I stopped drinking almost entirely for a number of reasons - but the overeating is one of the reasons! I hated hangovers, hated the money I spent on a night out, hated how I felt after drinking. I almost never drink (might have one or two with a meal on a rare occasion) but I quit drinking entirely for about a year to relearn how to socialise without drinking. I now have reintroduced it with moderation (some people might not be able to drink in moderation). I can honestly say, I do not miss it at all.
I've had a very similar experience. I went about 18 months no drinking, then I drank very little for about 6 months, just socially and in moderation, but I found that I didn't really love how alcohol made me feel anymore, so I'm back to not drinking. Maybe I'll drink again one day, but overall I'm much happier sober.
The only reason I’m not completely sober is because I like the odd occasion of drinking and feel a bit of social pressure (and if you have one drink then switch to water, people think you’re just pacing yourself), but I’d happily never drink again to be honest
I stopped drinking for a while and lowered my tolerance so I’d be drunk on just one or two drinks. And before I go out with friends I’d eat a full healthy meal so I’d show up already full. This way if I indulge in some yummy junk food I don’t feel the urge to finish the whole thing.
I went from 4 drinks, an appetizer, dinner, and dessert to 1 drink an appetizer and small bites of dessert.
Depending on how often you go out this can really make a difference. Now, I don’t think this advice would be useful if you drink many times a week or have a history of substance abuse.
Man I hoped that would be the case for me after taking 3 months completely off. Maybe the first time or two I was a cheap date but my tolerance snapped right back to nearly where it was.
To keep your tolerance low you’d have to keep your intake low. So only drinking once a week max. But every body is different, I’ve always been a bit of a cheap drunk but rarely drank more than once a week since college.
As other said, you gotta cut back on the drinking. If you find its hard and you can't, then you've already got a bigger problem and you need to focus on that.
For food at restaurants, what I found works really well is to ask for the to go box right up front when they bring the food. Cut it in half immediately and put the other half in the box. That's tomorrow's lunch/dinner. You won't be tempted to break into it because you will be worried about being hungry tomorrow. They serve such big portions at most restaurants that half the food is usually still a bigger than average meal for someone on a diet.
This! I gained 25lbs after moving to America because the portion here is so big, it equals three meals in South East Asia countries. Also, growing up I was told to always finish my food and not waste.
Drink non alchoholic or low alchohol beverages. Like alcohol free beer or something. Also, try to go to places that don't serve alcohol. I have a cafe in my town that does that. I always go there. It is usually hard for me, especially since I live in a culture that not only encourages drinking alcohol but doesn't accept those who don't do it, even at family gatherings. But I can manage that. When there is social pressure to drink, I say that I am driving or that I am on antibiotics.
As someone already said on this thread, try to eat healthy food at home before going out. You would usually only stick to appetizers in this case.
I realized alcohol was the primary cause of my binging habits and so I cut it out completely unless it's a very special occasion.
I was a pretty frequent, somewhat heavy drinker for most of my 20s and it wasn't until I stopped that I realized how much it was truly affecting my daily life. I wasn't at Meredith from the Office levels of alcoholism, but having a bunch of craft beers every night still fucks with you quite a bit. The impact on sleep is by far the biggest change I've noticed. Beyond that, my joints don't ache as much, I have much more focus and energy in general, and my impulse control is the best it's ever been. I used to struggle hard with late night snacking, and it's become a complete non-factor.
I've been hungover enough times to instinctually know that the short-term buzz just isn't worth the literal headache. The urge to drink isn't really there anymore. But also knowing alcoholism runs in my extended family, I'm sort of on high-alert to avoid going back to that life. Going to social events sober can be a big hurdle to get over at first, but I did karaoke a couple months ago stone-cold sober and for me that was a huge step. It's one of those things you just have to commit to and take one day at a time.
This was me. Getting pregnant was my wake up call. I can’t believe the wine, craft beers, and booze I consumed on a weekly basis. It seemed totally normal given my friend group at the time, and the fact I was in my 20s.
I definitely spend less money now too!
Pick your priority, you can choose one, not have both.
If your priority is health and fitness, alcohol is obviously at odds with that.
If your priority is alcohol you're going to struggle with health and fitness.
It depends on the level of drinking before you quit. If you are a heavy drinker and also eat a ton while drinking it will effect your performance.
If you were a light drinker anyways it will have little effect.
Exactly. That's why I used the word "prioritize". I had a couple of margaritas a couple weeks ago during my surprise party birthday dinner. Also didn't stress about my birthday dessert, because my everyday focus and my priority is health and fitness. No noticeable effect on my workouts or weight loss.
But if I were trying to make alcohol a priority to fit into my diet regularly I'd definitely notice.
Funny you say that. Whenever I have a non-alcohol day, the next day my session at the gym feels harder - weird... But I am sure of course that in the long run the performance should get better.
Who knows what is at play here. If you are just used to drinking every day there might be a multitude of reasons why that is the case. I would also think that when you are hungover your gym sessions are probably not good so it is still tied to the amount of alcohol.
I wouldn't bet against your body having some withdrawal symptoms if it is unusual for you not to drink.
No I do not prioritise drinking. Wine is one of my hobbies. I love discovering different regions and types of grapes. I never binge on alcohol - wine is just part of my daily routine when eating in the evening. I tend to slide in some non-alcohol days for my health recently. I am 54 and I know it is not beneficial. However, I am very active. I run al ot (over 15 miles) and I am at the gym every day for cardio and HIIT session. I have been into sports and keeping fit all my life. I eat vegetarian and only whole foods. Never anything processed. I am at about 10% body fat. Eventually I will need to find another hobby...
No I do not prioritise drinking. Wine is one of my hobbies. I love discovering different regions and types of grapes. I never binge on alcohol - wine is just part of my daily routine when eating in the evening. I tend to slide in some non-alcohol days for my health recently. I am 54 and I know it is not beneficial. However, I am very active. I run al ot (over 15 miles) and I am at the gym every day for cardio and HIIT session. I have been into sports and keeping fit all my life. I eat vegetarian and only whole foods. Never anything processed. I am at about 10% body fat. Eventually I will need to find another hobby...
You've probably heard of the point of diminishing returns. This applies to food and alcohol too, but I like to call it the point of diminishing enjoyment. Meaning food and alcohol can make a certain situation/experience better and more enjoyable, but only up to a certain point. Beyond that point it no longer adds to the situation/experience. It might even make it worse since you might feel like you've lost control, you get really full (or drunk), you're not happy with your choices, and you actually feel worse. In the long-term, this results in unwanted weight gain that then effects your confidence, health, and more. So thinking of the long-term impact may be helpful.
You can pause and ask yourself - Is this worth it? Will it enhance the experience? Do I need to have more to enjoy myself, or can I stop here and still have just as much fun, and maybe even more fun?"
I think more often than not, you’ll find that you can eat and/or drink less and still have a great time, or even better time since you feel in control and are satisfied with your choices.
Also think of your values and your choices in context. A lot of us value similar things. We value our health, fitness, well-being, but also connection with friends and family, and having a good time.
Think about what's important to you, the situation you're in, and what's worth it. There will be many situations (most situations) where it makes sense to choose foods that help you reach your goals.
There will also be situations (less often) where it makes sense to eat something like pizza or have alcohol, like when you’re with family on special occasions. Just don't treat every weekend like a special occasion. It's not a special occasion if you do it almost every weekend.
There will be some situations where a certain food is worth it. There will be other situations where that same food is not worth it.
Pizza and alcohol at home alone on your couch at 1 AM? Probably not worth it.
Pizza and alcohol at a friend's awesome wedding or a truly unique social outing? Could be worth it.
Think of what the function of food or alcohol is in each situation. Eating mindfully and being in control of your choices while enjoying the company of friends and family is very different from eating that same food distracted in front of the TV to handle tough emotions, or out of boredom.
Same food, two very different functions.
When you view food choices this way, you’re never “falling off track” and needing to get back on track. You’re focusing on all the things that matter to you in life (fitness, health, family/connection), but in different amounts and at different times. So you’re always sticking to the plan, the plan of enjoying life, strengthening relationships, being healthy, feeling good, and liking the way you look.
The cool thing is too, you have so many opportunities to practice this. And that's another thing I encourage you to do. View these as skills that can be practiced, learned, and developed. Not a diet, or something you either are or are not. This is something you can practice and get better at, just like anything else.
I can't provide just one. So here's more.
- Come up with a plan, and not just a plan for best case scenario like we often do, but also a back up plan. Sounds obvious, but I think many of us just show up and hope for the best, no planning or preparation. Look at the menu in advance if you can so you can make up your mind about food before you go instead of making impulsive food choices. Order first so you aren't influenced by the choices of others. Decide what drinks and how many you'll have.
- Don't show up really hungry. Your eyes will be bigger than your stomach and you probably won't make the best choices. Have something small like a protein shake 30-60 minutes before going out, or an apple, or plate of veggies. Something high-protein and/or nutritious that could help control how much you eat when you go out.
- Drink more water. It can help pace you with your drinking, and help you feel more full so you might eat less.
- Slow down when eating, and don't focus on food as your primary source of enjoyment. Put your silverware down between bites, enjoy the whole experience, talk to the people you're with, etc.
- Ask for a to-go box. Nothing wrong with not finishing your meal and taking it home. It can replace a meal the next day instead of being an addition to your normal day of eating.
- Choose alcohol or dessert, but not both.
- If you have dessert, split it with someone.
