Wine.... My not very helpful friend.

Annaslosingit
Annaslosingit Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone given up wine/alcohol and had it effect weightloss in a positive way? Would love to hear your stories!! I am quite a big wine drinker/binger, which has done nothing but give me 20kg to lose :neutral: I really have to cut right back on my wine if I want to lose any weight...otherwise it is only going to get worse!

Replies

  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,776 Member
    I have re-started My Fitness Pal just last week, and it's eye opening how many calories there are in multiple glasses of wine! Each one is 125 calories, so even me having 2 is 250 cals. If you are having 4 per day, that's 500 calories in just alcohol. That's a lot of exercise you have to do to negate that! Not to mention the dehydration factor, etc. I don't know how many you have per day, but I'd start by cutting out one per day for a week, then cutting out another the following week, and basically wean yourself down to one with dinner per day. I just poured my glass of wine and I am nursing this sucker because I can't afford the calories! I believe that if you cut out most of your alcohol, you'll see the weight start to fall off.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I'm a big drinker. I've also lost weight while continuing my drinking habits. I'm sure I would have lost weight faster had I not been drinking.
    I prefer to drink and lose weight slowly than to not drink and probably murder someone.
  • kuranda10
    kuranda10 Posts: 593 Member
    Your body views the alcohol as a "poison" and burns that off first. It won't even touch fat or excess calories until the algohol is gone. So yes it may be withing your calorie range, but it isn't helping at all.
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    edited March 2016
    I gave up alcohol for two months. I did lose at a faster rate during those two months. I prefer to drink and lose at a slower rate, though. The alcohol is fairly easy to fit into my calories now and then. My trouble spot is the munching on snacks after a drink or two. I've gotten a better hold of that part, and that has helped me immensely.
  • Jblesssed
    Jblesssed Posts: 3 Member
    edited March 2016
    I SIMPLY LOVE reading your blogs! blogging is new to me so is dieting this community is fantastic!

  • christch
    christch Posts: 238 Member
    I have tried to cut back to one night a week, some weeks are better than others. Depending on your calorie limit you may be able to have one or two wines an evening. I did see a drop in weight from reducing wine consumption but then cutting between 500 and 750 cals a day will do that. Reducing your alcohol intake should be no different than reducing junk food or anything else that you over eat. If you want to eat some chocolate you make it fit your cals, if you want to have a glass or two of wine or beer it's the same idea. Becomes hard when you're on 1200 cal though.
  • lcottomsvcs
    lcottomsvcs Posts: 25 Member
    I agree that the wine can really limit your weight loss. I try to keep my drinking to one glass per day, at dinner. Even my doctor says that's reasonable.
  • KristenNagle1
    KristenNagle1 Posts: 83 Member
    I'm a huge wine drinker too but once I start, I can't stop. I'm allowing myself 1 big drinking night a week right now. Sober the other nights!
  • Machdude
    Machdude Posts: 136 Member
    I was hospitalized for a number of weeks a few years ago. didn't have a drink for about three weeks. Yes drinking wine slows you down. I lost about 15 pounds in that time, with zero exercise. Admittedly hospital food is not high on my list of things to eat, but I did lose weight being relatively sedentary without alcohol. Womoma is right, a glass of wine is 250 or so calories. I prefer to limit my wine intake and enjoy it and lose the weight slower. I joke with my wife that if I didn't drink I'd never have to workout. It seems I can stay under calorie goal pretty well unless I have 2 or 3 glass like on weekends. I find that about 60 minutes on the crosstrainer is what it takes to stay under. That's the beauty of MFP. I can eat and drink what I want withing reason as long as I work out accordingly.
  • Annaslosingit
    Annaslosingit Posts: 2 Member
    KristenNagle1 wrote: »
    I'm a huge wine drinker too but once I start, I can't stop. I'm allowing myself 1 big drinking night a week right now. Sober the other nights!

    I'm with you! I can't just have one or two... So I am going to try no wine during the week and save it for one night in the weekends :). Thanks all for your replies! Starting this way is bound to help! No wine = no craving bad food.... That's the plan anyway! :)

  • xbrains
    xbrains Posts: 15 Member
    Yes! It's easy to say "Oh, I can just eat less food if I'm gonna drink today." Nope. Doesn't work for me. Lol. 6 drinks easily turns into more and/or food cravings. Plus, drinking is so addictive, it's easier to just cut that out of your life if you have it in you while you're trying to lose weight.

    I lost 22 pounds in about 3 months last year by quitting and, after, cutting back drinking. It's like quitting soda! Instant weight loss.
  • MelissaLimeKiwi
    MelissaLimeKiwi Posts: 121 Member
    edited March 2016
    The best part of cutting back your drinking, Is that eventually it takes less to get buzzed. I've cut back a lot since January and now about 10 oz of wine and I'm good for the evening. I also have tons more energy the next day when I don't drink, so my workouts are better and more productive.
  • dwntwn5
    dwntwn5 Posts: 69 Member
    Wine, well champagne really, is also a regular indulgence of mine. I have drastically cut down since January (19 lbs ago) but will fit it into my day if I want. I find two things help me personally. 1) I weigh in on Mondays. It really helps me make better choices on weekends. 2) I don't ever tell myself I'm giving up wine. It's just how the choices. Do I want bread or wine tonight? It makes it easier for me. Sometimes I choose wine. Sometimes I choose something else.
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    Not really. But I don't drink very often to begin with. I'm not a heavy drinker and I lost 95 pounds drinking every once in a while. However - I'll admit that I gained 30 pounds drinking more than I use to. I've gone from drinking once every couple of months to work happy hours and a boyfriend that drinks more often so cider, wine, or a mix drink with diet soda maybe twice a month. I'm a light weight and I dislike being drunk.

    If I gave up drinking I'd save maybe 500 calories a month...that's what 15ish calories a day on average?
  • Shana67
    Shana67 Posts: 680 Member
    Oh, yes. One thing that I discovered is that I was drinking ** 4,000 ** calories per week in wine. FOUR THOUSAND!! Once I had that figured out, making the change was not so tough. I cut back to one 3 oz mixed drink (using vodka) per day, and lost 10lb pretty quick (less than a month quick). The next 10 came off much more slowly, until I tried cutting back that liquor intake to every other day.

    I still drink wine, and I still love it, but I have more control I think, over hard alcohol. For example, we had a bunch of friends over for Easter dinner yesterday, and I drank way more wine than I have in months, and that is okay, I will be very moderate the rest of the week :)

    I also found that a lot of my wine intake had to do with routine. I just REALLY enjoy sitting with a drink in the evenings as I watch TV. So, after I am done w/that 3oz drink, I switch to flavored sparkling water. It's helping, and I'm down 23 lbs since 1/5.
  • SWellz
    SWellz Posts: 62 Member
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    I prefer to drink and lose weight slowly than to not drink and probably murder someone.
    Preach!
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
    I drink 4-5 oz of wine pretty much everyday.... Its about moderation.
  • jwcanfield
    jwcanfield Posts: 192 Member
    I have learned over the years that I cannot drink anything - no beer, no wine - and successfully lose weight. The theory of reserving daily calories is fine, but my calorie count doesn't have much wiggle room and even now am losing slowly. So I have a gut (no pun intended for us pudgies) feeling that when my goal weight is reached my forever nutrition plan will be continuing to eat the same but cautiously adding wine back to my dinners!
  • cbeau1991
    cbeau1991 Posts: 19 Member
    I have a very similar problem, except with beer. I love my IPAs so much and I always feel ambivalent because they're about 200 calories each.

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