Alcohol and Weight Loss

jmcdao wrote: »

For the past few years I have had a glass of red wine (or two) most nights, and often a few more drinks on the weekends.

Red wine itself isn't terrible for you, and actually has some health benefits, but the main issue it causes for me is that my snacking desires seem to increase ten-fold after a couple of drinks.

With my new commitment to fitness and weight loss, I am giving up drinking during the week entirely.
On the weekends, when in social situations that involve drinking-- I plan to have no more than 2 drinks.
I will stick to Red Wine or Bourbon (on the rocks), to minimize the damage.

Any other advice/strategies when it comes to alcohol and weight loss?

Not a whole lot of advice, but just wanted to say that I'm in the exact same situation. I cut out my 1-2 a night weekday habit and just drink wine on Friday/Saturday. It's going well so far.
When I go out, one trick I've used is to just stay away from my favorite drinks, or just allow myself one. For instance I may have 1 of my favorite craft beer or wine, and then switch to something that I like (but don't love as much) so I'll just sip on that.

I also agree with the other person that abstinence is always an option. Most women do it for 9 months+ when pregnant and we survive somehow It's not for everyone, though.

I have wine every night. Rather than having it once I get home, I enjoy it with my dinner. That cuts down on the desire to snack.

My weight loss probably would have been a lot easier if I didn't drink, but you can pry my wine from my cold dead fingers

courtneyfabulous wrote: »

Alcohol has very negative effects on weight loss- it's great you will be cutting it out during the week and limiting in the weekend!

The trouble with alcohol is it's a toxin, and it's also high in calories. A gram of alcohol has 7 calories, almost as calorie dense as fat which has 9 calories per gram (carbs & protein only have 4 calories per gram). You could equate drinking a shot of alcohol almost to drinking a shot of olive oil or butter!

The toxin effects are even worse- you body wants to prioritize burning the alcohol first so it stores everything else as as fat. It also is inflammatory and has a slowing effect on the metabolism. For some people these effects can last up to 3 days!

And as you mentioned it's a appetite stimulant- so not only does the alcohol itself cause excess fat gain and have a lot of calories on it's own, it makes it more likely for you to over eat too, and usually crave less healthy fatty or junky foods.

I do love my wine - I used to have 1 or 2 glasses every night too - but I have given it up almost completely while I'm in weight loss mode - I might have half a glass at a social event.

I can tell you I don't miss it as much as I thought I would. Plus I get a nice rush of happy hormones after a good workout, so that's my replacement I guess! Ha!

You're overlooking the fact that olive oil is essentially pure fat, whereas very few people are drinking shots of 200-proof alcohol. A one-fluid-ounce (roughly 30 ml) shot of 80-proof distilled spirits is about 60 calories; a one-fluid-ounce shot of olive oil would be about 240 calories.

And while alcohol can reasonably be described as a toxin, since it can cause coma or death in amounts that it is not all that rare for people to approach, that doesn't really have anything to do with prioritizing burning the alcohol first.

And it only causes your body to "store everything else as fat" to the extent that it puts you over your TDEE. If you're still in a deficit, your body isn't going to be storing anything as fat.


ETA: As for advice for the OP, try alternating alcoholic drinks with water (sparkling with a twist if you want to feel like you're still partying) or other low-to-no calorie drinks.

Consider wine spritzers.

Plan your eating as well as you're drinking, so you're less likely to indulge in uncontrolled snacking.

Consider volunteering to be the designated driver so you have a reason not to drink at all.

I used to drink a lot. Wine with dinner every night. A beer after. More on the weekends. I had cut it out for a month at a time, just to see if I could, and never had any issues, but always resumed old habits after. Like you, OP, this always led to snacking, and I think definitely kept me from maintaining any weight loss. I've been in a bit of a yoyo pattern anyway. So whenever I'd try to lose, I'd cut way back on the drinks, record the calories from them, etc., but the drinks would eventually win out over the desire to stay within my calorie limit. I finally decided to try something more radical... giving up alcohol 100% for a period of 6 months. It has been far easier than I'd imagined, and I feel so, so much better. I'm not sure now if I'll reintegrate alcohol into my life in some capacity when six months is up (I should have reached maintenance by that time). If I can't do it and continue feeling this good, then I just won't do it, because I know how good this feels. I feel like doing my workout every morning. I have tons more energy. And I can afford to eat dessert! I'm surely more of a problem drinker than you are, OP, but I wanted to share the fact that I attribute all of my recent weight loss success and successful shift in lifestyle to giving up the booze. Good luck!

Love this post! Alcohol has been the devil for me recently - too many social events - I think I'll also nominate to drive!