Giving up alcohol...

lesliev523
lesliev523 Posts: 366 Member
in Motivation and Support
I know I need to give up alcohol... or at least my nightly two glasses of wine. But I really don't want to....

If I don't a glass or two of wine at night, I can't sleep through the night. It is awful. I can fall asleep, but I am constantly waking up.

Then I am dragging butt the next morning....

UGGH!
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Replies

  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Are you wanting to give it up because you're dependent upon it, or because of the calories in it?
  • larkiedeek
    larkiedeek Posts: 203 Member
    I gave up 6 months ago (except for 2 days).

    It made a huge difference to me. I think after a week the habit of going to get a drink just stops.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    You might consider finding other ways to help you sleep. For example, it's better to not watch tv or spend time on the computer for awhile before bed. Some people find a warm tea before bed is helpful. You'll find a wealth of info online if you look at reputable sources. Here's one, for example: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/HQ01387

    At the end of the day you'll be better off if you don't need alcohol to sleep well.
  • ronadams52
    ronadams52 Posts: 176 Member
    Great comments. I gave it up back in 1988. You might want to check your food diary and make sure you are getting enough nutrients. If I do not eat enough calories I wake up around 1 or 2 in the morning and need to eat a bowl of cereal and then I am able to go back to sleep. Cottage cheese is a great source of slow digesting protein for the night time. I will also try to get in some fiber heavy foods like Post Raisin Bran at night. 1 1/2 cups with milk has more than 1/2 of my daily requirement (12) and breaks down fairly slowly also. Also highly recommended is a piece of dark chocolate before bed.
  • RedSkinFox
    RedSkinFox Posts: 23 Member
    1 word - Marijuana
    If you're angry - Just kidding :D
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 366 Member
    Not dependent on it. I think I will continue to lose weight at a good rate if I stop. Just seems like wasted calories.


    Thanks for the good ideas! I will do some more research. I used to be meds for insomnia, but I hated how I felt when I took them.

    I will eat more before bed....maybe that will work.
  • knittingbandmom
    knittingbandmom Posts: 190 Member
    Not dependent on it. I think I will continue to lose weight at a good rate if I stop. Just seems like wasted calories.


    Thanks for the good ideas! I will do some more research. I used to be meds for insomnia, but I hated how I felt when I took them.

    I will eat more before bed....maybe that will work.

    I dated a guy several years ago who did not drink at all so therefore neither did I. What I realized was that after a few days or weeks I felt great. I was like you - 1 or 2 glasses of wine, maybe a little extra on the weekends but I honestly was amazed at how much better I started feeling in the mornings when I got up. I dumped the guy but still don't drink (well, most of the time anyway). Give it a few days to adjust and see how you feel. You might even sleep better.

    Have you ever tried a supplement called Melatonin? It is something your body naturally produces to regulate sleep cycles. It helped me some. Mostly I think they just helped me relax so I could fall asleep. You can get them just about every where (Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart, etc.) Working out around 6:00 - 7:00 does the trick for me as well. Good luck to you.
  • LeggyKettleBabe
    LeggyKettleBabe Posts: 300 Member
    I gave up drinking on Christmas 2011, I dont even miss it.
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
    Try melatonin for sleep. It is natural, safe, and works. Even if you weren't trying to get in shape and lose weight, it is a bad habit to rely on anything to fall asleep.
    Try getting up an hour earlier.
    Try harder and longer work outs.
    If you're not exhausted by the end of the day and ready for sleep, you probably aren't expending enough energy throughout the day or waking up early enough.
    Hope that helps :)
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    You can do it. I don't drink...haven't drank any alcohol in 12 yrs and I sleep just fine. It's just gonna be an adjustment at first...
  • nas24
    nas24 Posts: 880 Member
    I would never, but i drink 1-3 a week... TOPS! And i make sure i hydrate really well and that i have enough cals to fit it in.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    I know I need to give up alcohol... or at least my nightly two glasses of wine. But I really don't want to....

    If I don't a glass or two of wine at night, I can't sleep through the night. It is awful. I can fall asleep, but I am constantly waking up.

    Then I am dragging butt the next morning....

    UGGH!


