Quit alcohol = losing weight

OK, I'm truly happy that you've found good results, but: You didn't accurately count the alcohol, but consuming alcohol will prevent people losing weight, even if they count it accurately?

I don't think so. I drank alcohol while losing (not to the exclusion of good nutrition), counted it, and lost just as expected.

I think not counting accurately (alcohol or anything else) is a bigger issue for weight loss than alcohol per se. Clearly, drinking alcohol immoderately is bad for us in other respects, so we should avoid that. And people who can't moderate alcohol would be smart to give it up entirely.

Congratulations on finding a route that's working so well for you: It should be a step forward in many ways. Best wishes!

flippy1234 wrote: »

I have posted that I quit drinking. Today is 10 days to be exact since I have had any kind of alcohol. I have already lost several lbs. I drank a lot. Wine mostly. I tried to count it in my daily calories but gave up because I was always going over even though it did not seem like a ate a lot. Alcohol has lots of empty calories. Now I can barely reach my calorie limit for the day. I am under every day. As a result, I am lighter and have much more energy. My stomach has slimmed down quite a bit. Pants are all loose. So, If anyone says alcohol does not add lbs even if you count it....it does. It's bad, it's poison and it is a drug.

If you don't go over you can have alcohol and still lose weight. If you count it but are always going over then you won't. You said in your post that you were always going over. You are right that alcohol can be a lot of empty calories and you may not get to eat as much if you drink a lot. But it is still possible to drink occasionally and lose weight. If one logs their alcohol consumption and doesn't go over their calorie goal they can still lose weight.

For heavy drinkers trying to quit, a lot of people I've known got a craving for sugary treats when they stopped: for about a year after I quit, I'd eat maybe a pint of ice cream every day. That was 25 years ago, and the cravings do go away after a while. The cravings I suspect are the result of the body's metabolism being screwed up by years of drinking, but it's something to watch out for if you're trying to lose weight and quit drinking at the same time. Probably doesn't apply to the one glass of wine with dinner crowd, however.

Congratulations on your success so far. However, I would encourage you not to project your situation (didn't log accurately when drinking, went over calorie goal) on to everyone who is consuming alcohol. It is possible for some people to accurately log their alcohol, meet their calorie goal, and have success.

For people who have trouble managing their drinking, it's absolutely bad *for them*. This doesn't mean that it's bad for everyone.

no one said it doesnt add weight if you count it. anything can cause you to gain weight if you go over your calories. The thing is with alcohol your body tries to process it first before anything else. as for gaining weight. my mom is an alcoholic and drinks beer. she eats maybe one meal a day and you are lucky if she is 70 lbs soaking wet now.she lost a lot of weight,of course Im sure it has a lot to do with her alcoholism.

I noticed that when I quit alcohol totally....my body changed. I may have counted it to still attain a deficit and lose weight but quitting changed my waistline and that puffy look!
Now I use those calories for healthy stuff!

Congrats on being sober for 10 days!! Coming from a family full of alcoholics, you are correct that it does contribute to weight gain. It is nice to hear that you are free from alcohol AND you are losing some weight while you are at it!

I think alcohol is a little like shellfish. Some love it, some hate it, some abstain for religious reasons, and some die from anaphylactic shock. For some reason, folks aren't as compelled to proselytize their shellfish position though.

lili200 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

OK, I'm truly happy that you've found good results, but: You didn't accurately count the alcohol, but consuming alcohol will prevent people losing weight, even if they count it accurately?

I don't think so. I drank alcohol while losing (not to the exclusion of good nutrition), counted it, and lost just as expected.

I think not counting accurately (alcohol or anything else) is a bigger issue for weight loss than alcohol per se. Clearly, drinking alcohol immoderately is bad for us in other respects, so we should avoid that. And people who can't moderate alcohol would be smart to give it up entirely.

Congratulations on finding a route that's working so well for you: It should be a step forward in many ways. Best wishes!

When I drink I have less control over stuff I eat.

People who find this to be true have good reason to keep it in mind (and limit their drinking if they can't find a way to address it). But this doesn't mean that alcohol will prevent *everyone* from losing weight. It's a particular issue for people who can't control what they eat when they drink. It's a particular type of over-eating.

Some people find it harder to control what they eat when they're in a social situation like a party. Does this mean that nobody can socialize while they're losing weight? Absolutely not. It means it's a particular issue for this group of people to address. Nobody else has to curb their socializing because it's an issue for others.