Alcohol
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When I gave up alcohol for 3 months I lost about 10 pounds. All the bloat, empty calories, plus dehydration and junk food cravings, really made drinking not worth it. I enjoy a good beer, wine, or mixed drink now, and find that with my lowered tolerance allows me to have a great time on just 1 or 2 drinks. (Even on my birthday I had 4 beers total.)
If you are just drinking to get drunk and find that you can't limit yourself, as others have said, please see a professional. Otherwise, cut back for a while and reap the rewards. You'll probably find working out and fighting junk food cravings is easier.3 -
FoxyMars25 wrote: »I love my wine. Everybody who knows me knows I love my wine but I also need to cut way back because even though I bank my calories in order to drink, I am still not seeing the progress *I think* I should be. I am guilty of drinking an entire bottle of wine myself on a Saturday night. It takes me a while to get through it (I may open it at 6pm and finish it at 2am and then go to bed) but it just is not healthy and I know that. There is no reason that I need to be doing that every weekend. I don't think I have an addiction problem, I think it has just become a habit-just what I do on a Saturday night and I need to break that. My current goal is to not drink at all until Easter (when I will be with my family and everyone will be drinking) and then after that, only when I go out which is actually not often at all. I am newly single and over the years my friends have all moved, gotten married, had babies, etc, so I usually just go to work and go home so that means a lot of alcohol will be cut out. I know it is going to be hard to break the habit (just like how I cannot stop biting my nails, ugh!) but I know I can do it and I find that by reading a lot of articles/information online about how alcohol negatively affects the body has been really helpful to get though this. I have a lot of depression and anxiety along with constant fatigue and I am hoping that eliminating most of the alcohol I normally consume will fix those issues. I am really, really, really hoping that it will help my weight loss too. During the week, I can have just one or two glasses of wine just one night and be fine, but it's the damn weekends that get me so I think it is best for me to abstain for now.
I cannot offer you any advice about your drinking, as that is for you alone to analyse and manage. But I can help with the nails!
Go and get gel nails put on. You go to a salon and have them applied. They go over your regular nails, and if those are too short, they will apply a plastic "extender" so as soon as the session is over, you have nice nails. You cannot bite these - well, you can but they are hard as nails (haha!) and you wont get very far!
Initial application (here in my city in Canada) runs about $50 - monthly maintenance (you have to go in every few weeks to have the space at the bottom of the nail filled in, as the nail grows) is about $35. Your nails have a chance to grow out underneath the gel coating, and arent destroyed. The gel breathes a bit.
You can have them painted, french manicured, designs etc - its worth while to help with the habit of nail biting, and your nails will look great!
(yeah, this was a little off topic......)1 -
cross2bear wrote: »FoxyMars25 wrote: »I love my wine. Everybody who knows me knows I love my wine but I also need to cut way back because even though I bank my calories in order to drink, I am still not seeing the progress *I think* I should be. I am guilty of drinking an entire bottle of wine myself on a Saturday night. It takes me a while to get through it (I may open it at 6pm and finish it at 2am and then go to bed) but it just is not healthy and I know that. There is no reason that I need to be doing that every weekend. I don't think I have an addiction problem, I think it has just become a habit-just what I do on a Saturday night and I need to break that. My current goal is to not drink at all until Easter (when I will be with my family and everyone will be drinking) and then after that, only when I go out which is actually not often at all. I am newly single and over the years my friends have all moved, gotten married, had babies, etc, so I usually just go to work and go home so that means a lot of alcohol will be cut out. I know it is going to be hard to break the habit (just like how I cannot stop biting my nails, ugh!) but I know I can do it and I find that by reading a lot of articles/information online about how alcohol negatively affects the body has been really helpful to get though this. I have a lot of depression and anxiety along with constant fatigue and I am hoping that eliminating most of the alcohol I normally consume will fix those issues. I am really, really, really hoping that it will help my weight loss too. During the week, I can have just one or two glasses of wine just one night and be fine, but it's the damn weekends that get me so I think it is best for me to abstain for now.
I cannot offer you any advice about your drinking, as that is for you alone to analyse and manage. But I can help with the nails!
Go and get gel nails put on. You go to a salon and have them applied. They go over your regular nails, and if those are too short, they will apply a plastic "extender" so as soon as the session is over, you have nice nails. You cannot bite these - well, you can but they are hard as nails (haha!) and you wont get very far!
Initial application (here in my city in Canada) runs about $50 - monthly maintenance (you have to go in every few weeks to have the space at the bottom of the nail filled in, as the nail grows) is about $35. Your nails have a chance to grow out underneath the gel coating, and arent destroyed. The gel breathes a bit.
