How bad is alcohol..?

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cHaRlIe0411
cHaRlIe0411 Posts: 137 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I want to know if alcohol once in a week or so is bad for weight loss. Assume I go to the gym that day so that I don't go over my calorie goal. I don't starve myself to make up for the calories, either...

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  • visiri
    visiri Posts: 173 Member
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    I'm sure you'll get different opinions - but for me - calories are calories. I have a glass of wine every day. It's what I do, and I make sure I stay at/under my calorie on most days and I don't starve - I'm on 1 lb a week so I have the room to drink it.

    As long as you don't have an addiction to it - nothing wrong in my book.
  • orderofconfusion
    orderofconfusion Posts: 27
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    Personally I would say it depends on the type of alcohol you're drinking, along with taking into account any mixers you may be using. Light rum has around 60 calories per shot, and then vodka only has about 80 calories a shot for most brands but can be as low as 60 as well. Just be aware of what's in the type of alcohol you're drinking.. As far as beer and wine goes it can be a little easy to get out of hand since you usually have to drink more to get where you may want to be.
  • piccolarj
    piccolarj Posts: 488 Member
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    I've never had any bad alcohol all my alcohol has been good very good!!:drinker:
  • Taitiant
    Taitiant Posts: 65
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    I've never had any bad alcohol all my alcohol has been good very good!!:drinker:


    haha !! love it... Nicely said.. :drinker:
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    sugars= 4 calories a gram
    starches = 4 calories a gram
    protein = 4 calories a gram
    fat = 9 calories a gram
    alcohol = 7 calories a gram

    It's not as innocent as other clear liquids, but it's not so bad as to be impermissable.
  • tataliciousd89
    tataliciousd89 Posts: 465
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    Also remember that a normal shot is 1.5 oz, so since my tequila is 65 per oz, a shot for me is about 98 cals total. That one is pretty important. I find it easier to lose without alcohol, but thats just me personally. It is extra calories that I dont need and impairs my judgement.
  • MellowYellowGem
    MellowYellowGem Posts: 120 Member
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    Remember too that shot measurements differ in different countries, A UK shot is 25ml, less than the US I think.
  • victorianweaver
    victorianweaver Posts: 2 Member
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    Hey! this was my question, too when I began. Here's some 'food' for thought - I've read in multiple sources that alcohol inhibits fat burning. your body's gonna metabolize the alcohol first before the fat because it recognizes it as a toxin. if you'd like some sources on that i can do a lit look-up

    but then again my dietician didn't mention anything about it. so who knows.
  • harleygirlT
    harleygirlT Posts: 223 Member
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    Alcohol is empyt calories with no nutritional value but what's wrong with empty calories once a week LOL! Your working out and watching it every other day, go ahead and relax once a week, that's what I do....Every Friday at 5PM is Beer O'Clock for me LOL!!!!!!
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
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    IMO, at least for me, I have basically stayed away from ANYTHING "not very good for you" in terms of empty calories. I have given up a LOT. And I am ok with that. I am NOT giving up cocktail hour. Period. LOL
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
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    Unless you have medical, personal (addictions), or religious reasons, it's a non-issue in moderation. I feel food and drink are meant to be enjoyed within reason so long as you can remain in control of the food/drink and not the other way around.

    Smile and enjoy your weight loss ... so long as you're in the drivers seat and the calories aren't driving you, you're on a good road! :)
  • beckipercy
    beckipercy Posts: 160 Member
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    It all depends on whether you think it's worth it. For me, I would rather lose 2lb this week, knowing I had an awesome night last night, than lose 3 having missed out on a night out with my friends. Plus, it depends where you are going to drink. I drink in clubs, so dance for 4 hours straight, so I'm not going to feel at all guilty about those few drinks I had as it's the most exercise I get most weeks :drinker:

    Remember to ENJOY YOURSELF!!! Don't make yourself miserable, or you will lose faith and motivation.
  • amiller7x7
    amiller7x7 Posts: 202 Member
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    Beyond the direct caloric effects described by others, I find that having alcohol (wine, gin, etc) can be a gateway to other less desirable eating effects - so in my case, I try to manage the alcohol intake and expectations carefully to avoid finding myself faced with something I really like and lacking the internal focus to manage it correctly - ie I love savory chips!! Also, I find myself less tolerant of a "few drinks" now as I can feel it the next day - not hung over per se but more like loss of an edge. So again, there is nothing wrong for me (and most others I suspect) to have a drink periodically but it does take some discipline to not let it cascade and become an excuse ("rationalization"?) for me for binging. These effects greatly outweigh for me any metabolic effects of fat vs alcohol burning (which I think I recall reading that the body prefers to burn the alcohol first but I am not an expert)
  • chinamonkey
    chinamonkey Posts: 90 Member
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    Alcohol in moderation is actually good for you....

    I have just studied some nutrition and diet stuff with Open Uni and it was very interesting. On a chart of drinking habits, its showa that there was a J curve when it came to alcohol and its benefits.

    Those who drank NOTHING had a higher incidence of heart disease yet those who drank 3 drinks or more per day were the same, those who drank one class of wine per day were least at risk....

    So pop the cork and sit happy with a glass of red!
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
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    I find that having alcohol (wine, gin, etc) can be a gateway to other less desirable eating effects - so in my case, I try to manage the alcohol intake and expectations carefully to avoid finding myself faced with something I really like and lacking the internal focus to manage it correctly

    Excellent point! :)

    While I still am pretty good, I do find that the days that I have been more liberal with my caloric intake have been those times where alcohol was involved! And likewise, a couple drinks to me impacts me more now (since I limit it) so after a couple glasses of wine I think ... eh ... I'll burn it off tomorrow ;) ... However it's amazing with drinks and snacks how quickly 1000 calories will find itself on my plate!

    So while moderation is still the key, the point about it making good food choices more difficult certainly applies to me as well ...
  • kalepowered
    kalepowered Posts: 76 Member
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    Pretty much everything in moderation is fine, and that extends to weight loss. Assuming you aren't getting falling-all-over-and-vomiting drunk every night there's really no harm in a few drinks.

    For me, my evening or weekend drinks are much needed, because otherwise I'd go crazy from stress at work and I'd miss out on all the family fun (my parents have turned their basement storage room into a cram-packed bar that could rival a real bar's selection). I've cut out everything "not good" for me besides dark chocolate & alcohol and there's no way either of those are going anywhere.
  • Pole_Climber
    Pole_Climber Posts: 9
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    I've never had any bad alcohol all my alcohol has been good very good!!:drinker:

    ^^^^^^ I fully support this answer. Love it! :laugh:
  • carolynbonacci
    carolynbonacci Posts: 14 Member
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    Good question and I am by no means an expert. However, as someone who has been carefully watching their weight for several years I will say that at first I really had to cut back on my drinks but I didn't cut it out entirely. Eventually, I stopped drinking almost all together and watching everyone else go out on the weekends and relax with cocktail made me feel like TOTAL CRAP. Mentally I felt different and deprived - diet mentality NOT healthy lifestyle mentality. So enjoy the things that make you happy in life, like one or two drinks on a weekend night. As with anything else, moderation is key. Cheers!

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