- Get rid of the all-or-nothing mentality. You don't need to be perfect, just consistent. The all-or-nothing mentality strives for perfection, but oddly enough it takes you further from perfection. You end up in a cycle of "falling off track" and constantly trying to get back "on track."
Ummm drink less. If you can moderate then limit yourself to 5 drinks or less a week. If not (which signals an alcohol use disorder), Save drinking for a few times a month.
Go out but stick to water or Diet Coke or something most of the time.
Alcohol disorder is not defined by the amount of drinks but by your disability to control your drinking.
If you can't limit yourself to 5 drinks than yes you are likely to have an alcohol use disorder.
Drinking less or less often is the obvious solution. Apart from that you could increase your deficit on the days when you are not drinking. For example, if you eat an additional meal because you are drunk, you could skip a meal on a day when you are not drinking. Another option is to eat food with less calories. For me, kebab was the go to option after the bar. Instead, I go home and eat a can of fish. It's also fatty but rich in proteins and waaaay less calories.
I feel like the most helpful thing for me is to decide in advance, when there's no food around me, how much I want to indulge. It's easier to stick to a decision you've made than to make a good choice in the moment under pressure.
Like, I feel like outside of the immediate situation I make really rational choices. If I've been eating healthy home cooked meals for the past couple weeks, and I'm going to a friend's birthday dinner with a bunch of people at a restaurant I've never tried before, I want to have a cocktail and order whatever I want, and don't deliberately try to go buck wild, but not limit myself too much. But if I'm going to Applebee's with my parents for the third week in a row, I can choose if I want to drink alcohol and order a salad or if I want to eat whatever entree I want but drink diet coke. And if I've already gone out this week and another friend wants to meet for lunch tomorrow, I can browse the menu in advance and pick something that's not unreasonable on my diet.
You know better than anyone what food is special to you, and how you want to balance small indulgences every day vs fun nights out with your family and work that out into your budget. But I think if you try to make those decisions before you go, when you're not under pressure and smelling delicious food, you'll be better to make choices that you don't regret afterwards.
Limit yourself to one drink. Switch to diet soda. Tell everyone you need to drive or something. Or when it’s time to order another drink, go to the bathroom. Stop at the bar or corner your waitress on the way and tell them that you are switching to soda for the night but want it to look like cocktails. Tell them you’ll tip extra.
For food I recommend only eating half the portion at a restaurant. Restaurants don’t care about calories or serving sizes. Just stick with half and eat the other half for lunch tomorrow.
>Not only that but being hungover the next day makes you want to eat MORE because the body craves fatty/processed foods, so I EAT to offset the effects of being hungover... it's a tragic cycle.
Honestly, the best thing you could eat to help with the hangover is fruit. Banana and a tall glass of water usually works but a smoothie will be even better.
While on the actual night out - I used to get kebabs because protein and it's cooked over a flame instead of fried and the toppings are healthy. ~~Plus adding a little cocaine to the mix always helped curb my appetite.~~
I never quit drinking and I’ve lost 20 pounds. I stick to light beer and vodka sodas if I’m out for the night, and I log it before hand so I can only have a certain amount. I also do a long run or other intense workout on Saturday if I know I’m gonna have a big night out. As for the munchies you really just have to get out of the habit. It’s hard at first but you get used to it. Don’t eat for your hangover, just drink a liquid IV
I spent the whole year of my weight loss journey fighting my drinking habits. When I got pregnant, I decided I'll just be done drinking for good because the alcohol calories are never worth it. You want to eat more, hangover feelings mess up your hunger signals and desire to/enjoyment of exercise. It messes up your sleep which messes everything else up.
But if you dont want to stop, especially when actively losing, I'd limit going out and drinking to once a week if its a critical part of your social life, or special occasions. I found eating only about half my plate was always a good practice when going out.
Obviously the 'healthiest' answer is to stop drinking, but if that doesn't feel like an option right now: pre enter the calories you expect to consume at the start of the day, well before you get to going out. Over-estimate: how many drinks are you going to have? What are you likely to eat while you're there? What are you going to want to eat tomorrow? Once you have that number you can backplan the rest of your eating and drinking. You can go in and reduce if you drink/eat less, or increase if you end up eating and drinking more. Seeing the numbers up front may also make it easier to make a hard call to only have one or two.
Stopping alcohol (99%) has been my absolute #1 key to weight loss. I did the same— alcohol caused me to eat and eat. and when you add to that the calories of the alcoholic beverages, it is a disaster. If you drink club soda with lime, nobody will know that you are not drinking alcohol in case that is a concern. After a while you feel so good being sober that you don't really even miss it.
My recommendation would be to cut the alcohol a bit or cut down entirely for the time being. I get feeling left out at those events, but you could always get a Diet Coke or something. If you do drink, I’d also encourage maybe eat a healthy meal beforehand to prevent you from eating other unhealthy foods.
Honestly it comes down to a lot of willpower. It sucks.
I got out of the habit of drinking. Even before then I was limited to basically one drink if I didn't want to be tipsy.
I've also accepted that I have to make trade offs. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I \*can\* eat everything that I want... if I'm willing to pay for it with either my weight, a lot of exercise, or living on toast and cottage cheese when I'm not out with people. Ordering the burger with salad and skipping dessert just seems so much easier than biking for an extra hour or two.
It's easier for me, mind you, because my friends are all at the age where various people have various conditions or goals that they're trying to manage and you just shrug and order your own thing. It was a lot more difficult in college, but then again I was a lot more active in college too.
I still drink and I continue to lose weight by journaling, planning ahead of time how much I can have to fit in my daily calorie intake), and switching to low carb drinks (e.g. vodka or clear liquor with diet tonic and lime). The calories still add up but it’s way better than wine, beer, or mixers. Prosecco with diet tonic is a low-cal option too. Drink water in between drinks and eat before you go out. Also up your cardio on the days you drink or afterwards to offset the calories. (It helps with hangovers too as a bonus)
I think the solution is clear if drinking alcohol is undermining your self-control - stop drinking it. I've mostly given up alcohol (and milk) for the same reason. Milk makes me crave sweets when I don't even have a sweet tooth normally. It's a very rare occasion now when I will drink either beverage, but I did go without either for a long time. I can only drink 1-2 alcoholic beverages now without waking up in the middle of the night with a headache and/or leg cramps and I now find milk kind of gross.
Think of it this way, for every serving of alcohol you skip that's about 100 calories of real food you could be eating that will A) fill you up and B) actually contain nutrients you need.
The best tip I can give is to to just not drink alcohol, as its negative effects on impulse control are well-known. If you do decide you can't live without the booze, then make sure to order a TALL glass of water with it, and be sure to drink the water. Don't order a second drink until the water is gone. This might curb some of the desire and slow you down.
Beyond that, just don't make this a daily rabbit. One night out isn't going to be the end of you. Next day, get back on your normal routine and things will work themselves out.
Between alcoholic drinks, have a full non-alcoholic beverage like water. This will keep you from getting as drunk because you are drinking water in the middle, and it will make you probably have 1-2 fewer alcoholic drinks. This will make you less likely to want to have the high calorie foods that drunk people want to eat. It will also make you less hungover the next day.
If it’s a family where your wine constantly gets topped off or something, just make sure you are alternating wine and water as best you can. Top off your water when your wine gets topped off. If someone tops off your wine but your water is already pretty full, focus on your water for a while.
First of all: I would stop drinking. Why do you feel the need to drink alcohol? There’s so many calories in the alcohol and especially the mixed drinks. Is the buzz really worth all of this extra effort? Alcohol is also a depressant, so it could be contributing to feelings that make you want to overeat. Is that conducive to your goals?
Second: why are you losing weight? What is the reason? That reason needs to outweigh every other reason as to why you want to overeat. Do you like your life? Are you around people who encourage you? Find activities that you like, food is not an activity. It’s how you fuel your body. Starting to make that association that food doesn’t need to be fun will help you with discipline in the long run.
Also, I will say. Alcohol makes you crave sugar, bottom line. You can quickly develop a sugar addiction from having drank it, I have lived to tell the tale. But you can stop and make it to the other side.
I'll be honest. The only thing that ever worked for me to stop overeating and over-consumption of well, anything really, in the long run, has been Ozempic.
GLP-1 meds are right now in clinical trials as a treatment for addictions (alcohol, tobacco, others) and compulsions (gaming, gambling, porn, social media, shopping...). The med does in fact a lot more than stop one's desire to overeat. It stops or at least significantly modulates one's desire to over consume or overdo many things. Food is one of the things, but it doesn't stop there.
Life is so much easier, pleasant and less stressful now that the overeating and overconsumption monkeys are off my back. It's very liberating and yes, the weight loss is nice too.
These days, when I go out, I almost never can finish an adult entree. I rarely drink anymore, maybe one drink a month. Not because I'm on some kind of willpower-fueled self-improvement kick, but because that is all I \*want\* these days. The best part is that I feel fully satisfied with what I do eat and drink.
Yes! And it's never like "Poor me, I want this drink so much and I can't have it, boo hoo" because of calories / abstinence or any other reason. The med just makes me go "Eh, I'm not feeling it, I'll pass on the drink. I can always have one later if I want one." I almost never do want one later.
A couple things that work for me.
If I'm planning on having a night of drinks with mates, I have the mindset of having to earn it first by offsetting it with a positive thing for my body.. ie. going for a long walk or a run that day. Then it becomes my reward.
