Losing too much weight! Could it be the (lack of) alcohol?

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MisterSixer
MisterSixer Posts: 37 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, I'm trying to narrow-in on why I am losing so much weight so quickly (no I'm not rubbing it in). I was a heavy drinker up until December 2010, when I vowed to quit completely. I was about 175 lbs on a 5' 11" frame. My weight/height ratio fit me well, until I quit drinking. Now I'm 150 lbs. Given most of the weight lost was visceral fat, I'm not too sad about losing it. But what I want to know is if anyone else has had such a dramatic weight loss in such a short period of time? My friends think I have an eating disorder, its kind of annoying. Especially because I'm on a 3000 cal/day diet.

Replies

  • shesnotthere
    shesnotthere Posts: 117
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    If by alcohol you mean beer, then yes, giving it up can be a big deal.
  • erisfreenici
    erisfreenici Posts: 277 Member
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    Alcohol can be very high in calories especially in high quantities. But the other thing is that if you drink heavily, some of your body's chemistry is thrown off and if you stop very suddenly it can throw a proverbial wrench in the works. If you are eating a 3000calorie diet, I really think you need to be seeing a doctor. It could be that your thyroid (or something similar) is out of whack. One of my (male) friends who stopped drinking had a testosterone imbalance and lost a ton of weight over a short period of time.
  • emswanger
    emswanger Posts: 1
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    Yes if you were a heavy drinker you would have been taking in a tom of empty calories and your liver may also be functioning better and removing fat better. And 25 lbs. since December is not really that fast. I think it will level off but good for you for not drinking. That is a HUGE accomplishment and a great thing that you have done for your body. And i have experienced a huge weight loss once before, i miss it. A pregnancy gained it back for me. But in any event i would only worry if you dropped to an unhealthy low BMI.
  • RoniDoll
    RoniDoll Posts: 262
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    Thats healthy weight loss. If it is below 5 pounds a month you are loosing then thats fine :) and yes it prob is the lack of drinking
  • biged335
    biged335 Posts: 734
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    I've dropped 45 lbs since jan 15, 2011... But I did have a lot more I could lose then you... But I've cut out most alchol consumption as well. So it diffently helps with losing weight.
  • nebraskadan
    nebraskadan Posts: 25
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    Dude, that's normal. I didn't even stop with the beer, just stopped buying a case every weekend and I dropped like 50 lbs in 6 months. I mean, I was doing other stuff to help too, but a good quality beer (all I drink) is anywhere from 250 to 400 (!!!!) cals. Pop back 15 of those in a weekend, and, well, you do the math.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    My boyfriend lost weight when he moved to this area from Boston and stopped drinking beer daily. And that's about the only habit he changed. I'd say its entirely possible. Plus when you have alcohol in your system, your body will burn that before it burns fat. No alcohol means that your body can burn fat more efficiently again.

    My last semester of college I was a grad student so I didn't drink nearly as much, and I lived at the bottom of a hill. Without changing my eating habits dramatically, I lost 15 lbs in about 3 months.
  • Nodaa
    Nodaa Posts: 40
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    I think it is normal if is for a while...I do not drink alcohol, but i was smoking for one year then i stopped it...I was losing weight so fast, then my body starts to lose weight normally....If it is for a short time, do not worry...if not, try to make sure that your are eating enough calories, or you may exercise a lot....You may try increase your calories little bit, it may slow down your weight loss...
  • agataarchangel
    agataarchangel Posts: 292 Member
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    Alcohol can have a HUGE impact on weight. Cutting down or cutting it out completely would definitely help you in your dramatic weight loss...as long as you're not getting in an unhealthy range, then good for you! You hold one of the keys to successful weight loss, and can now pass on some useful information to others who are looking to do the same :-)
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
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    25 pounds in 6 months is about a pound a week. It doesn't sound like that's unhealthy weight loss, and you're still in a healthy BMI. So I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you want to bulk up, I'd add more calories to your diet of the healthy variety, and stay away from alcohol if you can.
  • mrphil86
    mrphil86 Posts: 2,382 Member
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    Wow, I'm 5' 11" and i'm 177 right now. If I was 150 I would look like a skeleton. That timeframe would be appropriate if you were trying to loose weight.

