Effects of Alcohol on Fitness & Weight Loss Goals

Susan V

Susan V

New member
I have a very active social life and I'm in sales - so I'm constantly bombarded with opportunities to drink. I've been between jobs for the last 4 weeks (starting my new job on Monday), so I've been using that time to focus on my fitness and weight loss goals and have become somewhat of a hermit in order to accomplish those goals. But realistically, I need my friends and my job, so I will now have to start participating in those activities again.

My question is - how much is TOO much and will sabatoge my goals? For example, say I went out with my friends one night a week and kept my drinks to 3 or less. Will that do any significant damage to my weekly goal?

What advice do others here have about how you manage socializing and maintaining goals?
 
When I'm in full-fledged cut mode, I make my friends aware of it. Not that they're huge peer-pressurers... but they are of the type who will continually buy me drinks if they see me empty handed.

I'll usually either go out and not drink.

Or I'll limit myself.

I've definitely went on some binges and 15+ beers can really screw you over, calorically speaking.

If you keep things in check though, I don't see a problem at all. Afterall, this is about a lifestyle adoption. If you can't combine healthy living with friends and social activities... what's the point?

:)

Med Hypotheses. 2001 Sep;57(3):405-7.Click here to read Links
Does regular ethanol consumption promote insulin sensitivity and leanness by stimulating AMP-activated protein kinase?
McCarty MF.

Pantox Laboratories, San Diego, California 92109, USA.

There is good reason to believe that regular moderate alcohol consumption promotes insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle; conceivably, this benefits the protective effects of moderate drinking on vascular health and risk for obesity and diabetes. The mechanism responsible for alcohol's insulin-sensitizing activity remains obscure. As a working hypothesis, it is proposed that metabolism of acetate in peripheral tissues generates sufficient levels of AMP to temporarily stimulate the AMP-activated protein kinase, which in turn induces the synthesis of certain long-lived proteins that act to boost insulin sensitivity and possibly aid the efficiency of fat oxidation as well. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
 
Thanks! I totally agree on the "lifestyle" part. Life is all about balance IMO. I've often said that if a person is unhappy they should attempt to find what is out of balance in their life - ie: too much work, too much play, too much or too little of pretty much anything can cause unhappiness.
 
I like to drink. I'm a sot. beer is pretty high cal and if its not....well then you are likely drinking crappy beer. Stick with either straight liquor or mixed with something low cal. ginn and tonic maybe? My wife like Captain Morgans and Cherry Coke Zero. Or you could have a Skinny Bitch (vodka and diet coke) or my personal favorite mixed drink

Makers Mark and Ice!
 
like to drink. I'm a sot. beer is pretty high cal and if its not....well then you are likely drinking crappy beer. Stick with either straight liquor or mixed with something low cal. ginn and tonic maybe? My wife like Captain Morgans and Cherry Coke Zero. Or you could have a Skinny Bitch (vodka and diet coke) or my personal favorite mixed drink

Makers Mark and Ice!
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Can't drink beer - gives me a instant headache! G&T is probably my favorite drink. I will have to try the Skinny Bitch - simply because I want to say to the bartender "make me a skinny bitch" LOL! I also like wine sometimes.
 
sugar free tonic is available... not all bars carry it but some do... I can't drink diet soda anymore - but sugar free tonic or club soda are both drinkable...
 
A shot still has calories. 97 per 1.5 oz shot of rum or vodka. 87 for Captain Morgan. So 3 Rum and Diet Cokes is about 300 calories IF MEASURED. I personally like sloppy bartenders who over pour and make stroger drinks, but that throughs off the calorie count. Skirnoff Ice and Smirnoff Twisted have 250 calories per bottle. 3 of those would be 750 calories, YIKES!!!

So go for the XXX and diet soda. 300 calories ain't too bad.

Rocky
 
rocky_lange said:
A shot still has calories. 97 per 1.5 oz shot of rum or vodka. 87 for Captain Morgan. So 3 Rum and Diet Cokes is about 300 calories IF MEASURED. I personally like sloppy bartenders who over pour and make stroger drinks, but that throughs off the calorie count. Skirnoff Ice and Smirnoff Twisted have 250 calories per bottle. 3 of those would be 750 calories, YIKES!!!

So go for the XXX and diet soda. 300 calories ain't too bad.

Rocky
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If you drink diet soda with liquor though chances are you will find yourself getting drunk A LOT quicker. With diet soda you process it faster than regular soda, therefore processing with it the liquor faster. I read it somewhere... I forget percentages..here..



That might be a better thing though as long as you dont drink as much haha then I guess you still get the effects.

For myself, I am really really good on my diet during the week so that one day usually doesnt mess me up too bad. I always drink Lite beer though, and always drink the diet soda with liquor.. haha But for the first 6 months of my diet i did not even have one SIP of alcohol at all...and I live in a small town that is big with underage drinking..so sorry if I offended anyone haha =P
 
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that's actually a good point above... very very very few bartenders measure the booze in a drink and will doa pour by counting in the head.. rarely do they get 1 1/2 ounces in the glass -it's usually more....
 
Okay - well after reading Steve's advice above I happily went out with my friends last night for a few drinks. Two things happened that I wasn't prepared for - first - I got toasted way faster then I ever have before - and second, I was so buzzed when I got home that I ended up eating again and went over my calories for the day substantially!

Guess those were both things I needed to do - at least I know I can't put them away like I was when I was eating more and exercising less! On the bright side - I can spend less money now and get the same result :D
 
Susan V said:
Okay - well after reading Steve's advice above I happily went out with my friends last night for a few drinks. Two things happened that I wasn't prepared for - first - I got toasted way faster then I ever have before - and second, I was so buzzed when I got home that I ended up eating again and went over my calories for the day substantially!

Guess those were both things I needed to do - at least I know I can't put them away like I was when I was eating more and exercising less! On the bright side - I can spend less money now and get the same result :D
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A cheap drunk huh? What you doin this weekend? :drool5: Don't sweat it. Remember also if you went out you most likely more active than if you had sat on the couch or read in bed. They may help a little. I don't know the numbers but going to a club or similar always wears me out so there has to be some calorie burn there.

Don't sweat it. Eat, drink and be merry!
 
Remember also if you went out you most likely more active than if you had sat on the couch or read in bed
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Ha! Thanks that's one I hadn't thought of :) I did go ahead and journal what I ate/drank which is something I've learned to do when I know I've "cheated". For some reason, it's never as bad as I think it's going to be when that happens. This time, even after the alcohol and extra food, I was still only at 2100 calories - so not too bad really for a cheat day. The worse part was that I woke up with a headache at 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep. So I will be dragging all day now :( Headed to the gym anyway tho!
 
Susan V said:
The worse part was that I woke up with a headache at 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep. So I will be dragging all day now :( Headed to the gym anyway tho!
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That's the one thing that helps me feel great after a night of drinking, actually. Nothing like a nice jog in the morning or some moderate weight lifting. Cuts through the "haze" and gives me some energy. :)
 
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