Is it drinking alcohol while losing weight is bad?
Replies
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cmriverside wrote: »I finally just stopped drinking. I was having a lot of trouble hitting my nutrition goals, getting enough protein and vegetables, staying in calories and still drinking.
When I drink I want heavy foods that day and for the next day. That is also a problem, it puts me way over calories and I just don't feel good drinking and eating that way.
This is my exact experience.
Disclaimer: I did have 1.5 drinks on New Year's Eve.4 -
Well, it's still empty calories. But, it's great that you switched to light beer; you need to make it work for your lifestyle. While daily drinking isn't great for you, that's a big change. Can you have a glass for water and a pitcher on the table as well? Maybe a bowl of nuts. This could help you cut down on the amount of beer and absorb it more slowly, as well.1
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My biggest issue with alcohol and dieting is that all of a sudden pouring myself a bowl full of cocoa puffs and then going back for seconds and then grabbing a random tortilla from the refrigerator always seems like a good idea.9
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I think it's fine as long as you drink moderately and it's within your calorie limitations. Like others said, it can affect your willpower and make it more likely to overeat. That's my experience anyway. Two glasses of wine in and I'm eating entire blocks of cheese and boxes of Poptarts.4
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chelleedub wrote: »Well, it's still empty calories. But, it's great that you switched to light beer; you need to make it work for your lifestyle. While daily drinking isn't great for you, that's a big change. Can you have a glass for water and a pitcher on the table as well? Maybe a bowl of nuts. This could help you cut down on the amount of beer and absorb it more slowly, as well.
I'm not the one who clicked "disagree", but I have to say that for me a bowl of nuts would be among the worst possible choices to put alongside alcohol. I can munch those babies mindlessly all evening, and they're soooo calorie-dense. 😬11 -
I went the opposite and have started drinking alcohol again since losing weight.
I worked out a long time ago that due to my size I had to drink copious amounts of alcohol to even get a buzz and getting "drunk" would require a visit to the bank for a small personal loan. Quite frankly I didn't drink because it wasn't worth it. If I wasn't going to get drunk anyway I may as well save money and stick to the soft drinks.
Since dropping most of the weight I went out for drinks after work a while ago and was convinced to have a couple of ciders which I did. And holy cow my tolerance for alcohol has been absolutely obliterated. 2 or 3 drinks was all it took put me in a very chipper mood LOL! That was a definite unexpected consequence of losing weight.6 -
Yes I admit I was a heavy drinker before binging in 6-8 bottle of strong beers that I discovered every bottle contains 240 cals, now that I decided to lose a weight I shift from strong to light beers that is only containing 120 cals per bottle. I could chug 3 bottles some weekends and that is 360 cals and I do fitting it in in my daily calorie deficit goal, so the question starts here is it still bad to consume moderate amount of alcohol while losing weight even it does fit in my calorie goal.
I also drank pretty heavy before trying to lose weight. Only i drank liquor. I switched to 1-2 (large lol) glasses of red wine bc its proven to help with weight loss and heart health. Its enough to mellow u but still function. I have a culinary degree and my fav class was wine and food pairing so hmu if u have any questions about it1 -
I cut out all drinking alone situations. Not that there were many. I limited beer to only with my brother in law for Christmas Easter etc.
Social drinking is now Gin and Soda almost exclusively (73 calories). Club Soda is Zero calories. Not Gin and tonic. Tonic is very high in sugar.
That said alcohol messes with digestion and your absorption of nutrients.1 -
I tend to stick to Old Fashioneds and Vodkas mixed with Skinny Syrups, which keeps calories below 80 or so.
But then, I tend to get the munchies...2 -
I cut out all drinking alone situations. Not that there were many. I limited beer to only with my brother in law for Christmas Easter etc.
Social drinking is now Gin and Soda almost exclusively. Zero calories. Not Gin and tonic. Tonic is very high in sugar.
That said alcohol messes with digestion and your absorption of nutrients.
Gin has calories. About 73 per one ounce.4 -
cmriverside wrote: »I cut out all drinking alone situations. Not that there were many. I limited beer to only with my brother in law for Christmas Easter etc.
Social drinking is now Gin and Soda almost exclusively. Zero calories. Not Gin and tonic. Tonic is very high in sugar.
That said alcohol messes with digestion and your absorption of nutrients.
Gin has calories. About 73 per one ounce.
