Eating out/Weekends/Drinking RUIN my diet success! Help!!!
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Guess you might want to ask yourself what is more important...... drinking and partying, or losing weight. Doing both is not going to happen. You need to set your priorities. It's really up to you.... you can only help yourself.0
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I'm not your typical late 20's girl who is settled in with a husband and kids...I still love to party and go out A LOT! My typical week includes drinking Thursday to Sat night....(sometimes Wed night too). The drinking is usually followed by drunk late night eating....and this just kills all the progress I've made all week with being good.
I drink mostly Vodka and Diet Coke, but I'll have 6 or 7 drinks a night which puts me way over my calorie limit for the day....plus I usually snack after at a late night diner or what ever I have at home....
I also travel about 120 days a year for work in which I end up at a restaurant every night eating out....
It caused me to gain significant weight which is why I'm joining this site and trying to get myself back on track....
Does anyone have any tips for me? I'm sure someone is or has been in the same or similar situation....Anyone???
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!
Alaina
It's all about choices. You can choose to drink, eat late and party OR you can choose to lose weight. Your choice.
That being said, why is it all or nothing? Why can't you go out and not drink? Can you only have fun if you are completely loaded? If you aren't able to go out and limit it to a max of 1 or 2 cocktails, you may have a bigger concern than losing weight (and need more help than we are able to offer you). 6 or 7 per night is quite a bit and quite excessive (I was there once, so I'm not judging, just stating a fact).0 -
def hate to say you can't have your cake and eat it too... or however that saying goes.
you have to decide, like the other posters said, what's more important, going out and drinking 4 nights a week or being healthy?
don't start until you're honestly ready to do it, or you will get disappointed and fail.
it's not that you can't drink, you have to do it in MODERATION.
everything is about moderation. clearly binge drinking makes you eat crap food, thus packing on the weight. have 2-3 drinks even 1 night a week, and abstain the other nights.
good luck.0 -
I'd say the answer is pretty simple...KNOCK IT OFF! You can't expect to eat poorly, snack late night, and drink excessively and still lose weight! You don't have to quit doing those things altogether but 4 nights a week is just too much. Not good for your heart, liver, kidneys, etc. Sorry, to be harsh, you may not appreciate being told what to do but if you want success you just have to make big changes to your lifestyle.
It is possible to eat out or eat well when travelling by just making the right choices whenever you can. If there's a salad on the menu order it once in a while! If you're living out of a suitcase in hotel rooms (since you said you travel for work I assume this is the case) make sure to have some healthy snack options on hand and if there is a mini fridge available (most hotels have them if you ask) buy a couple of pieces of fruit and veggies to keep in there.
I hope you can find a healthy balance. Hope I did not offend
Agreed. Splurging on your cals like that should not be the norm. After you clean up your diet, I would eat my clean foods prior to going out, and nibble here and there. If you track your cals all day, you can pick and choose if you want to use your calorie balance on the bad stuff. GOOD LUCK and HTH.0 -
How badly do you want to become healthy?I'd say the answer is pretty simple...KNOCK IT OFF! You can't expect to eat poorly, snack late night, and drink excessively and still lose weight! You don't have to quit doing those things altogether but 4 nights a week is just too much. Not good for your heart, liver, kidneys, etc. Sorry, to be harsh, you may not appreciate being told what to do but if you want success you just have to make big changes to your lifestyle.
It is possible to eat out or eat well when travelling by just making the right choices whenever you can. If there's a salad on the menu order it once in a while! If you're living out of a suitcase in hotel rooms (since you said you travel for work I assume this is the case) make sure to have some healthy snack options on hand and if there is a mini fridge available (most hotels have them if you ask) buy a couple of pieces of fruit and veggies to keep in there.
I hope you can find a healthy balance. Hope I did not offend
I 100% agree.0 -
I was in a bad way with the partying and just gaining, gaining, gaining. Luckily, I just moved away from all the partying, so that part was easy to cut down! LOL But I still love to have some red wine at night, which I'm slowly cutting down to the point where I only love my red wine on Fridays and Saturdays.
But, seriously, the only way to lose the weight is to change how you do things and be realistic about what you're doing. I don't think you have to change everything at once. It could start with getting a vodka/diet coke, then only a diet coke next and keep alternating. Or it could be that you limit yourself to only going out 2 times a week instead of 4. Your wallet will thank you as well your waist line! Save up the money that would be spent those two nights out you cut out of your schedule and take a beach trip with your new body! It's crazy how padded my bank account is now that I don't go out much.
For the snacking, get the crap out of your house so you can't eat anything too bad with the late night munchies. I would usually get frustrated, drink a glass of water and go to bed if I couldn't find anything to eat.
