No Alcohol on a weekday!

I need to get on track with this too! Lost about 30 lbs 6 years ago and it's all crept back because of less work outs, more calories and that definitely isn't helped by the love of the evening vino. I could go all day sticking to my plan but then add glass(es) of wine and the rest of the day turns into snack fest. I suppose if I went to bed at 7pm each night I could fit in my size 8 jeans again.. but anyway nice to hear I'm not the only one who is challenged by this. I would love to join in this group/challenge and support each other! My name is Karen. Feel free to add kaydbar with a note that you're from this group.

I actually started this a few months ago. My SO has a music gig almost every weekend and they are almost ALWAYS at venues that double as a bar. We usually have a really nearby hotel or something so drinking wasn't much of an issue. We also get discounted drinks at 98% of these places and a lot of times other bands enjoy bringing their own alcohol to share. On top of this I enjoy a glass of wine at night or a rum and coke. I decided to cut it out and feel way better about my life choices (lol) now come Monday morning. I mean, I still drink occasionally but I don't go home and go, "Man I could have avoided those excess calories."

Start slow! It pays off!!!

This is my second night in a row without booze which is big for me. Good luck everyone.

swwass130 wrote: »

going on night three AF. Tomorrow night the SO is out of town, this will be a challenge for me. I need a plan

Pour a nice glass of bubbly water in a fancy glass, garnish w/ fruit. Pair it w/ a thoughtfully crafted healthy snack on a plate that you don't normally eat off of. One you save for guests. Then treat ur self to a movie/ show/ video game that ur SO would never want to watch. Or call a family member or friend that u haven't talked to in a while and will spend the night on the phone with. While sipping ur mock tail. Take a melatonin early at night w/ a bedtime cup of chamomile and raw honey. You'll go to sleep early and only miss ur better half enough to appreciate them but also enjoy ur me time. Good luck!!

3 nights alcohol free

Wtg lizwoosh! Isn't it nice to know were not the only booze bags out there?

Hi all! I'm on vacation and had 4 drinks yesterday. Slept really poorly. However it did fit in my calories because I walked 20k steps yesterday. And today I think my husband's cold finally caught up with me. Those drinks probably didn't help. Staying in tonight and drinking water. Going to turn in fairly early tonight and hope to kick this cold. I have zinc lozenges which I swear by...ugh. Colds suck.

dbanks80 wrote: »

Can I join? I don't drink during the week but totally binge drink Friday Saturday and Sunday easily drinking 2 bottles of wine each night. This is totally stopping my weight loss. I've gained 9 lbs since vacation in June and I need to reel it in big time.

Absolutely! All are welcome!

I have found cutting alcohol and increasing recreational drug use has been quiet helpful. Down close to 20 lbs in past 2 months.

skinnymar52 wrote: »

I'm so glad I found this community! My sister & I recently restarted MFP and we decided to stop drinking so we can lose weight more effectively. Well I stopped my nightly glasses of red wine every night and she is trying to cut out the wine & beer during the week. Anyone else get a crazy sweet tooth from not drinking alcohol?

Omgish, yes! I've done good so far with cutting back on the alcohol during the week (especially since joining this group) and it has made a difference in my weight and how I feel day to day. Small changes that I can definitely live with

My sweet tooth? Now that's a whole different animal. In my effort to make better choices all around, I just opened up my food diary to my MFP friends only. Now, I truly am an open book. Personally, I think it will help me make better food/snack choices and I can plan accordingly. Just knowing I have the support of my MFP friends will hold my accountability and hopefully will help curtail (not give up completely, lol) my cravings for the sweet stuff. Welcome to this group, you'll love it here. Good luck!

It is so awesome to see everyone making great progress. Believe me I know how hard it is to get rid off this age old habit of drinking. More than anything, it's a habit. We become used to it, we become accustomed to drinking, because, we just do. People who do feel the urge, should not feel ashamed for doing so. Alcohol does that to you.

I was always just a weekend drinker, so every time Thu would roll around I would feel this tingly sensation - this desire to start thinking about gulping down a few ones. So it was always hard to even stop thinking about quitting or cutting down on drinking.

It wasn't until I started thinking about my overall fitness goals and losing the weight/building muscle. So I tried going through this journey while still trying to stick with the drinking, because I thought, hey I only drink on the weekends, so it should not be that bad. Well, after I started logging everything including alcohol, I realized how many empty calories were being added with no nutritional value! When you're weight training, its important to consume sufficient amount of food broken down by their macro-nutritional value. But when you add alcohol to the mix, you never seemed to have any room left for additional calories!

That's when I realized I needed to make a decision. What takes a priority? Is it my fitness goals? or it is the feeling of being buzzed/drunk (which I might add feels good :P) after consuming a few ones. So I had to make my fitness goals the priority. I went for almost a year without having a single drink. What made it easier for me was instead of telling myself that I'm "quitting", I told myself I'm just taking a "break" And it's true, I did take a break, but it was a break that lasted for almost a year! After a year when I did have a drink, I couldn't consume more than 2 or 3 beers at the most. My body would just tell me that I need to stop. Somehow it's now has a built-in threshold for the amount of drinks it can consume. Addition to that, the physical/mental sensation I used to get on Thursdays are completely gone. Now I only drink on very special occasions - but when I do, it would be just couple of drinks and I'm done.

tl;dr

What worked for me: Make fitness goals my priority. Take a long break from drinking. But don't tell yourself you're quitting. Your body will automatically adjust overtime due to non consumption. The urges will then go away

I am happy to have found this Thread. I cut alcohol for Weight loss end of July. It had been a huge difference for me losing 20 pounds. But I miss my wine desperately but if I have a glass I tend not to lose weight that week.

Tonight will be a cheat day and I plan to have a couple glasses of wine. I'm nervous what will happen to my Weight tomorrow and this upcoming week. But sometimes a girls got to do what a girls got to do

Alcohol free today again - the cold is getting worse. I can't taste my food and it is awful! Hoping I'll turn the corner tomorrow or Saturday. I want to partake in the open bar at the wedding!

Welcome lorz1977-- love your kitty cat pic! Wine for stress - I get it. That seems to be a little tougher of a challenge for me to say no to too.

Yeah... I work 10 to 13 hour shifts, and a 6 of ice cold New Castle after a 4 hour drive and staying in hotel all week... AWSOME! I don't drink during the week tho my job is to dangerous I need to be focused.