Sorry if this has been discussed but I have been getting so many different answers I thought I would come here for some clarification.

I am active, exercise daily and am counting calories to lose those last 5 or so pounds. I love wine!! I am working with 1300 calories a day.

If a calories is a calorie and I am supplementing with mvi, etc, and make sure to eat adequate protein, fruits and veggies, can 200 calories of my diet be wine and still lose the same amount of weight?

I have read differing opinions but then there is "the wine diet" and "French Women Don't get FAt", also, a study just came out that women who drink moderately (1-2 glasses a day) gain the least amount of weight over time.

What I do is cut the starch from my evening meal and have red or white wine, veggies and lean protein (fish, chicken, etc).

Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this? I supplement with extra b vitamins and i really enjoy my wine and drink it while I cook and with dinner. I am assuming that as long as I stay within my calories I am fine.

Thoughts, experiences?

Thanks in advance!

Eve

I love wine. A glass or two of red every few days calms me and makes me happy. I don't even count it in my calories. (Bad me!) I'm still losing. Besides, there are some health benefits to a glass of red wine. I think it would be different if I were drinking a bottle a night or so, though.

Just like everything else, this is a personal thing. But for me, if I want pizza, or wine, or ice cream, I have it. I have it when I have room in my calories. Since this is the rest of my life we're talking about, I have the wine.

You can always do the experiment - do you still lose the weight? If not, cut out wine. Does it help? If not, add back wine and up the cardio.

I think that as long as it doesn't lower your inhibitions and make you eat extra calories it's all fine and dandy.

What they said! Seriously though, if you can still lose the weight, then why not!

I have a skinny cow ice cream every night... are they good calories? No, but I have to have something like that to keep me from pigging out on something even worse.

I wish I liked wine. I just can't develop the taste for it. My DH says I am a stick in the mud

I agree with the responses so far. This is a lifelong lifestyle we are committing to here. I couldn't imagine swearing off something I loved (and that has health benefits) for the rest of my life unless:

1. it caused me to binge
2. I had an addiction to it
3. health would not allow for it

It doesn't sound like any of the three are true for you, so pop open the cork lol

I have been known to have a glass of red wine every now and again myself

haha, i love this post. i have the same dilemma, especially with trying to eat the SB way. I really like your idea of just removing the starch from your dinner in order to have a glass of wine - a nice cold sauvignon blanc is my favorite right now.

This is my feeling on it. I had a rough experience with a bad bottle of red wine last year so I've been avoiding it since... BUT before I had my daughter I successfully lost 100 lbs with a glass of wine every night. As long as it fits into your calories and it doesn't send you head first into the pantry with the munchies I think it's fine .

I agree with what everyone has said... But.. for me.... not only do I have to remember that it counts toward my calories... but... I have to remember that if I step on the scale, I'm likely to see it up a half pound or so....

It seems that whenever I drink alcohol (of any sort).... the next day I show a slight gain... and then... in a couple of days.. it drops back off...

I don't know why this is... and... as long as I'm aware of it.... and don't let myself get upset with the scales.... it's all good...

Cheers!

Thanks for all the responses! Wow, I have to say I am relieved to hear that there is no detriment as long as calories are counted and it doesn't cause you to binge

I was concerned because I am reading, "The Perfect 10 Diet", which I love, but he states alcohol is one of the worst things for weight/body composition. Not because of the calories but he says that it messes up your hormones and sends your body into a "storage mode". Yet, everyone I know who drinks regularly, as long as they don't overeat, don't have weight problems.

I have a few friends who gave up wine for lent (one friend who drank the equivalent of ~300-450 calories a day) and neither of them lost any weight despite tracking their food and keeping all other variables the same? Interesting, isn't it? They should have both lost weight with that kind of deficiit, strictly from alcohol, but neither did. In fact, my one friend gives it up every year for lent and said wine never affects her weight one way or another.

Then, you have the people who say they drink one glass a few nights a week and can't lose weight until they go cold turkey. So, I was just trying to get some more people's experience and opinions.

Thanks!

I do the same thing, I skip the starch, have meat and veggies or salad for dinner and share a bottle with my husband. I have never had any gains.

Martini's are another matter. lol