As for traveling and eating out, I did that this weekend and I just checked calories before I ordered. It made me choose much better at the restos (including IHOP of all places) and then I only ate half anyway because my body isn't used to eating that much at one time. I still don't have the travel thing down either--always throws me off my routine. But if you're counting your calories and you're eating more, it might send you down to the gym instead of collapsing on the bed with a movie channel and a beer from the minibar!0 -
Wow!! Thanks for all the responses! Its definitely helpful! I am def going to use some of the info you all have gave!
And, yes, for all of those who said to just quit the lifestyle, I'm sure that would solve all my problems....but unfortunately, at this time in my life, I cant.
My job IS to be in bars/clubs (I guess I should of added this in the begining). I work A LOT w/3 jobs, I'm in Sales (traveling) during the day and then I promote clubs/events at night. When I'm not doing either of those, I bartend....so I'm ALWAYS in the clubs/bars getting fed drinks all night...
And believe me, I've actually cut down on drinking, I used to drink probably double what I do now....
And unfortunately, gym/workout time is limited due to my schedule (any free time I have I usually sleep...)
Again, this is a lifestyle I just cannot give up at this point in my life, the money is too good. But I guess its going to have to be something to consider if I want to live a healthier life....
Thanks again for all your responses! Greatly appreciated...0 -
Sounds like me. I go out all the time. I workout before I go out though. I'll spend an hour or so at the gym and figure out how many drinks I can have based on how many calories I burned during my workout. If you're not willing to change your drinking habits, you're going to have to start putting in extra time at the gym. Maybe consider switching to vodka water too, if you can stomach it. As far as the late night snacking...I just don't have snack foods in my house. If its not in the house its not readily accessible and I have to actively search it out. Also, after a night out, I always double my water intake the next day. Helps flush out everything. Helps w/the hangover too.
As far as travel, you're just going to have to make healthier decisions when you're out to eat. I HATE salads, but I eat them about 1/2 the time I go out to eat.
Good luck
Thank you! I am going to try this out...def sounds like we have the same problems! I know about the salads, especially when your on the road for 14 days straight, I want to throw the salad across the place lol0 -
It depends on how many changes you are willing to make and how things affect you psychologically. I'm very similar - 30 single and travel quite a bit for work (not quite as much as you though). I can (and will) tell you what worked for me, but you need to understand that I tried quite a few other options first and failed because they made me miserable.
1 - I only drink 1 day per week max. You can have a good time out with your friends without alcohol.
2 - I am an intermittent faster. Tried the 6 small meals a day thing and was always counting the mins until the next time I could eat - Basically thinking about food constantly. Now I only consume calories between 1PM - 9PM. That means I get to eat a fairly substantial dinner. If you want more info on this check out www.leangains.com or google Intermittent Fasting.
3 - When traveling I try to find a hotel that's a little more of an extended stay place with a mini kitchen (Candlewood for example) if the town I'm traveling too doesn't have one I always ask for a mini fridge. Then I go to the grocery store and by fruit and veggies and lunch meat (high in sodium but has protein). When I eat lunch at 1PM I usually just eat 400 calories of fruit and lunch meat and maybe some cheerios. Dinner I eat out but I plan ahead. I look up calorie content ahead of time, plus as you do this more you learn what meals will be under 800-1000 calories. Another restaurant option is to ask for a to-go container as soon as you get your food and put half in the box before you even start eating. Then at 8:30PM I eat another 400 calories generally very similar to the lunch - just a different kind of fruit, etc. Total calories comes out between 1600-1800.
Like I said - this is just what works for me. Hopefully some of it is helpful for you.
Thanks! I've tried the 6 meals a day as well, just doesn't work for me! I'm def going to try this out!!0 -
I go out more than anyone on this board probably. In fact I run a group called Triangle Happy Hour in the Raleigh, NC area. We go out 2-3 times a week probably and sometimes more. I've been to almost every bar & restaurant in the area, often times twice.
Best thing to do is eat before you go out. That way you are not hungry. Also, put a limit on how much drinking you do. Eat salads with a side of chicken or steak vs. the pasta.
You might ask for a Coke in a short glass instead of a large one in order to limit the calories and so others won't say, "why aren't you drinking?". A lot of drinking is peer pressure based.
Ultimately, you are responsible for what you eat and drink. Knowing before the night gets started can help.
I know! If I dont have a drink in my hand, ppl will come up with me and hand one over. Then if I say oh I'm not drinking tonight, they are like what? whats wrong? are you pregnant?
Nice huh? lol0 -
I'd say the answer is pretty simple...KNOCK IT OFF! You can't expect to eat poorly, snack late night, and drink excessively and still lose weight! You don't have to quit doing those things altogether but 4 nights a week is just too much. Not good for your heart, liver, kidneys, etc. Sorry, to be harsh, you may not appreciate being told what to do but if you want success you just have to make big changes to your lifestyle.