You can have them painted, french manicured, designs etc - its worth while to help with the habit of nail biting, and your nails will look great!
(yeah, this was a little off topic......)
hahaha, thanks for the advice! I will look into it!0 -
FoxyMars25 wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »FoxyMars25 wrote: »I love my wine. Everybody who knows me knows I love my wine but I also need to cut way back because even though I bank my calories in order to drink, I am still not seeing the progress *I think* I should be. I am guilty of drinking an entire bottle of wine myself on a Saturday night. It takes me a while to get through it (I may open it at 6pm and finish it at 2am and then go to bed) but it just is not healthy and I know that. There is no reason that I need to be doing that every weekend. I don't think I have an addiction problem, I think it has just become a habit-just what I do on a Saturday night and I need to break that. My current goal is to not drink at all until Easter (when I will be with my family and everyone will be drinking) and then after that, only when I go out which is actually not often at all. I am newly single and over the years my friends have all moved, gotten married, had babies, etc, so I usually just go to work and go home so that means a lot of alcohol will be cut out. I know it is going to be hard to break the habit (just like how I cannot stop biting my nails, ugh!) but I know I can do it and I find that by reading a lot of articles/information online about how alcohol negatively affects the body has been really helpful to get though this. I have a lot of depression and anxiety along with constant fatigue and I am hoping that eliminating most of the alcohol I normally consume will fix those issues. I am really, really, really hoping that it will help my weight loss too. During the week, I can have just one or two glasses of wine just one night and be fine, but it's the damn weekends that get me so I think it is best for me to abstain for now.
I cannot offer you any advice about your drinking, as that is for you alone to analyse and manage. But I can help with the nails!
Go and get gel nails put on. You go to a salon and have them applied. They go over your regular nails, and if those are too short, they will apply a plastic "extender" so as soon as the session is over, you have nice nails. You cannot bite these - well, you can but they are hard as nails (haha!) and you wont get very far!
Initial application (here in my city in Canada) runs about $50 - monthly maintenance (you have to go in every few weeks to have the space at the bottom of the nail filled in, as the nail grows) is about $35. Your nails have a chance to grow out underneath the gel coating, and arent destroyed. The gel breathes a bit.
You can have them painted, french manicured, designs etc - its worth while to help with the habit of nail biting, and your nails will look great!
(yeah, this was a little off topic......)
hahaha, thanks for the advice! I will look into it!
have y'all heard of the next gen "dipping" nail stuff?0 -
FoxyMars25 wrote: »I love my wine. Everybody who knows me knows I love my wine but I also need to cut way back because even though I bank my calories in order to drink, I am still not seeing the progress *I think* I should be. I am guilty of drinking an entire bottle of wine myself on a Saturday night.
Can I ask which wine is that that makes you so into it?
I recently pick up drinking to spice up my evenings. I'm not worried about calories. I'm pretty disciplined (or food and drink don't have that kind of grip on me). I got some Christian Brother brandy, whiskey and Cognac but not able to detect the pleasure of them yet. However, I do enjoy Sangria, margarita with gold tequila and some random cheap red wines. I can finish a whole bottle of moscato.
Do you folks drink along with foods or just ...drink?
Does alcohol negatively affect your sleep?
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I'd recommend taking a break or cutting back while you're losing weight. That you said "I just can't seem to stop" is a little worrisome and reminds me a lot of where I was about 5 months ago. I went through a phase of heavy drinking. It was not actually a really great place.
My husband and I decided to give up alcohol for three months and it was fantastic. It was hard for a week or two, but then it got easier and easier and easier. Our three month challenge ended and we drink again, but only a couple a week. Having a lot of time off really allowed me to reassess the role of booze in my life. And you know what? I feel better than ever! I haven't had a hangover in months, we spend less on alcohol, and I have just as much fun going out with friends. I was worried going out wouldn't be fun, but honestly, I have as much fun whether it's a soda or a beer in my hand.
You never really notice how much people are enslaved by alcohol until you step away from it for a bit.2 -
What did you consume 1500 calories on? Like a previous poster mentioned a couple of bellinis or 10 beers?0
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I don't see what's so special about drinking that you'd want it to get in the way of real goals. It was cool to binge drink when I was in college and going to parties but as an adult with goals you need to prioritize what's important, because you'll never lose weight drinking in a belligerent manner.1
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I had a daily drinking habit. Throw in some stressful life events and my use piled up. I truly think it was a big driver of my weight gain. I quit for a month (it was hard!) and now limit myself to 2-3 drinks once a week on Saturday. I feel SO MUCH BETTER!!! Yes, I lost weight. It is not just that. Eliminating those 2-3 (or 4) glasses of wine a night dramatically improved my sleep quality and energy levels during the day. My bank account thanks me as well.
