Do you drink wine/alcohol and still maintain?

looney9708
looney9708 Posts: 174 Member
edited November 2024 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I've been on maintenance about 6 months and have gained a few pounds. My nutritionist says it's because I have two glasses of wine nightly. She has suggested I cut alcohol completely except once per week. I really don't care about other macros/junk food and otherwise eat a very clean diet but want to incorporate my wine but still maintain.
Curious what others have had success with. Do you have alcohol? Do you adjust your macros?

Advice needed from The Looney Wino
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Replies

  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    edited March 2016
    You gained weight because you ate more calories than you burned. I drink pretty often and maintain.
  • Anabug81
    Anabug81 Posts: 161 Member
    Yes, I just stay within my calories a glass of wine is less than 200 calories.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Yep. I just account for it. And if I know it's going to be a wild night I find a way to fit in the whole bottle.
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
    yeah. binge drinker. usually go a few weeks with no drinks, then have like 10 in a night
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Your maintenance plan should be for life - if you can't fit in the things you like you won't succeed long term.
    Of course follow sensible guidelines around alcohol consumption though. Two glasses every night? No "dry" nights?
    Not at all surprised a nutritionist highlighted what are fairly empty calories to tweak your calorie balance.

    I drank wine when gaining, losing and maintaining. Had an unusual technique when losing though to minimise calorie load while still enjoying my wine - spent twice as much per bottle and drank half the quantity.

    My only change to macros is being more lenient / flexible when maintaining. Mainly for adherence reasons but also it's not so critical when you have a higher calorie allowance (I work on protein and fat minimums not fixed ratios by the way).
  • MillyMil122
    MillyMil122 Posts: 15 Member
    I sure do. A glass of red wine or vodka on the rocks with a lime. I try to limit to two servings if I am going to drink. You can maintain and also lose.
  • vharding7
    vharding7 Posts: 48 Member
    I drink and actually have been losing about a pound a week. I just make sure I have room in the calories/macros for it.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    Yes, I still booze up on Friday evenings.

    I took a booze cruise on RC two summers ago. Got the All You Can Drink Package and boy, did I abuse that (and totally recommend doing that if you have the cash to spring for it. I have no idea how I would have been able to try so many different kinds of beer, wine, mixed drinks, and liquor for the money otherwise. I learned A LOT. Money well spent, IMO!). Came back 8lbs heavier, but within a week was 1lb lighter than when I left. Heh...

  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    edited March 2016
    I have a pint of cider every other day plus whisky a couple of times a week. Been maintaining for about 2 years. In fact, I lost weight over Christmas because I played too much tennis.
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    In my ongoing battle against my high LDL, I suffered greatly and incorporated red wine and dark chocolate back into my regime: about 2 ounces of red wine almost every night and around and ounce of dark chocolate once a week or less. It seems to have helped. I'm currently in maintenance with a weight bouncing around between 104 and 107, holding pretty steady since July.
  • sunflowerhippi
    sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,099 Member
    yes but like some other said I binge. I will skip 28 days a month and then have 2 days where I drink 2000 calories worth of liqour. I like cream based drinks. I just make sure to run an extra day a week x 4 = my alcohol for the month. I don't use those calories towards daily meals and foods.
  • broseidonkingofbrocean
    broseidonkingofbrocean Posts: 180 Member
    It's not just about the calories in the alcohol, its the effect it has on your body for fat loss.

    "Because your body sees these by-products as dangerous, it wants to use them as fuel. This means your body will significantly blunt fat-burning close to 75% after just one and a half drinks.2 And it will stop using carbs for energy. Therefore, although very little alcohol will be stored as fat (less than 5%), the fat and carbs you are eating have an increased risk of being stored as fat."

    From http://www.builtlean.com/2012/11/26/alcohol-weight-loss/

    Not the best article on the subject but just something I found on the fly. It is possible for you to still succeed losing weight, but it definitely hinders progress.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    Rage_Phish wrote: »
    yeah. binge drinker. usually go a few weeks with no drinks, then have like 10 in a night

    LOL. Yeah that would be me
  • vegmebuff
    vegmebuff Posts: 31,389 Member
    looney9708 wrote: »
    I've been on maintenance about 6 months and have gained a few pounds. My nutritionist says it's because I have two glasses of wine nightly. She has suggested I cut alcohol completely except once per week. I really don't care about other macros/junk food and otherwise eat a very clean diet but want to incorporate my wine but still maintain.
    Curious what others have had success with. Do you have alcohol? Do you adjust your macros?

