Hello. Newbie here. I'm almost 49..and have never had to think about my weight. I used to be able to eat and drink whatever I wanted. These last 6 months or so I must have been hitting the cocktails harder than usual..or do our bodies change as we get older?

My diet is the same..but I got hooked on some fun cocktails...Vanilla vodka and Diet Orange pop...or...Rasberry vodka and Diet Pepsi...YUM!. All of the sudden, my belly has really gotten big. The scale didn't say anything different but stuff was moving that didn't used to move. My clothes seemed to fit the same and I didn't really think much of it. However, the holidays seemed to have been the final straw. The scale jumped 10 lbs and now my jeans are really uncomfortable. How can that happen in what seems like a weeks time?

Is the alcohol to blame? I don't drink to get drunk..but the taste I love. I'm hoping if I quit the fun stuff, my usual diet will be OK..and the pounds/belly fat will go away??? I'm thinking of really amping up my Veggies..roasted with a little olive oil and see what happens? Are my fun drink days over? I went on line and checked the calorie content of vodka and wine...dang..it's almost like either eat or drink...but not both?

Has anyone else experienced this sudden body change? I finally thought back and realized that the only thing that changed was my vodka intake. Is this a 40's thing? YIKES!

Thanks,
K

I don't know if it's a 40s thing or what. I've noticed bodily changes after switching birth control (from TriCyclen to Yaz). I seem to be more "hourglassy" now--not that I wasn't before, it just seems more pronounced or something.

As for alcohol, it certainly can be a detriment to losing weight and can obviously contribute to gaining weight. It sure is hard to kick, though. I feel that as long as I keep it as minimal as possible it is still okay to have one once in a while as long as I count it in my daily calories. One thing that I've discovered is Baja Bob's mixers--most are zero calories (made with Splenda). While a margarita made with this isn't quite as good as the "real" thing, it does suffice.

It just seems so odd that my belly is about the only thing that's gotten bigger...gee...some help up top wouldn't be so bad...

I do think alcohol contributes to the bloated feeling also. I feel like my face is fatter..unless that's just part of the 10 lbs. I'm disappointed in myself for letting it happen.

You might laugh, but I'm a big fan of the show "Intervention". If you ever want to feel a little better about yourself or your life, watch the show and be glad that, at this point, your life is hopefully a little more under control than those on the show. I usually say to myself "There by the Grace of God go I". I watched a slew of episodes over the holidays and noticed that the drinkers that faced an intervention were really bloated...but when they completed their 60-90 day treatments, they were no longer bloated. I'm thinking if I quit the good stuff for awhile, I'll lose the bloated look/feeling and get a head start on a better eating program. I'm certainly not drinking as much as the people on the show but frankly, the bloated look/feeling kind of scares me.

The bloated look is generalized edema that comes about from heavy drinking. When the liver isn't functioning as well as it should, fluids will start backing up. It's really vicious, but yes when those people stopped drinking on intervention they did go back to having a normal looking body.

kahlua, I noticed you and I are about the same age. I am much like you, haven't had to worry much about weight gain. However in my 40's and after a bout with a bad birth control pill for me, I've gained about 50 pounds. And I gained a lot of it very quickly right after the pill issues. I actually ended up with surgery for excessive bleeding from them. And my flat stomach is no more since then. I don't know how much truth there is to it, but a lot of my reading has led me to believe hormones are a part of gaining in the mid section too. So I'm hitting the diet and exercise train now!!

Resident Nut..your explanation makes sense...God..have I been drinking that much? I don't think so..but who knows. I've decided to quit for awhile and see what happens.

Nannerpup, I think you've hit the nail on the head...I've noticed several of my 40ish woman friends expanding in the belly area...we'll all really pissed about it...but it's likely menopause stuff. I had a hyst. back in 1994..I still have my ovaries..but we all seem to be having the same issues. I'm going to do the best that I can and not beat myself up too much. I'm going to take a break from the "fun stuff"... and see if that helps move the scale in the right direction.

Thanks for the thoughts...I had a feeling that it wasn't just me...but I know I'm not helping the issue with my fun Vodka drinks. It will be easier to get a handle on it now...but come hot summer days, after riding my horse..letting him graze..a cold beer is going to be tough to pass up

K

Me too, now I live in fear of losing my waist (what's left if it) altogether. Here's my two cents: Don't give up alcohol, just moderate. Save your fun drinking for Friday or Saturday nights, and maybe switch to lite beer. Try it for 2 weeks (I read that's about how long it takes to make or break a habit).
Since we're talking about permanent changes here, we don't want any regrets.

Generalized edema would be a late effect of alcoholism and liver cirrhosis, I don't think that's going on here. But I would definitely think that regularly having some more cocktails than you're used to would cause a ten pound gain. Add to that being at the age where many women develop more of a belly, and there you go. But you can definitely do something about it

kahlua, my former SPIN teacher told me that stomach weight comes from carbs..I think the edema could also be contributing

yup, me too. I just turned 40 but the tummy that was flat for years, even after two kids, is horrible now. I have put on a lot of weight in the past year (lots of life crap) and I also enjoy my cocktail in the evenings. I usually have gin with either diet tonic water or peach fresca. I'm getting ready to start BitroMD meal delivery and I'll see how that goes.

Hey kahlua, I understand where your coming from. I have always enjoyed my fun drinks, usually only on the weekends. But when I decided to lose weight this year I decided the fun stuff would have to be put aside for a while. I will probably save the drinking for when I celebrate a mile stone such as my first 10 or 25 pounds. It was tough to stop drinking completely but if it will help my weightloss then I am sticking to it! I have always had a weight problem and have gone up and down for years, but as of late, getting it to go down has been alot harder than it was when I was younger. If you just save the fun stuff for the weekends and watch what you eat for a little while I bet your weight will go back to what you are used to! Good Luck!

Hey Shannon,
I think you're right...it's all about moderation. I was doing good with just the Friday/Sat/Sun stuff...but then I had like 4 weeks of vacation over the last 7 weeks...and it seems like all I did was say "hey, it's noon..how about going out to lunch and etc...etc." I'm hoping now that life is back to normal..no vacation time until summer..I can get back in the swing of things. However, today is Friday..and the weather sucks..nothing would taste better this evening than a fun drink...I'm sitting at work now, attempting to talk myself out of it. .

I wish you luck in your quest..you'll be enjoying the weekend fun drinks soon...I just know it.

I went to Jewel last night and bought my favorite roasting veggies and I'm looking forward to cooking something good and healthy this weekend...guess I'd better throw out that little container of Egg Nog. ..it's sitting in the 'fridge begging for some Jack Daniels...it's got to GO!
K

I agree...it seems now at 48, I just can't handle the liquor like I used to. I mean after 2 glasses of wine...I am buzzed and if I share a bottle of wine with a friend....the next day...woha....I have a "hangover".

I think for me staying away from booze, with maybe a sip here and there on special occasions is the way to go.

have a great day....and still have fun with out the booze!

Sandra

my 30's were my club days, I might have a beer a year, not into drinking....

Alcohol is a tough one. I'm single with a large group of friends, and often our social lives revolve around parties or dinners or wing night at the local bar. I've resolved to have no alcohol during the week at all, with Friday night being the one exception. It's a bit lonely when everybody's going out except me!

However, I'm going to keep my eye on the prize. Week One, down five pounds!