Alcohol yay or nah??

sarahlovesfood25
sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
edited December 4 in Health and Weight Loss
I like to have a drink but was wondering is it best to cut it out altogether? Would it make a difference?
My calorie goal is 1400 a day and i do pretty well staying within my calorie limit, even with alcohol, i drink vodka with sugar free or low calorie pop but was wondering would it make a difference cutting alcohol out?
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Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Everything that has calories makes a difference. Whether it's worth it to you or not isn't something that anybody else can really answer.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Would you rather use those calories on food? It's more of a personal preference than anything else. Some people prefer to use all their calories for food when they're in a deficit, others like having a drink.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    Im always hungry but wen i drink i dont get hungry or want snacks whereas i no most ppl do, i have about 3-4 drinks when i do drink and its only around 100-200 calories
  • chezinkflo
    chezinkflo Posts: 19 Member
    I like a glass of white wine or a Gin & Tonic, so I have a glass full of zero calorie tonic and a tiny drop of gin just to taste. I really hate sugary foods and desserts, so I have my small glass of white wine with my lunch ( I live in France, we have our main meal between 12 and 2pm) and I still have a few calories to spare each day. Still losing weight each week too.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    Glad to hear chezinkflo was windering if ppl do still hav alcohol and lose..
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    Like urself im not a dessert fan and ive cut back on sugary foods, i always drink sugar free fizzy pop or low calories juice
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I won't give up beer/wine/gin/scotch/etc. I tend to use my exercise calories burned (~1/2) for drinking. Meet my food calorie goals before exercise and then portion out 1/2 my exercise calories as I like between snacks and drinks. Seems to be working for me as I'm down about 20 lbs in 5 weeks. Will see long term if I have to change things up.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    Well done with ur loss, its nice that u can still enjoy a drink within ur diet/ healthy lifestyle
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    sarahjohnson25852014 wrote: »
    Im always hungry but wen i drink i dont get hungry or want snacks whereas i no most ppl do, i have about 3-4 drinks when i do drink and its only around 100-200 calories

    1oz of vodka is 64 calories. Most shot glasses are 1.5oz. 4 shots would be 384 calories.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    I sometimes wonder if its better then pigging out on food/snacks that r full of sugar and high calories
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    100ml of v-kat is 124calories as ive scanned it so i have around 100-200ml few days a week :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    sarahjohnson25852014 wrote: »
    I sometimes wonder if its better then pigging out on food/snacks that r full of sugar and high calories

    Okay, but the options aren't limited to "drink" or "pig out on snacks." If your drinks are 100-200 calories, you could use those calories for the same amount of food (if you wanted), not on "pigging out." And the snacks would help you meet your nutritional needs, which alcohol doesn't do (not trying to talk you out of drinking, just pointing it out).

    Alcohol is enjoyable, I drank it when I was losing weight, but it's still important to meet your body's need for nutrients.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    I do have my main meals and do snack but sometimes i cant control it and it takes me over my calorie limit for the day, having a couple of drinking helps me, it may be different for other ppl tho, i just find this way helps or if i dont drink i will just do abit of cardio to take my mind off food..
    i appreciate everyones comments btw just wondered wot ppls thoughts were
  • Ploofs
    Ploofs Posts: 59 Member
    I drink every week or so but I'm picky on what I drink now.
    There was a night that I drank 5 oz of vodka at a friends. Looked it up the next day and it was easily 500 calories :( so sad.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    A couple of drinks i was meant to say..
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    How many ml is 5oz
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I guess one comment is I'm targeting ~2,000 cals a day so I have a bit more leeway for empty calories then someone at 1400. A 180 calorie beer is a bit less of a hit for me.
  • genpopadopolous
    genpopadopolous Posts: 411 Member
    I do drink and I am losing weight, but for me it depends on the day.

    Say I have 200 calories left in a day. I can either have a glass of wine, a small bowl of ice cream, or a whole apple with a wedge of laughing cow and a few crackers. Depends what kind of "hungry" it is. If I'm not actually hungry and the wine hits the spot, great. If I'm actually wanting food though, apple and cheese it is. Needing a treat? Ice cream.