    Advice needed from The Looney Wino

    This sounds like me several years ago. As soon as I stopped the wine, I immediately lost weight. My love handles basically melted away without doing anything else but this. Perhaps cut it in half and see what happens?
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,138 Member
    I have a beer once or twice a week, I just fit it in to my calories. But I'd hate to have give up so much food and replace it with drinks. Drinking too many calories is unsatisfying for me.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    I make room for a craft beer or two every night .
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    I was able to drink and still maintain. However, I haven't drank in awhile because I have lost my taste for alcohol.
  • caurinus
    caurinus Posts: 78 Member
    broseidonkingofbrocean wrote: »
    It's not just about the calories in the alcohol, its the effect it has on your body for fat loss.
    ...
    It is possible for you to still succeed losing weight, but it definitely hinders progress.

    Absolutely. Also Google "leptin alcohol" for another way it slows progress and stimulates appetite too. I drink 2-3 nights a week. Definitely getting better results than when I was drinking every night.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,192 Member
    Eileen_S wrote: »
    I was able to drink and still maintain. However, I haven't drank in awhile because I have lost my taste for alcohol.

    Same here, especially since I can't handle alcohol that well any more. It gives me a lot of stomach problems and a couple of ounces go to my head faster than the speed of light.
    Wine and champagne are and were my drinks of choice; I don't like tropical drinks, beer or martinis. Once in awhile when I was younger I would enjoy a brandy or cognac with coffee or a whiskey on occasion. I can't anymore and that is sad but I don't like the way that booze makes me feel.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    I drank while losing the weight I set out to lose, probably a glass of wine 4-5 nights a week as I could work it in. Now that I'm maintaining I have a glass or two of wine most nights. And chocolate usually. Hasn't hindered my maintenance.
  • PegMoffat
    PegMoffat Posts: 24 Member
    I'm not a big drinker but when I want it I just make sure it fits my calorie budget for the day. I've been maintaining go about a year.
  • frankiesgirl21
    frankiesgirl21 Posts: 235 Member
    Heck!!!!! A former skinny girl gone FAT now down 30+ with 17-20 to go and married to an Italian there better be wine at the end of the rain bow! it has taken me forever but here I am but I haven't given up wine.... Learned to temper it some but quit altogether? Ummm... No.... Wait till you meet my in laws!Lol.....
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Huge drinker here. I lost all my weight while drinking at least 5 drinks a week. I always fit it in.

    I'm sure I would lose weight faster if I didn't drink, but you can pry my wine from my cold dead fingers!
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
    If you want to drink wine and you aren't tracking your calories on maintenance you should start. As long as it fits within your calories it shouldn't be a problem. I'm losing currently and I still fit in my nightly cocktail.
  • looney9708
    looney9708 Posts: 174 Member

    I'm sure I would lose weight faster if I didn't drink, but you can pry my wine from my cold dead fingers.

    Lol! Glad I'm not the only one
  • looney9708
    looney9708 Posts: 174 Member
    edited March 2016
    Cheers to all my wine loving friends! You are cracking me up.

    I do think part of my problem is definitely figuring out daily calories for maintenance. How many cals do you try to consume? Do you track macros? Ive heard that if you track macros an alcohol carb should be multiplied x7?
  • frankiesgirl21
    frankiesgirl21 Posts: 235 Member
    looney9708 wrote: »
    I'm sure I would lose weight faster if I didn't drink, but you can pry my wine from my cold dead fingers.

    Lol! Glad I'm not the only one

    U me and Asher need to meet up! Lol!
  • looney9708
    looney9708 Posts: 174 Member
    caurinus wrote: »
    broseidonkingofbrocean wrote: »
    It's not just about the calories in the alcohol, its the effect it has on your body for fat loss.
    ...
    It is possible for you to still succeed losing weight, but it definitely hinders progress.

    Absolutely. Also Google "leptin alcohol" for another way it slows progress and stimulates appetite too. I drink 2-3 nights a week. Definitely getting better results than when I was drinking every night.

    Thanks! This is what my nutritionist was referring too. For some reason I'm very sensitive when I have wine. Maybe I'll try it half the nights and see if that makes a difference.
  • looney9708
    looney9708 Posts: 174 Member
    broseidonkingofbrocean wrote: »
    It's not just about the calories in the alcohol, its the effect it has on your body for fat loss.

    "Because your body sees these by-products as dangerous, it wants to use them as fuel. This means your body will significantly blunt fat-burning close to 75% after just one and a half drinks.2 And it will stop using carbs for energy. Therefore, although very little alcohol will be stored as fat (less than 5%), the fat and carbs you are eating have an increased risk of being stored as fat."

    From http://www.builtlean.com/2012/11/26/alcohol-weight-loss/

    Not the best article on the subject but just something I found on the fly. It is possible for you to still succeed losing weight, but it definitely hinders progress.

    Thanks for the info! This is what my nutritionist referred to. I'll watch my fat macros. I am very carb conscious but probably have too much fat. Thanks!
  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Huge drinker here. I lost all my weight while drinking at least 5 drinks a week. I always fit it in.

    I'm sure I would lose weight faster if I didn't drink, but you can pry my wine from my cold dead fingers!

    Very funny. Completely agree.
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