Quitting alcohol - effects?

The wine would likey have been dehydrating you giving you a lower weight reading than properly hydrated you would be. You say "moderate food tracking" - if this means you are not weighing and logging everything then you may be eating healthier but consuming more calories than you realise. Count every calorie you consume for 3 weeks and I am sure you will see a difference.

Good luck!

rikkejn wrote: »

After 8 months being a bit lax, and quitting smoking which combined caused a 6-7kg weight gain (which at 57kgs is very noticeable) I am now re-starting exercise and moderate food tracking. Four weeks in, I know I have significantly reigned in my unhealthy habits and I am also exercising pretty hard (5-6 days a week full effort 30 mins minimum). Last time I did the same the kgs rolled off. This time - nothing! This time I have also quit wine. I was getting to 4-5 weekly bottles which clearly is waaaay too much. But it's also heaps of calories and accompanying snacking. I have noticed that my toilet habits are much less regular. Maybe 2-3 times weekly rather than daily (sorry for the detail). I wonder if the alcohol actually caused me not to take in most food, but that it just "ran through", or if it is just a temporary bout of constipation. Any experiences to share?

The fact you aren't tracking food properly by weighing and logging everything you eat, means that's probably why you're not losing. Just because you've changed your eating habits doesn't mean you'll automatically lose weight. You have to be eating less calories than you burn, and you can't know if you're doing that when you don't know how much you're eating. Also have you lost any weight at all? even if just 1lb?
If you're not "going to the toilet" often trying making sure you get plenty of fibre.

rikkejn wrote: »

After 8 months being a bit lax, and quitting smoking which combined caused a 6-7kg weight gain (which at 57kgs is very noticeable) I am now re-starting exercise and moderate food tracking. Four weeks in, I know I have significantly reigned in my unhealthy habits and I am also exercising pretty hard (5-6 days a week full effort 30 mins minimum). Last time I did the same the kgs rolled off. This time - nothing! This time I have also quit wine. I was getting to 4-5 weekly bottles which clearly is waaaay too much. But it's also heaps of calories and accompanying snacking. I have noticed that my toilet habits are much less regular. Maybe 2-3 times weekly rather than daily (sorry for the detail). I wonder if the alcohol actually caused me not to take in most food, but that it just "ran through", or if it is just a temporary bout of constipation. Any experiences to share?

I've been on MFP for almost 3 months and tracking everything. This helps to identify the problem areas and make changes where necessary. As a result I hardly ever touch alcoholic drinks now - not a big effort, as it was only about once a week before. Your 4-5 weekly bottles of wine is enormous compared to the number of months drinks would stay untouched in our house. Apart from wine, I often mixed the other drinks such as rum, brandy, whisky, with Coke or Sprite, and those are known to be big contributors to calories and sugar, so they're out as well, even on their own without the alcohol.

No alcohol, and no fizzy drinks, seems to be working. Just takes a bit of willpower at the beginning.

Alcohol does make u regular, and prob the reason alot of people are lighter after a particularly heavy weekend on the booze.....but its dehydration. The calories do catch up with you. Especially if you give into those heavy cravings the next day. I dont count the odd glass of wine because if I limit my calories to allow it ill end up so hungry and binge.

kermax39 wrote: »

Alcohol does make u regular, and prob the reason alot of people are lighter after a particularly heavy weekend on the booze.....but its dehydration. The calories do catch up with you. Especially if you give into those heavy cravings the next day. I dont count the odd glass of wine because if I limit my calories to allow it ill end up so hungry and binge.

I weigh every morning pre poop. Sometimes it's even after a day of not pooping at all. You know what? My weight has consistently been close if not lower than the night before. It' doesn't make sense but there it is. On the other hand I'm going on vacation in 3 weeks so I'm laying off the booze until then. I've been eating maintenance calories and I've dropped like 5 pounds. Though I probably am lightly active not sedentary. The one day I gave in I was half pound up the next day.

srecupid wrote: »

kermax39 wrote: »

Alcohol does make u regular, and prob the reason alot of people are lighter after a particularly heavy weekend on the booze.....but its dehydration. The calories do catch up with you. Especially if you give into those heavy cravings the next day. I dont count the odd glass of wine because if I limit my calories to allow it ill end up so hungry and binge.

I weigh every morning pre poop. Sometimes it's even after a day of not pooping at all. You know what? My weight has consistently been close if not lower than the night before. It' doesn't make sense but there it is. On the other hand I'm going on vacation in 3 weeks so I'm laying off the booze until then. I've been eating maintenance calories and I've dropped like 5 pounds. Though I probably am lightly active not sedentary. The one day I gave in I was half pound up the next day.

It absolutely does make sense. Have you ever thought about where the lost weight goes? If you're thinking you excrete it - other than a bit of water, mostly no. Then where?

You exhale it. Yup. Oversimplifying, fat gets metabolized (burned) and you end up with water (less than 20%) and carbon dioxide. You excrete some of the water, maybe lose some through sweat, and you exhale the rest (humidity, basically) along with the carbon dioxide. One exhales a lot - without taking in any new food/water, mostly - in sleep, overnight.

Here's a fun popular-press kind of report on the research:

When You Burn Off That Fat, Where Does It Go?

Sorry for the digression, OP. Back on topic:

I lose more weight, and maintain weight more effectively once it's off, if I don't routinely drink alcohol. For me, one of the main reasons is that alcohol can contribute to willingness to snack unnecessarily. Also - and I'm only talking 1-2 drinks a night, previously - I've found that I sleep better when I drink less, which helps with weight loss in itself, and also makes me less likely to hit "snooze" too often and miss a workout.

I'm sure you know that after you drink alcohol, its calories are preferentially metabolized before fat calories. That shouldn't stop you losing weight, as long as you're in deficit, though.

Historically, I've had issues with IBS/C, but didn't notice that drinking less alcohol increased my likelihood of constipation. However, I drink lots of water, and eat a boatload of veggies & fruits daily, so that may explain why.

(I haven't given up alcohol entirely. It's just not a routine daily drink or two anymore.)

Good luck!