WAYY too much alcohol

You know, calories aside, here's what I have to say about this.
I think in your situation, you have to cut alcohol completely...at least for a very long time. When you condition your body, when your body gets tolerance to alcohol, it's a sign of dependence. I know it's a scary prospect, but if having just 1 drink or 2 doesn't seem plausible, it's what is necessary before the problem gets worse.

The decision to tell your family will be scary, but I find that people are more supportive when you already have an action plan. Let em know you're dumping the stuff, and join a support group. You may not view yourself as an "alcoholic" but connecting with other dependent people can be the best thing in the world for your journey.

Good luck, i wish you the best.

I keep going back and forth on drinking. I know it has a negative effect on my weight loss. Not so much for the calories from the alcohol, but because just one or two drinks is enough for me to lose my will power with food. Funny thing is I can say no to anymore drink but if someone brings out food to snack on, all bets are off. This just happened last Friday. Had a spur of the moment phone call from a neighbor after I just finished supper. They asked if we wanted to come over for a drink or two on the deck. Sure, no problem, I still had enough calories left over for a couple drinks. What I didn't count on was the bowl of barbecue chips she had on the table. Then she brought out the chocolate covered pomegranate. So needless to say, I over ate that night. I had entered the alcohol in the tracker but by the time the evening was done I didn't have a clue how much I ate. She kept bringing stuff out. Oops, just remembered the fresh zucchini brownies. They were melt in your mouth

Good news is I still lost 2 pounds this week because the rest of the week was below my caloric goal. I didn't let that one night of poor choices pull me into a downward spiral like it would have in the past.

So I decided a few weeks ago because of my food will power going away when drinking that I am going to limit my drinking for awhile. It used to be my wife and I had a drink or two just about every night. For the last few weeks now it has been only the weekends and usually only one night. We are both noticing a huge difference on the scale. FYI, we still have alcohol in the house, we just choose to let it sit until the weekend.

Um, if you're not single... your neighbor is a keeper!

ETA I just saw the last paragraph about your wife. That is an incredibly friendly neighbor, though!

I'll pass on alcohol for this very reason.

Thanks everyone. It's so great to see the kind of support people with all kinds of questionable habits can get on MFP! I like the no alcohol in the house rule. It think that, at least, will help me see if cutting way back or quitting completely is an option for me, or if I find myself going crazy for a drink. At that point, I will know I need more help.

But as far as the weight loss part is concerned, I know that drinking that many calories has to mean I'm not eating enough to meet macro goals. OK--cold turkey until I'm at least half way there, then special occasions only! That's my new mini-goal......

Be sure and let us know how you get on. You got a bad habit that's all. Take control of things, you can choose what to do. If you fall off the wagon, get back on! Keep trying. You give it a good go before you get brainwashed by AA or throw money at a therapist!

I drink a bunch of whiskey and vodka every day... doesn't affect my weight or my running.... if didn't drink hard and run hard, I'd be a basket case...

Check in! No alcohol since Thursday. Thank you everyone, the sympathetic and the hard truth people. I'm going to keep this up, and MFP is going to help me!!

Sounds like you're on your way! Good luck!

Stopping for a little while and seeing how you feel and function is a smart thing to do. I know I was in the same boat as you earlier this year. My weight had crept up, I was binge drinking with occasional blackouts and I felt like crap in general. In April I decided I needed to do something to get my health back on track and joined a C25K group and started back on MFP and counting calories.

I am not perfect, but for the weeks where I limit or just do not drink, I feel better and stronger. My weight and diet are much more consistent.

But it is hard. What do you do instead of drinking after work to wind down? How do you celebrate or socialize when booze is all you really know? I'm still struggling with it. And I've had my days where I've said eff it and done shots (at a wedding) or drank pretty much all day during vacation. You'll have those moments, just be sure to log them and watch how you feel and what your weight does during that time.

I do think if you are a runner or interested in running, signing up for a 5k will help motivate you to watch your nutrition and stick with a training plan. It worked for me at least. Or another type of health/strength goal which you can set up a schedule and monitor your progress.

For me, most of the time, the alcohol is NOT worth the calories wasted. And even when I do drink now I very often find it unsatisfying. My body is learning to like being healthy and working hard, which is hard to do hung over.

Good luck and please feel free to add me as a friend if you need support!

I have pretty much been a beer or two a day person for the last 7 years. To state the obvious - this has added to the waist line.

I don't drink enough to even get "buzzed". I get full before that happens. But I'm drinking beer - not J.D, so the amount required is much different in my opinion.

I won't give it up but I will no longer be a bottle or two per day person. It's completely counterproductive to my "get fit" goal. My hope and desire is I will shrink it to 2 bottles per week. Again, giving it up altogether isn't going to work. I enjoy it too much.

Best wishes on your personal journey and making this all work.

Im in the same boat but I find the calories come not only from the alcohol ( whiskey on ice baby ) but the snacking when I get buzzed. Just cant resist a couple crackers and cheese or finishing some leftovers. I'd like to cut back on all those bad habits but it's hard unless you have support. Not nagging support, but understanding support.
Friend me if you're in the same boat and want to paddle along

Hi, my name is Lesa and I am an alcoholic. I lost my first 20 lbs when I got sober almost 7 years ago. Then I continued to lose after I incorporated fitness and a more nutrient rich diet into my life.

I never ever would have thought that I could honestly say that I would enjoy life with out a drink. I mean, what do people do for fun? Doesnt everyone go on vacation and sit in the bar all night then lay around the pool all day? Why would anyone NOT want to drink was beyond my scope of understanding. After all, I was only hurting myself. One day I woke up and realized that it was not okay for anyone else to hurt me, why was it okay for me to hurt me.

I am now coming upon my sobriety date and can not fathom how I lived my life with alcohol in it. My profile pic is of my husband and I taking a ride on an elephant through the jungle of Thailand. Something I never EVER would have done had I been drinking. EVER. I have been all over the world climbing mountains, wading through streams and riding bikes in the most beautiful places on the planet, and it is all due to the fact that I released my obsession with alcohol and started living my life.

Alcohol is not necessary to have a good life. If you are interested in learning how I did it, please feel free to PM me (not selling anything, just here to share my experience, strength and hope).

Alcohol is a lover to many people and they are very defensive about it, you will get many replies about how you should be able to moderate it or keep it in your life and lose weight. Well, thats fine and dandy for them, but you and I both know that if that worked, we both would be doing it right now.

I am here for you or anyone else that is struggling with this issue, please feel free to reach out and talk to me any time.

Lesa