You are correct! Thx
I should have been more specific. The Club Soda is zero.1 -
I really have developed a taste for craft beers lately. So many amazing local micro-breweries popping up around here and I love to try the different flavours. They do pack a calorie hit so its rare for me to drink more than 2. It is just pretty hard to stay within a budget and fit 600 cals of alcohol.1
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During weight loss I really cut down on drinking (calories), so now I find myself I can only have 1 drink before not feeling so great. If I stick to one lower alcohol beer or wine, I'm fine. 2, and I'm a mess...
But, I do find myself being hungry when I drink, so if I only have calories for the drink and nothing to eat with/after, I just don't have it.
I haven't had liquor since before losing - really haven't wanted it and I was really into bourbon.
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When I'm cutting, I go as dry as possible. Something has to go, and beer is a pretty good target. I've never been very good at the "just one" approach!0
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Someone hit "disagree" when I posted that I, personally, found it impossible to meet my body's nutritional requirements drinking regularly. I just wanted to expand that if your calorie limit for modest deficit is ~1400 (set by MFP for .5 #/week) as mine is, then getting essential nutrition via food just about takes up all those calories. So individuals are going to vary a lot5
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Since dropping most of the weight I went out for drinks after work a while ago and was convinced to have a couple of ciders which I did. And holy cow my tolerance for alcohol has been absolutely obliterated. 2 or 3 drinks was all it took put me in a very chipper mood LOL! That was a definite unexpected consequence of losing weight.
I have found that it's more a function of infrequent drinking. You really feel it. If you have a drink every day, you won't feel it at all.1 -
I enjoy a drink, gin and tonic, beer or a glass of wine. Just as I like chocolate and cake. You just have to shuffle and make room and enjoy them when you do indulge. I can not make any food/drink taboo, or I will crave, but I can reduce and make sensible choices.2
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You sound very much like me when I first decided to make some life style changes. I like wine. I REALLY like wine. Once upon a time, I drank it every night, usually 2-3 bottles - sometimes even more. I drank so much I wondered if I had a drinking problem. When I decided I needed to lose weight, alcohol was the first item to go. I didn't drink at all during dieting. Now, though, I do occasionally indulge, but I set very specific rules for myself. I do not drink on work nights. I drink spritzers now instead of straight wine. I choose FitVine instead of higher calorie/carb choices. And, a rule that I think makes the biggest difference, my alcohol intake must fit within my macros AFTER eating a healthy intake for the day. (as in no skipping a meal to save on macros). So, that said, if you really enjoy your beers; I recommend you find the lowest calorie/carb version and make sure your intake meets your macros. Also, I encourage you to find a substitute beverage on non-drinking days. I found that water gets really boring. I've learned to infuse, drink tea, and actually discovered i really like flavored club soda. I hope you will share what solutions/ideas work for you because I bet there are a lot of people who struggle with alcohol and how it fits into a diet.3
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Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »Since dropping most of the weight I went out for drinks after work a while ago and was convinced to have a couple of ciders which I did. And holy cow my tolerance for alcohol has been absolutely obliterated. 2 or 3 drinks was all it took put me in a very chipper mood LOL! That was a definite unexpected consequence of losing weight.
I have found that it's more a function of infrequent drinking. You really feel it. If you have a drink every day, you won't feel it at all.
FWIW, while agreeing that different people will have different experiences, I'm in Dan's camp.
Smaller me is able to consume less alcohol, in order to stay safe and functional. I go through phases now, in maintenance, but I drink alcohol fairly regularly: Couple of times a week I stop in at my local brewpub, and have a craft beer (IPA, not "light" beer) most weeks; occasionally, I'll have a drink almost every night, if there are lots of social dinners going on or something. Either way, being smaller means alcohol hits me harder.
I don't know how big Dan is, or you. I suspect you're both bigger than me, because I'm really not all that big (5'5", 130s pounds), and I'm kind of old besides (64). Small me can't absorb as much alcohol and function safely, compared to obese me (almost 1/3 more body weight then).
I'm sure frequency has an impact. But so does size.3 -
If you like the taste of beer, but don't want to waste calories on it, try some alcohol-free beers. They are lower calories (about 70-120 cals per bottle) and a couple of them taste so close to the real thing that if you don't drink often you won't notice the difference. Lovely to wake up with a clear head, too!1
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