Every night I eat dessert before I go to bed. On Saturdays I count 2 glasses of wine as my dessert; however, since I've been seeing results I have been motivated not to drink at the bars and then I get all excited because when I get home late at night I know that I still get dessert.
I was watching the Today Show last week and they talked about this "drunkarexia" where teens/college studens aren't eating all day and then drinking a day's worth of calories. Anyone else see this?
On my diet plan I give my self on day a week to cheat (not the whole day but one good meal)...so I usually save that for Sunday....since I mostly go out on Saturday nights....that way I dont feel to guilty about My yummy IHOP breakfast feast!!!....nothing makes me hangover better like IHOP coffee and Quick 2 egg breakfast...
That's good advice Cherrygrl
I was watching the biggest loser Tuesday and one of the tips was to give yourself one day to cheat. They said give yourself a day to have a meal you want. It gives you something to look forward to each week, and is a payoff for your hard work....AND it said it helps to increase your metabolism.
I was watching the Today Show last week and they talked about this "drunkarexia" where teens/college studens aren't eating all day and then drinking a day's worth of calories. Anyone else see this?
Seen it? Used to be it Take the word of a "mature" person. This is NOT a new phenomenon. We were doing it 30 years ago when I was college age. I lived for weeks at a time on coffee, beer and diet pills (with an occasional order of Denny's hash browns thrown in for something solid) and was downright skinny. The problem is, the long term effect ends up being that when you get older you can't metabolize the alcohol too well any more so the body ends up reacting to that 52 calorie Bacardi like it was a 400 calorie pina colada and you end up looking like a toad perched on that barstool.
For me, I found that if I drink beer one ends up being one six pack and I end up with that mindless eating syndrome so I've switched. Generally try to order something I'm not terribly fond of, like scotch and water, so I take much longer to finish it - although I do know one place that uses fresh squeezed orange juice for screwdrivers so I have been known to rationalize that it's actually healthy so it's OK to have more than I should . But I do stick (amazingly firmly) to the rule that I MUST finish a bottle of water before I can order another "adult beverage". The combination of fewer cocktails and more water ends up making it easier to stay OP as far as the food is concerned.
So happy St. Paddy's but remember that even if you over-celebrate, you just need to dust yourself off and get back OP the next day.
Yep. I often budget enough calories for a beer or two on fridays but then I'll also end up ordering food. Even if it's something halfway decent, like a hummus plate or something, it's still food that I'm eating because of cravings rather than hunger. Alcohol in general, but especially beer, is definitely a double whammy for me.
The only things I have figured out to do about it are: not drink too much, or very often, drink lots of water after (or preferably during) and have access to small portions of healthy, tasty food, so if I do snack it's not too bad. Oh, and of course allow myself an off night now and then.
Great advice from everyone, thanks!! They say the mixer you use in your drinks is the biggest contributor to the calories if you drink spirits, so I definitly try drink only low cal soda. Also a great idea to have something planned for the next day. And a new thing I was introduced to was Diaorlyte - i don't know if you have it in the U.K. or U.S. but it's basically to rehydrate someone who is dehydrated (usually if they are losing liquids through having diarrhoea, or severe vomiting) and basically just replenishes you with all the things you lose after drinking.
I only recently found out that a hangover is caused by your brain being dehydrated, hence the headaches, and we confuse thirst with hunger so much that the next day you feel you need food, when you really just need water...
But the only real solution is drink in moderation i suppose!! Moderation might be judged differently over here in Ireland however!!!
I have been pretty good at controlling my eating during a drinking binge...but this past weekend I went to a party and ate a BUNCH of doritos chips and a BUNCH of pretzels...and some candy...
I think the key is to just not have food around you when you are drunk...it's so easy to reach over and grab food especially if you're inhibitions are down...
They usually recommend eating a higher fat, higher protein meal before drinking. So you could figure into your calories for the day one of those meals. I usually eat a quesadilla and beans...or something similar...