    I feel ya! lol
  • garlic7girl
    garlic7girl Posts: 2,236 Member
    Slowly decrease amount...add fruit to it like a sangria and it will fill you up faster.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    I gave up 6 months ago (except for 2 days).

    It made a huge difference to me. I think after a week the habit of going to get a drink just stops.

    I think is true too :)
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    1 word - Marijuana
    If you're angry - Just kidding :D



    :laugh:
  • ndnmomma
    ndnmomma Posts: 466 Member
    I still drink, just not everyday, but if your depending on it for sleep I'd find another way. There is nothing wrong with having a drink every once in a while there are plenty of people on here who do. Good luck!
  • phatty4dayz
    phatty4dayz Posts: 125 Member
    There were a lot of good suggestions already posted, but I just thought of one more. What about exercising late at night, taking a shower, and hoping in bed? When I exercise in the evening, which I rarely do, I sleep like a baby.
  • MKloste
    MKloste Posts: 56 Member
    I am the exact opposite, if I drink I can go to sleep just fine but I am constantly waking up or have restless sleep even if I drink a glass or two of wine or have a bottle or two of beer - and then I wake up feeling unrested etc. I get a lot better sleep if I do not have any caffinee or alcohol. When I first started on MFP and wanted to lose weight I gave up all caffinee and alcohol and after the first week, I had so much more energy and slept better and just felt better overall it was amazing how much of a difference it made. Now I still don't drink caffinee but I will have a beer or two here and there I just can't completely get rid of it from my lifestyle even though it is empty calories and I feel better and sleep better without it - sometimes you just need that drink to calm down or if you are out having fun!
  • tehzephyrsong
    tehzephyrsong Posts: 435 Member
    If you can't sleep without alcohol, you're developing an addiction. That's more of a reason to give it up than for weight loss. Please take some time to really look at yourself and get some help.
  • GCAsMom
    GCAsMom Posts: 120 Member
    I don't know how true this is, but when I researched a few years ago to lose weight, I read that if you have alcohol in your body, during that time, you won't burn any calories because all the energy is going toward getting rid of the "toxin". So basically, anything eaten while alcohol is in the system is automatically stored.

    Like I said, I don't know if it's true, but I took it to heart and haven't drank but a handful of times since then.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    A glass or two of wine is fine if you can manage to fit it in with your macros and calories. There are some low calorie win out there thats pretty good too.

    I myself am a scotch man so giving up booze was easy since I can now just drink some super expensive scotch once a while and use it for its taste. I have had the same pint for about 3 years now :)
  • mrhayes9507
    mrhayes9507 Posts: 1
    I was in the habit of having a couple of vodka drinks almost every night and would always wake up at 3:06am every single night and not be able to go back to sleep till around 6 and that was only an hour before I HAD to get up anyway, it was driving me crazy. I was drinking like that because my husband and I just got in the habit, I have only had 2 vodka drinks in the last 2 weeks and have just recently began being diligent with the Fitness Pal and am sleeping 8-10 hours a night now. I think it is because I have stopped with so much alcohol and I can definitely see a difference in my stomach. I used to think it would help me sleep better but obviously I am wrong. I really believe that a nutritional diet and a good exercise program helps me sleep well now. I have been working out with a personal trainer for almost 2 years now so I have been on a good exercise program but the alcohol was definitely getting in my way. i am very glad that I have realized this even though I will still have an occasional drink. lol I will never go back to it every night.
  • laurajordana
    laurajordana Posts: 48 Member
    What I realized was that after a few days or weeks I felt great. I was like you - 1 or 2 glasses of wine, maybe a little extra on the weekends but I honestly was amazed at how much better I started feeling in the mornings when I got up.

    ^ this
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Clearly it's an issue.
    In life we can have just about anything we want but not everything.
    Make your choice.
    And if you quit drinking, you might experience the pains of withdrawal.
    For sleep, take a melatonin, or gut it out for a few days. Nothing worthwhile in life is easy, so as simple as quitting a bad habit is, it's not easy. Simple but hard.
    Nobody can do it but you, and good luck.
  • Nikki_42
    Nikki_42 Posts: 298 Member
    Something to keep in mind.--- From most medical studies, it's a myth that alcohol helps you sleep better. (whatever the amount, high or low) I won't post all the links, but you can google it anywhere or ask your doctor. It actually disrupts your brain and sleep patterns.