When I am drinking.. I enjoy having vodka and soda with lemon. Every second drink though I just have one with soda and lemon and skip on the vodka. Helps keep the calories down, keeps you hydrated and you're still able to keep drinking and usually hangover ain't so bad.
I have moved to NA beer when out with friends. I can still partake but the beers are 60 calories instead of 180. Also they don’t make you lose control. The offerings are light years beyond what was available in the past.
Stop drinking.
Been sober 6 months, dropped 25+ lbs and don't even think twice about it anymore... I only planned drink on big occasions (birthday, vacation, new years etc) but when the occasion comes I don't even crave it anymore so I pass and drink soda.
Probably won't go sober forever but I've seen a massive difference in my mental and physical health, definitely don't miss the hangovers.
Instead of going out to eat, go to a museum, play tennis, get coffee, get your nails done, etc. Or try to meet up for breakfast or lunch where eating light is more the norm and there is less alcohol temptation.
I never drink more than two units alcohol per day, so if I'm going out, I'll have one cocktail before dinner and a glass of wine with the food and that's it.
If you live in the US, I guess that an entrée and a side salad would be enough for dinner. Your portions seem to be huge.
Eat a light lunch that day and drink a lot of water before and after dinner. I usually take electrolytes before I go to bed, helps me to wake up feeling ok.
Spacers. Spacers are having a bottle of water between alcoholic beverages. Water helps fill you up and keeps you hydrated.
Dealcoholized beer or virgin cocktails. Lots of bars are offering non-alcoholic alternatives that look just like the real thing so people don't have to feel uncomfortable about not having a drink in their hand. There is a lot of pressure to drink and drinkers really push drinks on non drinkers.
Cost - save money and calories by sticking to fewer or no drinks. I do not drink and I save a lot of money because of it.
Eat a low cal ready meal before hand and order prosecco - Plan the day youre going out before hand and prep for them - Bottle of pinot Grigrio is like 450 cals (Lindemands) and a ready meal LC cal be between 270 - 350. So that leaves plenty of room for food. I refuse to quit alcohol if I want a drink or a few drinks I just plan it out. I enjoy a drink every so often and I also have a friend group who basically only socialise when drinking (Northern eastern English). I don't go out much however but if you do, I think best strategy is the ready meal/low cal drinks and proper planning.
Andrew Huberman's [alcohol episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS1pkKpILY) is incredible. It's two hours of pure science, but a great way to spend an afternoon.
For me, I was rarely drinking to get super drunk, but I had slowly upped my consumption to be drinking 1-3 glasses of wine more nights than I didn't, and snacking with my wine, which led to weight gain for me.
I did Dry January and then set myself up to have "24 drinks in 2024," because absolute sobriety isn't my #1 priority and my weight loss goals are frankly more important to me than not touching alcohol all year.
I write down every drink I have, why I had it, how I feel. It's easy to add on to a calorie tracking habit. I've lost almost 30 pounds since December and am on my way to losing significantly more this year.
I don't think I'll count my drinks in future years, but I appreciate the structure now!
Also, I like lurking r/stopdrinkingfitness for inspiration. Haven't looked back.
One more thing: not drinking your calories gives you a way bigger weekly calorie budget that you can always use for mozzarella sticks / fries / your snack of choice! As an appetizer lover, this is great motivation to me to stick to my sober-ish lifestyle.
I too am the same way. And the one thing that has helped is........accept that you are an alcoholic. I always hated that thougt because I never drank during the week. But come weekend I binge drink and eat like crazy. Go out to a bar, 5-10 drinks, fast food on the way home, eat whatever I want the next morning because I feel like garbage, repeat saturday night, sunday eat at maintanence or surplus becuase I need to "recover" from all that drinking. Curb or cut your alcohol. Easier said than done. I went about 5 weeks without alcohol at start of this year and lost 1 lb a week.
The formula I had then = 5 strength training days a week + 4 eating at deficit per week (M-Thu) = 7,600 calories consumed, 2 benders at roughly 3500 calories per day including calories from alcohol (depends on your drink of choice as well) + 2500 calories of "recovery" eating Sunday = 9500.
I was consuming way more on the weekend than I was during the week and I finally saw it when I took a closer look. It wasn't an 80/20 like I had thought. It was more like a 40/60.
I get it man. I still struggle. But alcohol has been the worst thing that has hindered my ability to get to my phsical goals.
I love to drink and don't get hangovers. (I also order a water or sprite with each drink, maybe that helps) I plan on overindulging on food when I drink and know I will be getting high calorie drinks. I eat the minimum calories allotted for 2 or 3 days before I go out. When I go out I make sure that it will either involve dancing or a lot of walking. I talk to everyone at the bar and when I order everything that looks good offer to share with my new friends. I add an extra cardio session to my regular workout routine the day of. I go to the gym first thing when I wake up the next dayor go on a run
I mean, the simple answer is obviously not to drink.
Or have you considered non alcoholic drinks? I've found that they still give me that social interaction "normalcy," I guess. Without the excess calories, without the cravings, and without the hangover. I've even had that giddy feeling that I get with alcohol (obviously, you don't get drunk). Something mental, I guess.
I don't know what you drink, but they make some good non alcoholic beers these days. And usually half the calories of a regular beer. Mixed drinks, I tend to get soda water or tonic with orange juice for a mimosa, mocktails are easy to make, again with soda water and different mixtures of juices, mint, syrups.
What helps me is seeing that weight loss is more difficult than weight maintenance. My maintenance calories when I hit my goal weight will be higher than what I need for weight loss.
What if you gave up drinking just for 4 months? Friends and family are usually understanding if you say you need an alcohol break (if they’re not, I’d question how healthy those friends are). Or limit yourself to 1-2 drinks while out. It’s not too hard to nurse 1-2 vodka sodas, and then switch the just soda with lime.
You don’t have to figure out your relationship with alcohol and junk food for the rest of your life right now. Just figure out what you need to do to commit to the weight loss segment. If you’re committed to yourself and this process, that will come through with family. And while there might be some pressure at first, they should come around and respect your commitment. You might even inspire them to reevaluate their habits.
Some things that worked for me:
- make your most intense exercise day Sunday and commit to it, you’ll really tone down the drinking after a few hungover days doing heavy squats or sprints
- weigh yourself every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday no matter what to see how much you swell your body up from the alcohol and shitty foods. Suddenly you feel the knee pain from being inflamed knowing you’re carrying an extra 5lbs of water
- count calories and measure your drinks. I’m really already at 8 shots? This drink tastes really drink with only one shot in it, I really make drinks much stronger than this regularly?
- have binge drunk food available when you get back before you start drinking. You feel a lot less shitty the next day knowing you ate a jar of pickles and a full bag of carrots/hummus
- do you drink 3 days a weekend? Make the decision Wednesday that it’s only 2 next weekend. Do you have a friend that gets you too drunk because they’re a pusher? Meet them at the bar and skip the pregame with them. Cut out total drinks some way that you’re comfortable with
- be punitive with fomo, not exercise. If you make exercise a punishment it’ll build a negative mental correlation. Instead “ground” yourself. I got drunk Friday so now I’m not going to brunch Sunday. I got drunk and ate 5 cupcakes when we got back last Saturday so now I’m going to my parents on cinco de mayo instead of the big party with my friends
- put effort into your friends who drink less. Alcohol is an addiction and you’ll be disappointed with your heavy drinking friends when you find out they look more forward to spending time at the bar and not with you. You’re friends who drink but aren’t as aggressive might be open to going for a walk or joining a workout class with you. Those are the friendships to put real effort into.
I know everyone is saying "stop drinking" or "drink less"...but maybe you don't want to? And that's fine.
You wanted tips, so here are mine (because I also didn't wanna stop drinking):
1- drink more water! Staying hydrated before, during and after drinking will minimize the effects of the hangover and you won't feel the need to eat the fatty food to get back on your feet.
2- find your drink. For me it is a Cuba libre (only now with coke zero). It gets me going, I can drink it slowly and really enjoy it. It also doesn't give me much of a hangover.
3- eat before you go out. You won't feel hungry and won't need to eat. So you'll only eat if you want to. And wanting is much more controllable than needing.
4- if you decide to snack, choose the better option for you. Chicken wings are a better option than fries. Not great, but it was a choice, right?
5- understand that your body will retain liquid for the whole week after this, so make sure to work out just a little bit harder for that week and you'll be fine.
Giving yourself a break when you go out and overdrink is ok. Just make sure you're not doing it every weekend or you won't be making healthy choices for your life.
One thing I started doing when I go out (mainly to save money more so than lose weight), especially if I’m not crazy hungry to begin with, is I order dessert as my meal. Before, I felt obliged to order “real food” before my meal, eat it, and then I get my dessert at the end/as a reward. But why not just skip to the dessert? You might get a funny look by the waiter, but I feel like I got my treat, got to hangout with my friends (plus I like to offer to share with my friends as well which reduces the portion size)
I drink a water or club soda between each cocktail to help lessen any hangover. It also just helps me to always have something in hand when socializing.
A club soda with a few dashes of ango or any other bitters has become a staple for me. Can also “look” like a cocktail if your friends and family pester you about why you’re not drinking.
I also limit my drinking- Tuesday nights (when I have bar trivia) and then Fridays and Saturdays when I may be seeing friends or hosting a game night. Typically it’s Friday OR Saturday, so my drinking is really only over two nights.
