alcohol and weight loss

LouSmorals
LouSmorals Posts: 93 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Let me start by saying that I have no problems with alcohol abuse. I enjoy an occasional cocktail, beer, glass of wine but I never drink during the week and don't over do on the weekend. Even though I track my alcohol consumption, it just seems that I cannot lose weight unless I just flat out abstain from drinking. Not that big of a sacrifice for me, but do others find this as well? (And no, drinking does not effect my exercise habits).

Replies

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    I would say this has to be more coincidence then anything. There is no reason that if you account for the calories in the alcohol, that weight loss (in the long run) would stop. I find that if you are not pouring your own drinks you are probably taking in more calories then you think. A "shot" of liquor in MFP is usually an ounce. A shot at a bar can be anywhere from 1.5oz all the way to 2.5 if the bartender has a heavy pour. Same with mixed drinks.
  • sti1imatic
    sti1imatic Posts: 47
    What are you mixing your alcohol with and how often are we drinking?

    I know that drinking does add to all of our calories but in moderation it cannot be that damaging.

    I've always had a problem with moderation though.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    All of what Vismal said, plus: different brands of mixers and alcohols can have widely differing calorie contents. Unless you're mixing the drinks yourself and are using actual measures rather than estimates, you have absolutely no idea how many calories are in it.
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  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    i socially drink as well and it has not affected my weightloss as long as I still have a caloric deficit for the week

    are you drinking mixing drinks at a bar? are you calculating the alcohol correctly? and mixers? i always overestimate on wine and mixed drinks as they tend to be over a serving.

    try bottle beer for a couple of weeks so you know the exact amount and see what happens
  • Strange_magic
    Strange_magic Posts: 370 Member
    Assuming you don't have an issue with alcohol.

    I don't really have an issue with it either... That said I tend to do better when I abstain. Like a lb lower in normal fluctuation.

    I'm not sure if it's the extra calories, or the fact I might eat a few more peanuts! LOL

    The thing I've learned is to balance what I want to eat/drink and the weight that might make me with my expectations.
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
    Everything in moderation. . Generally if you are counting the calories. . there should not be a problem. . I prefer a nice red wine as it is only 80 calories for 4 oz versus drinking beer. . That and the lack of carbonation helps me not to bloat up. . The other thing you have to look at is the sugar and sodium in whatever drinks you are consuming. .

    I agree with one of the others in saying that if you are not measuring your own, that could be a problem. . and you might look up low cal mixed drinks online. There are a lot of good ones, but yes, some of the mixers and fruit juices can be the devil.

    Good luck!:bigsmile:
  • ebitnet
    ebitnet Posts: 4
    I have the same reaction. My guess is it has much to do with how ethanol is metabolized rather than just the sheer caloric count of driking an alcoholic beverage. If you don't drink alcoholic beverages for some time, your body needs to produce less and less of the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme needed to metabolize ethanol, this increases the retention time of ethanol in your blood when you do drink and impacts how it is eventually digested. Perhaps having a higher BAC induces a hunger response and you eat more to compensate.

    So, being a good Professor of Chemistry, I did some background research which turned up this paper which more or less claims that modest alcohol intake for lean men has no real impact on weight gain, and has modest impact on overweight men. Although another NIH study that cites this paper mentions anecdotal evidence that there is some impact on weight gain on lean men.
    http://www.jlr.org/content/25/5/486?related-urls=yes&legid=jlr;25/5/486
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
    i avoid it because not obly does the drink use up all my calories (when i drink i DRINK, i dont mess around) then once i am drunk i eat everything in sight.

    so i save it for special occasions.
  • NikonPal
    NikonPal Posts: 1,346 Member
    I essentially gave it all up.

    I’m on a low daily calorie intake (about 1000) that essentially eliminates the ability to make too many exceptions. Twice a month, I’ll have some kind of fried food (usually haddock).

    I just copied these numbers from a Detail Magazine article… Mojito (161 calories); Daiquiri (163 calories); Bloody Mary (168 calories); Whiskey Sour (178 calories); Manhattan (187 calories); Gin and Tonic (190 calories); Margarita (192 calories)

    I think it’s a personal choice on what works for an individual and how much weight that person is trying to lose.

