Giving up Alcohol?
Thin_Is_In_13
Posts: 32
I know that if I gave up alcohol, I would binge less, cut out a TON of calories each weekend, and feel better mentally and physically.
I only drink 1-2 times per week, and I don't feel a dependence on it, but it is a huge social piece of my life... Has anyone tried to give up alcohol for the sake of their fitness / health / weight loss? I would love to hear how you feel about it!
I only drink 1-2 times per week, and I don't feel a dependence on it, but it is a huge social piece of my life... Has anyone tried to give up alcohol for the sake of their fitness / health / weight loss? I would love to hear how you feel about it!
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Replies
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yes for sure alcohol will make you feel hungry when your not even hungry .. i have the problem i always go over my 1850 calories when drinking alcohol i go up to almost 2500 in that day and also i only drink 2 days of the week just like you . i use to drink alcohol everyday of the week but now i do only 1 or 2 days of the week i find that beer dose'nt increase my bingeing its more so the liquor0
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As long as you fit it in your calories it's fine, I drink at least 3 days a week and I'm still loosing but I always eat less that day and have my dinner planed for after I drink so I know just what I can have. I want to cut it back to 1 day a week only but until then I just fit it in my cals.0
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id recommend drinking light beer like bud light 2 cans max in the 2 days if you dont like beer .. try a boring cooler if you dont like coolers stick with liquor to 1 ounce each for them 2 days because i think 2 ounces is where you start to want to eat more likely if you drink 2 ounces in 1 day or 1 sitting0
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I've never considered it. I fit it into my macros, because if I cut it out until I lose weight, I'd still have the same problem when I started drinking again. I also don't drink to the point of oblivion; usually 1-2 drinks while I'm out, and they're not calorie heavy options anyways. I think it's all about moderation. If you're drinking so much that you're blowing your calories, you can try cutting back or trying new options. If you want to do it for physical or mental health, that's definitely up to you.0
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for me even if i eat b4 drinking i find myself going to the fridge for a extra meals equaling up to 800 calories max over my normal intake sometimes0
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I did it for 6 months just to test my will power.
If anything it teaches you to go out, be social, and have fun without relying on alcohol.
As far as weight loss goes if your will power goes out the window when you're drunk then try just drinking in moderation. If that's too difficult then I would say to cut the booze from your diet for a couple of months and see how you do.0 -
I didn't even consider it. I make it part of my day and I plan my meals around it. But I also choose to have one or two drinks most of the time. Have I ever gone over? Yes, but then I start over and do the right thing for my body. I see this as a life journey and not an end game, so there is no way in hell I'm giving up anything that I enjoy and gives me pleasure. If it means that I lose weight more slowly, fine. If it means I'm no fitness model, fine.
Part of this is making sure you don't binge drink and that you make good food choices around it. If you find you can only binge with drinking and end up binging with eating after drinking, then perhaps you need to take a break from drinking or figure out why drinking gives you permission to binge.0 -
I drink what I want. What's the point of losing weight if you can't enjoy life?0
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I drink what I want. What's the point of losing weight if you can't enjoy life?0
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I didn't completely cut it out but I did scale back a lot. Wasn't really that hard, I'd only have 3-4 light beers instead of the usual 8-9. Also saved me a bundle0
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I gave it up, not for health reasons but because I was developing an unhealthy habit. I still drink socially but I don't allow myself to keep it in the house, and it seems to be working out. Since then I've had more money, better sleep and an easier time keeping to a healthy diet.0
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I'm in the same boat as you, its also where alot of my cals come from, not from the drinks themselves either, but from the binge eating that follows! I try and limit myself and only drink socially as much as I can - not of an evening with the bf!0
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I have gone from a drink a night (or more) to a couple days a week or none at all. I cut it out not only for weightloss but it is also such a waste of money. you body processes it differently too, it goes straight to the liver. I find I lose more weight when I cut way down or completely out. you can lose weight while drinking, I just find I do better without it. I dont get the sweet cravings. For example this week I am cutting out all added sugar/drinking and trying to get back to the basics in life..... I dont feel deprived when I do it but if you struggle with it, a few drinks arent going to hurt0
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I cannot deal with alcohol! Omg, I am abstaining at the moment because everytime I drink it is almost always followed by a binge. I hope that I don't have to abstain for my entire life but for today I am cutting it out.0
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Oh no way, can't never give it up. I can control my drinking. I usually drink two to three tall glasses every weekend. So I'm still good with my weight0
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I did. Drinking is a huge part of my social life too. There are parties in our group of friends every weekend. Those parties consist of lots of crap food and social drinking. I gave up the drinking simply because I realized I was eating more pizza/chips/ etc when I was drinkng than k would sober. I told all of my friends right away that I gave up drinking for a few months while I get my weight loss journey started, and they have all been super supportive! That has made it a lot easier!0
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I have quit drinking for 3 months now. Best thing I EVER did. I was drinking a bottle of wine almost every night, and one of the reasons I put on weight in the first place. I was also concerned about the habit I was forming and why I felt that I needed to drink that much all the time. I was also worried about the example I was setting for my girls.
