Hi I have just joined and have 4 stone to lose

[wildfrog]

I am finding it hard to reduce my alcohol intake.

Did anyone have the same difficulty? , any tips would be gratefully received.

[Portlandprincess]

Hi Wildfrog....yep alcohol has been my downfall in the past....and is always around the corner ready to scupper my good deeds ....I now understand that it is the only reason I am about five stone over weight. Top tip from me would be to literally stop drinking today and use the bottom of the BMI calculator for calorie intake...it looks like lots of calories. and it really is when we're not saving them up for beer or wine. The hardest part in saying no to having a drink with friends is they still try to persuade you to join them...and it's a battle ...

My trigger for over eating is after a few drinks...so I had to do this.

I do still have a glass or two of quality fizz occasionally but the two pints of lager is not going to happen now.

It's a big decision initially because I come from a family of social drinkers and friends who are social drinkers....good luck!

[cherry-blossom in reply to Portlandprincess]

So agree with you. After two glasses I lost all control over my eating especially when out socially with friends who don't help. I am being much more vigilant without the alcohol....it's really helped me giving it up until I can control it better.

[Hidden in reply to Portlandprincess]

I, however, seldom drink at all and realised that I have nothing to blame my weigh gain on other than food !!!

[cherry-blossom]

You bet I did! Two weeks ago I was having two glasses of wine a night with my dinner!

It's hard to give up .... I have tried to replace it with diet coke or any other low cal drink....fizzy mineral water. However, it really makes a huge different to my weight loss so good luck with it!

[Prin]

While I was dieting I cut it out completely in the week ant severely restricted at weekends - it's true the damage is worsened by the increase in appetite ( for junk)

You catch me in the middle of dry September it has made a difference to those extra few pounds I was carrying!

[Hidden]

I've had to ban certain types of alcohol, e.g. I don't keep wine in the house anymore, an open bottle is too much temptation. In pubs I get a half of cider and a glass of water and drink as slowly as I can. I make nice non alc drinks too, e.g. Virgin Marys, jug of water with sliced lemon and mint in it, and have discovered some tasty teas such as spicy chai (without milk), twinings buttermint and yogi liquorice tea. My advice is to keep temptation as far away as possible, and keep lots of tasty alternatives closer to hand. Good luck

[3rd-Time-Here 6lbs]

Hi Wildfrog, when I began the whole calorie counting plan the amount of calories consumed in alcohol was a a real eye opener for me. I haven't given alcohol up completely but drink vodka with slimline tonic which is less calorific than red wine. I believe that it was Ruth_Canal_Runner that gave me a great tip for social occasions of alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or water. I found that this really helped and I still enjoy a drink or 2 each week but I make sure that I included the calories in my daily total. Good luck.

[Hidden]

Hi wildfrog, I have given up alcohol all together. I didn't drink much until the start of this year when I started using it as a crutch cause of other problems I had. Then I found it hard to not drink. So I cut it out altogether, got rid of all the alcohol in the house and when I am out with friends I am usually driving so everyone accepts that I am not drinking. I don't miss it at all and I can't blame my extra weight on alcohol now. mrsg3's suggestion about alternating with soft drinks or water is a good one, but be mindful of what soft drink you are having as it may contain a lot of calories. Good luck.

[Andyt2120]

Alcohol is wasted calories as it will,do nothing for you nutritionally. The truthful answer is to cut it out all together unless you are very disciplined. The other day I posted that I probably averaged about a pint week. Thought about this and think it is not more than 1/2 pint of beer a week at most which I can live with.

[NoMoreJunk Maintainer 2st 7lbs Healthy BMI]

Alcohol is my downfall too. My boyfriend works in the wine trade so there are always nice wines to try! We have really cut down now and tend to have one bottle between us a week - and the dinner had to be 'worthy' of the wine because we now spend the same as we did before on wine but on just one bottle to make it special. I have drank more the last couple of weeks though as had a lot of social occasions and think this has really affected my weightloss - I have stayed around the same weight for 2 weeks now and not very hopeful for tomorrow's weigh in!

[Liesel]

I was almost alcoholic and then I was diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the Liver. They said if I carried on drinking I would be dead in 6 months! So I stopped, that was about 2 tears ago and I don't miss it and I never got a craving.

Alcohol destroys the liver. Mine has to cope with the part that's still functioning. So it has a harder job to do.

Alcohol will destroy you one way or another. Do your diet and cut the drinking as much as you can. I'm eating a lot of healthy foods, more than I did before. Fruit, veg, keep salt down it stores up water. I've put a bit of weight on and gone up a size in clothes. If you can't get fresh fruit, like in winter, you can get fruit in tubs in their own juice. Tinned fruit are OK but avoid the ones in syrup. You can choose the ones with they're own juice, much more healthy. Fish is good but I always hated it, pity but they do say good red meat. I haven't done anything about it coz I rarely cook now. ( I wasn't that great at it anyway.)

Try to eat well and cut the alcohol. Keep a diary and say how much you've drunk. It will be private and you could write your feelings down too. De-tox slowly if you can. if you stopped now, you're likely to start again.

GOOD LUCK. x

Liesel Liver