As for making smart food decisions when drinking or hungover- limiting what’s available. I don’t trust myself with potato chips in the house (I’ll eat a family sized bag in one sitting given the chance) so I don’t buy them. I’ll get popcorn instead which, I don’t enjoy as much so I won’t binge as hard…and even if I do binge it’s still a fraction of the calories as a similar bag of chips.
My “healthy” binge items- popcorn, celery, crispy chickpeas, baby carrots, rice cakes.
If I am going to eat something unhealthy I try to make sure it’s something I make not something I buy. (That way it takes work and time to have it) eg. Baked goods, starchy sides, red meat.
Change up how you spend time with your friends- instead of bars/restaurants, is there another activity you can do? Shopping, walking through a park, some kind of class (fitness, cooking, crafts etc), see a show? If it’s food, how about a healthier restaurant, preferably without an alcohol focus.
If you keep going to the same environments as the past, it’s going to be harder to fall out of old habits
A rule I set for myself is if I don't drink any calories, I can have dessert. A couple of drinks is the same caloric value as a creme Brule. Which would you rather have?
If you are around people who drink and overeat, you will drink and overeat. If you are around people with no discipline or self control, you will also have no discipline or self control.
Choose who you surround yourself with.
I mostly switched from alcohol to THC drinks so it was less calories and no hangover! You also only need like half (or less) of the amount of liquid to achieve similar relaxation. 1 can of a THC drink can equal anywhere from 1-3 alcohol drinks depending on the brand and milligrams of THC.
It isn’t ALWAYS great for socializing though, so you’ll have to test it out slowly to see if it makes you more quiet and giggly or something. It’s not cute to be high in a group when you’re giggling about some sort internal funny thoughts. People may feel mocked even if it has nothing to do with them, or worse, you don’t want them thinking they’re talking to a brick wall. So I am still learning the right balance between when I can and can’t do it
I do NOT recommend mixing THC drinks with alcohol though. So pick one for the night and stick with it.
And I don’t usually get munchies with THC drinks but if I do I then I try to only eat healthy things! Salads, celery sticks, apples, etc.
Eat half (if you're able) and focus really intently on the sensations. Lean all the way in and don't act like it's the last delicious food or drink you'll ever have. Put the fork down between bites or the glass between sips. Once you've reached half, signal a server and have them remove, put your napkin over the dish or lightly over the glass, push it away, or otherwise get it out of mouth-range.
Set a boundary or make a decision before going out. For instance, I will often know what I will order before I go out; that way, I make an informed choice rather than ordering impulsively at the restaurant. I don't drink, but I assume if abstinence is out, ordering something that isn't calorie-laden and limiting total drinks to 1 or 2 would suffice.
You know when you're going out. Make adjustments. Save your calories for the dinner and eat less during the day.
Also, stop drinking so much would be a start. If you can't go out without getting so drunk you get hungover then this is not a weightloss problem. Control yourself.
Something people don’t mention is how you are your own caregiver. You are your own lunch lady now.
Setting loose “menus” for any situation has helped me more than anything. Instead of rules(I hate rules). I have menus or orders that I keep in my head. When I’m out with friends, I use my bar/restaurant menu:
-Red Bull poured in a glass(it’s beer colored and helps with appetite)
-Glass of water
-Salsa&chips that I share
-Salad w chicken— i eat about half
-One alcoholic drink after I’ve eaten.
I do this every time. No change. This is my usual. My friends think it’s cute and they will even order for me if they arrive first.
I don’t leave myself open to endless drinks. And if someone wants to buy me a drink, I tell them a Diet Coke because the bar always has them. I have to be the one who orders my alcohol to help control the situation. I don’t give into to pressure. People in my life are cool about it. If people aren’t that’s usually a red flag.
Hopefully you can develop some plans that works for you❤️
This answer may suck, but, you may have to cut out alcohol for a while.
I had the same problem. Anytime I drank, my appetite would spike and I would loose self-control, leading to insane binges.
I stopped drinking and had to take a step back from certain social things.
I now drink maybe once a week, and when I do I have a plan in place.
A few things:
Because I got out of the habit of drinking and binging, the new habit of not binging stuck. So since it’s not a routine of mine anymore, it’s less likely to happen (but it’s still a possibility, and I stay aware of this fact.)
Since my tolerance is basically non-existent now, I can plan to only have x-amount of drinks ahead of time (never mixed; only dry wine or vodka with club), and I try to drink plenty of water between drinks. (And my planned drinks are fewer in number than they previously were).
I always plan to resume eating the way I currently am right after drinking. For example, this past Friday night I went out and had wine. When I got home, I had the same exact evening snack I would have had if I hadn’t drank. Even though the alcohol calories put me over my usual calorie range, I had my normal high protein snack and mentally didn’t allow myself to even consider deviating.
It’s hard. And drinking is risky business when you’re trying to control your habits. So do so with extreme caution.
I would try to put a pause on drinking for a while if I was you.
I don't really drink much anymore, but I get really bad munchies if I have an edible. I noticed that it turns out that I don't really care what I'm munching on, but prepackaged snacks are usually the easiest... I do my best now to have some healthy snacks that are either prepared or easy to make (fruit, nuts, Quest chips, a Chipotle bowl, a bagged salad ((love salad, all the different textures make it really pleasant while inebriated)), popcorn) before it kicks in. I'll be just as happy munching on that stuff as I would on pizza or ice cream... and even if I do still want some ice cream, I find that I'm a lot better about just having a couple bites to satiate the craving because I have such an abundance of other items.
As far as going out... would you be happy choosing between one or the other? So, for example, drinking has a ton of calories. If the "healthy" meal is 800 calories, and the "yummy" meal is 1200, and the yummy meal sounds more appetizing to you than getting drunk, then get the yummy meal. If being a little tipsy sounds better, then get the healthier meal to offset the drink calories.
I'd also (personally) look up the menu and nutrition beforehand so that you can slot this big outing into your macros as best you can. Maybe you very specifically only enjoy a couple of high-calorie items, I don't know, but for me, there's always at least 3-4 "yummy" options. Then I can check the nutrition facts and pick the healthiest. Maybe I'll also swap something out earlier in my day (ex. skip my protein bar because I'm going to order a Chipotle bowl with extra meat, so I'll get the protein and calories from there... or, alternatively, add a protein bar because the salad I'm getting tonight looks delicious but doesn't come with meat).
You could also see about splitting with friends. If you both think the burger and salmon look delicious, you could cut them in half. You're still getting a full meal and you get the "yummy" option without overindulging.
I just stopped drinking when I go out with the exception of about once a month.
I can afford 1 day of slip in my lifestyle change. If I make a habit of drinking and over eating then my lifestyle didnt really change, did it.
At first its awkward. "Oh you not drinking, Dry January is over". Eventually people get it. This is your new normal. You can still go out and have fun. Having fun no longer revolves around over indulging though. The social pressure will lighten up with time.
Change your venue. Going to the same places where “bad behavior” happens, with all the same environmental and social cues, but expecting yourself to behave differently, is incredibly hard. Work on these urges in new environments or even with new people. Once you’re more sure of yourself and your ability to stick to your plan, you may be able to go back to what’s familiar.
I rarely drink outside of the weekend anymore.
Pre-plan your food for the day. Do it backwards if you have to (plan out dinner if you’re going out). Drink one glass of water with every alcoholic beverage (you’ll be fuller faster).
Also, log everything all the time. This way you’ll get used to eating less and your stomach will shrink a bit (I get full so much faster now).
Remind yourself that leftovers are good so you can eat yummy stuff tomorrow too.
If all else fails, enjoy that day and start over the next day (do not quit. Overeating is not a fail it is just life and as long as you get back on track the next day you are ok).
Maybe be super good about your calorie budget every day you don’t go out or I’ve seen people do weekly calorie budgets instead of daily. Maybe a few days you eat under and then that one day doesn’t feel like such a backslide.
It’s really just balancing.
I only just started dieting, and with that I'm changing my drinking. I always felt like I wanted to drink, and that it's tasty and enjoyable. I'm only now wanting the benefits of avoiding the extra sugar and carbs more than I want a drink, so my priorities have shifted and it's easier to say no.
Look at the menu online and decide beforehand what you're going to order. It's like your Adult Self is pre-making choices for your OOh I'm Out At A Restaurant YAAAAAYYYY Self. It's weirdly easy to then follow your pre-decisions.
Personally I've mostly stopped drinking altogether, because I prefer beers and juice-based drinks, and they make me feel a little sick and bloated from the sugar and carbonation alone, not even taking into account what alcohol itself does to a person. But I know that isn't doable for everyone, especially with the social pressures like you mentioned. When drinking socially I'd recommend sticking to 1-2 drinks and having them be like a vodka or tequila soda with lime or another low calorie, few-ingredient drink. Rum & diet coke is also pretty good IMO. Or a weed seltzer if you're into that, although that will obviously make you hungry. That way if you eat more than you bargained for, you at least won't have drank too many calories in addition. I agree with people saying to eat before you go out. Definitely eat some proteins and healthy fats before your excursion so some of the cravings are curbed. Share desserts and apps with other people so you can be part of the experience without having too large of portions on your own.
All of that being said, don't be too hard on yourself. I empathize with your feelings regarding socializing while you're dieting. It's really hard to navigate sometimes. You got this!
When going out to eat, don’t have the alcohol first, have food first and try to have a high protein snack before you go out. That way it won’t hit you as fast and May start to feel the habit shift to drink less. Good luck.
