BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Weight Loss alcohol calories

I haven't had to count calories in a very long time especially not since I really cleaned up my eating a few years back but since I'm doing my junk food depletion I'm curious to know how many calories I'm going to be cutting out of my diet by not consuming alcohol calories, cutting out my nightly chocolate, and my weekly starbucks and the occasional bowl of chips and salsa.

weekly calories
alcohol calories - 1 bottle white wine 590 cal.
coffee calories - grande latte (no sugar) 190 cal.
chocolate calories - 1 lindt chili dark choc. (1-2 sq. per night) 400 cal.

bi-monthly snack calories
tortilla chips - not sure

Just the alcohol calories alone are way high then you add my two other vices and thats 1180 junk calories per week. If you break that down per day it's about 168 cal. less per day. Not such a huge sacrifice and totally necessary when trying to lose extra body fat.

Want to speed up weightloss? Consider cutting out the alcohol from time to time. It works and isn't that hard : )

Sorry, I don't agree. When you've cut the fat, the calories and the amount that you eat on a diet down to a "healthy " amount you want to feel that your not missing out on a normal life. A glass of wine with your main meal, or a drink to unwind at the of the day is a wonderful thing. So, also is the decadence of eating a piece of chocolate as you watch your T.V. soap, or read. We all want to be healthy and most of us have weight to loose, but...life is for living, it does'nt have to be punishment all the time.

I'm not suggesting that people give up everything they love but when somebody is beyond frustrated because they aren't losing weight they really need to look at what is going on with their calorie intake and alcohol is a huge issue for most primarily because it disrupts hormonal balance and makes it impossible to lose weight.

My clients who are serious about weightloss abstain during beginning phases and then they are more than happy with the result and find that they can go back to indulging from time to time without gaining weight back.

It's a matter of what you care about most. If you're drinking alcohol nightly and carrying around extra pounds and it doesn't bother you then who cares. But if the extra weight is making you crazy then abstaining is in your best interest.

Your right. I can cut everything from my diet, but I just want to kid myself that the thing that seems to be stopping me loose weight, and probably the biggest contributor to my weight gain is alcohol. I have abstained before for up to a month at the time, just to prove to myself that I can, and have not had any problems going without.I drink because I enjoy it, so when someone says, I love chocolate, that's how I feel about wine. I have been on a low carb,low fat diet, mostly fruit and veg and have lost almost nothing in 3 weeks. Counting everything up including my drinks, its never over 1400 cal.Talk about frustration......Looks like I'm going to have to say goodbye to my bottle opener for a while.

My problem isn't staying away from alcohol. I drank like a fish in college, but rarely do now...maybe once a year (don't get me wrong - there are days when I'm very, very tempted ...lol...)...my problem is drinking my calories in beverages like soda (even though I drink diet cola now) and fruit smoothies.

The problem with alcohol calories is that they are empty calories. They contain nothing useful for your body, no nutrients. The same with soda. Plus they both make your body retain fluids, which adds to weight gain.

I don't see anything wrong with a glass of wine at dinner or something, but if you're seriously trying to lose weight, you should focus on calories with nutrition that your body needs and forget the empty calories that sabotage your weight loss.

Another thing I've found with enjoying a glass of wine is that once I've had one, I tend to want a snack or something to go with it, which also adds to the calories I consume.

I've read that even diet cola isn't helpful for weightloss because your body thinks it's eating sugar and reacts that way, plus soda of all kinds is loaded with chemicals. It's like drinking a glass of toxins-lol.

I used to drink one diet soda a day but when I switched to healthier green or black tea and got used to it, I never missed the sodas at all.

It's all in what is a habit for you. If you have the habit of drinking a glass of wine each evening, you'll crave it, same with sodas.

I'd put fruit smoothies in another class and they can be good for you. The fruit contains sugar but it also has lots of healthy nutrition. You can make a fruit smoothie with green tea, yogurt and a banana and berries and it's very healthy.

Can't I just pretend my wine is fruit juice, lol.... Hey, I clutching at straws here!

Hey MTW

Interesting that you mention you're on low carb and not losing weight. You might want to seriously consider a more moderate carb type diet like mediterranean (I never spell that right) or the Wine Lovers Diet (are you jumping for joy now).

I recently had a great conversation with my friend Sean who is certified in Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and he explained that many people here in the states are protein types which is why low carb is so popular.

He explained that carb types are not as common but there's plenty of people who are carb types and who will not be healthy or lose weight by cutting out carbs.

A person may be eating healthy foods but they are not the right foods for their metabolic type so no matter how healthy and how much calorie control or how low carb you go the weight will not come off because the body is still missing what it needs, plus to add insult to injury you'll have horrible cravings because your body is missing key nutrients. This happened to me and it's happened to other clients who have failed on low carb.

The only way to know is to take the quick test. Check out my Metabolic Typing article to learn more.

After I took the test I was shocked to find that not only was I not a protein type but I am an extreme carb type which means I can eat a boatload of unprocessed carbs and stay lean (my clients who are protein types hate me for this). I still eat protein just not in the same amounts as when I was low carbing and I feel so much more energized now than before plus it's so easy to maintain my weight. I have to be really bad to even gain 2 lb. these days.

A typical carb day for me is about 200g of carbs from any of these foods: beans, quinoa, fruits, veggies, yogurt, corn or flour tortillas, yams, potatoes, brown rice, whole grain bread. I also eat entire bags of carrots with organic hummus which would be considered a low carb sin. Plus I drink wine when I feel like it. I happen to be abstaining now for sexy bikini abs (it's become a twice yearly ritual for me) but I like wine with dinner most nights too.

So it might not be the wine. It might just be a case of the wrong type of diet. More common that most people think.

Nearly fell off the table with joy!. On a serious note,I have read the outline of "typing" but couldn't work out who I was. I like salty food. When I get a hunger pang, no way can I eat anything sweet, it makes me feel sick.Sweets and deserts leave me cold, and I hardly ever eat between meals.I have to force myself to eat fruit, but will happily eat nuts and dried fruit, cheese and crunchy salad veg. I've had almost 4 weeks without bread and I'm not that bothered, other than its difficult to find things to eat in a hurry. I'm eating so low fat that I've had to take a mineral oil to help things along.Rice,potatoes and pasta have not passed my lips. I walk every day and am on my feet from 6am till 13.00 without sitting still. And, I am as fat as ever.Its enough to make you turn to drink.....

Not losing is definitely frustrating. At one point when I was low carbing I was totally nuts. Couldn't even think straight, concentrate on anything, and all I wanted to do was eat sugar which is not the case now.

Here's some quick questions if you're curious about your type: I'll tell you what you sound like once you answer:

Do you have a strong appetite or is it relatively weak?

Do you have cravings for fatty salty foods or do you tend to turn to caffeine and/or sugar for an energy boost?

Have you been unsuccessful with low calorie diets or is your weight management problem due to eratic eating patterns?

When you feel nervous does eating make you feel better or do you forget to eat when you're super busy and stressed?

Do you typically cycle between feeling lethargic and feeling wired on the surface but still exhausted underneath? Or are you just a lower but steadier energy person without the crazy peaks and valleys?

When I told Sean what my typical personality was like he guessed what I was right off the bat (he's been doing this longer though and is certified, I'm not certified yet).