Is it drinking alcohol while losing weight is bad?

2

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 26,502 Member
    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. :lol:

    This is my exact experience.

    Disclaimer: I did have 1.5 drinks on New Year's Eve.
  • chelleedub
    chelleedub Posts: 50 Member
    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.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    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.
  • danielleilsos3377
    danielleilsos3377 Posts: 16 Member
    Ferd2001 wrote: »
    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 it :)
  • MidlifeCrisisFitness
    MidlifeCrisisFitness Posts: 1,106 Member
    edited February 2020
    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.
  • oocdc2
    oocdc2 Posts: 1,361 Member
    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...
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,185 Member
    KHMcG 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.
  • MidlifeCrisisFitness
    MidlifeCrisisFitness Posts: 1,106 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    KHMcG 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.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
    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.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    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.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,340 Member
    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!
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,340 Member
    Danp 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.
  • hookandy
    hookandy Posts: 278 Member
    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.
  • RoniOman
    RoniOman Posts: 6 Member
    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.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 28,216 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Danp 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.
  • cherys
    cherys Posts: 387 Member
    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!

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