Drinking beer, weekends only.....good? Not good?

Hi,

So i haven't been losing much weight, well, actually i haven't lost any weight in a long time. But i'm trying to figure out what the causes could be. I'm wondering what everyone's thoughts are on this:

First, I love beer, I was brought up in a family that LOVES to have a good time, then I worked in a Brewery in college....lets just say beer and I are best friends.

Well, about 6 months ago, I made a pact with my fiance that we would not drink anything during the week (mon. thru thurs.). And save our drinking for the weekend. Thinking that that was one of the main reasons that i wasn't losing anything, and i know it would be healthier not to drink so much. I've been doing good about this, only drinking on Fri., Sat. and sometimes Sun. I don't go too over board, usually my fiance and I buy a 30 pack (Bud Light) to share for the weekend, and usually there are some left over come Mon.

So, do you all think I need to cut back some more?? I know this sounds terrible, but I LIVE for Fri. nights when I can have a nice cold one, so I dont' think I can totally give up beer, but should I just stick to one night a weekend? (FYI, I just started working out on the weekends, on top of working out during the week, and even adding the extra exercise, I still haven't lost anything.)

Could drinking on the weekends be one of my problems of not losing weight????

Thanks for your time and replies!
Laura

I am not a beer drinker but it sounds like this may be the cause..what is the sodium content on beer? perhaps limit yourself to one beer per week...and see how it goes

Are you drinking the lite stuff? Even so, that sounds like a lot of beer. The only way to know is to cut it back again and see if the scale starts to slide down again. If it does, you'll have your culprit!

I'm right there with ya. I thoroughly enjoy my weekend social events! However, in the last 2 months I've switched up my drinking a bit. Like, I replaced Bud Light with Mich Ultra or else I'll do a whole night of only diet Sprite w/ a flavored Vodka. And I actually keep track of how many I'm drinking now, which is a new concept for me. You said you bought Bud Light...switch to Ultra, really. Every little bit can help. Don't fall victim to beer munchies either. And if you do, take it in moderation rather than gorging. We tend to throw out all inhibitions when we're drunk - so try to keep control of what you're snacking on. Most of all, drink a TON of water :drinker: the days afterward, as well as that following week. I'm always 5+ lbs heavier that following Monday due to water retention (the sodium in BEER)! Come Thursday my weight is back to normal, but only with a TON of waters all week. Hope this helps. Good luck. I beer as well!


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Laura,

While there are most likely a number of factors involved here, I can tell you that there have been two periods of time in my life when I have dropped significant pounds (25 or more) and in both cases, I stopped drinking beer completely. Depending on your goals, you may want to attempt to eliminate beer for a period of time until you reach a target weight and then reintroduce it, on a limited basis. Once you go back to it, I would try to stick to one night per weekend and alternate one beer with one equal portion of water. This should help fill you up and decrease the urge to drink more, hopefully.

Good Luck

Laura,

While there are most likely a number of factors involved here, I can tell you that there have been two periods of time in my life when I have dropped significant pounds (25 or more) and in both cases, I stopped drinking beer completely. Depending on your goals, you may want to attempt to eliminate beer for a period of time until you reach a target weight and then reintroduce it, on a limited basis. Once you go back to it, I would try to stick to one night per weekend and alternate one beer with one equal portion of water. This should help fill you up and decrease the urge to drink more, hopefully.

Good Luck

I almost cried. So so sad. :sad: :brokenheart:

I too love beer! But there are 96 calories in Miller Lite. So I really have to limit myslef on the days that I plan to drink. Last weekend. We went out and I think I had 3-4 beers, but I cut way back on my calories for eating and I exercised so that I could have the extra calories for the beer on Saturday night. And yes drink lots of water the next few days afterwards. But you have to account for the calories in beer and the sodium content. It's all about calories intake and calorie burn anyway you look at it.

Good Luck and Happy drinking. :drinker:

K, first off that's a LOT of beer. Really easy to undo your entire week by having those 10-15 beers in one weekend, especially when you do it often. I'd say limit yourself to one or 2 if you can, and if you can't, then nix it altogether. I've all but given up alcohol since joining here. It's a whole lot of empty calories, truly. Saving up calories so you can enjoy a drink or 2 is fine once in awhile but to save up THAT many calories, you'd be servely resticting your diet, which is a big no no, especially since we all know alcohol is handled better by a full tummy. :flowerforyou: best of luck.

ditto to kerri that is a LOT of beer. I save cals for alcohol too sometimes, but that is a LOT. I think it definitely will be hampering your goals.

maybe you two can share a six pack instead of a THIRTY pack.

K, first off that's a LOT of beer. Really easy to undo your entire week by having those 10-15 beers in one weekend, especially when you do it often. I'd say limit yourself to one or 2 if you can, and if you can't, then nix it altogether. I've all but given up alcohol since joining here. It's a whole lot of empty calories, truly. Saving up calories so you can enjoy a drink or 2 is fine once in awhile but to save up THAT many calories, you'd be servely resticting your diet, which is a big no no, especially since we all know alcohol is handled better by a full tummy. :flowerforyou: best of luck.

