Alcohol

I definitely feel for you. I quit drinking for reasons other than getting in shape and it was crazy, I dropped thirty or forty pounds without even thinking about it. I had no idea how many extra calories the booze was, not to mention the midnight "screw it, lets order pizza," habit.

LOL on the six-pack.

I think lots of people have the same problem where they eat well all week and then undo a week's worth of progress in one Friday or Saturday night out at the bar.

Alcohol does pack on a lot of empty calories and it tends to also lower judgment and inhibitions, so after one or two drinks, it's much easier to say, aw, screw it, I'll have another. Not to mention the greasy late night food that seems like a good idea when you're drunk but a terrible idea the next morning when you wake up with a hangover.

Personally I'm fine having just one drink and working it into my calories. But if it's tough for you, maybe consider going cold turkey on the alcohol for a bit, at least until you have a system worked out? There's no need to give up the booze forever (unless you're an alcoholic), but maybe try it for a couple of months? Just order diet soda or sparkling water at the bar instead, see how you go?

James_Holiday wrote: »

Why?

Why do I do it? I work hard all week, exercising, eating well, being uber-disciplined and then I go out and blow it all by drinking alcohol.

I have a confession to make...the six pack in my photo isn't real

I'm not the type to salivate over a mans abs, but you are the one exception.

Pick your poison
One, alcohol’s a poison. Two, while it can increase aggression (a positive, depending on the sport) it can also adversely affect coordination, planning, and execution of movement. And three, it’s a powerful diuretic, so it depletes your water volume, much of which your body takes from your blood plasma. “As a result,” explains Professor Stuart Phillips of McMaster University’s Exercise Metabolism Research Group, “your heart beats faster and harder in order to maintain heart blood output.”