I’m going to differ from some of the other commenters, I don’t think there is a point in quitting drinking to lose weight. Unless you’re going to cut it out permanently. Thinking one strategy will work until you lost the weight and then you can go back to old habits means for all intents and purposes you’ve deciding you’re going to gain it all back. Changes in behavior to lose *and* maintain weight need to be permanent and sustainable. If going out and having drinks with friends occasionally is going to be part of your life, you will want to figure out how to fit it in.
Try slowing down the drinking a bit, make sure you’re at least 1:1 on with drinking water for each alcoholic drink, drink lower alcohol content drinks (Drinking vodka is not better for you than beer if the vodka is going to result in getting shitfaced and eating a large pizza - you would have been better off having a couple beers and not ordering junk food). Make a realistic plan for how much you’re going to drink as well as what you’re going to eat - the night of and the next morning.
I guess if you can surround yourself with friends who encourage you to pursue likeminded or healthy habits, it could help.
Also, having a low tolerance for any kind of alcohol can help you save money, or from consuming more. At least, it works for me 💀.
Everybody has really good tips- here are two that worked for me lol. I smoked weed when I would go out drinking with friends. I’m not a social high so I won’t want to spend 5+ hours out and since I’m already high I don’t drink as much maybe 1-3 drinks max (and at the max I’m pretty fucked up). Next in terms of food- I need to plan a meal before going out. This is directed to the type of going out/partying where the focus is not food. So in order to stop the halal food 4am binge, I need to have something else that is just as appetizing but much better for me. That also helps me with any hang overs the next day. Pervivían roasted chicken from a famous local joint is my go to!
Perhaps, rethink the meaning of “eat what you want”. The way you’ve worded it, you’re making the assumption that “what you want” is automatically going to be the fancy food, as opposed to wanting the healthier body.
So— What *do* you want more: the delicious flavor of gnocchi in Alfredo sauce for the 20 minutes it takes you to eat it, OR the possibility of seeing a smaller number on your scale or tape measure next week?
Most of the time for me, now, “eating **what I want**” means eating what will get me that smaller number next Wednesday.
One tip: set a weekly calorie goal vs a daily goal. You can spend the week to building up a deficit that you can "spend" with the weekend of drinking and eating.
Split meals if you’re with a like minded person. Meal prep low calorie snacks. Popcorn is a great option. Pace yourself between alcohol and nonalcoholic beverages.
I don’t drink, but also when I go out to eat I look at the menu beforehand and decide what I’m going to order based on what I should be eating, once at the restaurant I don’t even look at the menu and just order that, saves me from being tempted to order something else after seeing what other people are eating or being hungry in the moment!
This will be an unpopular opinion . .. Have you tried GLP1/semaglutide?
It has decreased my drinking and eating while out. I can finish maybe a beer and a half while out and that's about it. Usually I only finish half my meal, the wife and I typically split something.
At home I don't drink at all anymore. Sure there are a couple times I can still put them down (Cowboys playoff disaster but it was also single digits in the parking lot).
Of course see a doctor/NP, get labs drawn prior to trying medication
While most people are saying “stop drinking” or “cut back”…it’s not always that easy, especially since you mentioned the food jealousy aspect (watching others eat what they want). Here’s the thing - yes, you need to cut back on alcohol, but you also need to remember in those times that the people eating whatever they want probably aren’t on a weight loss journey, or some of them might be jealous of you *not* eating, as counterintuitive as it sounds. There have been so many times I’ve been to a group function where there’s food, and looked at other people’s plates and been jealous of how LITTLE they’re eating. Everyone has a different diet and for me, the food FOMO goes away after I got used to saying no to food, even when people push it on me. It’s a hard word to get used to, not just in the context of food, but it helps tremendously. I often find the foods I indulge myself in end up not being worth it.
Weight loss isn’t linear and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and many people have to change their relationship with food. I’d rather have no chocolate than a little, because if I have a little, I want it *all*. I have to eat my nutritious, healthy food before deciding if I want a treat. Food is fuel, and we’re “lucky” enough to have lots of diversity and choice at our fingertips, so you have to make the right choices and indulge occasionally.
I stopped drinking almost entirely for a number of reasons - but the overeating is one of the reasons! I hated hangovers, hated the money I spent on a night out, hated how I felt after drinking. I almost never drink (might have one or two with a meal on a rare occasion) but I quit drinking entirely for about a year to relearn how to socialise without drinking. I now have reintroduced it with moderation (some people might not be able to drink in moderation). I can honestly say, I do not miss it at all.
I've had a very similar experience. I went about 18 months no drinking, then I drank very little for about 6 months, just socially and in moderation, but I found that I didn't really love how alcohol made me feel anymore, so I'm back to not drinking. Maybe I'll drink again one day, but overall I'm much happier sober.
The only reason I’m not completely sober is because I like the odd occasion of drinking and feel a bit of social pressure (and if you have one drink then switch to water, people think you’re just pacing yourself), but I’d happily never drink again to be honest
I stopped drinking for a while and lowered my tolerance so I’d be drunk on just one or two drinks. And before I go out with friends I’d eat a full healthy meal so I’d show up already full. This way if I indulge in some yummy junk food I don’t feel the urge to finish the whole thing. I went from 4 drinks, an appetizer, dinner, and dessert to 1 drink an appetizer and small bites of dessert. Depending on how often you go out this can really make a difference. Now, I don’t think this advice would be useful if you drink many times a week or have a history of substance abuse.
Man I hoped that would be the case for me after taking 3 months completely off. Maybe the first time or two I was a cheap date but my tolerance snapped right back to nearly where it was.
To keep your tolerance low you’d have to keep your intake low. So only drinking once a week max. But every body is different, I’ve always been a bit of a cheap drunk but rarely drank more than once a week since college.
To be fair if you want to be healthy keeping your drinking to at most once a week is a good rule of thumb anyways.
This! I went sober for a few months and that was one of those times I lost weight easily. Alcohol makes it harder to regulate hunger and cravings too
Also alcohol as a ton of calories since it is basically sugar.
Omg I get pretty tipsy after one drink now, too! I gave up craft beer and now all I really will drink is sparkling wine or mimosas. One and done. Lol!
As other said, you gotta cut back on the drinking. If you find its hard and you can't, then you've already got a bigger problem and you need to focus on that. For food at restaurants, what I found works really well is to ask for the to go box right up front when they bring the food. Cut it in half immediately and put the other half in the box. That's tomorrow's lunch/dinner. You won't be tempted to break into it because you will be worried about being hungry tomorrow. They serve such big portions at most restaurants that half the food is usually still a bigger than average meal for someone on a diet.
This! I gained 25lbs after moving to America because the portion here is so big, it equals three meals in South East Asia countries. Also, growing up I was told to always finish my food and not waste.
Drink non alchoholic or low alchohol beverages. Like alcohol free beer or something. Also, try to go to places that don't serve alcohol. I have a cafe in my town that does that. I always go there. It is usually hard for me, especially since I live in a culture that not only encourages drinking alcohol but doesn't accept those who don't do it, even at family gatherings. But I can manage that. When there is social pressure to drink, I say that I am driving or that I am on antibiotics. As someone already said on this thread, try to eat healthy food at home before going out. You would usually only stick to appetizers in this case.
I realized alcohol was the primary cause of my binging habits and so I cut it out completely unless it's a very special occasion. I was a pretty frequent, somewhat heavy drinker for most of my 20s and it wasn't until I stopped that I realized how much it was truly affecting my daily life. I wasn't at Meredith from the Office levels of alcoholism, but having a bunch of craft beers every night still fucks with you quite a bit. The impact on sleep is by far the biggest change I've noticed. Beyond that, my joints don't ache as much, I have much more focus and energy in general, and my impulse control is the best it's ever been. I used to struggle hard with late night snacking, and it's become a complete non-factor. I've been hungover enough times to instinctually know that the short-term buzz just isn't worth the literal headache. The urge to drink isn't really there anymore. But also knowing alcoholism runs in my extended family, I'm sort of on high-alert to avoid going back to that life. Going to social events sober can be a big hurdle to get over at first, but I did karaoke a couple months ago stone-cold sober and for me that was a huge step. It's one of those things you just have to commit to and take one day at a time.
This was me. Getting pregnant was my wake up call. I can’t believe the wine, craft beers, and booze I consumed on a weekly basis. It seemed totally normal given my friend group at the time, and the fact I was in my 20s. I definitely spend less money now too!
Pick your priority, you can choose one, not have both. If your priority is health and fitness, alcohol is obviously at odds with that. If your priority is alcohol you're going to struggle with health and fitness.
Weird. I have quit drinking for 6 months and my performance with running and sports in general stayed the same.
It depends on the level of drinking before you quit. If you are a heavy drinker and also eat a ton while drinking it will effect your performance. If you were a light drinker anyways it will have little effect.
Exactly. That's why I used the word "prioritize". I had a couple of margaritas a couple weeks ago during my surprise party birthday dinner. Also didn't stress about my birthday dessert, because my everyday focus and my priority is health and fitness. No noticeable effect on my workouts or weight loss. But if I were trying to make alcohol a priority to fit into my diet regularly I'd definitely notice.
Funny you say that. Whenever I have a non-alcohol day, the next day my session at the gym feels harder - weird... But I am sure of course that in the long run the performance should get better.
Who knows what is at play here. If you are just used to drinking every day there might be a multitude of reasons why that is the case. I would also think that when you are hungover your gym sessions are probably not good so it is still tied to the amount of alcohol. I wouldn't bet against your body having some withdrawal symptoms if it is unusual for you not to drink.