    I'm getting better at learning what satisfies me when and how to make it fit in my life.

  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    sarahjohnson25852014 wrote: »
    100ml of v-kat is 124calories as ive scanned it so i have around 100-200ml few days a week :)

    You need to double-check your database entries. If this is what you're drinking, 100ml is 234 calories: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/janes-v-kat-dry-schnapps-232402067

    Yes, I drank while losing weight. I'd work in 1-2 glasses of wine pretty easily on 1400 calories and had no problem losing. If you enjoy it, you're hitting your nutrient goals, and you're not hungry, there's nothing wrong with having a drink, but be accurate with logging it.
  • FernRunner
    FernRunner Posts: 79 Member
    147.868ml

    I use calories for alcohol on pretty rare occasions, when I'm calorie counting.

    For example, saving up a few days worth of "extra" calories for our yearly Christmas party or saving my "extra" calories during the day for a beer to have while watching a game.

    Alcohol calories add up too quickly for me to have it with much regularity.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Anything with calories that you cut out will make a difference. But I still say yay to alcohol. It's worth the calories to me.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    Why is it when i scan a bottle of v-kat its saying 124calories per 100ml, im confused, but if ur saying its 234calories then im still wivin my limit ;)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    sarahjohnson25852014 wrote: »
    Why is it when i scan a bottle of v-kat its saying 124calories per 100ml, im confused, but if ur saying its 234calories then im still wivin my limit ;)

    Virtually all the entries for alcohol were created by your fellow users so some of them may be in error (not saying this one is, but some of them are). Always worth double-checking before relying on it, especially for calorie-dense items or things you consume often.
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    sarahjohnson25852014 wrote: »
    Why is it when i scan a bottle of v-kat its saying 124calories per 100ml, im confused, but if ur saying its 234calories then im still wivin my limit ;)

    The database is user-created and user-maintained. If you scan a food that's not in the database, you have to enter the nutrition information yourself to create it. It's entirely possible someone entered the calorie information wrong the first time they scanned in what you're drinking. I'm not even sure how something like that gets created, given that alcohol doesn't have calorie info on the bottle.

    Usually with liquor I search for something generic. Vodka, tequila, whiskey, etc. isn't going to vary much brand to brand. I also use generic entries for wine, but I try to search for approximate ABV. Beer is a bit easier as some beers do publish their nutrition information, so I'll log the brand. If I'm drinking a local craft lager that's about the same ABV as Budweiser I'll log it as a Bud. It may not be 100% accurate, but it's close enough that I never had any issues.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    alcohol? yes or no? a resounding YES! :P but those craft beers at 600 calories a glass...sheesh..that wrecks a day in a heartbeat.
  • sarahlovesfood25
    sarahlovesfood25 Posts: 408 Member
    Thats y i drink spirits lol its less calories :)
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    alcohol? yes or no? a resounding YES! :P but those craft beers at 600 calories a glass...sheesh..that wrecks a day in a heartbeat.

    Try a Unibroue beer. Racks up the calories pretty quick.

    But then it is 750ml and 8% :)
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    If it fits in my day, YES. I have 1630 to use and some days, even with a beer/wine I get to 1250. It can be done if you want to make it happen!
  • liftorgohome
    liftorgohome Posts: 25,455 Member
    I love my heinekin, 0 fat but has empty calories that I have to burn off or add into my diet. Lost 26lbs looking to cut 10-15 more.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    It just depends on how you prefer to use your calories.
    If the alcohol fits your calorie goal then it isn't an issue for weight loss to drink it.
    If you cut calories from alcohol and use the calories for more food it is the same calorie count but you might get more nutrition. That might help some people particularly if their calorie goal is on the lower side.
    If you drop the alcohol but don't use those calories for food then you have a larger calorie deficit. Could be fine but could also be negative if you start losing too fast.

    I don't like drinking my calories- not alcohol, juice, smoothies or milk. Drinking calories doesn't satisfy me. It isn't a big sacrifice to me to skip alcohol because I never cared about it.
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