It is possible to eat out or eat well when travelling by just making the right choices whenever you can. If there's a salad on the menu order it once in a while! If you're living out of a suitcase in hotel rooms (since you said you travel for work I assume this is the case) make sure to have some healthy snack options on hand and if there is a mini fridge available (most hotels have them if you ask) buy a couple of pieces of fruit and veggies to keep in there.
I hope you can find a healthy balance. Hope I did not offend
I AGREE ... ! Nothing else to add ....you have to STOP!0 -
I think I pretty much agree with everyone here. Drinking three nights a week isn't hard work, or progress. And trust me, I know because I've been there. You have to make the decision to do something about your health, and that means putting it above partying. I still go out, and when I do, I'm not careful about what I eat or drink .... but, I only do that once, maybe twice a month now. In addition to getting fit and feeling better every morning (because waking up hung over five days a week is hard on the body!), I'm also saving a ton of money by not going out. You just have to find a balance and find other ways to have fun in addition to hardcore partying.0
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i know it's hard to break out of the college phase...but it seems to be taking you some time. also...i'm not going to preach my beliefs to you, since i'm in recovery here and loving sober living (4 years, 1 month and counting, folks!). but if you want to get healthy, why don't you have a glass of red wine one or twice a week and cut out all that drunk eating, etc etc. exercise more. sleep more. it all comes down to you. binge drinking and drunk eating 4 times a week screams "problem" to me. i can't label you though. only you can do that.0
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I can definitely relate.
Your life soundsl like mine just a little while ago. Back in college, at NYU, we drank Wed/Thu through Sunday and drank A LOT. It's weird I never thought I would change my lifestyle. For the past 2 years, I've been working in consulting, traveling all over mon-thu and yes a nice budget for dinner can be so enticing. I almost always had the need (not the hunger) to just spend my entire allowance even if I couldn't stomach $40 or $60 in food.
Times have changed. I don't drink as much on weekdays b/c I'm aware of calories. I usually go to Whole Foods to pick up dinner and get either salads or sashimi or a soup. Stock up on snacks that are healthy like berries and nuts to snack on during the day.
Also, to get people off yoru back. Always have a glass in your hand but NURSE IT...don't gulp in down like a fish. Just have 2-3 drinks a night and it will make a big difference. Also, this is terrible but I don't really eat dinner if I know i'm going to drink t osave calories and to make sure you can get a buzz off the 2-3 drinks instead of having 7.
Best of luck and feel free to friend me.0 -
I can definitely relate.
Your life soundsl like mine just a little while ago. Back in college, at NYU, we drank Wed/Thu through Sunday and drank A LOT. It's weird I never thought I would change my lifestyle. For the past 2 years, I've been working in consulting, traveling all over mon-thu and yes a nice budget for dinner can be so enticing. I almost always had the need (not the hunger) to just spend my entire allowance even if I couldn't stomach $40 or $60 in food.
Times have changed. I don't drink as much on weekdays b/c I'm aware of calories. I usually go to Whole Foods to pick up dinner and get either salads or sashimi or a soup. Stock up on snacks that are healthy like berries and nuts to snack on during the day.
Also, to get people off yoru back. Always have a glass in your hand but NURSE IT...don't gulp in down like a fish. Just have 2-3 drinks a night and it will make a big difference. Also, this is terrible but I don't really eat dinner if I know i'm going to drink t osave calories and to make sure you can get a buzz off the 2-3 drinks instead of having 7.
Best of luck and feel free to friend me.
It really is terrible that you don't eat dinner if you know you're going out to drink. That's kinda irresponsible.0 -
I promote clubs/events at night. When I'm not doing either of those, I bartend....so I'm ALWAYS in the clubs/bars getting fed drinks all night...
Sorry, I'm going to wave the BS flag here. You asked, I'm answering.
I've bartended and managed bars in the past and never have I worked anywhere where we were allowed to drink on the job. A drunk bartender is a liability - both physically and financially. I've also been involved in product promotion. Whatever product you are promoting - I can guarantee you aren't promoting it in the way the company envisioned if you're doing it while drinking (especially if you're drinking 6+ drinks!). Think about it. You can do a much better job AND lose weight should you choose to make the right choices.
While promoting - Just because someone hands you a drink doesn't mean you have to drink the whole thing. Take a sip and put it down. SPILL it, LOSE it, DUMP it... whatever, just don't drink it. Pretty simple.
If someone at the bar buys you a drink when you're tending, say thank you, charge him for the drink and put the cash in the tip jar (just don't let them see you do it).
You are CHOOSING to do this. So, in effect, you are CHOOSING to derail yourself. The weekends aren't ruining your diet sucess... YOU ARE.
