After really being honest with myself I realize I cant drink my wine and be healthy. I want to lose weight and be healthy. I have tried to make it a weekend thing, I have tried to save calories by eating way less so I can have my wine at night. only to make really bad choices after a few drinks (food wise).
I haven't had a drop of wine in a week and feel good. Eating great, tons of energy. I have actually been hungry when I wake up.
so I hope to remember that a little wine is not as important as my health.
That's great! It sounds like cutting out alcohol is working for you!
I've never been a big drinker, but when I was losing weight and started counting calories I learned that most of my favorite cocktails easily contained over 400 calories. Not to mention I'd have more then one and then it made me want greasy food afterwards. Not worth the calories to me.
I was eating/drinking a days worth of calories in a matter of about 3 - 4 hours on top of the regular meals I ate earlier in the day! Yikes!
On NYE I had a shot of Bailey's in my homemade hot chocolate and that's the only alcohol I've had this year. Before that I had a drink or two on a vacation last year, but that's it. I will never say I won't drink again, but I really don't miss it, plus I'd rather eat those calories instead.
Way to go OP!
Last edited by SunnySide99; 06-09-2015 at 02:23 PM.
I've had to cut it out too. Not just because of the high calories in the drinks but because of how I also make really, and I mean REALLY, bad food choices. When I'm drinking I want cookies, candy, doughnuts, pretty much anything sweet or carb-loaded. Also really greasy food like fries and chips and pretty much more carbs. Ooh and pizza.
Alcohol is a pretty safe bet for why I gained 30 pounds in the last 9 months.
Wow, that is a difficult decision to make but well done. I read an interesting article a few months back about a guy who quit drinking because of a dare and the next thing he knew it was two years later and he never looked back. Hope this works out for you! I'm sure at the very least you will feel like a new, healthier person.
Last edited by nonameslob; 06-09-2015 at 02:53 PM.
I am the exception to the rule. I lost all my weight without giving up alcohol. I have since given it up for months at a time and it has no impact on my weight. Alcohol does not influence my food choices though so that is a big plus for me. When I have given up I have felt more energized in the mornings but that has been about it. So now I drink moderately.
I second that thought - sometimes it's not even the actual alcohol that contains so many calories, but the food you eat AFTER drinking. I should probably stop drinking too =/
I also have a tendency to eat with my wine, and it was definitely having an affect on my weight. Once I gave it up for 90 days without ever changing anything else, and I lost 10 lbs.
Like Ian, I have also lost weight without ever giving it up - but that was in my obsessive calorie-counting days. I no longer do that, so I have to be a bit more careful about keeping my intake moderate as well as not snacking along with it. It's a bit of a challenge, but so far I've been able to make it work for me.
Yeah I have lost while drinking wine but it not consistent. And I just noticed how much better I feel when I don't drink.
My energy level is way up.
The choices I make while drinking really sabotage me. Then the next day I can't eat till really late, so my day starts off bad and forger about working out first thing in the morning.
I'm not saying I won't enjoy a drink again. Just for now i have to be stronger than my wine.
Thanks for the responses .
Last edited by itsmejessica; 06-10-2015 at 11:35 AM.
I have lost the weight so far (21 pounds this year) without giving up alcohol. That said, I BET I'd have lost faster during these 5 months if I had cut alcohol to weekends only or cut out altogether.
It's important to find something sustainable, so we each have to decide if alcohol fits that plan (and how much).
I'm going to experiment with cutting out weekday alcohol first and see if it speeds up my progress.
I cut out alcohol (mostly) after I turned 21 (ha!). I have a glass of wine once or twice/year but I definitely don't feel like I'm missing out without the alcohol. As far as weight change goes, for me, not so much
I only drink alcohol about once a year, more or less depending. I'm glad I rarely drink it because it would be a nightmare to worry about when losing weight.
I'm on this boat too. I'm a social drinker, I don't crave alcohol when home alone, but boy is it hard to turn it down when offered! I also think that I am really bad at drinking in moderation. So right now, staying off that stuff. It's socially a bit difficult, but feels great!
About once a week I'll have two or three glasses of wine. Generally when I go out to a restaurant. No question it slows down my weight loss and all the sugar in the wine gives me carb cravings the next day. But I'm determined to find an eating lifestyle I can live with and I don't want to give up my wine! I find if I take a couple of coconut oil capsules as soon as I get home from dinner and again the next morning, the cravings are negligible.
I'm lucky in that I don't really make poor food choices while drinking. Once I have that first glass, I just want more wine, not sweets. It's the next day that's the problem.
cutting out alcohol
stay on a healthy path, wine definitely is not important as your health. You're what you eat.