Try to eliminate the alcohol for one week. See how you feel. Here is a March MFP sobriety challenge: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10519844/sober-march-challenge-marchingtosobriety#latest
Maybe you can start an April one? I bet you would have people joining you who could offer support.1 -
I drink daily and hit my goals, just like pie - moderation my friend. Slow down and enjoy the magic that fermentation has to offer. Beer - its proof of a loving God.
I like to think my Untappd and MFP apps are battling over my soul.1 -
I cut way back on drinking many years ago, pretty much stopped, when I was doing the WW program. I've always preferred to spend my calories on food rather than alcohol. I will have a drink now and then, but it's only an occasional splurge. 1
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Somewhere in my weight loss journey I realized I had to cut way back on drinking if I ever wanted to make any progress losing weight. That was when I realized how much I relied on it to cope with unwanted thoughts and feelings. When all those thoughts and feelings began to surface, I was shocked to discover how angry I was with my husband and (adult) daughter and how used I felt by them. Things were quite rocky for a year while I worked on setting boundaries with them while simultaneously cutting way back on the alcohol.
Just food (no pun intended) for thought.2 -
FoxyMars25 wrote: »cross2bear wrote: »FoxyMars25 wrote: »I love my wine. Everybody who knows me knows I love my wine but I also need to cut way back because even though I bank my calories in order to drink, I am still not seeing the progress *I think* I should be. I am guilty of drinking an entire bottle of wine myself on a Saturday night. It takes me a while to get through it (I may open it at 6pm and finish it at 2am and then go to bed) but it just is not healthy and I know that. There is no reason that I need to be doing that every weekend. I don't think I have an addiction problem, I think it has just become a habit-just what I do on a Saturday night and I need to break that. My current goal is to not drink at all until Easter (when I will be with my family and everyone will be drinking) and then after that, only when I go out which is actually not often at all. I am newly single and over the years my friends have all moved, gotten married, had babies, etc, so I usually just go to work and go home so that means a lot of alcohol will be cut out. I know it is going to be hard to break the habit (just like how I cannot stop biting my nails, ugh!) but I know I can do it and I find that by reading a lot of articles/information online about how alcohol negatively affects the body has been really helpful to get though this. I have a lot of depression and anxiety along with constant fatigue and I am hoping that eliminating most of the alcohol I normally consume will fix those issues. I am really, really, really hoping that it will help my weight loss too. During the week, I can have just one or two glasses of wine just one night and be fine, but it's the damn weekends that get me so I think it is best for me to abstain for now.
I cannot offer you any advice about your drinking, as that is for you alone to analyse and manage. But I can help with the nails!
Go and get gel nails put on. You go to a salon and have them applied. They go over your regular nails, and if those are too short, they will apply a plastic "extender" so as soon as the session is over, you have nice nails. You cannot bite these - well, you can but they are hard as nails (haha!) and you wont get very far!
Initial application (here in my city in Canada) runs about $50 - monthly maintenance (you have to go in every few weeks to have the space at the bottom of the nail filled in, as the nail grows) is about $35. Your nails have a chance to grow out underneath the gel coating, and arent destroyed. The gel breathes a bit.
You can have them painted, french manicured, designs etc - its worth while to help with the habit of nail biting, and your nails will look great!
(yeah, this was a little off topic......)
hahaha, thanks for the advice! I will look into it!
have y'all heard of the next gen "dipping" nail stuff?
What?! No, I haven't. Do tell...0 -
Hi, I drink everyday as well. Stopped beers totally and if drinking gin or whiskey, I have it with water. I am controlling my food diet and I am exercising but the progress is slow because of the alcohol consumption. Don't drink alone but it doesn't help - I got too many friends who love to drink. I acknowledge its a problem and I do need to reduce it. I was hiding my diary before. From yesterday, I started sharing it with MFP friends with the hope that the embarrassment might stimulate me to reduce. Hope it works 0
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By the way, I would love to add friends who are struggling with alcohol (not those who have given it up). Do need support at times and would love to support and comfort in any way I can.0
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I hear you. While I don't drink quite that much I rarely have just one even when I plan to. My inhibitions go out the window with the first one. Plus I eat more when drinking. Not ready to let go yet though. Just have to be honest with yourself about your goals and what's important for you. Good for you for taking a hard look!1
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