Blame it on the ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, alcohol

This is what works for me:

-As I have lost weight, my alcohol tolerance has gone down quite a bit. At my height, I used to have a nickname of "the hollow leg" in college because I could drink twice what any of my friends drank and still not be completely drunk. As my tolerance has gone down somewhat, I no longer feel like I need as many drinks when I'm out - no more hollow leg

-I used to prefer sugary cocktails with a lot of soda or fruit juice, but would get the worst hangovers from these types of drinks. Switching to beer/sangria/dry wine makes me get more "volume" of drinking while I'm out, but for less calories than the 500 calorie bay-breezes I used to drink. I.e. a giant glass of delicious draft German beer has less calories than the sweeter drinks, but I get to drink more of it and therefore it lasts me longer.

-I also ***generally*** don't drink on work nights, whereas I used to have a few glasses of wine after a stressful day at work, or just because it was there. I save drinking for weekends, and enjoy it more. I also space out drinking a little bit more, I'll have a glass of wine, have some water, pour another glass but drink it a little slower, etc., so I end up consuming less of it but still enjoying myself. I have gotten to the point where I'd rather avoid a hangover than get sh!tfaced drunk, because I hate feeling sick the next day. Less is more!

Last year when I lost 40 pounds (back before I gained it all back) I refused to cut out alcohol for the same reason, but only drank Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and Diet Cokes. Don't really like either of the 2 separately, but it got the job done and was easy on the calories.

If you don't want to make the commitment to better your health, then don't. But, don't dabble your toe in the water just enough to think you have reason to whine about nothing changing while still touting that you're not really changing at all.

I have been an alcoholic for much of my adult life, especially the last decade, so I know a thing or two about it, and have zero sympathy for people who not only refuse to change, but make a mockery of changing at the same time.

Maybe you could try fasting one day to allow for excesses on another?

Alcohol can impact muscle growth, recovery, hydration, and the central nervous system. I can understand a few drinks here and there, but I don't see much of a reason to keep it as an integral part of your diet.

I've noticed significant impacts on my athletic performance for a few days after drinking so I really don't have more than 4 beers ever at any time.

If you use soda in your drinks, switch to diet soda and save calories.

I treat it just like any other calories in take in. Count them. Go to the gym that day to get some buffer room.

I didn't start losing until I stopped drinking. After a few drinks all willpower to avoid snacking went out the window for me. If you have a healthy brain it is so much easier to make good choices. For a low calorie drink I like grapefruit flavored Perrier water. 0 calories. You might have to drink a few bottles to aquire the taste for it, but once you do, its a great thing to be able to enjoy a 0 calorie drink with no artificial sweeteners. I would also recommend drinking zero alcohol coolers once in awhile just to give sobriety a chance. It may not be fun at first but you get used to it after awhile and its great to know you aren't harming your brain. Good luck!

By the way diet soda is poison, and sodas in general should be avoided, they leech calcium and other minerals from your body. The only liquids I drink now are water, green tea, black coffee, red wine, and if I have hard liquor I drink it neat or on ice.

Here's what I do. Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this but when I'm out with friends and we are grabbing drinks, either stick to light beer or if you want the hard stuff go for a Vodka Tonic or Gin & Tonic. Tonic is a form of water, which will help with hydration throughout the night and a minimal hang over. This always works for me. My go-to drink is either Grey Goose and Tonic with a few lime wedges or Kettle and Tonic the same way. Hope it works out for you!

No judgment here. I know lots of people who find that going out on a weekend for drinks is their downfall when it comes to counting calories. Not only because the drinks themselves are high in calories, but because once you've had 2 or 3 drinks, it's easier to say "oh, eff it" and order greasy salty food and more drinks. You lose your inhibitions, so it's much harder to stick to the plan.

First, the bad news: There really isn't any "low-cal" alcohol. There are drinks that have fewer calories than other drinks, of course. But they're all fairly high in calories, and more to the point, in 'empty' calories (in that they add calories to your day without helping you get closer to your nutrition goals). The simple reality is that there isn't a trick to it; if you want to lose weight, you're gonna have to either drink less, or cut back in other areas.

Now, the good news: You're eating less, so like someone else said, your alcohol tolerance will go down. You'll get a similar effect from one beer as you used to get from two or three. Just as much fun, fewer calories, and less money = win.

More good news: You don't have to cut alcohol entirely. I mean, you don't sound like an alcoholic (if you did, I'm sure everyone here would advise you to seek some help). As long as you're keeping it in control, a glass of wine or a beer now and again won't harm you. There's even some medical research suggesting that a small amount of red wine can be heart-healthy.

If having those couple of drinks on a weekend is important to your social life, go for it. Just find a way to fit them in your macros: Eat less that day, or add another weekend workout in the mornings, or eat less snacks, or give up something else to make them fit.

Personally, I love craft beer. The way I do it is by pouring myself "tasting" pours instead of full glasses, so, my friends and I will split 1-2 bottles of a new craft beer and each have a couple of ounces of it. If I'm out at a bar, I'll order a glass / half pint instead of a pint. Stuff like that.

Another tip: In between each drink, order a glass of sparkling water and drink that. Space out your drinks more so that you can stay out with your friends and socialize longer without that awkward empty glass in front of you, but still keep the calorie count down.

Diet soda is not poison. Deit soda, like any other drink or food, should be consumed in moderation.

gkirk2000 wrote: »

By the way diet soda is poison

Nope. Kindly quit with the fearmongering. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408

With the exception of a surprise bottle of wine from the hubby, I have no drank any alcohol and don't plan on it. I told my hubby until I make it to my half way point, I am not having any alcohol, so no more surprises!