weight and booze

Define quite small. We petite ladies often think 1200 is what we need to aim for but we could stand to have more room than that.

I can see a glass fitting into 1200 but idk about fitting more than that. I'd definitely reduce my drinking because that much a day is...a bit much. I love a good glass and I'm no stranger to fitting in a couple glass (and maybe a couple shots...I like to have a good time every now and then). Honestly, I'd ween yourself off needing that much.

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When I started getting in shape, I partied hard. I did the same things a lot of people preach: worked out a lot, and logged all of my drinks in the calorie counter (for me, Jim Beam & Diets - at 105 cals a pop).

Did I lose weight? Yes, the first 30-40 lbs or so came off rather easily. It became a slippery slope though, when I would tally up the drinks and say "Whoa, I better skip lunch if I want to party tonight & stay under goal." Also, although I got smaller & required less booze to get the same effect, I still drank as much as a 240-lb fat@ss.

So a couple years ago, while ping-ponging around 175-185 lbs, I decided to see how big a role alcohol played in my inability to lose those stubborn "last 10 pounds" - after all, my goal was to get under 180 and I was having a hell of a time getting there. Not to mention I was on the other side of 40 and partying was starting to get a little boring, honestly.

So, I took the plunge & gave it up. Dec 31, 2011 was my last drink.

And I'm now down to 169 lbs & I'm as lean as I was in my mid-20s. I feel better than I've felt since then, too.

Is there a correlation? Ab-so-****ing-lutely. Can you drink & lose weight? Sure. Can you drink as much as some people say they do and truly be healthy? Doubt it.

I'll admit, I'm a bit of an extreme case. I'm sure there is a happy medium somewhere. Good luck!

Alcohol has a lot of calories in it, or most alcohol, anyway. I would suggest maybe cutting down to one or two glasses if you really can't go cold turkey, but a whole bottle is a lot of calories and a lot of alcohol for just one day. You could also switch to one or two glasses of vodka with a diet soda as that's a lot less calories than wine.
For me though I cut out all drinking except on special occasions because it felt like a waste of calories otherwise

It's not weight necessarily; if you feel like you need a bottle of wine at night just to wind down, you've got bigger problems than just your weight. Probably should find another way to deal with stress.

I don't think temporarily cutting back will help because the weight will come right back on. Don't get me wrong, I think you need to cut back permanently, but that was not your question so oops, I'm now offering unsolicited advice

Make sure you're EATING 1200 calories because you need that much to get the nutrition you need. If you are working out, you can probably still lose weight, albeit more slowly, with the wine. If we make a lifestyle change we cannot stick to then a diet will never work and you'll be constantly yo-yoing.

I enjoy drinking also... I could (and have) drunk a whole bottle of wine daily also. With your being small I think a calorie is a calorie and whatever the entire bottle has for calories is your calories for the day. I have drunk alcohol and have still been losing weight ... to answer your question... it hasn't appeared to make a difference whether I drink or not ... but, that's just me and my experience (12 ounces of merlot so far today and I might have more.)

I would cut back like everyone said. Just be conscious of when you are good and try to drink slower. I can easily down a bottle pretty quick of good wine(not sweet wine) but I think its like 900-1000 per bottle. Not only that your liver is fight the toxins instead of burning fat. I always thought of it like this. I want my fat burning to be the greatest after I workout so I can see results. If I were to workout especially a HIIT workout then my metabolism would be super high after for a long time but then if I consume alcohol that will decrease significantly. This is how I kept the weight off in the past. I need to get back to that mindset bc we have been drinking way more often and more than we should.

I too used to love to have some wine each day after work to relax, but wine is extremely high in calories. Even dry red wine (which I drank) has 125 calories per 5oz glass. A whole bottle of wine has roughly 25oz in it. Do the math...you are drinking 125 x 5 =625 calories. For me that is almost two meals worth of calories. I was like you and couldn't just have one glass, so for me the best way was just to give it up. I don't keep any wine in my house, so there is no temptation. You will see you will feel much better and the weight will come off faster. Good luck!

Real Quick:

I don't mean to come off as snarky or accusatory. I used to drink way too much and didn't see a problem. Eventually, it became a problem.

I find that to be the same problem than sitting down with a litter of ice cream or a big bag of chips in front of the tv : you munch mindlessly, without even realizing that you do or appreciating the food. You drink mindlessly because the bottle is there, without even appreciating the drink. Take a small glass (like for port), fill it and put the bottle away. If you have to get up every time to consciously pour more wine/alcohol in your small glass, then you will realize how much you drink before the bottle is empty. If it is the gesture that you crave because you have something to do with your hands (like somebody who smokes), make tea or coffee.

Missbodyrocker wrote: »

emdeesea wrote: »

It's not weight necessarily; if you feel like you need a bottle of wine at night just to wind down, you've got bigger problems than just your weight. Probably should find another way to deal with stress.

I'm not stressed and I don't have an issue I just enjoy it. I don't use it to wind down either. I don't need a drink I just enjoy having a drink there is a difference. It's only recently I've put on this weight as I also have a sweet tooth.

Needs and wants are pretty closely tied. If you don't "need" it then you will find the power to stop at a reasonable amount aka cutting down. It may not be a "physical" need but it certainly sounds like it might be a psychological need. Not to split hairs, but it sounds like if "enough" doesn't start until the bottle is empty - you may be looking at a need. That being said. Yes. You will more than likely lose weight if you cut down on the wine. You are taking in a lot of sugar and calories.

Missbodyrocker wrote: »

Oh for goodness sake I don't drink a bottle of wine every night

This was your first sentence:

Missbodyrocker wrote: »

I enjoy a drink everyday but really it's not one it's more like a bottle of wine everyday.

To answer your question, YES! Less alcohol, reduced calorie intake = weight loss. However, I definitely enjoy a glass of wine, a beer and or a cocktail. When deciding to lose weight I purposefully included alcohol as I did not want to set myself up for failure because I know I have a glass of something most (4/7) evenings. Here is one other factor when drinking while dieting (DWD); alcohol affects the part of your brain that controls memory and judgement. That being said, I definitely have a different "attitude" when I've had TOO many drinks - my judgement is totally impaired of what I eat or how much I eat which would sabotage my weight loss goals. So a reduction in alcohol intake is necessary. Honestly, I'm trying not to be judgmental and stick to the question - but a bottle a night is not healthy.