Alcohol and Soda

Options
I live in WI and alcohol plays a huge role in everyday life here, especially since I am a college student. I was looking for advice on how to avoid it or if there is some alcohol that is better to drink than others. I think the biggest part of why I am not losing weight is alcohol and soda and I know the best thing to do would be to just stop but I'm having issues with that. :cry:

Replies

  • lynnmarie60
    lynnmarie60 Posts: 325
    Options
    Try drinking diet soda (Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Sunkist Orange, Diet Squirt are good) and if you like mix drinks, check out this website:
    http://www.bajabob.com/single-orig.html

    Also with beer, only drink light beer.
  • anulle2009
    anulle2009 Posts: 580 Member
    Options
    this is gonna suck to say but just avoid if possible. I am not looking forward to summer that is when i do most my beer drinking.. but i dont drink beer that much (porbably more in the past two weeks then in the past few months) and i have to admit i have seen the belly gone down. I also limit my pop..
  • Anolte76
    Anolte76 Posts: 105
    Options
    I know what you mean. I attended a welcome home party for a friend of mine in the military and drank most my calories for the day.
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
    Options
    Smirnoff Triple Distilled (unflavored) Vodka and Sprite Zero FTW!! ~65 cals a shot (1 oz)
  • msdominique1
    msdominique1 Posts: 65 Member
    Options
    I have to agree.. avoid them both if possible...

    If I need a drink, I will have 1 glass of wine that is it... but that doesn't happen to often...

    Its hard but you can do it.
  • crazymama2two
    crazymama2two Posts: 867
    Options
    get rid of the soda ALL TOGETHER...

    which in turn leaves room for more booze.

    im teasing, sort of... :)

    soda is just so bad for your insides and you dont even need it...you wont even miss it after a little bit...well, im not trying to speak for you :)
  • doobabe
    doobabe Posts: 436 Member
    Options
    I am from WI also, and I have had my fair share of alcohol (not proud of that lol)......... This is what I say....

    Drink red wine because it is actually good for you. Lose the beer- period!! And no soda- it is TERRIBLE for you!
  • crazymama2two
    crazymama2two Posts: 867
    Options
    Smirinoff Triple Distilled (unflavored) Vodka and Sprite Zero FTW!!

    please bring that to me Z...you dont even need to serve it all purty-like..just BRING IT!!
  • knovello82
    knovello82 Posts: 110 Member
    Options
    I'm having the same problem. It gets more difficult this time of year since there is so much more to do outside (bbq's etc). My favorite low-cal drink for the summer is mixing rum with Tropicana light berry punch. The punch has 10 cals and rum is one of the lowest calorie alcohols. I need to try to stay away from the Merlot since it can be so addictive, but once it is warm out I can't drink it anyway.
  • RajwaJ
    RajwaJ Posts: 191 Member
    Options
    If I go out in a drinking social situation I normally have rum & diet coke (55 kcals). I then alternate my drinks so one is with rum, the next is just a diet coke, then with rum. I eat during the day and leave about 200 kcals spare for the alcohol.

    The next day I up for my water intake so for every drink I have I have an extra glass of water to rehydrate me. I am almost at the point where I can go out and just have 2 or 3 rums and still have a good time.

    I must say I really don't miss beer. I thought I would but I don't miss the unpleasant bloating I use to get by drinking it. Good luck finding a balance.
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
    Options
    Smirinoff Triple Distilled (unflavored) Vodka and Sprite Zero FTW!!

    please bring that to me Z...you dont even need to serve it all purty-like..just BRING IT!!

    On my way sweetie-sweets. I just pour vodka from one hand and Sprite Zero from the other. :happy:
  • kk281
    kk281 Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    I live in WI and alcohol plays a huge role in everyday life here, especially since I am a college student. I was looking for advice on how to avoid it or if there is some alcohol that is better to drink than others. I think the biggest part of why I am not losing weight is alcohol and soda and I know the best thing to do would be to just stop but I'm having issues with that. :cry:

    your body will burn calories from alcohol before anything else, so this means that any other calories ingested (mixers drunken binger eating [guilty] or the like) will go straight to storage (fat). i have found that the best way to still enjoy an alcoholic beverage and loose weight is to drink straight liqour or liqour mized with tonic water or diet soda (diet ginger ale works great for me). wine and beer have sugars left over in them that just turn to fat since your body has a ready suipply of alcohol to burn at the time. i would say distilled liqours would eb the way to go....or just not drink..........but thats no fun.
  • sammyjj53
    sammyjj53 Posts: 54 Member
    Options
    If alcohol plays a major role in everyones everyday life jus don't make it a role in YOUR everyday life!!!!! Limit it, Drink ONE day on the weekend. I live in Wisconsin too and I know what you mean!!!! Geeezzzz...... On this show Manseres.... Statistics said Milwaukee ranked highest in "drunkland" then any other city across the U.S. Hmmmm........

    Jus limit your self on the amount of days you drink!!!! :drinker:
  • JayneK28
    JayneK28 Posts: 1
    Options
    I feel you girl! I'm in Chicago and graduated college relatively recently so I too struggle to balance the Midwesterning beer-loving social life. A few things I'd recommend. Try cutting out soda all together. Diet is better than full calorie for sure, but even consuming diet still dehydrates you and forces you to keep the bloat. Try crystal lite. It really is good and counts toward that 8 cups of water a day goal. If you need caffiene, try coffee. It's pretty easy to regulate the calories if you go black with lo cal creamer or sf syrup at the coffee chains.

    As for alcohol, try lo cal mixed drinks like rum and diet (pretty much the only time I drink soda) or vodka-water/soda (not tonic its got mad cals). I realize these drinks are sororatastic but you're in college and you can get away with it. Plus nobody makes a beer gut look sexy. Nobody. If you must drink beer, try MGD64. They just came out with a lemonade version thats supposedly similar to Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy but with 1/2 the cals.

    As with everything it's all about moderation. No good answers for you here, but good luck! Oh and most people I know lost a ton of weight after graduation so there's always that to look forward to! Good luck!
  • La1210
    La1210 Posts: 99 Member
    Options
    Real talk it's easy to say avoid it and stop cold turkey, but the reality of it is you're not. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that as long as you control the liquor and don't let it control you. Honestly I have a drink everyday. I log them accurately that's part of the reason I don't share my diary. I drink gin (sorry to be so honest), wines are higher in calories. But whatever you drink don't mix it, if you do use a diet drink as your cut.
  • RCMILLER2
    RCMILLER2 Posts: 38
    Options
    Thanks everyone!! If I drink I usually drink vodka and sprite zero or cranberry juice or spotted cow if I'm drinking beer but thats rare. I try not to drink soda unless I'm drinking and thats sprite zero, and all this is a huge change for me and how I used to be.:drinker: it is a work in progress and I realize that my state shouldnt dictate how I live my life and I'm trying really hard but it sucks
  • RCMILLER2
    RCMILLER2 Posts: 38
    Options
    I wish I liked the taste of gin because I know it is better than other drinks but I just cant
  • knovello82
    knovello82 Posts: 110 Member
    Options
    La, I've read that it's better to drink every day (in moderation) rather than having a large amount of drinks on one day during the weekend (unfortunately I am guilty of the later). It's pretty much like food...better to eat smaller amounts more often throughout the day rather than one large meal.
  • corsayre8
    corsayre8 Posts: 551 Member
    Options
    I drink vodka with soda water. Either a splash of cran, or sometimes a hansen/crystal light mix I'd I wan more flavor.

    Calorie count between 65 to 80, so not bad at all even if I drink more than I should, (which is the case more often than not).