    Not saying give up drinking, though it's great to do for weight loss, but it may not actually be doing what you think it's doing.

    For the weight loss, I wouldn't drink it every day, but that's just an opinion. I would just stop for a few months 1-to make sure I could if I was doing it every day, and 2-it's wasted calories every single day.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
    I am the exact opposite, if I drink I can go to sleep just fine but I am constantly waking up or have restless sleep even if I drink a glass or two of wine or have a bottle or two of beer - and then I wake up feeling unrested etc. I get a lot better sleep if I do not have any caffinee or alcohol. When I first started on MFP and wanted to lose weight I gave up all caffinee and alcohol and after the first week, I had so much more energy and slept better and just felt better overall it was amazing how much of a difference it made. Now I still don't drink caffinee but I will have a beer or two here and there I just can't completely get rid of it from my lifestyle even though it is empty calories and I feel better and sleep better without it - sometimes you just need that drink to calm down or if you are out having fun!

    ^ my experience is very similar. I have a horrible night's sleep as well if I have even one drink. My husband and I used to have a glass or two of wine each night with dinner, but about 5 months we've cut back to just the weekends and for the past few months even those drinks have been almost eliminated. We both feel so much better and our workouts are better too! I did have a glass of wine on Sunday night and it just confirmed it, tossed and turned all night long.

    It might be helping you fall asleep, but try a week or so without it and see how you feel, that is the only way you'll truly know what kind of difference it can make.
  • dirty_blonde
    dirty_blonde Posts: 71 Member
    Great comments. I gave it up back in 1988. You might want to check your food diary and make sure you are getting enough nutrients. If I do not eat enough calories I wake up around 1 or 2 in the morning and need to eat a bowl of cereal and then I am able to go back to sleep. Cottage cheese is a great source of slow digesting protein for the night time. I will also try to get in some fiber heavy foods like Post Raisin Bran at night. 1 1/2 cups with milk has more than 1/2 of my daily requirement (12) and breaks down fairly slowly also. Also highly recommended is a piece of dark chocolate before bed.




    I love this person for saying dark chocolate!!!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Alcohol usually tends to disturb sleep patterns. If you can't sleep without it, that sounds more like a dependency.

    I usually have a few drinks per week, moderate alcohol is actually good for maintaining insulin sensitivity and for keeping cholesterol ratios in check, plus wine (especially red) is full of antioxidants.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    I don't know how true this is, but when I researched a few years ago to lose weight, I read that if you have alcohol in your body, during that time, you won't burn any calories because all the energy is going toward getting rid of the "toxin". So basically, anything eaten while alcohol is in the system is automatically stored.

    Like I said, I don't know if it's true, but I took it to heart and haven't drank but a handful of times since then.

    I've read something similar to this also. What I read was that, your body will burn alcohol before it burns anything else. Meaning, the next day when you work out, the calories you are burning ...are just to get the alcohol burned. NOT to burn fat. Basically you are working 2ce as hard to get the same result.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I don't know how true this is, but when I researched a few years ago to lose weight, I read that if you have alcohol in your body, during that time, you won't burn any calories because all the energy is going toward getting rid of the "toxin". So basically, anything eaten while alcohol is in the system is automatically stored.

    Like I said, I don't know if it's true, but I took it to heart and haven't drank but a handful of times since then.

    I've read something similar to this also. What I read was that, your body will burn alcohol before it burns anything else. Meaning, the next day when you work out, the calories you are burning ...are just to get the alcohol burned. NOT to burn fat. Basically you are working 2ce as hard to get the same result.
    It doesn't really work like that. Total calories matter. If you're in a calorie deficit, having the occasional alcoholic beverage will not have any impact on weight loss.

    You could just as easily say that you aren't burning fat because the body is still processing the protein you ate the night before, or the fat you ate with breakfast, etc.

    Yes, alcohol is burned before anything else you've eaten, but that doesn't change anything when you keep total calories constant. Your body stores food for later while it processes one type first on a constant basis, alcohol isn't any different in that regard.

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