Alcohol and dieting

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  • I noticed several people posting that they drink a bit of wine while OP. You must have great self control. I had one lite beer last night and then chowed down on everything in sight I think I just blew my mini goal (140 lbs) which I had almost reached.

    Is it possible to drink moderately while dieting? And how do I get around the complete crashing down of my self control ? Any tips on how you all do that would be greatly appreciated. I do like a glass of wine or a beer on the weekend.

    Dagmar
  • Well, sometimes it's just not that easy to drink and not lose control with the food... Some days I can say no to food when I've had a drink of wine, other days I can't , I know I'm not much help ... but I have not trick, some days I just have more willpower than others.... It's also a mind game...

    I'm sorry you didn't make you goal of 140 because of that drink ...
  • What does OP mean? :shrug
    I don't drink, but when I did I had no self control. It's hard, but perhaps you could take money enough for just one drink if you go to a bar and don't let anyone buy you one. If your at home just keep a small bottle,
  • Bellybutton -- OP = On Plan ...
  • Drinks
    I Am With You On This Subject I Have No Control At All. Therefore When I Do Diet I Just Cut Out All Sweet Things Including Fruit.
  • I had a few drinks last night.

    That's when my BF had the bright idea to go to McDonald's.
    Halfway through the quarter pounder. I remembered I don't even LIKE McDonald's, realized I wasn't hungry, and I was just going to feel gross and guilty in the morning.

    I finished eating it anyway.

    So yea, I'm no help either. I hope someone here has a strategy I can use.
  • I find it depends how much I drink. I do drink alot--I have two glasses of wine each night (one while I'm cooking dinner, the second while I'm eating dinner) and I live in a wine town, so drinking wine is incredibly ubiquitous and pretty central to our social life. For me, I only run into problems with food if I drink too much and get a bit sloppy. Then, I find the lure of the 24 hour Jack in the Box impossible to resist. I crave french fries and usually get a burger since we're already in the drive-through. It's not the best. Actually, it's disgusting. I forgive myself though and go to the gym.

    Perhaps you just need to figure out how many drinks you can manage before you lose your control around food, or, limit your drinking to times when bad food won't be an option... It's tricky though. I'll grant you that.
  • If I didn't have a family to cook for, I'd be perfectly happy to have a glass of wine and a few crackers with cheese as my dinner once or twice a week. I know it isn't healthy, but I'd probably be having larger lunches. I rarely eat much with my wine (or beer or cocktail)--I don't' get the munchies!
  • Hi, if I am tired and I have a glass of wine, then I get hungry and have trouble stopping myself from eating whatever is in front of me. If I am not tired, I can have a drink and not overeat. So the key for me is not letting myself get too tired or my willpower just goes straight out the window.
    suerose
  • I tend to steer clear of alcohol in the same way I try to steer clear of sugar. One taste of sugar and I eat everything in sight. A few glasses of wine and I no longer care and eat what I want. It's a diet breaker for me but that's just me.
  • We drink a decent amount also. It all depends on my mood if alcohol makes me eat more than normal or not.
  • It's a real struggle to drink a glass of wine and stay on plan, both because of the calories in the wine itself (and the fact that after I have one glass, I always want another) and because it destroys my willpower.

    For this reason, I've really cut back on my drinking. I used to have a couple of glasses of wine a couple of nights a week. Now I rarely have wine at home. When I do have it at home, it helps to not have any foods around that I would be tempted to go off plan for. If I don't have chocolate or nuts around (my biggest weaknesses), overindulging after a glass or two of wine is much less of a problem. Even after a glass of wine, I'm not that interested in overindulging on carrots.
  • I have a couple of beers a few times a week but I don't really get hungry or crave food when I drink so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

    I guess I'm not really any help either. Sorry.
  • Hey dont beat your self up. I do it alot too. Its our self deafeating attitudes an negativity that keep us so attached to our weight. Life is full of ups and downs . I like to drink. I used to own a bar. Its not that bad and it can help the stress. If you dont over indulge. I realize alot when I want ot have a drink its because I am crazing sugar. Alot of alcholics say they have learned to identify and satisfy the physical urge with a little sugar and some support. Like we have here !!!
  • I'm moving towards beer and mixed drinks, since with wine I have a considerably harder time controling portions (I can't stand to let wine stay in the fridge more than 2-3 days, but on the same token, I don't want to budget out calories for wine on 3 consecutive days) - so I've been saving my bottles for only when I have company or when I plan to cook with the leftover wine.

    But yea, drinking has a tendency to lower my food inhibitions as well - so I only drink occasionally (usually about five times a month, 1-3 drinks each time)