Aren't you just so good to be able to give up beer like that. I can't and don't want to. So I will watch what I eat and exercise hard to be able to.
Pam

I don't agree with some of the posts telling you that you HAVE to give up beer or drinking. I love a good beer once in a while, and if your not going to enjoy life while dieting then it's just not worth it. Just log your calories and fit in what you can fit in, also lite beers are best (but I never drink lite beer :blushing: ) I go a bit over on the weekends with drinks sometimes, but I make up for it throughout the week with diet and exercise. I love a good beer, mmhmm

I would say unfortunately yes, it is the beer. I have had this problem myself... I've found that alcohol really inhibits my weight loss. To me my weight loss and my health have become more important to me than drinking, but I understand the struggle. I sometimes have a glass of Jack and diet coke with my boyfriend in the evening, or a glass of wine, or a beer... but usually that's about all I can have because otherwise I go over my amount of calories. And I've come to realize that I usually don't want just *one* beer, or one liquor drink, I only like it if I can get tipsy. So what's the point... except that I do like one or maybe two glasses of wine when I take a bubble bath or relax with a friend.

A regular beer has about 150 calories I think. And really they are empty calories... think of how far you could stretch them... a chicken leg, a salad with tuna, a piece of toast with a little cheese... and get other good nutrients and protein etc. For me it has become a matter of priorities and choices. I make sure to count every calorie I drink, and if it's going to put me over for my calories that day, I just don't drink it, period. If I know I'm going out, I'll run extra that day or try to eat a little less (which is hard, because my calorie intake is pretty strict compared to what I'm used to). But honestly, if I want to have two beers, that's 300 calories... I have to run 3 miles ON TOP OF the normal exercise I usually do (about 400 - 500 calories) so that I can eat about 1600 calories instead of my net goal of 1200. I think to myself, are those two beers really worth it? If so, I run, hard! :laugh: If not, I forego the beer, and honestly, I feel healthier and better without it. And that (as well as other lifestyle choices like cake, etc.) has been the only way I've found to lose weight and keep it off.

I would say that if you drink 15 beers over the weekend, there is definitely room for some cutting... that's about 1500 calories... about half a pound right there! Even if you drink light beer, imagine how many calories you'd save out of your week if you only drank, say, half of that. I'd try cutting down a bit to see what results you get. And really I think you will feel better and realize that that alcohol has other effects, like bloating, increasing your appetite, and as someone mentioned, calories in alcohol really mess with your bodies' ability to naturally process the calories you get from food. So I'd say give it a try and good luck. Then again this is only my opinion and what's worked for me, so I don't want to sound like I'm all anti-beer for everyone.

Aren't you just so good to be able to give up beer like that. I can't and don't want to. So I will watch what I eat and exercise hard to be able to.
Pam

That wasn't the point that I got out of her post, like she's so good she gave up beer and so should the OP. I think the point was that acheiving something we really want takes disclipline and will power and sacrifice. Kerry said that there's a lot of calories in the amount of beer that OP drinks and that she'd have to sacrifice on the nutrition side in order to fit them all in without gaining weight. So really there is no choice but to cut back if she wants to lose weight. It doesn't mean she can't relax and have an occaisonal beer or that everyone who advised her to cut back is so "good." If you watch what you eat to be able to drink beer... that's good too. It just depends on how much beer because if 500 of your calories come from beer in one day, times three days (I am estimating 15 beers from Fri - Sun, 3 beers for each of those days, from OP's post), then that means that even if you watch what you eat to be able to afford those 500 calories, then 500 of your calories for three days each are *not* coming from nutritional sources... they are just empty calories.

So anyway I don't understand your sarcasm but I think that was the point of kerry's post and it is the point of my post. I was just answering OP's question of whether she should cut back on all the weekend beer if she wants to lose weight... my answer is, I think she would *have* to if she wants to lose weight the right way; the numbers just don't make anything else possible.

I guess a further question I would have for OP is, instead of spreading out your beer over the week, do you and your boyfriend now just drink about the same amount of beer on the weekend? If so, you aren't really saving any calories from before. If not, good for you for cutting down, and maybe just try to cut down some more to save yourself more empty calories. Again, good luck.

ya I wasn't sure if the poster meant that in a sarcastic way or not. Of course we all have our vices. For some it's beer, for me it's sweets. I could never give up sweets (nor do I want to) but many do and that's their choice. I never said the original poster MUST give up drinking to lose, just that that is the route I took. I did suggest she cut back if weight loss is important to her. For many it's easier to quit completely than to allow yourself just one drink. That's all I said... so... if you were trying to be sarcastic then I don't really get where it came from. And if you weren't then ignore this post. tone is really hard to decipher in text :laugh: :flowerforyou:

Hi,

So i haven't been losing much weight, well, actually i haven't lost any weight in a long time.

, usually my fiance and I buy a 30 pack (Bud Light) to share for the weekend, and usually there are some left over come Mon.

So, do you all think I need to cut back some more?? I know this sounds terrible, but I LIVE for Fri. nights when I can have a nice cold one, so I dont' think I can totally give up beer, but should I just stick to one night a weekend? (FYI, I just started working out on the weekends, on top of working out during the week, and even adding the extra exercise, I still haven't lost anything.)

Could drinking on the weekends be one of my problems of not losing weight????

Thanks for your time and replies!
Laura

uuhmmmmm....it is really simple....are you including those ..what 15 beers x 150 cals each...uuhmmmm....are you including all those calories? beer is empty cals by the way....this is really a no brainer...come on....you tell me the answer...do you want to lose weight or drink beer? your choice