alcohol and your weight loss?

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  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
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    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.
  • bjg2993
    bjg2993 Posts: 107
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    I drink regularly at university (socially) to an extreme point, where I would be drinking over 1000cal a night two to three times a week. Yes, it does hinder weight loss quite significantly but I made an effort to be particularly good with food when I knew I was going to be drinking on the day and the day after, and made sure I exercised at least some of it off - easy enough when you're drunk enough to think you look good dancing. I've still managed to lose 14% of my body mass since January (21lbs).
  • annietud
    annietud Posts: 33 Member
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    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.

    This is how I'm think I'm starting to feel. Tuesday wine isn't fun.( I didn't have any tonight) hubby away. And I already feel the same about cake. Also when there's a bottle open hubby can't leave it, I end up with more than I bargained for and the chips or cheese that goes with it.
    I'm out tomorrow with gfs, I will restrict it and start reducing my 2 weekly bottles to less.
    Its really good reading everyone's story and opinions.????
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
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    I think I've been gradually drinking less and less since the heyday of college and my early twenties, thankfully acquiring better habits re: alcohol too along the way, much in line with the reduced quantities I drink. I still enjoy good beer, red wine, and of course champagne, but these days I seem to have fallen out of the habit almost entirely, which is not necessarily a bad thing for my weight loss efforts. One thing's for sure, and that is I find trying to lose weight much easier without drinking much, although I still do drink when the occasion warrants it, and when I hit my weight loss goal and enter weight maintenance, allowing for a little alcohol will definitely be part of things.
  • BITEME_GRRR
    BITEME_GRRR Posts: 150 Member
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    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.
  • Pamela040863
    Pamela040863 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi there

    I'm new to this toö.
    I Like my drinks so Im gonna try working with in the kj and see how I go
    Would be nice to keep in contact with other newbies for a bit
    of competitiveness :-)
  • Swanz21
    Swanz21 Posts: 42 Member
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    This has always been a favorite topic on MFP. Many of us like our beverages, some like them more. I tried to have a drink or two in with my daily caloric intake but....like a lays potato chip, I can't just have one and once I start having a couple, my supper of fish gets replaced with a 5 meat pizza.
    To give myself an honest shot at losing weight and getting back into shape, I have cut out drinking altogether during the week and only occasionally on the weekend and then I make sure I have gotten a really good work out in earlier in the day and and my calories are way down so I can absorb any of my undoing at the local bar and grille.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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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.
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    Does alcohol even fill you up? I'm glad I don't drink because those would be extra calories I'd have to throw in.
    I suppose it depends on what you drink. And personally, I usually have mine with a meal. But as far as them being extra, they're not extra to me I just eat less of some other carb source that day. Either way i stick to my calories allotted for the day. But yes you're better off not drinking for the most part.
  • bikrchk
    bikrchk Posts: 516 Member
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    Yes, I do and I log it and work it into my day. I could not do it without exercise to balance it out.
  • aquafitted14
    aquafitted14 Posts: 13 Member
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    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.
  • LanceDuvall
    LanceDuvall Posts: 66 Member
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    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.....
  • laurie04427
    laurie04427 Posts: 421 Member
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    I don't have much luck drinking and trying to lose weight the same time but that's just me.

    The amount I like to drink doesn't really fit into a calorie budget well lol. And the hang over the next day tends to sap my workouts.

    I tend to take long breaks from drinking if I'm trying to make progress with the weight loss.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    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.
  • LanceDuvall
    LanceDuvall Posts: 66 Member
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    lol...I was thinking the same thing...a bottle of wine 2,500 calories?....must be a gallon of Gallo Burgundy.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    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.
  • drepublic
    drepublic Posts: 180 Member
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    I have lost weight while consuming alcohol (and counting he calories in alcohol) on weekends but I got the results of someone who consumes alcohol. When you are running deficit calories, you should really aim for the highest quality calorie possible eating more nutritionally dense foods.

    My main reason for quitting is that it affected Testosterone and hindered my results. But if you are working out you will feel the affects. You might consider limiting alcohol to weekends and in moderation to start, or take a complete break for a few months to really hone in on your nutrition and get your results.

    Good luck!
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
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    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.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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