However if you are someone that can drink in moderation and it fits into the lifestyle you want for yourself then go for it.
Quitting was the best thing I did for me, I feel better mentally and I am seeing improvements physically that just wouldn't have been possible while still drinking.0 -
I keep trying to quit, make it a few days, then give in. I really need to stop. I am stuck on the last 10 Ibsen I want to lose and am using alcohol to avoid doing things I should be getting accomplished but after a stressful or long day it really takes the edge off. But it's a really bad habit that I need to break.0
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I gave it up because it was packing on the pounds faster than any food. But I have one of those livers that processes alcohol at a rate 5 times slower than everyone else (science says so), so that may have been why I could literally see the weight gain after a couple of drinks.0
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I haven't had any alcohol since January 9th. I just got fed up of it!
I only drank a few times a month (not every weekend) and I feel tonnes better for stopping.
I'm not saying I'm never drinking again but I'm going to see how long I can do it for. I have had a few nights out and just had soft drinks, I didn't feel like a bore or anything! I'm maintaining but even with the extra calories I'm allowed I wouldn't want to 'waste' them on alcohol, I'd rather have food!
(Side note, my skin is also a lot better and I used to get frequent migraines and I haven't had one at all this year. So there are other perks to giving it up too.)
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I had to quit drinking for a minimum of a year due to surgery. I now realize that I drank a LOT more then I realized. It's been hard but I decided that my life wasn't going to end if I couldn't have my rum when ever I wanted. Lol0
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As a bartender this is my biggest problem as I feel rude if a customer wants to buy me a shot and i say I'm no sorry can't do it for my diet its a social thing and not everything I work like 1-2 days a week and sometimes not at all0
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dwassell73 wrote: »As a bartender this is my biggest problem as I feel rude if a customer wants to buy me a shot and i say I'm no sorry can't do it for my diet its a social thing and not everything I work like 1-2 days a week and sometimes not at all
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I rarely drink anymore, simply because I know that it is a lot of calories that I just don't need. If we have friends over, or it's an occasion, then I am happy to have some though. I do love my wine, and beer, and would never totally cut it out. I just don't buy it to drink, and keep it as a special treat to have sometimes. Although now I am so much more of a lightweight!0
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Nope. Can't do it0
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I stopped 8/13 because it took up too much time, money & good health. Not drinking makes life, for me, a lot less complicated. Drinking is a racket (in my opinion) and I don't like being conned. I have no desire to ever go back.0
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Only until payday when I can buy more wine.0
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Drinking (and my other bad habit which makes me ravenous) is seriously hindering my attempts at weight loss. I'm sick of this cycle. It stops now.
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pofoster21 wrote: »I keep trying to quit, make it a few days, then give in. I really need to stop. I am stuck on the last 10 Ibsen I want to lose and am using alcohol to avoid doing things I should be getting accomplished but after a stressful or long day it really takes the edge off. But it's a really bad habit that I need to break.
Can totally relate0 -
I've given it up twice for a period of time. First time was when I quit smoking (I know, gross) about 10 years ago. I realized drinking derailed my efforts so I quit both for about a half a year until I was able to enjoy a beer without feeling like I needed that cigarette with it (again, ewe.) Second time was when I changed my eating habits and started logging here. Not that I ever really drank a lot (maybe 1-3 times per month I'd have a couple beers or a glass of wine,) but I honestly didn't have a drop of alcohol for months. Drinking any calories when you are only eating 1200-1500 seemed absurd to me. At first it did effect my social life a bit (as did logging my food and stuff since all my friends did together was go out to eat and drink and I had trouble going out and not doing the same.) After I got used to my new habits and became a bit more balanced, I was able to become more social again though. I can now have a beer or a glass of wine whenever I want it and I can find something within my calorie range to eat wherever I go (though I don't always want to stay within because sometimes it feels good to just throw caution to the wind and enjoy myself.) However, I do find that I am more than okay to go out and have a good time without drinking at all, it's something you can certainly get used to and more often than not, I'm thankful when I don't.
So yeah, I felt like quitting (at least temporarily) was a good idea for me and I'm happy I did. I know everyone is different though so you have to find out what works for you. Just make sure whatever you do is indeed, working for you.0
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