need encouragement to cut down the alcohol

When I first started doing the "different lifestyle/dieting" thing, I avoided situations that would put me in an uncomfortable situation where I would have to choose whether to be good and stay on target or whether I would cheat and eat whatever I want... Now that I've been at this for a while, I'm able to be in those situations and be able to control my cravings. If you are serious about wanting to cut it back while you get healthy you might want to consider that... find a different setting to hang out with your friends in that doesn't involve alcohol. But thats just my opinion. :-)

I shared this information in another post. I used to listen to Jillian Michaels' radio show, and she had mentioned that two alcoholic drinks affects your fat burning ability by 73%. I didn't know the reasons or any more info than that, but it was enough to stop me from drinking when I go out. On a rare occasion I'll have a margarita on the rocks, or a Guinness. I do the DD thing, too, because I know I'll get myself in trouble if I don't. I was a daily drinker in my 20s, and that's where a great deal of my weight came from. Anyway, this was posted by someone else, explaining the 73% deal, plus more.

"Well, according to research carried in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition, alcohol puts the brakes on fat
metabolism (your body’s ability to burn fat as energy) in
more ways than one. In the study, eight people were given
two vodka drinks separated by 30 minutes.

Fat metabolism was checked both before and after each drink.
It turns out that even hours after drinking both drinks, fat
metabolism dropped by an incredible 73%. What is happening?

When you drink alcohol, your liver converts it into a
substance called acetate. (The acetate levels in the
subject’s bodies were 2.5 times higher than normal). And it
is the acetates in your body that make losing blubber almost
impossible.

Your body prefers burning acetate to all other sources of
fuel (fat being one of them), and basically shuts down its
normal process of burning off any other source of energy.

In other research, alcohol has been shown to increase
appetite. When you combine alcohol with meals, studies have
shown you tend to eat more. And since the alcohol is going
to serve as your body’s primary source of fuel, all the
calories go directly to your waistline.

And finally, alcohol increases your cortisol levels and
decreases your testosterone levels for about 24 hours after
you imbibe. And this definitely is not good for trimming
down or adding muscle!"

I have the SAME EXACT issue! I play in a band, and we get tons of gigs in bars. There is no end in sight. As soon as I walk into the club, everyone around me is drinking. There are advertisements for alcohol everywhere, and some people even shower the band with free drinks!

I always feel like I look "weird" when I am the only one not drinking. My biggest concern is probably the calories. I try to do lots of dancing to help burn calories. I also try to be really good during the week. I work out on the weekends, too.

I am still not quite sure what the right beverage is... I think if I drink something more filling like a huge draft Michelob Ultra or something, I am getting the filling feeling and slight buzz but less calories and carbs than if I were to have a heavier beer, hard liquor, or wine. Plus, it's cheaper.

raxmox, thank you! That is very informative.

I'm glad I came across this topic today because I just joined this site last week and this past weekend was the first weekend of "keeping track." I knew I went overboard on Saturdays (called it my cheat day) but until I decided to be honest with myself and log EVERY single thing I put in my mouth.............I had no idea that I was actually consuming over twice the amount of calories! I won't even get into the fat/carb breakdown. YIKES!

when I weighed myself on Friday I was back at my normal weight after gaining a few pounds on vacation. By the time Monday rolled around I was 3 pounds heavier! I've been losing and gaining the same three pounds for months. I work hard all week then flush it down the toilet during the weekend with beer and bad food and justify it as "hey, I worked hard all week so I deserve it."

I really do need to find a way to curb this and there are alot of good ideas on this thread so thanks everyone! I'll do some serious thinking the next three days so by the time the weekend rolls around I'll have a plan in place.