Does anyone else here struggle with not "binge" drinking on the weekends?

One definition states that 5 drinks for men and 4 drinks for women must be consumed on one occasion at least once in a two week period for it to be classed as binge.

I can easily drink more than 4 in a social situation. Example: I did a bike race and they gave beer at the end, I had two beers - then we went to the pool - I had two more drinks - then we watched college ball and I had four more drinks. I never got drunk either. So, I had 12 ounces of vodka and 2 beers on Saturday. Definitely a binge.

This is definitely something I struggle with in social situations.

How do you handle drinking and dieting?

It's hard for me too, especially coming from a military background where off duty hours were planned around drinks.

I still drink. One thing that helps me when I'm out is alternate a drink with a soda. I normally order a rum and diet single tall. Next just a diet coke. It looks like I'm still drinking, but not having drink after drink after drink.

1.5 ounces of Vodka (depending on the brand and proof) has between 90-130 calories. SO that 12 ounces of Vodka had between 720-1040 calories in it! Was it worth consuming that much calories to you??

Maybe before you drink.. check how many calories specifically it has.. and maybe that will deter you from consuming so much.( I really wish they would print it right on the bottle..but you usually have to google it.)



I think you need to look at WHY you drink. Do you just like it? Are you feeling pressured to drink because others are drinking?
Could you have 1 drink like vodka and a diet soda and then just drink the same soda the rest of the night?

GOOD LUCK.

This isn't helpful for everyone but once you get to a certain body fat % and body weight, you can only handle a couple drinks max.

Friday night I had dessert-flavored vodka shots with lots of water after. I might make a habit of that.

4 drinks is considered a binge drink!!?? What!?

Anyway, I don't so much struggle with it on the weekends, and I don't go out drinking anymore (2 kids and a husband will do that to ya, lol). BUT I do enjoy having a couple drinks (sometimes a couple times a week). Lately I've switched to Jack and Diet sodas. Jack has 65 calories per ounce, from what I can find online. Although I do much prefer beer and wine.

The thing I've been wondering though, is if it is still hindering my weight loss even though it fits into my calories. I read a long time ago (and I don't have any links, so who knows if what I read was legit) that alcohol can inhibit your body's ability to burn fat for up to 72 hours after consumption. SO if I have 2 drinks every 3 to 4 days, that would mean that my body is perpetually hindered. Guess I should just cut it out except for maybe once a month either way. WHY ARE ALL OF MY VICES CALORIC! Sometimes I miss smoking.

"Binge drinking" has really different meanings depending on who you ask...to me, it's not "binge drinking" unless you're having so many drinks so quickly that you are wasted and incapable of making decisions.

I don't miss smoking at all tbh, listening to the guy in the office next door coughing and spluttering and hacking is pretty good reinforcement that dropping cigarettes was a good idea.

When it comes right now to it, I suppose I really don't either. I just celebrated 4 years smoke free. I don't miss having trouble breathing, or smelling like an ashtray. And when I see my dad, a life time 2 pack a day-er, struggling to catch his breath just walking down the hall and constantly coughing and hacking, I know I made the right decision! I have found myself fighting the urge to want to smoke lately, though. I will never regret quitting, of course, but every once in a while I do miss it just a little.

I will just force myself to ask for water after a certain number (usually 1 or 2) unless its a very special occasion that is designed for drinking. For example, my birthday, my bff's birthday or her husands birthday all equal meeting at the same bar and getting hammered. We plan far in advance since our bill is astronomical and we all need rides home.

Any other occasion is not worth it to me and you can have just as much fun stopping at 1 (or not even starting) and going with water. At least thats how I feel. Chocolate on the other hand is a whole different ball game on my end lol!

This wasn't intended for the whole caloric lecture or anything of that nature, but more curious as to who else struggles with the social aspect of drinking while dieting.

I typically drink whiskey or single malt scotch, straight on the rocks.

It's no fun being the only sober person watching a football game.

mammasita - I need to get on the "alternating" plan.

krampus - My tolerance is actually a lot less than it used to be at 325lbs. I believe this. lol Edit to add: My best friend does that. She calls it "front loading" where you do two or three shots and get your drunk on, and then move to water/soda. You get the effect quickly and then choose what to do when you start to sober up.

LockItUp - I know, right? 4 drinks really isn't that many. I dont ever drink M-F, really. I typically just drink during the games over the weekend. LOL

I used to drink a lot too... since I've gotten a bit older, my body doesn't tolerate alcohol as well as it used to - I don't sleep well at night when I go to sleep drunk and wake up tired and groggy and semi-hungover if I've had more than 3-4 drinks the previous night. This made me realize that I don't wanna feel so shitty the next day (it was causing me to miss my workouts) and I'd rather be able to commit to working out well instead of sulking and feeling yucky.

I have a drink that I drink very slowly, follow that with a glass of water with lemon so it looks like a drink and people don't bug me about it. Then I have another and I drink that very slowly as well. People don't bug me as long as I have a drink in my hand and I sometimes lie and say I've had more than I really have had if they bug me about it. Whatever.

Fortunately, my interest in drinking disappeared after college. I rarely drink now. I think I have always been careful with alcohol because my mom had a problem with it, even though she wouldn't admit it. And my dad wasn't a drinker, and since I admired him I guess I never felt like drinking alcohol.

I live in the land of delicious beer, and often my get togethers with friends include it. However, I really don't enjoy liquor, so I pretty much stick to beer, which I love tasting and trying new kinds. Since it's bubbly the beer usually fills me up so much that I can't drink more than 3 in a night, especially if food is also involved.

If I'm going out for a drink or 2, I make sure I stick to a drink or 2 and count those calories. If I'm going out for a night on the town, I just try to eat healthfully during the day and cut my losses in the evening.

That doesn't really make sense to me. If you're in a caloric deficit, your body has no choice but to burn fat for energy. When I lost 55 pounds last year, I had one or two glasses of wine with dinner about 5 times per week, and it didn't hinder my loss at all.

F.

I agree. I went on a mission to try to find this information, and I could not. I'd bet I read it on some blog a million years ago. It's always stuck with me, now I will let it go!

I used to have a bigger problem with binge drinking on the once in a blue moon occasions I decide to have more than one or two drinks. But over time I have settled into the have a few drinks during the weekend mode. I don't remember the last time I actually binged which is great to hear myself say.