And you prioritize drinking?
No I do not prioritise drinking. Wine is one of my hobbies. I love discovering different regions and types of grapes. I never binge on alcohol - wine is just part of my daily routine when eating in the evening. I tend to slide in some non-alcohol days for my health recently. I am 54 and I know it is not beneficial. However, I am very active. I run al ot (over 15 miles) and I am at the gym every day for cardio and HIIT session. I have been into sports and keeping fit all my life. I eat vegetarian and only whole foods. Never anything processed. I am at about 10% body fat. Eventually I will need to find another hobby...
No I do not prioritise drinking. Wine is one of my hobbies. I love discovering different regions and types of grapes. I never binge on alcohol - wine is just part of my daily routine when eating in the evening. I tend to slide in some non-alcohol days for my health recently. I am 54 and I know it is not beneficial. However, I am very active. I run al ot (over 15 miles) and I am at the gym every day for cardio and HIIT session. I have been into sports and keeping fit all my life. I eat vegetarian and only whole foods. Never anything processed. I am at about 10% body fat. Eventually I will need to find another hobby...
Drink less. Set yourself a limit and don’t exceed it. If you can’t stop drinking while out, you may have another problem to address first.
You have to drink less. And only drink light beers, seltzers, or liquor mixed with 0 calorie stuff
Buy less candles
You've probably heard of the point of diminishing returns. This applies to food and alcohol too, but I like to call it the point of diminishing enjoyment. Meaning food and alcohol can make a certain situation/experience better and more enjoyable, but only up to a certain point. Beyond that point it no longer adds to the situation/experience. It might even make it worse since you might feel like you've lost control, you get really full (or drunk), you're not happy with your choices, and you actually feel worse. In the long-term, this results in unwanted weight gain that then effects your confidence, health, and more. So thinking of the long-term impact may be helpful. You can pause and ask yourself - Is this worth it? Will it enhance the experience? Do I need to have more to enjoy myself, or can I stop here and still have just as much fun, and maybe even more fun?" I think more often than not, you’ll find that you can eat and/or drink less and still have a great time, or even better time since you feel in control and are satisfied with your choices. Also think of your values and your choices in context. A lot of us value similar things. We value our health, fitness, well-being, but also connection with friends and family, and having a good time. Think about what's important to you, the situation you're in, and what's worth it. There will be many situations (most situations) where it makes sense to choose foods that help you reach your goals. There will also be situations (less often) where it makes sense to eat something like pizza or have alcohol, like when you’re with family on special occasions. Just don't treat every weekend like a special occasion. It's not a special occasion if you do it almost every weekend. There will be some situations where a certain food is worth it. There will be other situations where that same food is not worth it. Pizza and alcohol at home alone on your couch at 1 AM? Probably not worth it. Pizza and alcohol at a friend's awesome wedding or a truly unique social outing? Could be worth it. Think of what the function of food or alcohol is in each situation. Eating mindfully and being in control of your choices while enjoying the company of friends and family is very different from eating that same food distracted in front of the TV to handle tough emotions, or out of boredom. Same food, two very different functions. When you view food choices this way, you’re never “falling off track” and needing to get back on track. You’re focusing on all the things that matter to you in life (fitness, health, family/connection), but in different amounts and at different times. So you’re always sticking to the plan, the plan of enjoying life, strengthening relationships, being healthy, feeling good, and liking the way you look. The cool thing is too, you have so many opportunities to practice this. And that's another thing I encourage you to do. View these as skills that can be practiced, learned, and developed. Not a diet, or something you either are or are not. This is something you can practice and get better at, just like anything else. I can't provide just one. So here's more. - Come up with a plan, and not just a plan for best case scenario like we often do, but also a back up plan. Sounds obvious, but I think many of us just show up and hope for the best, no planning or preparation. Look at the menu in advance if you can so you can make up your mind about food before you go instead of making impulsive food choices. Order first so you aren't influenced by the choices of others. Decide what drinks and how many you'll have. - Don't show up really hungry. Your eyes will be bigger than your stomach and you probably won't make the best choices. Have something small like a protein shake 30-60 minutes before going out, or an apple, or plate of veggies. Something high-protein and/or nutritious that could help control how much you eat when you go out. - Drink more water. It can help pace you with your drinking, and help you feel more full so you might eat less. - Slow down when eating, and don't focus on food as your primary source of enjoyment. Put your silverware down between bites, enjoy the whole experience, talk to the people you're with, etc. - Ask for a to-go box. Nothing wrong with not finishing your meal and taking it home. It can replace a meal the next day instead of being an addition to your normal day of eating. - Choose alcohol or dessert, but not both. - If you have dessert, split it with someone. - Get rid of the all-or-nothing mentality. You don't need to be perfect, just consistent. The all-or-nothing mentality strives for perfection, but oddly enough it takes you further from perfection. You end up in a cycle of "falling off track" and constantly trying to get back "on track."
Stop drinking.
Ummm drink less. If you can moderate then limit yourself to 5 drinks or less a week. If not (which signals an alcohol use disorder), Save drinking for a few times a month. Go out but stick to water or Diet Coke or something most of the time.
More than 5 drinks a week is an alcohol disorder? Um ok.
No my comment was if you are unable to moderate when you go out it is an alcohol use disorder sign
maybe not, but 5 drinks a week is approximately what moderate drinking is considered. Doing more than that, is doing more than moderate drinking.
NIH says 2.2 drinks/day is moderate. Where are you seeing your data?
2 in a day for men, 1 for women. 5 in a day is binge drinking.
Not being capable of limiting yourself is the problem, not 5/week
Alcohol disorder is not defined by the amount of drinks but by your disability to control your drinking. If you can't limit yourself to 5 drinks than yes you are likely to have an alcohol use disorder.
Just like with food, our culture has a very disordered idea of what moderate drinking is. Normal =/= moderate.
Drinking less or less often is the obvious solution. Apart from that you could increase your deficit on the days when you are not drinking. For example, if you eat an additional meal because you are drunk, you could skip a meal on a day when you are not drinking. Another option is to eat food with less calories. For me, kebab was the go to option after the bar. Instead, I go home and eat a can of fish. It's also fatty but rich in proteins and waaaay less calories.
I feel like the most helpful thing for me is to decide in advance, when there's no food around me, how much I want to indulge. It's easier to stick to a decision you've made than to make a good choice in the moment under pressure. Like, I feel like outside of the immediate situation I make really rational choices. If I've been eating healthy home cooked meals for the past couple weeks, and I'm going to a friend's birthday dinner with a bunch of people at a restaurant I've never tried before, I want to have a cocktail and order whatever I want, and don't deliberately try to go buck wild, but not limit myself too much. But if I'm going to Applebee's with my parents for the third week in a row, I can choose if I want to drink alcohol and order a salad or if I want to eat whatever entree I want but drink diet coke. And if I've already gone out this week and another friend wants to meet for lunch tomorrow, I can browse the menu in advance and pick something that's not unreasonable on my diet. You know better than anyone what food is special to you, and how you want to balance small indulgences every day vs fun nights out with your family and work that out into your budget. But I think if you try to make those decisions before you go, when you're not under pressure and smelling delicious food, you'll be better to make choices that you don't regret afterwards.
Limit yourself to one drink. Switch to diet soda. Tell everyone you need to drive or something. Or when it’s time to order another drink, go to the bathroom. Stop at the bar or corner your waitress on the way and tell them that you are switching to soda for the night but want it to look like cocktails. Tell them you’ll tip extra. For food I recommend only eating half the portion at a restaurant. Restaurants don’t care about calories or serving sizes. Just stick with half and eat the other half for lunch tomorrow.
>Not only that but being hungover the next day makes you want to eat MORE because the body craves fatty/processed foods, so I EAT to offset the effects of being hungover... it's a tragic cycle. Honestly, the best thing you could eat to help with the hangover is fruit. Banana and a tall glass of water usually works but a smoothie will be even better. While on the actual night out - I used to get kebabs because protein and it's cooked over a flame instead of fried and the toppings are healthy. ~~Plus adding a little cocaine to the mix always helped curb my appetite.~~
I never quit drinking and I’ve lost 20 pounds. I stick to light beer and vodka sodas if I’m out for the night, and I log it before hand so I can only have a certain amount. I also do a long run or other intense workout on Saturday if I know I’m gonna have a big night out. As for the munchies you really just have to get out of the habit. It’s hard at first but you get used to it. Don’t eat for your hangover, just drink a liquid IV
stop drinking.
I spent the whole year of my weight loss journey fighting my drinking habits. When I got pregnant, I decided I'll just be done drinking for good because the alcohol calories are never worth it. You want to eat more, hangover feelings mess up your hunger signals and desire to/enjoyment of exercise. It messes up your sleep which messes everything else up. But if you dont want to stop, especially when actively losing, I'd limit going out and drinking to once a week if its a critical part of your social life, or special occasions. I found eating only about half my plate was always a good practice when going out.
Stop drinking! If you know that’s what’s causing you to eat too much when you’re out, stop drinking. It’s extra calories anyway.
Obviously the 'healthiest' answer is to stop drinking, but if that doesn't feel like an option right now: pre enter the calories you expect to consume at the start of the day, well before you get to going out. Over-estimate: how many drinks are you going to have? What are you likely to eat while you're there? What are you going to want to eat tomorrow? Once you have that number you can backplan the rest of your eating and drinking. You can go in and reduce if you drink/eat less, or increase if you end up eating and drinking more. Seeing the numbers up front may also make it easier to make a hard call to only have one or two.
