[maiat]

Hey guys! I just thought I would start this thread b/c I never know what to do about alcohol (from a weight loss standpoint).

Last night my husband's boss came over for dinner and brought wine. Although I had already had my 2 fruits for the day, I still had a glass of wine b/c I thought it would be rude not to have some of the gift he brought. BUT... I am nervous to weigh in today. I never do well (on the scale) after I've had alcohol, even when I've counted it on my plan. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for this? Is anyone else struggling to find alcohol that does not affect the scale? I haven't had beer since May! Every once in a while I will have a white wine spritzer (1/2 glass of wine and 1/2 glass of low sodium seltzer water), but when I do I either don't lose or gain an ounce or two. Why does my body respond like this? I have been so happy to have lost 25 lbs. and plan to stay on this plan for the rest of my life, however, it isn't realistic for me not to have a glass of wine or two every once in a while.

Thanks in advance for your comments and/or suggestions.

Maia

[Dan2112]

Unless you're physically retaining what you consumed, any alcohol (or any food or drink, for that matter) should not immediately affect your WI.. It takes time for your body to process the sugars and fats you ingest, so it's usually 2 to 3 days before any true affect is shown, either up or down..

Now, it could be that the alcohol you ingested has caused your body to retain water as a reaction. Alcohol dries us out, causing the body to retain water. So if you do see an immediate gain, it's likely caused by that, rather than the sugars contained in the wine.

Everybody is different, but this is the general rule...

[Pastrey]

It is hard when we see the scale go up, even if it is just a little, not to be totally bummed out about it. Personally, in my opinion I think that having alcohol or other treats are fine as long as done in moderation. I actually teased COD when they switched me from purple to plan 3 (4 starch) that I would have to take up drinking beer to get in that much starch!

Treating yourself, even if it means the scale shows a slight increase, every once in a while will not hurt you. It is more than likely water weight rather than a fat weight. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

Congrats on the 25 lbs! Try not to worry as much about what the scale says as to how you feel. If you go up a few ounces, it will likely come off in a few days anyway

[Pastrey]

Dan, posted at same time as you...agree totally with your comment

[lmills730]

From what I have read, immediately after drinking alcohol, your body should show a slight weight loss because of the dehydration. Afterwards, you will gain weight as you start to eat and drink things with water and your body retains it. The best "medicine" for this (from what I have read) is to drink plenty of water before drinking alcohol, and plenty after to flush it out of your system. In this case, I probably wouldn't drink it the night before a weigh-in

[BarbaraB]

There are things that I know are going to make me retain a little water...for you it seems wine is one of those things. So you just have to live with the knowledge that if you indulge, your weight will fluctate up a little. When you get to maintenance, you are given a weight range... So when you make goal, something that causes you to go up a couple of ounces for a day or two will be an I'm still good on plan thing. Hopefully you will be able to anticipate what your scale will say and not get upset when it is up because you caused a water retention issue.

[maiat]

Thanks to all of you for your comments and tips! It does make sense that I would retain water after drinking wine since it does dehydrate me.

I like the suggestion to drink more water before and after - so I will try that.

Also, it is good to know that during maintenance there will be a weight range instead of one number b/c I think that is actually more realistic for me. My weight has a a tendency to fluctuate often. Sometimes when I think I will definitely have a loss I either stay the same or gain... then when I think I will weigh heavy, I am shocked that I lost weight. This probably goes back to what Dan said about it taking a couple of days for my body to process what I have eaten.

Patsy, I agree wholeheartedly with what you said about treating myself. I guess I just need to get to the point where I feel that it is okay for my weight to fluctuate with certain things I have ingested. Don't get me wrong, b/c I love my COD, but they seem so disappointed when that happens. I'm sure it is because they want me to succeed, but if it is normal to fluctuate then why not just say that instead of asking me "what happened?" I seriously almost NEVER eat what I shouldn't. Like I said, I haven't had a beer since May. So, how should I know what happened? I have taken to eating beef on Fridays so I don't have to explain the weight gain. The LAWL center nearby has had trouble keeping people so I think the people who have been there longer are more understanding and the newer people might not know how to respond to weight fluctuations.

[Pastrey]

Maiat, COD is less than polished sometimes. Sometimes I feel they are just trying to help and then other times I feel like they need to blame something for a gain rather than just accepting we are human and our bodies do what they do. My COD is pretty good, but there were a few counsellors before who "picked". I think COD's should get training on sensitivity. I honestly believe how we feel affects our weight loss. If we are happy, our body will show it. If we are upset, our body will show that too.

Good luck, and enjoy that beer or wine every now and then

[maiat]

Sensitivity training - yes!

I should keep a diary about my moods to see if that affects my weigh-in.

[QueenLucia]

if i drink wine .... I am up for 2-3 days, and then i drop...but i should add that when i do drink wine, it is usually 2-3 glasses .. which i count as my 2 fruits and 1 starch...(yes, I know that i am pushing it - but that is the only cheat i allow myself, every 2 weeks...)

[maiat]

It is good to know that is not only me that goes up when she drinks wine!

Maia

[maiat]

The grammar in that last post was off... but oh well.....;D