Alcohol = weight loss problems

ive been at this point in my life... i love drinking but my choice of drink is margueritas... but the only thing i can say is u gotta control it... i love going out and dancing with my friends and love to drink to "loosen up" but u gotta see the bigger picture... is drinking one night worth your unhappiness or messing up all your progress? and u know that going out means late night eating... its all about self control... when i know im going out... i tend to eat alittle more than usual because i know my friends are going to say "hey lets go get mcdonalds after" because ive eaten alittle more im able to say no to it... but its up to u... is beer worth it? u have lost 22 lbs already! do u want to give that up over binging?

Celeste,

I can totally sympathise - I was the same when I was at uni. For me the solution is to 'save' getting tipsy for special occasions - no more than once a month - and the rest of the time just have a few drinks. You could put a cap on it like 2 beers max. I find that then when I do let my hair down I can really enjoy myself and not worry about it. I totally agree with coppercat - it isn't just the ridiculously high number of calories in alcohol - it is the bad food choices you make that night AND the next day when hungover (and feeling too sick to get your workout done!!)

You shouldn't have to sacrifice going out and seeing your friends - dieting should not make you a hermit. It might be hard at first to say NO to the next round but I think it is the only way...

Definitely. When I worked in a bar it was no problem, as I was on my feet all night and I was more accustomed to drinking. Now I'm not working, and if I have one night out then I'll consume 2X my normal calories and then overeat junk the next day. I also notice my energy is sapped the next day even after just 2 drinks, which halts my exercise routine.

You can srill go out and have a drink, you've just got to really limit what you have, if you get a rosemary conley mag theres always a section on what to swap from takeout s if you do feel like one, but if you don't over drink you wont want the greasy takeout after. I'm normally an Amaretto and Cranberry kinda girl, but this is packed full of calories and sugar, so now i have Gin and Tonic only 130cals, and if you go dancing you'll burn that off quite quickly. (i'm not saying getted recked btw )

Just a few drinks that you might like try instead of the beer

Bloody Mary** (Vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, lime) 120 calories

Cosmopolitan** (Vodka, Triple Sec, Rose’s lime juice, cranberry juice) 131 calories

Daiquiri** (Light rum, limes, powdered sugar) 137 calories

Gin and tonic** (Gin, tonic water, lime) 130 calories


Irish coffee** (Irish whiskey, coffee, sugar, whipped cream) 159

Kamikaze (Vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice) 180 calories

Manhattan** (Whiskey, Vermouth, Bitters) 132 calories

Prepare for those nights out. Check online which beers are the least in calories and call the bars or nightclubs to see which light beers they have. Eat salad the whole day before the night out.

I feel your pain - I just took delivery of a second case of wine this month and it's staring at me going "You know you love me".

I tend to plan ahead though. Save the calories for the alcohol - plan your drinking by putting it in the diary first, evaluating how much food you'll actually get to eat and adjust. Try not to pull from yesterday or tomorrow - I figure that way madness and binging lies.
Keep a snack in your fridge for when you get home. It's easier to walk past McDonald's if you go "I'm hungry, but there's xyz in the fridge waiting for me".
Low calorie drinks - though imo light beer is an aberration to drinking and I'd rather stay sober. Which also works...
Being the designated driver also helps - usually. I did once have to be driven home after too much awful wine - I kept drinking so as not to offend the hosts and it really was the worst decision on many, many levels.

Drink wine! If you normally drink beer you'll probably find that wine makes you way more tipsy for a much smaller amount than pint after pint. Plus it doesn't make you feel as bloated. And its lower in calories.

When you get home, drink a pint of water and take two paracetamol. No hangover to worry about, so not stuffing your face full of fatty food the next day either.

Everyone's a winner!

You've already identified your problem. Now you must decide how to stop it (or if you want to).

Are you drinking just to fit in? If so, order one drink to start off the night (say, a rum and Diet Coke) and then just drink Diet Coke the rest of the night. Your friends won't know the difference. Just order it at the bar alone. My aunt did this for years because she didn't like drinking.

Another option is to be the designated driver. Then everyone loves you because you're ensuring their safe transportation and won't try (too hard) to get you to join in the drinking. (This is what I do. I do not enjoy drinking so being the DD gives me a great excuse to avoid the pressure.)

Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, which is almost as much as fat. Also, your body has to metabolize the alcohol first (because, let's face it, it's a poisonous toxin) so it can not process the food you've eaten, making it more likely and able to be stored as fat.

Plus, as you are already aware, drinking usually leads to poor food choices.

Simply put, drinking alcohol is just about the worst thing you can do when you're trying to lose weight. You must decide which is more important to you.

I am like you. I LOVE MY BEER. I started looking at how many calories are in each of the beers that I love to drink so much! AHHH! I was shocked! But In my case I chose to eat healthier foods during the week so that I have that bank of calories to use at the end. Prime example, work is almost over and its time to hit the pub! LOL. I don't crave fried foods or "JUNK" so to speak as much as others though, so that helps. But I can totally sympathise. I LOVE MY BEER! Good luck. Add me if you would like. Take care.

Nolan