I've been on MF for only 3 weeks and I love it - 13 pounds down and I feel amazing and I never obsess about food.

I'm divorced with 50% custody, and much of my non-mom-time social life involves parties, BBQs, and going out with friends or on dates, and alcohol is often involved. I'm ok with being the DD for the most part, but I have enough weight to lose that I can't imagine that I'll want to go that many months without partaking at all.

I know that if I drink low/non-carb drinks it won't kick me out of ketosis... but I am interested in your experience - does it make you gain (assuming you don't cheat otherwise)? I am thinking of allowing an alcohol cheat once every month or two.

My second question is - any low or non-carb drink suggestions? Gin & diet tonic, and vanilla vodka & diet coke have been recommended to me so far.

Thanks in advance!
Amy

Yeah, I've done some cheating with booze since last April. Hey, I'm dedicated, but I'm also a wee bit Irish.

I've only ended up with a gain at the end of the week twice so far. Neither of them was the week of a booze cheat. That said, I only cheat with alcohol about once a month, and when I do, I usually keep it to 1 or 2 drinks, and am strict with my eating around the day I drink.

My favorite lower cal drinks -
gin & diet tonic
whiskey & water
diet margaritas - www.zilchmixers.com
flavored vodka & club soda (or diet tonic if I'm home)
gin & club soda (not nearly as good as G&T, but if I'm at a bar and really want gin...)

I love beer, but have seriously cut back for now. If I do have 1, it's premium craft beer. Might as well get the most flavor for all those calories.

I've learned that I did a lot of mindless drinking before. Like, it's trivia night and everyone else is drinking beers, so I'll have 2 or 3 also. The wine with dinner 3 or 4 nights a week. I really don't need it all. Club soda & lime is my new "going out but not drinking" drink - it even looks like a cocktail.

Good luck with your planned cheats - I only cheat if I've planned it out, too. Keep an eye on your progress and adjust if you need to.

Thanks Riddy! That margarita mix looks like a really good idea, I think I need to get some. And I do the club soda w/ lime or lemon too!

I'm with you on the mindless beer/wine... really mindless eating and drinking of everything I could get in my mouth. But my body feels so much better eating less, I don't ever want to go back there.

Just FYI, for future reference on this topic, I had 2 non-carb drinks 2 nights in a row (a date, then my company's users conference opening reception) and 3 days later I have not lost ANYTHING. I have been so steady in my loss but I have now been at the same weight for almost a week.

NOT WORTH IT.

I'm planning an alcohol cheat for the 4th of July. I've been on Medifast with absolutely no cheats and am in my 9th week. Im planning to get right back on program immediately after. I realize I might stall because of it but hoping I won't.

A hiccup in the scale for a few days is nothing in the scope of the weight loss I'm seeing with MF... I was maybe a little upset in my last post because it was the first time I had seen the scale stop AT ALL.

I am trying to be good for a while but will be keeping an eye on it and posting here when I *do* indulge.

Let me know how it goes, and have a great 4th, you deserve it!!

I cheated last weekend - 2 beers and 2 vodkas on friday night, and 1 wine and 1 vodka saturday night. By weigh in this friday, I was down 2 pounds. I only lost 0.1 pound the week before, so I think that is why I got away with it. I'm exercising every day now, which I think helps.

I had a drink last night at my SIL's birthday party, so we'll see how that plays out on Friday.

How did the 4th go, MysticBliss? How about you, Riddy? I have been on plan for the past 2 weeks, nothing exciting to report, but I might be getting a little better at saying no (me?!!?).

Hi amy,

I'm down 1.9 pounds this week - woohoo!!! I really think the exercise is what's driving these bigger losses - I was rarely losing more than 1 pound a week before I started the daily exercise and couch to 5k.

I would be very happy if the exercising makes these last 30 pounds come off quicker and easier.

Well I really enjoyed the 4th, a little too much. I did have my alcohol cheat, a few low carb beers, and I also went off program the day before too at a Chinese food buffet. I was up 6 lbs the next day and have gone back on program since so I am hoping the 6 lbs is mostly water weight and will come off soon. I mean how can I gain 6 lbs, 3500 calories x 6, wow.

The cheat was definitely not worth it, lesson learned

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday

Amy & Co:

Crap, I drank an entire bottle if Chardonnay last night. I felt the need to indulge. But not that much!! I justified it like "I'm never going to re-visit this opened bottle... My bf was celebrating... We had no kids & were watching a movie. I went to clean up after the movie & did our dinner dishes (very healthy, I might add). But all flew out the window when I downed that entire bottle.
We shall see what happens at weigh in on tuesday.
Btw- I started June 20, lost 3 lbs 1st week & 3 lbs 2nd week. All without cheating! Just wanted to confess. There, I feel better.

Hello support sisters (& brothers),

FYI... Not worth it on the wine.
Geez, I re-read my last post & I still must have been plowed : /
In all reality, I didn't down the bottle of wine all at once. Just consumed the ENTIRE thing over the course of the evening.
Bottom line is this: week 3 = .9 pounds lost.
I wasted my full weeks potential. I'm glad I didn't gain. And like I've read on here and reminded myself.... Tomorrow is a new day to do better.
I'm a social being & like to have fun.
I've learned that I need to be living it up with my MF infusers for awhile.