Alcohol....

I know where you're coming from because I've been struggling with this question myself. BUT as an alternative to diet soda and vodka, you can try a splash of gin or vodka mixed with water and ice and use crystal light water flavour packs to taste. It is delicious and because you're drinking water with every shot it greatly reduces the chance of waking up with a hangover. Hope you have a fun night

I started here in Jan 11 and never counted my alcohol calories. I would have drank alot at the weekend. I haven't had a drink since September and it has really helped me. Whenever i drank i would feel ill for days after and ate alot of crap basically and exercise went out the window so it really disruped my weight loss. I don't even miss it anymore. Went out 5 nights over Xmas and new year and it didn't bother me. Although i did have a sip of champagne at 12 on New year's eve. Try to exercise more on the days you drink to give you some wiggle room for calories.

Always log everything, even if it takes you over your allowance. If I know I'm going out I plan in advance what I can have (2 small glasses of white wine usually) and then stick to it. After that I move on to drinking fizzy water. That makes it sound so easy - which we all know it isn't!

Maybe try the new lower carb beers with lower calories like the Michalob (sorry for spelling dont drink it myself) Ulras and I pretty sure bud makes a ultra also with alot lower calories. They also make the margarita lite mixes now, I saw them at walmart, might not be able to get these things in clubs but when just drinking at home or a friends house you could!!!!

To be honest, I really lowered the alcohol intake in November and December, and this month so far I haven't had any and my weight is dropping steadily. I DO believe alcohol has a place in a healthy, moderate diet but you need to decide how important drinking socially is to you. To me, it became less important than feeling good about how my body looks and can function, so I'm trying to plan specific, important fun times where I will be drinking but not do it every weekend like I used to.

But to answer your question, I would try to work out a little extra, hydrate A TON, and try to incorporate your alcohol calories into the days total calories. That plan is possible, but it gets hard to stick to if you're out having fun, so I guess I could also say have today be a lenient day and hop back on track tomorrow.

Have fun and best wishes!

Also, vodka water with a couple limes helps keep you hydrated while drinking!

You have to log your alcohol calories. My question is why do you have to drink alcohol? I have tried to figure this out in my own life and, when it come down to it, I can't justify the extra calories. I would rather eat something than use it on some not nutritious liquid that (I believe) keeps me from getting to my ultimate goal. My goal is more important. You can substitute many other drinks for alcohol. The hard part is being around people who are drinking

i think voli vodka is my favorite alcohol to drink since it's low calorie and has so many different flavors! check out their website for cocktail ideas and nutrition info. www.volispirits.com. i've seen it at sam's club and fergie owns it now!! great for saving those calories on the weekends

So being a student, this is the hardest part of losing weight. Just wondering what everyone else does, do you count the calories from your drink as extra, or do you factor them into your day and eat a lot less if you know your going out? Its a friends birthday today so i have included the drinks im going to have, but this means i have hardly any calories left to eat.

That's life.

We must decide what's important.
If the fleeting pleasures of drinking and eating are more of a priority than your fitness goals, then so be it.
Alcohol is nothing but empty calories.

Try this.
Drink soda with lime. Nobody will notice, and just relax, have fun and don't drink.
Dance and log that in as exercise.

You'd be surprised at how much fun a person can have going and not drinking. You could volunteer to be the designated driver - whatever.

Again, it boils down to how bad you really want to reach your goals.

I agree with this man. He's awesome!!

I love alcohol, and I have to say I'm probably at my best after a few glasses of wine too - I'm a loving, warm , affectionate drunk. I'm the sort of drunk who sings love songs to foxes and dances down the street with joy.

I'm never going to give it up completely, I enjoy it too much. What I'm doing, and still losing weight, is to make sure my drinking day is my weekly cheat day and/or bank the calories from the rest of the week for that nights drinking. Plan ahead, if you know you are going out Friday night, eat 100 calories less each day the rest of the week. DON'T deprive yourself of food that night - that way lies disaster...

I like her idea too!

Friends of mine will know that's exactly what I do! I'll go out get a take away and then do whatever I want, make up for it the other 6 days!

Sorry i have not comment I saw the topic and was looking for free samples

Clear spirits and diet mixers (vodka, malibu etc.), get a good gym sesh in before you go out, and get up and dance as much as possible to burn some calories off! I once had to go 6 months without drinking while I was a student because of medication I was on and I honestly had some amazing nights out sober, so you can limit the amount of drinks you have and still have a good night.

So being a student, this is the hardest part of losing weight. Just wondering what everyone else does, do you count the calories from your drink as extra, or do you factor them into your day and eat a lot less if you know your going out? Its a friends birthday today so i have included the drinks im going to have, but this means i have hardly any calories left to eat.

Okay I remember being a student and to tell the truth after a certain number of drinks, there's no way I could accurately recall how many I had.
Drink a lot of fluid before you drink, that way you don't drink too much to begin with. Second, do you really have to drink or do you do it because you want to fit in?
Personally I've quit drinking because I realized that I was doing it to fit in with everyone. Now I'm usually the DD anytime there are friends that go out and drink. I still have loads of fun because I know I don't have to drink to enjoy myself. I just laugh at all the drunks around me.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I also have this problem because when I drink I often find myself in the pizza place afterwards. I started by not eating a lot on the day that I would be drinking but this didn't turn out well because I got drunk too quickly as I didn't have a good meal in me. I tend to limit the nights out now and try and reduce my calorie intake a bit on the day and just go over a little, either that or do an extra workout in the morning and use my exercise calories for alcohol, lol.

Research shows that heavy daily drinkers do not get fat from all the booze they drink, so what you need to do is become a serious alcoholic. I had a friend in college who was a Zima alcoholic and she had the figure of a gymnast. And that was on Zima! Of course, she eventually found that alcohol could no longer control her schitzophrenia so she had to check into a mental institution and got all bloated from the lithium. However, she got through college looking totally hot and graduated with a high GPA.