Doesn't really matter unless you have a ton to lose. Still the math is the same. Count your booze calories stay active you should be fine. Everything in moderation...............

I personally count my calories and usually go over on weekends due to booze; but I limit it to that. Or try to.

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I had a glass or two of wine most nights during my weight loss, and I have a glass or two of wine most nights now.

I firmly believe that if you enjoy alcohol (and don't have issues with it, or with moderating it) you should fit it in.

I am a strong believer, however, that it needs to be just another thing you ingest. I DO NOT support the notion of working out extra hard TO DRINK, or eating a light lunch TO DRINK.

For me, that sort of thinking is a recipe for disaster for the long run.

Best of luck figuring out what works for you.

Yes, I do and I log it and work it into my day. I could not do it without exercise to balance it out.

Booze has a negative effect and ruins most of my weeks work....I like to party on the weekends and not willing to forgo having beers and wine on Friday and Saturday.....Good all day Friday....morning and afternoon workouts and then I start hitting the beers before dinner and self control is out the window.....I usally will order out and top of the evening with Ice Cream.....Saturday pretty much the same.....a workout in the am....a long bike ride during the day and then repeat....drink, go out to eat and drink some more....Sunday I start getting back on track unless there's a BBQ or some other party.....On Monday back to a good routine and the disappointing Monday weigh in.....seeing the damage that the weekend has had.....

Well, I love red wine and my husband bought some expensive wine and I decided to google how many calories this wine had..OMG 2500 calories..ugghh I think he drink the entire bottle I was so turned off by it. I took like 3 sips. So, I rather not drink while trying to loose weight. So good luck with that one.

Yowsa. Find another wine. My wines typically have about 120 calories a glass. 4.5 glasses per bottle.

Most of the time I just can't find ways to work it in to my targets. I reserve alcohol for when I am with family or friends, then limiting it to one or two at the most. I have always preferred beer and wine so I choose them over higher calorie drinks like margaritas.

Alcohol increases the "don't care" factor...so its not so much the alcohol that hurts your weight loss but the choices you make while under the influence.

Then again, alcohol has a shizload of calories and your body doesnt store alc calories therefore you have to burn those as soon as you injest them before your body can go back to burning fat.

Personally...i drink beer. Beer makes me bloated and causes me to carry a bunch of extra pounds...probably water and something in my intestines...dunno...but after a week of vacation and plenty of beer i came home 6lbs heavier and since i didnt drink the week i came back i dropped those 6lbs.

So i only drink like 5-6 times per year.