Again, sorry... but you asked.0 -
I promote clubs/events at night. When I'm not doing either of those, I bartend....so I'm ALWAYS in the clubs/bars getting fed drinks all night...
Sorry, I'm going to wave the BS flag here. You asked, I'm answering.
I've bartended and managed bars in the past and never have I worked anywhere where we were allowed to drink on the job. A drunk bartender is a liability - both physically and financially. I've also been involved in product promotion. Whatever product you are promoting - I can guarantee you aren't promoting it in the way the company envisioned if you're doing it while drinking (especially if you're drinking 6+ drinks!). Think about it. You can do a much better job AND lose weight should you choose to make the right choices.
While promoting - Just because someone hands you a drink doesn't mean you have to drink the whole thing. Take a sip and put it down. SPILL it, LOSE it, DUMP it... whatever, just don't drink it. Pretty simple.
If someone at the bar buys you a drink when you're tending, say thank you, charge him for the drink and put the cash in the tip jar (just don't let them see you do it).
You are CHOOSING to do this. So, in effect, you are CHOOSING to derail yourself. The weekends aren't ruining your diet sucess... YOU ARE.
Again, sorry... but you asked.
I am sure it depends on what bar and atmosphere you are in. I have had countless bartenders take shots with me, drink with me ect.0 -
I promote clubs/events at night. When I'm not doing either of those, I bartend....so I'm ALWAYS in the clubs/bars getting fed drinks all night...
Sorry, I'm going to wave the BS flag here. You asked, I'm answering.
I've bartended and managed bars in the past and never have I worked anywhere where we were allowed to drink on the job. A drunk bartender is a liability - both physically and financially. I've also been involved in product promotion. Whatever product you are promoting - I can guarantee you aren't promoting it in the way the company envisioned if you're doing it while drinking (especially if you're drinking 6+ drinks!). Think about it. You can do a much better job AND lose weight should you choose to make the right choices.
While promoting - Just because someone hands you a drink doesn't mean you have to drink the whole thing. Take a sip and put it down. SPILL it, LOSE it, DUMP it... whatever, just don't drink it. Pretty simple.
If someone at the bar buys you a drink when you're tending, say thank you, charge him for the drink and put the cash in the tip jar (just don't let them see you do it).
You are CHOOSING to do this. So, in effect, you are CHOOSING to derail yourself. The weekends aren't ruining your diet sucess... YOU ARE.
Again, sorry... but you asked.
I am sure it depends on what bar and atmosphere you are in. I have had countless bartenders take shots with me, drink with me ect.
I didn't say it doesn't happen (I never allowed it, nor did any of my bosses). The point was - there's ways around it. She doesn't HAVE to drink. No one is pouring it down her throat.0 -
I promote clubs/events at night. When I'm not doing either of those, I bartend....so I'm ALWAYS in the clubs/bars getting fed drinks all night...
Sorry, I'm going to wave the BS flag here. You asked, I'm answering.
I've bartended and managed bars in the past and never have I worked anywhere where we were allowed to drink on the job. A drunk bartender is a liability - both physically and financially. I've also been involved in product promotion. Whatever product you are promoting - I can guarantee you aren't promoting it in the way the company envisioned if you're doing it while drinking (especially if you're drinking 6+ drinks!). Think about it. You can do a much better job AND lose weight should you choose to make the right choices.
While promoting - Just because someone hands you a drink doesn't mean you have to drink the whole thing. Take a sip and put it down. SPILL it, LOSE it, DUMP it... whatever, just don't drink it. Pretty simple.
If someone at the bar buys you a drink when you're tending, say thank you, charge him for the drink and put the cash in the tip jar (just don't let them see you do it).
You are CHOOSING to do this. So, in effect, you are CHOOSING to derail yourself. The weekends aren't ruining your diet sucess... YOU ARE.
Again, sorry... but you asked.
I am sure it depends on what bar and atmosphere you are in. I have had countless bartenders take shots with me, drink with me ect.
There is no job where you are REQUIRED to drink. That is an excuse. I was a bartender for many years and I worked in PR for a radio station that was sent to bars and clubs all over the city most nights of the week. We never drank at appearances because that made us a liability. If you are out promoting your employer's product and you're drunk, either you or them need to rethink your involvement in the company.
You can either examine your lifestyle and change or stay the way you are. You can't have both at this point.0 -
I agree. i used to drink 6 -7 nights a week as I worked in a bar etc, not while working but afterwards.
I now only drink twice a week if that, mainly just once a week.
And I was the typical party girl.
The only person that makes you drink is you and it is very easy to not drink it if you dont want to. but thats the key, do you really not want to or are you just saying that you dont.
Also my drinking cut down when I stopped drinking for a 6 weeks and lost 8 kilos. It made me realise just how much drinking was affecting my weight. And I definitely do not miss out on still having a very social lifestyle.0
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