How to stop messing up at weekends!

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  • aquilaboy
    aquilaboy Posts: 3 Member
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    You got some good advice I see. I know that it can be difficult to cut drink out (it's part of many people's culture/social life). I know that if I have given it a wide birth that I feel much better the next day. It is easier these days not to drink whilst out with friends (not so much pressure to have a drink).

    Maybe start slowly by taking a soft drink instead of a hard drink for the 1st of the evening (shift the 1st to later on) and then perhaps take a coffee or warm drink instead of the last of the evening.

    Good luck!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    I agree with the other responses. The way to break a habit is to prove to yourself over time that you can survive without it.

    I love wine too and I will still drink it on occasion :) But wine for you is like pasta for me... I used to eat pasta almost every weekend. There came a time when I had to say to myself, "this is really not good for me, and if I want to lose weight badly enough, I'm going to have to stop doing this". I eat pasta maybe once every month or two, and I don't crave it anymore. Wine for you has the benefit of making you feel relaxed, but I bet you could get a similar feeling from something else - Reading a book, watching a movie (with a glass of water), etc. I'm not going to call it an "addiction" but when you're dealing with quitting something, it's all about behavior replacement. You just need to find an adequate but constructive behavior to replace wine drinking with.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    i find that I have no desire for wine during the week, but I missed it on Friday and Saturdays nights and didn't want to give it up entirely. I measure out the exact amount of wine I intend to drink in a measuring cup and pour the glass from that. i try to get several small glasses out of the 10 to 12 ounces. When that amount is gone, I'm done. (Obviously you can only do this at home --I think it might look pretty odd to be sitting in a bar or restaurant with your Pyrex measuring cup in front of you)

    It might look odd but I bet it would get comments! I'd love to see it. lol
  • LindseySprake
    LindseySprake Posts: 333 Member
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    I've heard that your body does not burn fat for 2-3 days after you have an alcoholic drink as it sees the alcohol as a 'poison' and it's prioroty is to get rid of that first - don't know how true this is though!!

    I found this on http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson194.htm

    "Here's the problem with all alcoholic beverages, and the reason I recommend refraining from alcohol consumption on the diet. Alcohol, whenever taken in, is the first fuel to burn. While that's going on, your body will not burn fat. This does not stop the weight loss, it simply postpones it, since the alcohol does not store as glycogen, and you immediately go back into ketosis/lipolysis (fat burning) after the alcohol is used up. "
  • wwww1199
    wwww1199 Posts: 271 Member
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    Half a glass of wine and the other half top up with soda or normal water so you half the calories. I also have a glass of water between wines and you feel better the next morning!! :drinker:

    This is great!
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Replace the wine with a physical activity.

    For me the weekends were for consuming junk food - chips & dip, pop, chicken wings, pizza, fast food burgers, etc, etc.

    To get away from this I started training on the weekends. This got me out of the house and more importantly - away from the fridge!!

    Aside from that - Decide for yourself to not consume any wine this weekend! And stick to it! Make it a promise to yourself. Then do the same the following weekend. Keep repeating until you no longer feel the need.

    Best of luck!
  • MissJennaBelle
    MissJennaBelle Posts: 175
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    I switched to something alcoholic but lower in calories. I was exactly the same and would sometimes have 3 glasses after a particularly stressful day! Along with the inevitable hangover next morning...

    I love Jack Daniels too but always tell myself it's too expensive. Now I buy a big bottle for £20 and try to make it last a long time. Rather than a £5-10 bottle of wine which will only last a day or 2. Mix with diet coke and you get the alcohol-induced relaxation and feel like you've had a treat without having ploughed through 750 calories :drinker: :drinker:

    I'm liking your approach... and so true with the cost aspect too! I might try this out with vodka instead of wine, I hate that after a couple glasses of wine it is around 750 calories down the pan. Thanks for sharing!
  • grapeskin
    grapeskin Posts: 1 Member
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    People go off their diets if they feel they're sacrificing too much.

    One 4oz. glass of wine per weekend day should not be a problem.

    The salty snacks with wine creates a problem. Try a 1 inch cube of cheese or an apple.

    Good luck!
  • Lynnhealthpro
    Lynnhealthpro Posts: 17
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    Good question. Begin by asking yourself is it the wine that you crave or is it a habit of drinking during the weekend. If it is a craving that is difficult to resist then you may want to seek a trained professional.. however, if it is habitual then vacillate about other ways to promote relaxation. Are there any other hobbies peak your interest? i.e. dance class, meditation, knitting, rock climbing........Hope this helps.
  • tabithaanne
    tabithaanne Posts: 38
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    I do the exact same thing. I enjoy my Pinot Grigio but unfortunately a couple of glasses and I am into chips, and binging.

