Alcohol

I limit myself to drinking 1 day per weekend. The funny thing is that the morning after I drink my weight goes to the lowest (usually 2 pounds lower than normal) most likely from dehydration and then by the next day it is up 2 pounds more than normal and then a day or two later it evens out. Just keep in mind that the alcohol will cause fluctuations on the scale but it will even out. I try to stick to light beer or bacardi (clear rum) and diet.

You are young, have fun, just don't overdo it

Quite frankly all of the above relpies are great. What I do is have a couple of rum & diet cokes just about every night. They weigh in at about 150 Kcal, combined. If you are drinking to "party" I would suggest not drinking alcohol on the non-party days and decreasing your food intake that day. That way the punch is stronger with less to drink. Of course, I would advise drinking to a stable level of relaxation and not to the point of "Woo Hoo! I can do anything!" but I realize that I am an old fuddy-duddy whose days of hardcore partying are behind him.

A couple of things to remember: Long Pours will increase your calories as much as 50% for the drink. The post about extra diet coke for the drink is a great way to counter this, just remember to log it as 1.5 servings of liquor.
You are right, beer is pretty high cal for the amount of alcohol, especially the premium non-lite beers.
I use drinks to "justify" extra time working out (or is it the other way around?)... it is a great motivator for me. ymmv.

Guy

I just quit drinking. It's been nice.

The most I have is 2 beers every two weeks, if that many.

Moderation. Since I started losing weight, I limit my alcohol intake to 6 beers one day a week (usually Saturday nights). Saturdays are typically my cheat day as well. I will usually log it, but not care what the calorie count is. For the rest of the week, I workout 4-5 times (burning at least 300cals), keep my calories under 1400, and eat pretty cleanly. It's all about moderation and not letting one night of drinking knock you off for the rest of the week.

Imagine where you'd be if you didn't drink 6 beers a week and also have cheat days. Think about it.

I'll admit it right now...I have a few cocktails every night when I get home from work and finish my exercise. It's always vodka and club soda.

However:
I count the calories and budget for them.
and
I realize that if I didn't have the drinks, my metabolism would be better and I'd probably lose weight faster.

So, it's all about how important it is to you to include alcohol in your diet. I've gone through diehard, cleanse periods where I don't drink at all. I'm not in one of those cycles right now! But I am aware, I measure it out and I count every ounce.

Moderation, moderation, moderation...

From what I understand, when you drink alcohol there are several reasons as to why it affects your weight:

1. As people have said, if you're out partying, you probably drink more than what you think you are
2. Some alcohols are very calorific and sugary
3. When I drink, I usually crave a salty snack such as crisps, so that's extra calories and sodium to boot.
4. Your liver will work to remove toxins first and foremost before working with your body to target weight loss

In terms of how to counteract this, it's up to you and your lifestyle! Personally, unless I'm told not to, I do not envisage my life without the occasional glass of wine. So if I cut it out completely, when I've reached my target weight, I would probably start drinking again, which would mean I would put on the weight again. So I'm trying to include it in my lifestyle and accept that I won't lose weight as quickly, on days I know I'm going to have 2-3 ( or more) drinks, I'll try and work out more that day and I'll make sure I drink a lot of water during the day and the day after....I'm just working on NOT reaching for the crisps at the moment!

Driinking can cloud your judgement, perking up your appetite while causing you to relax your restraint.
Also, there are lots of articles out regarding the metabolism of alcohol and it's effect on weight loss.
I'm sure some will argue, but it is a bit more than calories in/out.
That said, I enjoy an occasional cocktail, in moderation, and always counted, and not before exercise!

I'll normally have a Mick Ultra or vodka with club soda. I usually try to limit drinks to 1 or 2

Vodka Lime and Soda is what I drink and you don't get such a bad hangover, which in turn stops you from eating a load of stodge the next day :laugh:

xxx

Vodka and seltzer....mostly between a 60-75 calorie drink depending on the vodka you use and how much.

lowest calories are vodka and coke and bacardi and coke. Stick to these and set yourself a limit. you will probably find you do not need as much as your loosing weight. If your gonna end up at the take away... chicken kebab with chilli sauce is the healthiest... know this from my party days lol. I dont really drink at all now though as i hate using the calories lol. Dont miss it. Feel the urge to have a girls night every 2-3 months and then i have some. I drink 1 water, one alcoholic drink. I still get merry, but manage to last the whole night and dont have a hangover the morning after whilst cutting calories too. even if you have 2 drinks, then a water... will really help! x

Have you tried the MGD 64 beer? It's like the diet coke of beer, and similarly it is an acquired taste. It works though!

1) alcohol is loaded with calories
2) alcohol causes the body to store fat
3) alcohol dehydrates you and interferes with sleep (these are both bad for weight loss)
4) alcohol stimulates your appetite and reduces your inhibition leading to binge eating
5) hangovers even mild ones reduce the intensity of the next day's workout or cause you to skip it all together.

I'm not saying don't drink but be aware it can really make a difference in how much weight you lose

Very good. You have been doing your homework. Yes all the above is true. But I still like a drink on occasion.

You need to keep this in mind:

Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories
Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories
(source: http://www.nutristrategy.com/nutrition/calories.htm, but also my Food Facts and Fads class from College)

It doesn't seem like you're filling yourself up when you have a few drinks, but you're taking in more calories in a night of drinking than in most meals! It is very easy to just keep drinking because it doesn't feel like you need to unbutton your pants at the end of the night.

Good luck!