    Cheers!
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    I drink more than most here at MFP but have no trouble losing when that's my goal. If you're on a pretty low calorie target than it is difficult to fit in a few drinks and still hit your macro and micro targets (if that's your thing), but it is doable. I did cut down on the IPAs and other craft beers I like due to calorie concerns, and drink more straight liquor and gravitate to beers like Guinness (which is surprisingly low cal for a tasty beer) when I am losing weight. I also don't really get the munchies or load up on food when drinking - no munching on chips or peanuts or something while drinking, late night runs to an all night breakfast joint or fast food place, etc. - so that's one less challenge I have to face. It can be done, but you do need to watch it and track everything.
  • SandyBVTN
    SandyBVTN Posts: 367 Member
    I hope that never happens to me!

    I have had drinks (multiple, mostly wine but sometimes low cal mixed drinks, beer or coolers) seven or so occasions in the past 35 days of calorie counting, and actually lost more weight in the weeks that I did imbibe. Though I often had lots of delicious food calories with my alcohol, I was also careful to log everything and make better eating choices than I would have in the past. I also upped my activity a bit on those weekends, and generally stayed extremely on point, calorie wise, during the week following.
  • Dicentra55
    Dicentra55 Posts: 1
    I have often found that if I have a few drinks at night, the next day I am very hungry. I appreciate the comments by Professor Epitnet.
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  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    I can confirm. My friend Cortelli here posts the most amazing beverages and accompanying snacks. It's quite impressive.

    You are too kind!

    Here - enjoy a nice Manhattan with some chocolate-dipped biscotti out on the patio, on me!

    ManhattanBiscotti_zps4e9ebc35.jpg
  • Val8less
    Val8less Posts: 107 Member
    I cannot lose weight and drink on a regular basis either...too much sugar and carbs for me!
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    I've been swimming in beer since I started at the end of August (like I'm on my 3rd sick pack) ... and I'm still losing. I just add it to my food log, and stay within my daily goal. If I did a mixed drink I'd be measuring everything. You never how a bartender is making the drink when it comes to quantities. Maybe it's a heavy pour on the alcohol or drink mix thus throwing off what some "by the book" addition on MFP shows. A few beverages that are off can add up fast.
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  • jyogit
    jyogit Posts: 280 Member
    i'm a beer drinker (lager) and i rely can't be arsed with any other drink so when i know I'm going out i will eat less the day before and do a gooood workout .. have breakfast on the day I'm off out on the lash .. a light lunch and no dinner .. i usually consume around 6pints in an evening .. i do get the munchies when i get in but i find i can manage on a toasted bagel and a boiled egg .. even though i have tried to stop eating breads.. lol then for the next couple of days workout that bit more aggressively .. it hasn't stopped my weight loss so far :)
  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
    i avoid it because not obly does the drink use up all my calories (when i drink i DRINK, i dont mess around) then once i am drunk i eat everything in sight.

    so i save it for special occasions.
    When I'm drinking and I feel the urge to eat, I drown that thought with more alcohol.... primarily Irish whiskey or Kraken... neat.
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    However, you know you have a platform where we will all praise your delicious combinations.

    Indeed! Best group on MFP!

    For those who may be reading this thread (in addition to OP) who enjoy an occasional drink or who sometimes get a little hog wild with the booze on a Saturday night, I'll repost what I posted in another thread a week or so back which includes a lot of good (IMHO) links / advice about making your booze work with your fitness and weight goals:
    I'm a drinker, and I enjoy it, but I am also reasonably serious about meeting my weight and training goals, so I am pretty interested in the effects of alcohol on things related to weight and fitness. Rather than get too wrapped around the axle I'll leave a few links that I think are worthwhile in understanding how alcohol consumption might affect weight and training goals from folks whose opinion I respect:

    Martin Berkhan's (LeanGains) take on it and advice: http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

    Meno Henselmann (Bayesian Bodybuilding) with an informative but sometimes tongue-in-cheek review: http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/science-binge-drinking/

    Alan Aragon: Interview by Omar on Youtube re: alcohol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBd4TqcBNgs

    And a T-Nation article from an author I don't know much about, but found interesting: http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/lifters-guide-to-alcohol

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