Posted: 2/11/2009 10:47:56 PM EDT
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I'm a drinker. Usually at least 1 or 2 drinks per night before I go to sleep. Not always, but usually.
I know that cutting out alcohol is a major component in the success of losing weight. But let's just say that cutting out alcohol is not possible. What are the least harmfull alternatives? I've heard, for example, that it's better to drink rum and vodka. Why? I don't know. But I heard it so I'm mentioning it here. What tips do any of you healthy alcohol drinkers have for people who want to lose weight but might not necessarily be ready to kick the booze? |
| "They" say that all alcohol is the same, as far as calories are concerned. When I needed to cut a little to make weight on active duty I just dieted and factored beer/ wine/ coctails into my overall intake. Beer is bread, if you want to look at it that way....diet accordingly. |
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I tell myself that "if I can find the time to drink then I can find the time to exercise."
You have made a habit of when you consume alcohol. Change up your "schedule" on purpose. Do something- anything- in the time frame that you usually have a few drinks. This takes discipline, but it can be done. It doesn't have to be exercise. Get out your tools and fix a leaky faucet. Change a lightbulb, do some work in the garage. Don't watch TV, don't sit on the computer, don't be sedentary. Before you know it, the time you are making for drinking becomes less. You consume less, you are more active, and the damn faucet stopped leaking. 
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Quoted:
Carbohydrate does not have as much of an impact on the total Caloric content of most alcoholic beverages as some might think(the exceptions will likely be obvious - especially when looking at various mixed drinks).
beer = carbs liquor not so much at least that's my understanding of it....but I'm not much of a drinker so I very well could be wrong Alcohol, itself, is an energy nutrient; and it contains a surprising amount of energy(Calories). Would a diet coke and rum have fewer Calories than beer? Yes. Will a diet coke with a 1oz. shot of rum still have Calories? You bet; probably in the range of 60-70 Calories. How many Calories does a beer have? Well, it all depends on the beer. Many of the typical light beers will have ~100Kcal worth of energy. Some more, some less. There are simply too many choices in beer. One thing I will say about beer is that the 'reduced Calorie' beer you typically see will have a lower alcohol content. Sure, it might have fewer Calories, but it will take more to 'get you there'. Just for fun, let's break it down. Energy molecules and energy content(per gram, rounded): Carbohydrate - 4 Kcal Protein - 4 Kcal fat - 9 Kcal alcohol - 7 Kcal A mixture of the above nutrients are what make up the "Calories" in your food and drinks. ETA: Tips? Moderation. It can be a difficult concept to accept into your day-to-day life, but it can yield untold benefits. More realistically? How about holding yourself accountable? Yes, giving up alcohol entirely would be the best thing to do; but if you know that you will be consuming two drinks, hold yourself accountable for them. Do this by determining the Caloric content of those drinks and making an "allowance" for them. In other words; let's say you plan on having two Bud Lights tomorrow night. that's roughly 200 Calories. How can you cut 200 Calories out of your diet tomorrow to "make room" for those two Buds? Maybe you won't have a Snickers bar with lunch? Maybe you'll hold off on those extra breadsticks with dinner? How about not drinking a couple cans of sugared soda? Just a couple suggestions... |
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I loved drinking my beer, but the belly got to be a problem. I'm sure the kegerator in the basement had nothing to do with it.
Instead of drinking several beers a night, I switched to a couple of bourbon and Coke Zeros. Still got the slurred speech, but gave up a lot of carbs and calories that way. |
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Quoted:
How about holding yourself accountable? Yes, giving up alcohol entirely would be the best thing to do; but if you know that you will be consuming two drinks, hold yourself accountable for them. Do this by determining the Caloric content of those drinks and making an "allowance" for them. In other words; let's say you plan on having two Bud Lights tomorrow night. that's roughly 200 Calories. How can you cut 200 Calories out of your diet tomorrow to "make room" for those two Buds? Maybe you won't have a Snickers bar with lunch? Maybe you'll hold off on those extra breadsticks with dinner? How about not drinking a couple cans of sugared soda? Just a couple suggestions... I'll bet an extra 10 minutes of cardio per drink would slake your thirst pretty quickly. 
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Miller Lite is something like 73 cals and 3.4 carbs IIRC so...
10 Miller Lites is 730 cals and 34 carbs thats less than 1 Big Mac right? It's all good... Fridays equal... 5X zero carb protein shakes 250 protein 0 carbs 750 calories throughout the day 20X Miller Lite 1460 cals 68 carbs throughout the night 250 protein 2210 cals 68 carbs Looks good to me. 
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