Alcohol & Weight Loss
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goldiejdb
Posts: 63 Member
I am having an extremely difficult time giving up alcohol on my weight loss journey. I have cut back significantly, but some days I binge & it definitely shows on the scale. I also tend to make terrible food choices after drinking.
Anyone else had or have this issue? Any tips to overcome this? Do you include alcohol in your diet?
Anyone else had or have this issue? Any tips to overcome this? Do you include alcohol in your diet?
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Replies
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I do include alcohol but only at the most two days a month. For those social events I save my calories and I choose lower calorie drinks and only have a couple or I will make bad food choices too. Alternate you alcohol with water and if you are going to a party bring a veggie tray to ensure some low calorie snacks. If it is an event where you fear bingeing don't start. Stick to water.4
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I miss having wine, but it's just not worth the calories anymore
I save it for the occasional dinner or lunch out. 5 -
I am not a drinker but my dad fought the same battle as you. First mixed drinks usually have the most Cal's compared to low cal beer and spirits. The choices on food after getting tipsy... Well I have no help for you on that one. Impulse control and decision making skills deminish the drunker you are. Dad limited himself to weekend drinking only and really never got wasted. So the food thing wasn't a real issue for him. His issue was the bloated stomach on a skinny body.2
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I found it very difficult to cut back on booze years ago. Ended up quitting entirely. What's nice is I have lots more room to eat sweets and junky things when I like, because I'm not drinking my calories anymore.2
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I found it very difficult to cut back on booze years ago. Ended up quitting entirely. What's nice is I have lots more room to eat sweets and junky things when I like, because I'm not drinking my calories anymore.
Yea, it seems like I can't just drink in moderation. I hate to quit entirely but if that's what I have to do to stop jeopardizing my weight loss I will3 -
jasummers76 wrote: »I am not a drinker but my dad fought the same battle as you. First mixed drinks usually have the most Cal's compared to low cal beer and spirits. The choices on food after getting tipsy... Well I have no help for you on that one. Impulse control and decision making skills deminish the drunker you are. Dad limited himself to weekend drinking only and really never got wasted. So the food thing wasn't a real issue for him. His issue was the bloated stomach on a skinny body.
I wish I could just limit myself to drinking on the weekends but Taco Tuesdays & Margaritas always gets me2 -
The trick is to focus on the things you CAN have and not on the ones you can't (like sugar/alcohol).4
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I found it very difficult to cut back on booze years ago. Ended up quitting entirely. What's nice is I have lots more room to eat sweets and junky things when I like, because I'm not drinking my calories anymore.
Yea, it seems like I can't just drink in moderation. I hate to quit entirely but if that's what I have to do to stop jeopardizing my weight loss I will
Yeah. I can't speak for others, but moderation was just too difficult for me. Abstinence is far easier and much less complicated, requires very little effort after the first 6-12 months.
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I drink and budget about 2 beers a night.
Every month or so I go off the rails and go to a bar.
I painfully log everything though6 -
I have not given up on my wine. Probably makes my weight loss journey slower than it could be but I'm ok with that because I don't feel like I'm going without anything and could continue this for life. It's not a diet for me. I feel like if I cut out wine and then start up again later I'll just gain it back. I'm better off figuring out how to lose weight with it still in my life. I've lost just under a pound a week since March. I eat healthy (meal prep is the secret that has worked for me) and exercise when I can. I don't drink every day or anything but I don't worry too much about it.8
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Im a big drinker. I drink around 4 to 7 vodka and OJs per night which is alot of calories. I started gaining weight ...7 kilos in 3 months. Im 2 weeks sober at the moment and it is not easy to stop because i get alot of enjoyment out of drinking and have now for 9 years. I dont want to stop completely but i need to slow down somehow... and like you im not sure i can cut down to once a week or once a month because once i start the cycle begins followed by the poor food choices i make afterwards. Soo difficult.6
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I used to struggle with my weight loss and alcohol intake, until I started taking medication for migraines and now can't drink with my meds. If I do, I get terrible headaches. But, since I am not drinking anymore I have lost 30 lbs almost effortlessly, am not bloated from drinking and am actually finding entertainment in being the DD for everyone. I can honestly say I really don't miss alcohol at all. Eventually that may change, but for now I'm okay with it.7
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I love me some weekend drinks. But I notice it's not any help in fitness2
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Yes I also find this difficult. I have not got a sweet tooth, as in I rarely eat chocolate or sweets or even sugary drinks. I have no problem not having these in moderation however rarely have them. My challenge is savoury food as in Crisps and food takeaway dinners and dreaded beer. I love these things and at times not in moderation. I hope you achieve yours goals and your not alone in making bad food and drink choices. Good luck.2
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Alcohol is actually the 4th macro and has 7 calories per gram. You CAN drink and lose weight (I drink btw) as long as you stay in a deficit but the bigger problem is how it affects you. The liver is key in burning fat and when it is detoxing alcohol, the body prioritizes that over burning fat.
My advice would be to plan for drinks (eat less those days), keep water consumption up, choose drinks wisely (vodka and club soda instead of a sugary cocktail for example) and minimize frequency and volume as much as possible.6 -
Best advice I can give you is if you really want to see how alcohol effects your weight is to quit completely for 30 days. After 30 days with no alcohol, then look back at your weight loss over those 30 days and compare it to your weight loss over 30 days when you are drinking. You will probably see a big, big difference. With regard to margarita mondays, tequila tuesdays, wednesday ladies nights, thursday "weekend warmups", friday "happy hours", etc., there will always be a "reason" to go out and have drinks simply because restaurants and bars want to boost their sales during the work week when business is slower than on the weekends. If you can't say no to these types of events, invite your friends over once a week for "Skinny Margaritas" and prepare some low calorie snacks. "Save up" some calories throughout the week to use on Skinny Margarita night.6
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joemac1988 wrote: »My advice would be to plan for drinks (eat less those days), keep water consumption up, choose drinks wisely (vodka and club soda instead of a sugary cocktail for example) and minimize frequency and volume as much as possible.
I find I can't do this (eat less on days I drink). Losing 100 lbs has made me a real lightweight when it comes to alcohol, and I need food in my gut before I start drinking or I'm toast. So drinking nights takes a couple of days of planning or a couple days of recovery from the calorie perspective.
It doesn't help that I don't make the best food choices. I just have to limit the times I go out now.
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This is something I am trying to master right now myself! The struggle is real!!3
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Will power! I love beer and tacos but I know if I can give them up for until I reach my goal it will be worth it. I do have a few days out the month where I can have a few beers and some tacos but I dont let it get out of hand and set me back majorly.1
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I was drinking way too much, the way I got it under control was to have a schedule. Weekends only. Then I'll keep it to 3 a day. Usually one in the morning and two in the evening. And everything is measured and logged, which helps me not have a fourth. I just don't have enough calories to spare.5
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