giving up alcohol?

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missxlaur
missxlaur Posts: 286
in Food and Nutrition
hi everyone,

i'm thinking very seriously about giving up drinking until i reach my goal weight. have any of you done this? did it help you ultimately achieve your goal more quickly? do you have any tips for how to stay strong? i'm really looking for some advice here.

thanks!

lauren
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Replies

  • frenchielover
    frenchielover Posts: 44
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    If its what you want to do...go for it. Perhaps while others are drinking you could make a "mock-tail" with something fizzy and a lime, but no actual alcohol? However....don't kill yourself if you can't stick with it. There are actually a lot of health benefits to having 5 oz. of wine with dinner, etc, or having a beer after a great workout. Everything in moderation girl, otherwise, you will freak out, and go off the deep end!

    I couldn't imagine NOT drinking. I did cut back....a little. However, still managed to lose pounds and enjoying drinks and dessert, and all that fun stuff.

    Good luck!
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
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    I was a heavy drinker. Everyday. I gave it up except for one day a week. I only had 1200 calories per day and if I drank I could barely eat anything and I was hungry!
  • Dtrmnd86
    Dtrmnd86 Posts: 406 Member
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    If you think you need to, go for it. And depending on how much you drink, quitting can help a lot with weight loss. I haven't stopped drinking, but I've cut how much I drink in half. And I like to make sure to get a nice workout the morning before I know I'll be drinking. Although I've been slacking on that lately. Good luck with whatever you decide :)
  • spyro88
    spyro88 Posts: 472 Member
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    I haven't done it myself but I think it's a great idea, as there can be tons of calories in alcoholic drinks.

    I don't tend to drink much alcohol anyway unless it's a special occasion so it didn't really occur to me to give it up. It would be like me giving up strawberry gateau... something I hardly ever have.

    Good luck with your decision. If you drink a lot it will be hard but worth it :)
  • baygirl75
    baygirl75 Posts: 5
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    Give it up. Me and my girlfriend went on the same diet and exercise program for 3 mths. She gave up drinking and lost 25lbs. I continued to drink simply because I entertain non-stop and I only lost 7lbs:(....let's just say that I quit drinking after that. Good luck!
  • LivLovLrn
    LivLovLrn Posts: 580 Member
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    also consider that if you are only giving it up to lose weight, you may gain that weight back when you start drinking again. So only give it up to a level you are willing to give up forever, unless you want to keep gaining and losing weight
  • Sweet_Pandora
    Sweet_Pandora Posts: 459 Member
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    Earlier this year I gave up alcohol for over 100 days and for myself it did not help my weight loss.

    I now enjoy wine with dinner on the weekends. It's my indulgence.

    Best of luck, everyone is different.

    K
  • 3ball
    3ball Posts: 338
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    I haven't had a drink in about 6 months. Even before that though, I didn't drink a lot. All I drank before was Newcastle or Guinness beer, and only 2-3 at that. I don't miss it at all, and the extra calories saved are nice.
  • u04kmm5
    u04kmm5 Posts: 46 Member
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    I wasn't exactly thinking about giving it up till I reach my target, but I would like to!
    I get the feeling though that I won't be able to cut it out completely and retain some kind of social life!
    Let me know how you get on.
    I am running a 5k in 3 weeks, so perhaps I could try giving up till after that?
  • Sarahmt29
    Sarahmt29 Posts: 5
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    I haven't given up alcohol while trying to lose weight and I am still losing weight. I just drink smarter and record all of my calories. On of my MFP friends has chocolate every day, I have a cocktail :) So for me, I don't see the difference in choosing food calories over alcohol calories as long as you count them. It's just a choice. I find living my life while trying to lose weight as close to "normal" as possible makes more sense than giving up things I will want after I reach my goal. That's the beauty of MFP : ) Good luck!
  • nataliebeth08
    nataliebeth08 Posts: 12
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    I think it's a good idea, for three months I didn't see any weight changes because I was drinking on the weekends. Now that I quit drinking the weight is finally coming off. It helps me be more consistent with my workouts and contributes to a healthier life style all around. I now wake up Saturday morning and go for a bike ride instead of sleeping in and eating bad foods. I think it just depends on how much you drink. Sticking to the rule of no liquid calories except an ocasional cup of coffee with cream has helped me.
  • missxlaur
    missxlaur Posts: 286
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    thanks everyone! i really appreciate all of your input
  • Elle_Jamaicangirl81
    Elle_Jamaicangirl81 Posts: 418 Member
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    i only drink once in a while now... so i havent given it up completely, but seriously cut it back
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    Blasphemy!

    No seriously, if you think it'll help, it certainly couldn't hurt to try. Track your progress while you're "abstaining," and see what happens. People have still been successful at weight loss without cutting out alcohol. But others needed to cut it out. It all depends on you and your body.
  • La_Amazona
    La_Amazona Posts: 4,855 Member
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    I did, sorta. I was getting really big on wine when I first started. I told myself that during my p90x time, I'd not drink. I'm still not at goal weight but did finish my p90x. I still haven't had a drink. I have self control (haha) but I like to drink and when I drink I can make dumb food choices. I'm not sure if it made a difference (I'm sure it did) because I wasn't counting the calories when I was drinking.

    I do plan to drink for the very first time this coming up weekend. My mouth literally waters when I think of some wine. How I've missed it!
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    I cut back on my drinking - a lot. .. and I'm seeing reasonable results. I won't 'give up' anything, because I know for me it makes me resentful and crave things and I end up binging. So, you gotta find what works best for you. Cutting back on drinking will help in your weight loss efforts, and giving it up could help if you are able to stick with it.
  • VidaSana
    VidaSana Posts: 19 Member
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    Put it this way, when I was in University I was 145 pounds. When I returned back home and stopped drinking (only 1 glass every couple of weeks, if that) I withered down to my current weight of 126 pounds. My colleague has also recently stopped drinking and looks more phenomenal than she ever has. (Of coarse, quitting drinking wasn't the only cause for lost weight- I also exercise regularly) but it made a huge, huge difference. You will just feel better overall too =) It was the best thing I ever did and I'd say give it a go until you reach your goal weight which makes you feel your best.

    Good luck!!

    Jenny
  • uniquesoul73
    uniquesoul73 Posts: 151 Member
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    I think its a personal decision...for me, I have not given it up, but I have cut back significantly and it has helped with the weight loss.
  • sinclare
    sinclare Posts: 369 Member
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    I had a 3 lb loss lst week after being at the same weight all summer; all I did differently was to drink less.

    I would love to quit for awhile ( even a week ) but can't seem to get there. Maybe we should start a challenge group?
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    I was drinking way too much wine in June this year for a not-so-great reason - to relax and relieve stress. I stopped on July 1st and haven't had any since then, even though I just intended to take a break for a few weeks. It's hard for me to start again because I feel fantastic, have so much more energy and look so much better than when I was drinking. I didn't expect it but it really made a difference in my skin - color and texture are so even, smooth and brighter. Somehow my features are slightly more defined, I'm guessing the alcohol caused some puffiness i'd never noticed. I lost my appetite for approximately 6 weeks along with 7 pounds, it worried me because I didn't want to lose weight. I also craved sugar about every 4/5 hours in the beginning.

    If you'd like, take a look at my food diary. It's open. :smile: I had a hard time getting above 700/800 calories most days in July due to the appetite loss - except for the first 2 days after quitting. I couldn't stop eating. :wink:
    Good Luck which ever way you go! :flowerforyou:


    sinclare - a challenge group is a great idea!

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