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Alcohol Advice

FatToThin profile image
11 Replies

Hello everyone. I'm new here. I've recently started a diet and exercise regime, yet I'm going on a night away on Wednesday. I would like to drink and usually when I drink I drink Vodka because it is low in calories. However, the last time I drank Vodka, I had the whole bottle and got so drunk I felt extremely ill the next day.

So, I'm thinking of drinking Wine, which I believe is reasonably low in calories. However I won't be doing much exercise, as I'll be travelling, so I will have to skip my exercise regime, although, I might do a work out in the morning. Here's my dilemma, if I have a small breakfast of just two bananas and have nothing else to eat that day, then drink Wine and maybe some light ales, would it affect my diet much? Or, is there a recommended alcohol allowance for dieters?

Thank you all for your help.

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FatToThin profile image
FatToThin
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11 Replies

Hi FatToThin, there is an alcohol allowance for everyone including people who are trying to lose weight. You can't just skip meals to save calories for alcohol. Alongside cutting down food portions, alcohol portions need to be cut down too. This is a useful way to plan how much you should limit yourself to, and hopefully helps you see why nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/un...

Portlandprincess profile image
Portlandprincess in reply to

That's a good link there! Not seen it before.

in reply toPortlandprincess

If you ask google 'how many calories in alcohol' it comes up. The scary bit is where it tells you not only how many units you've gone over, and how many calories you've gone over, but how much money it cost you too. It should be called the shame calculator!

Portlandprincess profile image
Portlandprincess in reply to

I've had to just put drinking out of the equation for at least 90% of the time.....cos I eat when I drink...no control!

in reply toPortlandprincess

Same here, I think that was my main problem. I've now cut down to 6 units a week. From somewhere around a million times more than that... I think a good proportion of my calories were down to alcohol, and then you lose resolve and start snacking, etc, etc...

cherry-blossom profile image
cherry-blossom in reply toPortlandprincess

That's so me too! Third week without any alcohol for me!

in reply to

Thanks, Ruth. Never seen that drinks tracker before. Have downloaded and will share with husband tonight.

Raffi profile image
Raffi

I stopped drinking on Aug 1st this year, and since then I have dropped 16 lbs. until one week ago, that was all down to no alcohol and walking to work and back every day (3 miles). Now I am gymming swimming and cycling my way to a lower number in addition to my alcohol free living! My advice would be to ask yourself what you want more: alcohol and a headache, or weight loss and more money in your pocket. ;) Whatever you do, don't skip eating. You wont be doing yourself any favours by skipping meals to save calories for alcohol. Just doesnt work like that Im afraid (believe me, if it did, me and my beers would be first to shout about it!) Good luck!

Andyt2120 profile image
Andyt2120

Probably don't want to hear this but stop,drinking. It is empty calories with no nutritional value. I am virtually tea total and don't find it a problem. We don't need to drink alcohol and it would be a big help to youmifmyou could knock it on the head.

Good luck with whatever you do.

OlsBean profile image
OlsBean

It's extremely hard to maintain a serious weight loss program and continue to regularly consume alcohol whilst on it.

There are of course people here that need and want to lose relatively small amounts of weight over a period of time and drinking a couple of glasses of wine on a weekend and factoring in the calories to their daily allowance is not going to derail that. However the majority of people on life changing journeys would probably benefit from abstaining except for the occasional special events. The reason for this is not just because of the obvious energy/calories you're consuming but more so in my personal opinion is the stress that you put your liver under, because the chances are anyone who is already obese or very obese is going have a degree of liver dysfunction already and your liver and its ability to function fully is central to your metabolic health and weight control.

I myself did not drink for years and years because of the type and amount of medication I was taking. I did not drink on my weight-loss journey and I only started drinking again at the end of last year. I enjoy a couple of whiskies a couple of times a week and a couple of pints of guinness at the weekend, however I am mindful of how easy it is to lose track and because of this I recently bought a spirit measuring set, because my measures were getting larger and larger :)

Good Luck.

When you said, you would only have two bananas to sustain you all day so that you can drink more alcohol, alarm bells started ringing for me. You deny yourself essential nourishment for the sake of alcohol and balancing the calories. It's as if you asked: is it ok, if I don't pay my bills this month so that I can spend the money on booze so that the budget is still balanced. The fact that you asked this question makes it seem that you have an alcohol problem. A glass of wine (175 ml, 12% strength), which is the recommended amount for a woman, has 126 kcal and can easily be incorporated into most diets. Also, speaking from experience - be careful when changing drinks - the tannin in wine might affect you in unexpected ways.

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