Alcohol....

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stopdangerpi
stopdangerpi Posts: 34
in Motivation and Support
I live in a big city where people are all very busy, get out of work late and the number one way to socialize is to "meet up for a drink". "A drink" usually means "three drinks and an appetizer". I feel like this (and cheese) are the number one reasons for my excess calorie intake. How have other people dealt with this?

I used to be a HUGE beer fan but am now getting down to wine, whiskey and gin. Any recommendations?

Replies

  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
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    I was in your exact place about 4 mo. Ago. I too was a HUGE beer guy....with a problem....12 pack a day was not out of the ordinary for me. I tried so hard to kick my habit. And then one day I just said no more. I've been sober for about 4 mo. Now, cold turkey. I still go out with my friends and I don't drink. They don't enjoy my company any less trust me! And I can offer them a ride home if they need it :) its hard to quit, and if you feel strange going out with them and not drinking you can do what I did for the first few weeks. Go up and ask for a diet cranberry mixed with water. Looks like a drink! No one will know the diffence :) I even tipped the bartender for it a few times lol
  • calimoma
    calimoma Posts: 64
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    OMG...this is my only problem with losing weight....i love to drink beer!! LOL Everything else i can do no problem, but when i have beer, it makes me feel defeated and I drop off of everything else i should be doing!! If i could just get that out of my system Id be super skinny by now!!! i can soo relate!! good luck!!
  • chelsa1986
    chelsa1986 Posts: 71
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    I still drink, I just include the alcohol into my calories for the day. I had four beers the night before my last weigh in and still lost 8 lbs (first week, the best week ;^).

    I normally only go out once a week, if that. I try to only drink once a week and if I go out with friends during a "sober day", I get diet soda.

    It comes down to self control. You need it to get thru life.
  • Rachel_MXM
    Rachel_MXM Posts: 1
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    When I was in university I used to drink about 3 bottles of red wine per week and needless to say my waistline expanded massively. I now try to drink gin and slimline tonic to reduce the calories. I don't seem to crave junk food either when I drink Gin with Slim!!
  • rwperez
    rwperez Posts: 13
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    I am a beer guy too. I have been brewing as a hobby for 20 years. (Probably responsible for my weight as well.) For me beer seems to do 3 negative things: stimulate my apetite, add unneeded calories, and weaken my resolve. If I can't overcome the resolve issue and account for the beer in my daily calorie intake I will have to forgo the beer to reach my weight goal.
  • DoOrDoNotThereIsNoTry1
    DoOrDoNotThereIsNoTry1 Posts: 149 Member
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    I am sure there will be a lot of us on here with this issue. I love to be healthy...but I also love to be bad on weekends.
    Friday/Saturday/Sunday- easy 4- beers and 3-4 shots of Jager per day (which is really the killer).
    I drink Low Cal Becks only 64 calories and much more pure and less filler then domestic.
    To curb the drinking, I like to have a tall glass of water with lemon to sip in between to reduce the alcohol intake and to stay hydrated and reduce the toxicity. For hard liquor, I know a lot of folks drink Vodka/Water, Vodka/Club Soda.
    One thing is for certain, nothing good comes from having appetizers while drinking at a bar. I would suggest staying away. That will only make you want to consume more food and more alcohol.
    You can definitely still lose weight while having a good time. Stressing out over it, or dessert or your favorite non healthy dish is not good. You could actually gain more weight from the stress and increased cortisol then the food itself.
    Factor in the alcohol calories during the day. Maybe exercise a little harder the days you expect to go out. And have fun...
  • thepiratemd
    thepiratemd Posts: 65
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    Alcohol is a huge problem in our society. For many people of all walks and lives. It really undermines everything, and can so easily become a crutch needed to feel "normal". In addition, it really saps the energy out of your day, your workout energy, your productivity. It's doesnt belong in your body, pure and simple.

    my best advice is to completely cut it out. Some people advocate cutting down gradually, but I've seen this fail for far too many people. It's so easy to fall back into the old habit....
  • dianez480
    dianez480 Posts: 3
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    I switch to wine spritzers on the few days a week I allow myself to splurge, easy on the snacks, watch your portions carefully that day, and no dessert that day. Its the only way I've found that won't blow my progress away.
  • ooBombshellBeautyoo
    ooBombshellBeautyoo Posts: 237 Member
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    It's all about moderation just like anything- I have an occasional glass of wine in the evening with dinner, but I factor it into my calorie intake for the day. Also my 12 oz. Mich Ultra had less calories than my 5 oz. of wine!

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