    My question is though, are you eating 3000 health calories or a bunch of empty calories?
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    So, I'm trying to narrow-in on why I am losing so much weight so quickly (no I'm not rubbing it in). I was a heavy drinker up until December 2010, when I vowed to quit completely. I was about 175 lbs on a 5' 11" frame. My weight/height ratio fit me well, until I quit drinking. Now I'm 150 lbs. Given most of the weight lost was visceral fat, I'm not too sad about losing it. But what I want to know is if anyone else has had such a dramatic weight loss in such a short period of time? My friends think I have an eating disorder, its kind of annoying. Especially because I'm on a 3000 cal/day diet.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/130545-the-real-effect-of-alcohol-on-your-waistline
  • Ezwoldo
    Ezwoldo Posts: 369 Member
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    In a word YES, I lost alot a few years ago when I cut down on my drinking, I was a big drinker and could quite easily have drunk every night of the week, since then I have not looked back don't get me wrong I still have a few beers but no where near as much as I used to.
  • MisterSixer
    MisterSixer Posts: 37 Member
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    I should also mention that I lost those 25 lbs within 2 months. I've been at 148-150 since March and working on gaining lean mass going forward, which is so much harder to do.
  • MisterSixer
    MisterSixer Posts: 37 Member
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    Wow, I'm 5' 11" and i'm 177 right now. If I was 150 I would look like a skeleton. That timeframe would be appropriate if you were trying to loose weight.

    My question is though, are you eating 3000 health calories or a bunch of empty calories?

    Yes - Very clean calories. I've always been a healthy eater, to the point where people at the Trader Joe's checkout tell me to 'live a little'. Getting in 3000+ clean calories a day takes a lot of work. You have to eat when you're not hungry and for a busy person like myself, it can get annoying to have to stop and eat every 2-3 hours.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Wow, I'm 5'6" and 148. I would look sickly at that weight at 5'11" I don't think my doctor would approve of that. To each their own...it just sounds to me like you need to gain muscle and you'll be okay. Talk to your doctor though, I think 150 at 5'11 is way to skinny for a guy. My husband is thin at 5'11" and has a 33 inch waist. Not sure what his current weight is, but to me he looks perfect. He weighed 150 in high school though and looked way too thin!!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Also, try power yoga for lean muscle. :)
  • MisterSixer
    MisterSixer Posts: 37 Member
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    Wow, I'm 5'6" and 148. I would look sickly at that weight at 5'11" I don't think my doctor would approve of that. To each their own...it just sounds to me like you need to gain muscle and you'll be okay. Talk to your doctor though, I think 150 at 5'11 is way to skinny for a guy. My husband is thin at 5'11" and has a 33 inch waist. Not sure what his current weight is, but to me he looks perfect. He weighed 150 in high school though and looked way too thin!!

    Thanks, I feel much worse now, jk. I'll have some pics up soon. I'm pretty muscular, with 7-8% BF. Waist is getting to pre-high school size. I don't know, I might be hollow inside or something. It could be my hormones are working differently, or like someone else had mentioned, my liver is working more efficiently at metabolizing fat.
  • mrphil86
    mrphil86 Posts: 2,382 Member
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    Muscle does not equiate to mass directly. I seen some pretty ripped guys who are also the size of an anorexic kid,


    If you are eating 3000+ calories a day and loosing weight, it's really not normal no matter how you look at it. I eat 2400 calories a day and maintain weight just fine. I'd atleast get the opinion of some kind of doctor or nutritionist.
  • anulle2009
    anulle2009 Posts: 580 Member
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    i saw a decrease in my belly when i gave up drinking beer...

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