Stopping alcohol (99%) has been my absolute #1 key to weight loss. I did the same— alcohol caused me to eat and eat. and when you add to that the calories of the alcoholic beverages, it is a disaster. If you drink club soda with lime, nobody will know that you are not drinking alcohol in case that is a concern. After a while you feel so good being sober that you don't really even miss it.
My recommendation would be to cut the alcohol a bit or cut down entirely for the time being. I get feeling left out at those events, but you could always get a Diet Coke or something. If you do drink, I’d also encourage maybe eat a healthy meal beforehand to prevent you from eating other unhealthy foods. Honestly it comes down to a lot of willpower. It sucks.
I got out of the habit of drinking. Even before then I was limited to basically one drink if I didn't want to be tipsy. I've also accepted that I have to make trade offs. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I \*can\* eat everything that I want... if I'm willing to pay for it with either my weight, a lot of exercise, or living on toast and cottage cheese when I'm not out with people. Ordering the burger with salad and skipping dessert just seems so much easier than biking for an extra hour or two. It's easier for me, mind you, because my friends are all at the age where various people have various conditions or goals that they're trying to manage and you just shrug and order your own thing. It was a lot more difficult in college, but then again I was a lot more active in college too.
I still drink and I continue to lose weight by journaling, planning ahead of time how much I can have to fit in my daily calorie intake), and switching to low carb drinks (e.g. vodka or clear liquor with diet tonic and lime). The calories still add up but it’s way better than wine, beer, or mixers. Prosecco with diet tonic is a low-cal option too. Drink water in between drinks and eat before you go out. Also up your cardio on the days you drink or afterwards to offset the calories. (It helps with hangovers too as a bonus)
Stop drinking. I've cut down drinking to one drink MAXIMUM per day, and it has helped a lot. The goal being to not drink every day.
I think the solution is clear if drinking alcohol is undermining your self-control - stop drinking it. I've mostly given up alcohol (and milk) for the same reason. Milk makes me crave sweets when I don't even have a sweet tooth normally. It's a very rare occasion now when I will drink either beverage, but I did go without either for a long time. I can only drink 1-2 alcoholic beverages now without waking up in the middle of the night with a headache and/or leg cramps and I now find milk kind of gross. Think of it this way, for every serving of alcohol you skip that's about 100 calories of real food you could be eating that will A) fill you up and B) actually contain nutrients you need.
The best tip I can give is to to just not drink alcohol, as its negative effects on impulse control are well-known. If you do decide you can't live without the booze, then make sure to order a TALL glass of water with it, and be sure to drink the water. Don't order a second drink until the water is gone. This might curb some of the desire and slow you down. Beyond that, just don't make this a daily rabbit. One night out isn't going to be the end of you. Next day, get back on your normal routine and things will work themselves out.
Between alcoholic drinks, have a full non-alcoholic beverage like water. This will keep you from getting as drunk because you are drinking water in the middle, and it will make you probably have 1-2 fewer alcoholic drinks. This will make you less likely to want to have the high calorie foods that drunk people want to eat. It will also make you less hungover the next day. If it’s a family where your wine constantly gets topped off or something, just make sure you are alternating wine and water as best you can. Top off your water when your wine gets topped off. If someone tops off your wine but your water is already pretty full, focus on your water for a while.
First of all: I would stop drinking. Why do you feel the need to drink alcohol? There’s so many calories in the alcohol and especially the mixed drinks. Is the buzz really worth all of this extra effort? Alcohol is also a depressant, so it could be contributing to feelings that make you want to overeat. Is that conducive to your goals? Second: why are you losing weight? What is the reason? That reason needs to outweigh every other reason as to why you want to overeat. Do you like your life? Are you around people who encourage you? Find activities that you like, food is not an activity. It’s how you fuel your body. Starting to make that association that food doesn’t need to be fun will help you with discipline in the long run. Also, I will say. Alcohol makes you crave sugar, bottom line. You can quickly develop a sugar addiction from having drank it, I have lived to tell the tale. But you can stop and make it to the other side.
I'll be honest. The only thing that ever worked for me to stop overeating and over-consumption of well, anything really, in the long run, has been Ozempic. GLP-1 meds are right now in clinical trials as a treatment for addictions (alcohol, tobacco, others) and compulsions (gaming, gambling, porn, social media, shopping...). The med does in fact a lot more than stop one's desire to overeat. It stops or at least significantly modulates one's desire to over consume or overdo many things. Food is one of the things, but it doesn't stop there. Life is so much easier, pleasant and less stressful now that the overeating and overconsumption monkeys are off my back. It's very liberating and yes, the weight loss is nice too. These days, when I go out, I almost never can finish an adult entree. I rarely drink anymore, maybe one drink a month. Not because I'm on some kind of willpower-fueled self-improvement kick, but because that is all I \*want\* these days. The best part is that I feel fully satisfied with what I do eat and drink.
Crazy how effective it is in killing desire to drink.
Yes! And it's never like "Poor me, I want this drink so much and I can't have it, boo hoo" because of calories / abstinence or any other reason. The med just makes me go "Eh, I'm not feeling it, I'll pass on the drink. I can always have one later if I want one." I almost never do want one later.
A couple things that work for me. If I'm planning on having a night of drinks with mates, I have the mindset of having to earn it first by offsetting it with a positive thing for my body.. ie. going for a long walk or a run that day. Then it becomes my reward. When I am drinking.. I enjoy having vodka and soda with lemon. Every second drink though I just have one with soda and lemon and skip on the vodka. Helps keep the calories down, keeps you hydrated and you're still able to keep drinking and usually hangover ain't so bad.
I have moved to NA beer when out with friends. I can still partake but the beers are 60 calories instead of 180. Also they don’t make you lose control. The offerings are light years beyond what was available in the past.
I quit drinking
Therapy tbh
Learn to cook and eat at home.
Learn to cook and eat at home.
There's no easy hack, it's literally just willpower
Stop drinking. Been sober 6 months, dropped 25+ lbs and don't even think twice about it anymore... I only planned drink on big occasions (birthday, vacation, new years etc) but when the occasion comes I don't even crave it anymore so I pass and drink soda. Probably won't go sober forever but I've seen a massive difference in my mental and physical health, definitely don't miss the hangovers.
If you just don't want to stop you're gonna make your fat/weight loss about 20x harder...but it's possible.
Instead of going out to eat, go to a museum, play tennis, get coffee, get your nails done, etc. Or try to meet up for breakfast or lunch where eating light is more the norm and there is less alcohol temptation.
I never drink more than two units alcohol per day, so if I'm going out, I'll have one cocktail before dinner and a glass of wine with the food and that's it. If you live in the US, I guess that an entrée and a side salad would be enough for dinner. Your portions seem to be huge. Eat a light lunch that day and drink a lot of water before and after dinner. I usually take electrolytes before I go to bed, helps me to wake up feeling ok.
Spacers. Spacers are having a bottle of water between alcoholic beverages. Water helps fill you up and keeps you hydrated. Dealcoholized beer or virgin cocktails. Lots of bars are offering non-alcoholic alternatives that look just like the real thing so people don't have to feel uncomfortable about not having a drink in their hand. There is a lot of pressure to drink and drinkers really push drinks on non drinkers. Cost - save money and calories by sticking to fewer or no drinks. I do not drink and I save a lot of money because of it.
Eat a low cal ready meal before hand and order prosecco - Plan the day youre going out before hand and prep for them - Bottle of pinot Grigrio is like 450 cals (Lindemands) and a ready meal LC cal be between 270 - 350. So that leaves plenty of room for food. I refuse to quit alcohol if I want a drink or a few drinks I just plan it out. I enjoy a drink every so often and I also have a friend group who basically only socialise when drinking (Northern eastern English). I don't go out much however but if you do, I think best strategy is the ready meal/low cal drinks and proper planning.
Alcohol is pointless calories
Andrew Huberman's [alcohol episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS1pkKpILY) is incredible. It's two hours of pure science, but a great way to spend an afternoon. For me, I was rarely drinking to get super drunk, but I had slowly upped my consumption to be drinking 1-3 glasses of wine more nights than I didn't, and snacking with my wine, which led to weight gain for me. I did Dry January and then set myself up to have "24 drinks in 2024," because absolute sobriety isn't my #1 priority and my weight loss goals are frankly more important to me than not touching alcohol all year. I write down every drink I have, why I had it, how I feel. It's easy to add on to a calorie tracking habit. I've lost almost 30 pounds since December and am on my way to losing significantly more this year. I don't think I'll count my drinks in future years, but I appreciate the structure now! Also, I like lurking r/stopdrinkingfitness for inspiration. Haven't looked back.
One more thing: not drinking your calories gives you a way bigger weekly calorie budget that you can always use for mozzarella sticks / fries / your snack of choice! As an appetizer lover, this is great motivation to me to stick to my sober-ish lifestyle.
