The FastDay Forum

On October 31st my OH read something in the paper about how alcohol doesn't just contain calories, but also inhibits fat burning. I think I'd heard this before but hey. So he suggested we try to go a whole month (November) without ANY alcohol. I agreed we should try, but by Sunday evening (2nd November) I was so grumpy and low, not to mention headachy, I gave in and had a glass of wine. I suppose at least it was only one!

It's very hard - I was 6 months into 5:2 before I decided to avoid alcohol on fast days, and it hasn't been easy. But to go a whole month? The only time in the last 30 years I can recall going without a drink for even a week was when I was taking antibiotics (which isn't very often). Is this a terrible thing to admit? I want to support my OH in this but then again I don't want to feel guilty if I can't manage it, if I'm setting myself too high a goal and and bound to fail.

There have been fasts that I've broken and I don't beat myself up on that, because I know just to keep going and although it slows down my fat loss I accept that it's the price I'm paying.

So now I'm thinking maybe I should try to set a more modest goal - rather than (currently) two alcohol-free days a week, maybe I could manage 3 or 4. But abstention for a month - I really can't see it happening, however much I love my OH.

What do others think - is anyone else in this position, have you found a way to limit the booze without it crippling you? I think I'm just a typical middle-aged middle-class 2-glasses-of-wine-each-evening drinker, but clearly I'm dependent on it, however much I tell myself it's bad for me. I'm doing well with 5:2 and have stuck at it for 18 months now. But this might be one restriction too much.

I have decided not to drink on week days. Several others have had a dry October@Carieoateswas one of them.

We have never drunk alcohol on regular weekdays ( holidays, birthdays etc are the exception) but weekends are fair game. Part of what keeps me on this plan is the freedom to have a drink or two. My weight loss is not the fastest and Mondays ( my weigh in day unfortunately) tend to be my highest weight of the week and I suspect alcohol consumed has something to do with that. For me it is a price worth paying.

I have more or less given up. Special occasions really. Has not made any difference to my rate of weight loss though. Alcohol takes priority in burning energy, ie if you eat a big, meal, the alcohol has to be burned off first. This is why people gain weight because the body does not get to metabolising the rest of the meal or indeed other stored fat. There are other studies around (probably not very strongly validated), that says those who have a moderate alcohol intake actually weigh less than non-drinkers.

The worst thing about drinking is that it gives me the munchies and I'm at the stage where I have to count my calories every day.

[carieoates]

Check out my Sober for October thread.
I did it easily, 32 days without alcohol, easy peasy. I'm about to start a little experiment to see if eating the same as last month gives me the same weight loss results as last month without alcohol.

Believe it or not, I've found an alochol-free Chardonnay here in the U.S., which isn't bad at all . .not nearly as sweet as most. So, I'm moderating an odd glass of the "real thing" with several non-alcohol glasses - and, honestly, I'm now finding the real stuff a bit too strong. So, I'm trying - not perfect but its better than nothing - and I'm feeling so much better - used to get too many headaches after too much wine, but haven't had a headache in weeks.

I've always tried to have one or two alcohol free days a week but since starting 5:2 that became easier to achieve. Now that I'm maintaining I only have one alcohol free day a week. I'm similar to you, don't binge, but I take great pleasure out of my 1-2 glasses a day and can't see the need to give up or do something drastic like Dry July. On non-fast days I sometimes weigh up whether to have some sweets after dinner or a second glass of wine and 90% of the time I'll have another glass. I drink more when we have people over. After my initial weightloss I couldn't drink more than two glasses before feeling its effect but that has changed again.

Ok, for weight loss alcohol can be a quadruple whammy.
There are the obvious calories, the fact your liver will try to process the alcohol prior to any fats you eat (alcohol is a poison, which the body will try to get rid of quickly), we tend to eat the wrong foods often late at night after drinking, and often the following day, our bodies will crave starchy foods to help the recovery process.
I hate to be the bad guy, but there really is no good news where booze is concerned. I've recently decided to change my drinking habits to a much reduced level, and research uncovered some pretty unsavoury facts about this drug 90% of us regularly indulge in.

[Tracieknits]

I have never been much of a drinker. I have to say, with my purely scientific sample of 1, it doesn't seem to make a difference to me. For most of the time in the past 14 years (since my son was born), I drank maybe once a month.

In the past two years, I have lost 53 pounds and I've been drinking more often - about once a week normally, and every day on vacation (about two or three weeks a year).

I have been through phases of daily drinking and weekend-only drinking.
I decided to go sober for October and then continue with no wine until Xmas but other alcoholic drinks allowed.
Surprise surprise it is the wine I miss the most but I can do it!
I think my weight loss has probably been a bit better for not drinking although I log calories on MFP so I have perhaps replaced alcohol with other things.
My next step is to try to cut down caffeine to really give my liver a rest and see if that makes any difference.
Good luck - whatever you decide to do!

I try to have one dry month a year, but haven't managed it lately. I think increasing your alcohol free days is a good goal. This month my goal is not to drink at home at all. This way I can still drink at social events, probably on average 1-2 times a week.

we used to go through say 5 bottles over a week, maybe 6.. since beginning 5:2 have got it down to 1 maybe 2 bottles. And generally only consumed on a Saturday.
Reckon it makes a huge difference. And money well saved to.

On October 31st my OH read something in the paper about how alcohol doesn't just contain calories, but also inhibits fat burning. I think I'd heard this before but hey. So he suggested we try to go a whole month (November) without ANY alcohol. I agreed we should try, but by Sunday evening (2nd November) I was so grumpy and low, not to mention headachy, I gave in and had a glass of wine. I suppose at least it was only one!

It's very hard - I was 6 months into 5:2 before I decided to avoid alcohol on fast days, and it hasn't been easy. But to go a whole month? The only time in the last 30 years I can recall going without a drink for even a week was when I was taking antibiotics (which isn't very often). Is this a terrible thing to admit? I want to support my OH in this but then again I don't want to feel guilty if I can't manage it, if I'm setting myself too high a goal and and bound to fail.

There have been fasts that I've broken and I don't beat myself up on that, because I know just to keep going and although it slows down my fat loss I accept that it's the price I'm paying.

So now I'm thinking maybe I should try to set a more modest goal - rather than (currently) two alcohol-free days a week, maybe I could manage 3 or 4. But abstention for a month - I really can't see it happening, however much I love my OH.

What do others think - is anyone else in this position, have you found a way to limit the booze without it crippling you? I think I'm just a typical middle-aged middle-class 2-glasses-of-wine-each-evening drinker, but clearly I'm dependent on it, however much I tell myself it's bad for me. I'm doing well with 5:2 and have stuck at it for 18 months now. But this might be one restriction too much.

That was the conclusion I came to 18 months ago.
In my case my consumption had got a bit out of hand.

Take a look at the calorie figures and maybe that does the same for you as it did for me. It threw a switch and I decided I wasn't going to touch alcohol again. I don't drink........ an you d be surprised how many don't.

@juliana.rivers. You rock. Well done.