Please be careful in your drinking & eating (and DONT drink and drive!)
One nite several years ago my best friend and i had been out all nite drinking... walked past the 7-11 on the way home and thought Big Bites would be a phenominal idea. We took them home... ate them in bed.. and basically passed out whilst enjoying our dogs.
Needless to say we both awoke with ketchup and mustard all over our faces. it was a wreck! LoL!
Luckily i rarely drink anymore. Maybe once every 2 or 3 months. I try to incorporate water and also, share some sort of appetizer that isn't horrific, like grilled chicken quesadillas (minus sour cream) or something of that nature.
man I had been avoiding this thread because i'm trying to believe that i don't have a problem with alcohol...
but, that aside, i am totally feeling that nasty food craving all day! drank a bunch of wine last night and nothing i'm eating today is hitting the spot. And i'm cranky.
grrrrrrr.
s
I didn't go out with my friends last night because I decided I didn't want to drink and didn't want my friends to pressure me to drink. I mean I usually don't drink that much, probably 3 or 4 times a month, but I want to cut that to about twice a month. When I do go out I always have Michelob Ultras (the low carb beer), but they are still like 94 calories or something, so you have four of them and that is almost 400 calories, that is a meal!
Happy St. Paddy's to all!! Celebrations all around here in Dublin, but I've been thinking about this thread so am sitting here with a diet 7up (with green food colouring in it!!-assume that's calorie free!!) and not at all feeling inclined to eat the shamrock-shaped cake my younger sister baked - settling for some low-cal mint ice-cream for after my dinner! There's also a massive bowl of another green concoction my brother created...it's green and smells very strongly of vodka so im steering clear, at least until later on!!
katewillbehappier: I just spent the weekend eating and drinking my way through Boston! I wish I had your will power!! Lol! Guinness and Smithwicks and Irish Whiskey, Oh my!
The only alcoholic beverage I really like is beer and I gave that up for New Years' because it definitely increases my appetite in the worst way. Just about every time I drank
I invariably gave in to fierce cravings for greasy spicy fattening food (like pizza with extra cheese and tons of red pepper, or Chinese takeout swimming in hot mustard). The next day I'd feel sick and bloated and thoroughly disgusted with myself.
Unless of course I drank so much I got sick and didn't want to eat at all.
So no booze for me. Much easier to control my calories this way.
man, last year i gained back all the weight i had lost before and i alcohol was such a big factor for me!! i'd go drinking - long islands, all sorts of sugary girlie mixed drinks and since i lived in walking distance from my favorite bar where all my best girlfriends worked - i was there all the time! and not to mention they had the BEST chicken fingers and cajun fries... and their double servings of the best ranch i ever had in my life... and Ohhh.. just so nice - right around the corner was a 711- walk there before going home - get gatorade, cookie dough, chips... and if i was ambitious, jack in the box was around the OTHER corner on the way home!
and with all that alcohol on board - i didnt care at ALL! when i was drunk i was "skinny" in my head. hahaha
needless to say - i moved. i dont drink anymore and i dont eat like that anymore either!
Yeah I was losing around 2 pounds a week, and then I drank two weekends in a row and haven't managed to lose even half a pound since...I think drinking slows down your metabolism or something...
Take the word of a "mature" person. This is NOT a new phenomenon. We were doing it 30 years ago when I was college age. I lived for weeks at a time on coffee, beer and diet pills (with an occasional order of Denny's hash browns thrown in for something solid) and was downright skinny. The problem is, the long term effect ends up being that when you get older you can't metabolize the alcohol too well any more so the body ends up reacting to that 52 calorie Bacardi like it was a 400 calorie pina colada and you end up looking like a toad perched on that barstool.
. But I do stick (amazingly firmly) to the rule that I MUST finish a bottle of water before I can order another "adult beverage". The combination of fewer cocktails and more water ends up making it easier to stay OP as far as the food is concerned.
but remember that even if you over-celebrate, you just need to dust yourself off and get back OP the next day.
