i've yet to figure this one out. how do you have a drink and save on calories? I've had bloody marys in the past. idk it's always a disaster for me. any suggestions?
I'm fortunate because my program lets me account for a drink or two. There ARE some things you can do -- such as tall narrow glasses, tons of ice, sugar-free mix (check out the calorie count on tonic water! DH substitutes with diet ginger ale -- not the same, but OK for him), lite beer (but check the calorie counts), tricks like making sure you drink say 2 glasses of water for every drink you consume (making it harder to chug down diet-busting quantities of drinks during an evening), and so on. I drink wine with meals 3 or 4 nights a week but I have a single 2 oz serving only (1 WW point) of red or white wine and I can fit this in without too much trouble. And if I never had another glass of wine again it wouldn't bother me in the least. I'm lucky as I can't stand beer and choose to avoid the mixed drinks, coolers, and icy drinks because they ARE so calorie-dense.
So the KEY IMHO is figuring out the lowest calorie acceptable subsitutes, seriously limiting your quantities by having half glasses OR using the tall narrow glass/tons of ice trick, and giving up those drinks that you just can't make work into your eating plan.
I have exactly the drink I want -- a mojito made with mint from my garden, even though it has sugar. But I have one a week. Friday night after supper. I look forward to it all week and that keeps me from straying into other things.
I love dry red wine, and have it most evenings. I plan for it (save calories so I am still OP). I use small 4 oz. wine glasses and fill them about 2/3 full. Thus, two of these are only about 140-170 calories. I sip slowly, savoring the experience.
That being said, I make sure that the rest of my calories are "clean", nutritious calories. Red wine and dark chocolate are my spurge calories and are budgeted as part of my plan.
Last edited by CountingDown; 09-12-2009 at 09:50 PM.
Lower calorie drinks are clear hard liquors, (vodka, light rum, gin, etc.) and a diet pop, or water mixer. Vodka and diet sprite is pretty good, and rum and Freska is dangerously delicious.
I'm like rachinma...I can't stop at one drink, just like I can't stop at one cookie, or one cigarette. I had to give alcohol up. (Like I gave up cookies and smokes). For *ME* somethings just can't be done in moderation. I wish I could, but after 44 year of trying, I'm starting to see the big picture. (for me) It seems to me, looking back at my "dieting" life time journey, every time I ever lost a significant amount of weight I quit drinking so that I could accomplish my goals. EVERY SIGNLE TIME I decided to add alcohol back into my life, I started gaining immediately. (remember I can't stop at one...and after a good buzz a plate of nachos is never turned down...) I think this time I'm going to stay off the booze. Food was my first true love anyway. I rather eat than drink.
I posted in another thread that in my first week on my plan, I incorporated wine a couple of nights a week. I still lost three pounds (which of course is typical in a first week - I know that will not continue) but I did mess up one night and tried to push it to two glasses. I track my progress on MyFoodDiary.com and it came up and fussed at me about that second glass of wine...
So I decided to limit my wine to one glass 3 to 4 nights a week. If weight loss slows to a crawl it's the first thing I'll eliminate completely.
I have eliminated my bad trigger foods...white breads and any type of chip. "Betch'a can't eat just one" is so absolutely true for me. But I enjoy that one glass of wine and hopefully can continue to enjoy it for many years to come.
I haven't had spirits in the past year. I have come to view them as a caloric waste (well, actually; I did have 1-3 oz at a time of sherry, over the winter/holidays .... goes so well with an after-dinner mystery book).
This summer, I have had white wine about twice a week -- either a glass or a 'half-glass' (varies, depending on how many ounces I can afford calorie-wise). I do enjoy it very much and now I use small glasses from the 1950s that my husband's grandmother gave us. Wine glasses at restaurants make me nervous; they hold so many more ounces.
I also have a bottle of beer sometimes -- my rule for beer is once a month, but I actually can't remember the last time I had one. April or May, maybe. I count them as 150 calories.
As I've stated before, I do like my cocktails. I usually stick with a Vodka with soda water (or diet tonic) with lime or a light beer. Luckily, my girlfriends (who I usually drink with in moderation of course), are always trying to watch their weight so we're not eating alot. Cocktails are not something I'm willing to give up.
Last edited by losermom; 09-13-2009 at 11:40 AM.
Reason: added info
You can still have the occasional drink and lose weight - I've done it - but when I started getting serious about exercise and getting fit as well as losing weight I decided to give up alcohol altogether. It was easier than I expected and my weight loss was MUCH more sucessful once I gave it up.
Now I have the odd glass of wine on special occasions but more often then not I don't drink.
I'm lucky here because I don't really care if I ever have another drink my whole life. I would think the key would be moderation, and finding the drink with the lowest amount of calories you can.
I like spiced rum and diet coke, 69 calories for one of them, so 1 point. But I love wine and cocktails, which aren't very good, and also if I have a good night out with a good few drinks, I'll want to get food on the way home, which is never good, and if I feel rough the next morning, I'll eat crappy food and not work out.
I'm going to try really hard this year to drink moderately, with soft drinks or water between every drink. Plus,it'll help me keep £s and lose lbs!
I met a friend for after work drinks last week to celebrate my new job. I had two gin & tonics (roughly 100 cal each). I went home and still had a very sensible dinner, lots of water and went for my evening walk.
The downward spiral so to speak only occurs with certain types of drinks which are already really high in calories, like margaritas. Those always make me snacky and make me lose all will. It's probably because they're so high in sugar.
So for me, it's not about avoiding all alcohol but avoiding the drinks high in calories and that trigger binges.
Last edited by TXJess; 09-14-2009 at 10:23 AM.
Reason: Edited for typos!
dieting and alcohol
It seems to me, looking back at my "dieting" life time journey, every time I ever lost a significant amount of weight I quit drinking so that I could accomplish my goals. EVERY SIGNLE TIME I decided to add alcohol back into my life, I started gaining immediately. (remember I can't stop at one...and after a good buzz a plate of nachos is never turned down...) I think this time I'm going to stay off the booze. Food was my first true love anyway. I rather eat than drink.
