Diet wise which is less damaging, Beer or Red wine?

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Hello Fabulous people of the MFP!

I have gotten a habit lately of having either a bottle of red wine with dinner or maybe 3-4 beers on a nightly basis. I know Red wine is good for you and all but may I be over doing it? Am I doing the right thing with switching around with beer?

Also, I work out hard 3-4 times a week and take vitamins, drink lots of water throughout the day. Is this nice habit hampering me in any way? :)

Thanks!
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Beer often has more calories than wine, so by that measure it is less damaging to a calorie deficit plan than wine. But when people say "wine is good for you," they aren't talking about a bottle -- they're talking about a glass or two.

    I enjoy drinking too, but research indicates that drinking more tends to cancel out the health benefits associated with wine. I'm not aware of any benefit by switching it with beer.

    I'm assuming you are logging the calories in the alcohol and staying within a calorie deficit?
  • desweds
    desweds Posts: 126 Member
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    My problem with booze isn't the calories, it's the loss of inhibition that tells me to buy the deluxe nachos.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    A (750ml) bottle of red wine will run you about 700 calories. 3 (12 oz.) bottles of beer will be about 600. It's easier to find a light beer to halve the calories than a light wine. How many calories do you generally have left over after your food to spend on alcohol?

    Staying in your deficit is the way to weight loss.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Is it hampering you? Depends on what your goals are and what the rest of your day is like.

    If weight loss is your goal, I would think it would be difficult to maintain a calorie deficit and still get adequate nutrition if 600-800 calories EVERY day were coming from booze. Probably not impossible, but it would require some pretty good attention to detail on your part.
  • BEERRUNNER
    BEERRUNNER Posts: 3,049 Member
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    It does require alot of attention to detail. I basically only drink water, coffee and the occasional juice to make this work. also have eliminated most carbs.

    My goal isnt so much to lose weight but maintain my weight now and be able to lift heave and be strong.

    Is it hampering you? Depends on what your goals are and what the rest of your day is like.

    If weight loss is your goal, I would think it would be difficult to maintain a calorie deficit and still get adequate nutrition if 600-800 calories EVERY day were coming from booze. Probably not impossible, but it would require some pretty good attention to detail on your part.

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    BEERRUNNER wrote: »
    It does require alot of attention to detail. I basically only drink water, coffee and the occasional juice to make this work. also have eliminated most carbs.

    My goal isnt so much to lose weight but maintain my weight now and be able to lift heave and be strong.

    Is it hampering you? Depends on what your goals are and what the rest of your day is like.

    If weight loss is your goal, I would think it would be difficult to maintain a calorie deficit and still get adequate nutrition if 600-800 calories EVERY day were coming from booze. Probably not impossible, but it would require some pretty good attention to detail on your part.

    It's not so much hydration that I'm talking about, but nutrition.

    How much protein & dietary fat are you consuming? Are you getting adequate micro nutrients?

    When you're getting such a large portion of your daily calorie allotment from alcohol, these are going to be the bigger issues.
  • genghis54
    genghis54 Posts: 123 Member
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    Beer, full of sugar
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?
  • desweds
    desweds Posts: 126 Member
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    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?

    For some of us, the presence of sugar, especially refined sugar, makes it hard for us to control our caloric intake.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    edited December 2015
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    desweds wrote: »
    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?

    For some of us, the presence of sugar, especially refined sugar, makes it hard for us to control our caloric intake.

    Except there is almost no sugar in many beers. Basically no more than there is in a Merlot...
    And neither is damaging when drunk in moderation.

    If you are drinking a lot - doesn't matter if it is beer or wine - it's bad for your health and diet.

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    desweds wrote: »
    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?

    For some of us, the presence of sugar, especially refined sugar, makes it hard for us to control our caloric intake.

    How does that relate to alcohol consumption, which is the topic of the thread?

  • samgamgee
    samgamgee Posts: 398 Member
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    Beer has plenty of B vitamins and is better at keeping you hydrated, but if you're drinking strong beer a few can easily add up to the calories of a bottle of wine. I've recently swapped from red (often about 700 a bottle) to sparkling wine which can be as low as 480 a bottle.
  • desweds
    desweds Posts: 126 Member
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    desweds wrote: »
    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?

    For some of us, the presence of sugar, especially refined sugar, makes it hard for us to control our caloric intake.

    How does that relate to alcohol consumption, which is the topic of the thread?

    I guess it doesn't. But janejellyroll responded to a person's statement by saying "So?" and I felt it was worth responding.
  • BEERRUNNER
    BEERRUNNER Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Ohhh SParkling wine...Now thats something I have not explored...Interesting.

    samgamgee wrote: »
    Beer has plenty of B vitamins and is better at keeping you hydrated, but if you're drinking strong beer a few can easily add up to the calories of a bottle of wine. I've recently swapped from red (often about 700 a bottle) to sparkling wine which can be as low as 480 a bottle.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Nutritional and self control issues apart, for weight loss Spirits > Dry wines > Beer.

    Beer gives you the carb belly which we beer drinkers start to lose quite quickly by switching to spirits with diet mixers. Hard drinking alcoholics on spirits are generally wiry thin characters.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    desweds wrote: »
    desweds wrote: »
    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?

    For some of us, the presence of sugar, especially refined sugar, makes it hard for us to control our caloric intake.

    How does that relate to alcohol consumption, which is the topic of the thread?

    I guess it doesn't. But janejellyroll responded to a person's statement by saying "So?" and I felt it was worth responding.

    Fair enough...I guess I read her "so?" as questioning why that person felt the need to bring up the fact that beer is "full of sugar" (which, in reality, it isn't) vis a vis the context of the topic of the thread.

    But I will let her clarify if I've assumed incorrectly.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    desweds wrote: »
    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?

    For some of us, the presence of sugar, especially refined sugar, makes it hard for us to control our caloric intake.

    There is no beer I know of that contains added sugar, except when it's mixed beer with cola or something.
  • desweds
    desweds Posts: 126 Member
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    desweds wrote: »
    genghis54 wrote: »
    Beer, full of sugar

    And?

    For some of us, the presence of sugar, especially refined sugar, makes it hard for us to control our caloric intake.

    There is no beer I know of that contains added sugar, except when it's mixed beer with cola or something.

    I agree.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited December 2015
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    yarwell wrote: »
    Nutritional and self control issues apart, for weight loss Spirits > Dry wines > Beer.

    Beer gives you the carb belly which we beer drinkers start to lose quite quickly by switching to spirits with diet mixers. Hard drinking alcoholics on spirits are generally wiry thin characters.

    << Drinks beer

    <<No "carb belly" (whatever that is)

    Objectively false post.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    Nutritional and self control issues apart, for weight loss Spirits > Dry wines > Beer.

    Beer gives you the carb belly which we beer drinkers start to lose quite quickly by switching to spirits with diet mixers. Hard drinking alcoholics on spirits are generally wiry thin characters.

    Say, what?