    I want to incorporate a couple of glasses on the weekend in my weight loss plan. I have absolutely no junk food in the house. So this weekend I have purchased a huge shrimp ring and I found some low carb/calorie crab cakes. I am going to have the wine with the snacks and hope that works.

    I enjoy eating so I need to do this so it is workable. If that doesn't work then I will have to think of something else.

    I have the same issue as you. I love your approach with the low cal, low carb snacks because inevitably I am reaching for something to eat after a few drinks. Thanks for the tip!
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
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    sometimes, if I'm having wine at home, I'll eat half my dinner, have a couple of glasses of wine and then eat the rest of my dinner when the wine munchies hit.

    that or factor in the wine munchie calories in my advance planning.
  • actshepherd
    actshepherd Posts: 4
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    If you're going to remove something from your life/diet, you must have a plan to replace it, otherwise, you will be left with a miserable emptiness. Change your thought process. Instead of removing something, make a concerted effort to replace it. Perhaps those unhealthy snacks could be replaced with healthier snacks. Perhaps two cups of wine could be replaced with one cup of wine and one cup of water.

    If you're wanting to quit drinking all together, then you'll need to find another way to relax. It is a very slippery slope to use intoxicants of any kind for "relaxation/recreation."

    Be sure to hold yourself accountable and don't allow yourself the luxury of denial.
  • CharleeChaos
    CharleeChaos Posts: 9
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    I'll admit, for the past year I've been slack with dieting and gained back quite a many pounds...but the first year and a half I had 2 "cheat days" a week, my weekends, where I indulged in beer, cookies, burritos, terrible terrible, yet tasty things. I still managed to keep it perfect during the week and in that dropped nearly 120 lbs. during that time. I don't see a problem with treating yourself on the weekends as long as you can jump back to your healthy ways once the week starts up again. Then again, everyone's body is different, so if it really is a problem for you, maybe just limit the drinking and find healthier alternatives for your drunk munchies.
  • Aleciajones
    Aleciajones Posts: 153
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    I drink and munch too, I think it comes down to being relaxed and slightly bored. Is there an active hobby you can do to keep you busy while you enjoy the wine? Craft, gardening, heck go have sex. It'll relax you and may put you to sleep before you start snacking.
  • longbird
    longbird Posts: 48 Member
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    When I was pregnant, I used to drink a glass of milk (or other beverage) out of a wine glass... I found that when I put it in the fancy glass, it had the same effect (relaxation after a long day) that a glass of wine would, and I didn't miss the wine.

    That's got to be worth a try, thanks!
  • ahni77
    ahni77 Posts: 75
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    I use to be a heavy (no pun intended) beer drinker. I would drink a beer or 2 during the week and go through a 12 pack during weekends. I completetly stopped that - cold turkey. I knew if I wanted to see results I would have to start there. I now have 1 to 2 beers ALL week (including weekends) and maybe a glass or 2 of wine as well. My real problem is the ganja. Talk about munchies :)
  • ahni77
    ahni77 Posts: 75
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    CORRECTION:
    I use to be a heavy (no pun intended) beer drinker. I would drink a beer or 2 A DAY and go through a 12 pack during weekends. I completetly stopped that - cold turkey. I knew if I wanted to see results I would have to start there. I now have 1 to 2 beers ALL week (including weekends) and maybe a glass or 2 of wine as well. My real problem is the ganja. Talk about munchies :)
  • bugbeenz
    bugbeenz Posts: 31
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    Drink a glass or two with your dinner, rather than before or after. Generally I only open a bottle when we sit down to eat, or before if I need it for cooking, but we eat with our meal - something I've learnt from my husband. I have cut out the drinking on the couch etc.

    While I completely understand how alcohol postpones fat-burning, I'm not willing to give it up. Wine is a much a part of my life as is pizza, beer, chocolate, etc.. everything in moderation :)
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
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    Plan your week meals/exercises ahead of time, and always leave a little room for indulgences in case. That's what I do!
  • MelanieAG05
    MelanieAG05 Posts: 359 Member
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    I totally understand where you are coming from. I love having wine at the weekend and don't drink at all during the week (unless i have had a very very bad day!) but I start eating cheese after a few glasses........and that is the damage!

    I stopped drinking wine for the whole of January and had Gin & Slimline tonic instead. It's not quite the same but is much less calorific and it doesn't have the same effect on me with the munchies!

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