All week long it is so easy to stay with my eating plan and then the weekend comes and it is so hard to stick with it. First of all I'm the type that would rather not even go to the restaurant than go and have to order "diet food" - I'll just stay home. But honestly, it's the drinking that's killing me. We are all the time going to cookouts, beach parties, girl's night outs, Bunco - and there are cocktails there. Even if I'm careful and have my vodka and diet soda, I feel like I have messed up, but I don't want to miss out on the fun. No I don't have a problem with alcohol, but I like to have some drinks with my friends. Do you think that if I work the calories into my plan it's okay to have some cocktails now and then ??

Totally. I refuse to give up my red wine or my occasional vodka or citron martini. There's no reason you should feel guilty for having a drink or two with friends. Work it into your plan. Add an extra 15 mins of cardio. Something. This is *life*. You cannot deprive yourself for the rest of your life and expect to stick with this plan.

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I absolutely include alcohol in my plan.

However, be careful. It's very easy to relax all your other "walls" when alcohol is added. I noticed that if I have more than one or two, I also eat every thing in sight and take the "oh well! guess I'll just go off the wagon today" attitude. Appetizers are particular killers when I have had a couple of drinks.

The other thing to watch is the peer pressure of having a drink. If I am at a club or a party, people will ask me if I need a drink. If I say I'm not drinking or I'm watching my weight, I get a million questions. So I make sure I have a sparkling water with a twist lime and it looks like a G&T. No one asks questions and if I have one "real" drink and then water from then on, no one is the wiser.

I think if you work it in - have a drink. Even a wine spritzer (wine, club soda - sometimes lemon) - low cal - bubbly and you can sip on it a long time. Like others said...sometimes alcohol can make you relax.

Of course it's okay. You're not going to cut alcohol out for the rest of your life, so why would you cut it out while trying to lose weight? Now is, in fact, the best time to learn moderation. Have your drink. Enjoy it slowly. Drink a glass of water in between drinks.

Yes definitely you can enjoy a drink here or there. No need to feel too guilty I am not much of a drinker but I enjoy cocktails occassionaly. What I do is (if I know ahead of time that I'll be going somewhere) I accomodate the calories in the day to day food and work out extra. For example, last week I knew I was going out on friday night so I ate light throughout the day and did little bit of extra workout. On Friday night I had a drink and ate nothing healthy but I ate slowly and watched the amount I ate. Then on saturday again I ate light and exercised little more. I didn't do anything special just made sure I accounted for what I ate. It gets hard sometimes I totally do understand that but it gets easier with time

I totally feel ya on getting diet food at restaurant vs not going at all. When I go eat at restaurants now I box most of my food to take home before I even pick up the fork to eat...avoid temptation to overeat Sometimes I wish the portion sizes in some of the restaurants were not that humungous!

See, while I think it is okay, I quit because when I do drink my self-control goes out the window. I also spent the majority of my twenties smoking pot and gave that up too. I just felt that it was unneeded calories in my day because I don't just think of it as a delicious margarita, or five, I think of all the crap I will eat because of how loose I feel. )

I'm not a huge drinker, but I love to share drinks out with friends. Don't do anything on your diet you can't do for the rest of your life. Enjoy yourself, just make room in your menu for it. And don't go overboard!

I am with the others who say that it is okay. I am trying to rethink how I eat overall, not think of myself as being on a diet, because in the past a diet was something you did and then quit. Therefore I have to figure out how to work alcohol into the mix (no pun intended) as part of a new lifestyle (not a diet).

I am NOT going to give up my citron martinis (yum I agree) or my glass of red wine. I just make each drink last longer, add a little more soda or mix, maybe some more ice. I alternate each drink with a glass of just soda or water.

I do agree though that I have to be careful that my other resolve doesn't go down the drain also. I have to be vigilant that I am conscious of my food intake as well, and drinking can really give me the munchies!

HI -- I have the same problem but I am often in positions where we have to eat out-- I try to limit my drinking but this coming weekend will be hard because we have plans tonight to meet friends for happyhour and a BBQ on Sat and party on Mon. I am going to add the extra exercise in to help offset the drinks and other potential downfalls-- I do try the water between each drink and it helps.

Make sure your not taking any diet pills or other supplements if you are going to add drinking to your plan. I had a friend who had a bad reaction --

Have fun this is life not just a diet --

I'm not a drinker myself, but I do agree with the others. The book "eat this not that" has a great section on bad drink choices and better drink choices. For instance, a Mojito has 160 calories and 15 sugar grams while a Long Island Ice Tea has 700 calories and 40 grams of sugar. You can also google "drink this not that" to get a list. And only having one, or alternating a drink with a glass of water are all good ideas!! Just like with food, it's about moderation and making good choices!

I feel your pain.