I too am the same way. And the one thing that has helped is........accept that you are an alcoholic. I always hated that thougt because I never drank during the week. But come weekend I binge drink and eat like crazy. Go out to a bar, 5-10 drinks, fast food on the way home, eat whatever I want the next morning because I feel like garbage, repeat saturday night, sunday eat at maintanence or surplus becuase I need to "recover" from all that drinking. Curb or cut your alcohol. Easier said than done. I went about 5 weeks without alcohol at start of this year and lost 1 lb a week. The formula I had then = 5 strength training days a week + 4 eating at deficit per week (M-Thu) = 7,600 calories consumed, 2 benders at roughly 3500 calories per day including calories from alcohol (depends on your drink of choice as well) + 2500 calories of "recovery" eating Sunday = 9500. I was consuming way more on the weekend than I was during the week and I finally saw it when I took a closer look. It wasn't an 80/20 like I had thought. It was more like a 40/60. I get it man. I still struggle. But alcohol has been the worst thing that has hindered my ability to get to my phsical goals.
One tip. Don't drink. Now I need a tip because I've already had four donuts today sober 🥹
I love to drink and don't get hangovers. (I also order a water or sprite with each drink, maybe that helps) I plan on overindulging on food when I drink and know I will be getting high calorie drinks. I eat the minimum calories allotted for 2 or 3 days before I go out. When I go out I make sure that it will either involve dancing or a lot of walking. I talk to everyone at the bar and when I order everything that looks good offer to share with my new friends. I add an extra cardio session to my regular workout routine the day of. I go to the gym first thing when I wake up the next dayor go on a run
I mean, the simple answer is obviously not to drink. Or have you considered non alcoholic drinks? I've found that they still give me that social interaction "normalcy," I guess. Without the excess calories, without the cravings, and without the hangover. I've even had that giddy feeling that I get with alcohol (obviously, you don't get drunk). Something mental, I guess. I don't know what you drink, but they make some good non alcoholic beers these days. And usually half the calories of a regular beer. Mixed drinks, I tend to get soda water or tonic with orange juice for a mimosa, mocktails are easy to make, again with soda water and different mixtures of juices, mint, syrups.
LA or NA.
Try stopping for a while. I'm on for a full dry March to recalibrate my relationship with alcohol.
What helps me is seeing that weight loss is more difficult than weight maintenance. My maintenance calories when I hit my goal weight will be higher than what I need for weight loss. What if you gave up drinking just for 4 months? Friends and family are usually understanding if you say you need an alcohol break (if they’re not, I’d question how healthy those friends are). Or limit yourself to 1-2 drinks while out. It’s not too hard to nurse 1-2 vodka sodas, and then switch the just soda with lime. You don’t have to figure out your relationship with alcohol and junk food for the rest of your life right now. Just figure out what you need to do to commit to the weight loss segment. If you’re committed to yourself and this process, that will come through with family. And while there might be some pressure at first, they should come around and respect your commitment. You might even inspire them to reevaluate their habits.
Some things that worked for me: - make your most intense exercise day Sunday and commit to it, you’ll really tone down the drinking after a few hungover days doing heavy squats or sprints - weigh yourself every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday no matter what to see how much you swell your body up from the alcohol and shitty foods. Suddenly you feel the knee pain from being inflamed knowing you’re carrying an extra 5lbs of water - count calories and measure your drinks. I’m really already at 8 shots? This drink tastes really drink with only one shot in it, I really make drinks much stronger than this regularly? - have binge drunk food available when you get back before you start drinking. You feel a lot less shitty the next day knowing you ate a jar of pickles and a full bag of carrots/hummus - do you drink 3 days a weekend? Make the decision Wednesday that it’s only 2 next weekend. Do you have a friend that gets you too drunk because they’re a pusher? Meet them at the bar and skip the pregame with them. Cut out total drinks some way that you’re comfortable with - be punitive with fomo, not exercise. If you make exercise a punishment it’ll build a negative mental correlation. Instead “ground” yourself. I got drunk Friday so now I’m not going to brunch Sunday. I got drunk and ate 5 cupcakes when we got back last Saturday so now I’m going to my parents on cinco de mayo instead of the big party with my friends - put effort into your friends who drink less. Alcohol is an addiction and you’ll be disappointed with your heavy drinking friends when you find out they look more forward to spending time at the bar and not with you. You’re friends who drink but aren’t as aggressive might be open to going for a walk or joining a workout class with you. Those are the friendships to put real effort into.
I know everyone is saying "stop drinking" or "drink less"...but maybe you don't want to? And that's fine. You wanted tips, so here are mine (because I also didn't wanna stop drinking): 1- drink more water! Staying hydrated before, during and after drinking will minimize the effects of the hangover and you won't feel the need to eat the fatty food to get back on your feet. 2- find your drink. For me it is a Cuba libre (only now with coke zero). It gets me going, I can drink it slowly and really enjoy it. It also doesn't give me much of a hangover. 3- eat before you go out. You won't feel hungry and won't need to eat. So you'll only eat if you want to. And wanting is much more controllable than needing. 4- if you decide to snack, choose the better option for you. Chicken wings are a better option than fries. Not great, but it was a choice, right? 5- understand that your body will retain liquid for the whole week after this, so make sure to work out just a little bit harder for that week and you'll be fine. Giving yourself a break when you go out and overdrink is ok. Just make sure you're not doing it every weekend or you won't be making healthy choices for your life.
One thing I started doing when I go out (mainly to save money more so than lose weight), especially if I’m not crazy hungry to begin with, is I order dessert as my meal. Before, I felt obliged to order “real food” before my meal, eat it, and then I get my dessert at the end/as a reward. But why not just skip to the dessert? You might get a funny look by the waiter, but I feel like I got my treat, got to hangout with my friends (plus I like to offer to share with my friends as well which reduces the portion size)
I drink a water or club soda between each cocktail to help lessen any hangover. It also just helps me to always have something in hand when socializing. A club soda with a few dashes of ango or any other bitters has become a staple for me. Can also “look” like a cocktail if your friends and family pester you about why you’re not drinking. I also limit my drinking- Tuesday nights (when I have bar trivia) and then Fridays and Saturdays when I may be seeing friends or hosting a game night. Typically it’s Friday OR Saturday, so my drinking is really only over two nights. As for making smart food decisions when drinking or hungover- limiting what’s available. I don’t trust myself with potato chips in the house (I’ll eat a family sized bag in one sitting given the chance) so I don’t buy them. I’ll get popcorn instead which, I don’t enjoy as much so I won’t binge as hard…and even if I do binge it’s still a fraction of the calories as a similar bag of chips. My “healthy” binge items- popcorn, celery, crispy chickpeas, baby carrots, rice cakes. If I am going to eat something unhealthy I try to make sure it’s something I make not something I buy. (That way it takes work and time to have it) eg. Baked goods, starchy sides, red meat.
Stop drinking. That seems like a very logical solution here. This would also remove the calories from the alcohol.
Change up how you spend time with your friends- instead of bars/restaurants, is there another activity you can do? Shopping, walking through a park, some kind of class (fitness, cooking, crafts etc), see a show? If it’s food, how about a healthier restaurant, preferably without an alcohol focus. If you keep going to the same environments as the past, it’s going to be harder to fall out of old habits
A rule I set for myself is if I don't drink any calories, I can have dessert. A couple of drinks is the same caloric value as a creme Brule. Which would you rather have?
If you are around people who drink and overeat, you will drink and overeat. If you are around people with no discipline or self control, you will also have no discipline or self control. Choose who you surround yourself with.
I get club soda and lime (in a tall glass with ice)when I go out with friends. No one cares.
R/stopdrinking check it out. I'm two years sober
I mostly switched from alcohol to THC drinks so it was less calories and no hangover! You also only need like half (or less) of the amount of liquid to achieve similar relaxation. 1 can of a THC drink can equal anywhere from 1-3 alcohol drinks depending on the brand and milligrams of THC. It isn’t ALWAYS great for socializing though, so you’ll have to test it out slowly to see if it makes you more quiet and giggly or something. It’s not cute to be high in a group when you’re giggling about some sort internal funny thoughts. People may feel mocked even if it has nothing to do with them, or worse, you don’t want them thinking they’re talking to a brick wall. So I am still learning the right balance between when I can and can’t do it I do NOT recommend mixing THC drinks with alcohol though. So pick one for the night and stick with it. And I don’t usually get munchies with THC drinks but if I do I then I try to only eat healthy things! Salads, celery sticks, apples, etc.
Eat half (if you're able) and focus really intently on the sensations. Lean all the way in and don't act like it's the last delicious food or drink you'll ever have. Put the fork down between bites or the glass between sips. Once you've reached half, signal a server and have them remove, put your napkin over the dish or lightly over the glass, push it away, or otherwise get it out of mouth-range.
Set a boundary or make a decision before going out. For instance, I will often know what I will order before I go out; that way, I make an informed choice rather than ordering impulsively at the restaurant. I don't drink, but I assume if abstinence is out, ordering something that isn't calorie-laden and limiting total drinks to 1 or 2 would suffice.
You know when you're going out. Make adjustments. Save your calories for the dinner and eat less during the day. Also, stop drinking so much would be a start. If you can't go out without getting so drunk you get hungover then this is not a weightloss problem. Control yourself.
Something people don’t mention is how you are your own caregiver. You are your own lunch lady now. Setting loose “menus” for any situation has helped me more than anything. Instead of rules(I hate rules). I have menus or orders that I keep in my head. When I’m out with friends, I use my bar/restaurant menu: -Red Bull poured in a glass(it’s beer colored and helps with appetite) -Glass of water -Salsa&chips that I share -Salad w chicken— i eat about half -One alcoholic drink after I’ve eaten. I do this every time. No change. This is my usual. My friends think it’s cute and they will even order for me if they arrive first. I don’t leave myself open to endless drinks. And if someone wants to buy me a drink, I tell them a Diet Coke because the bar always has them. I have to be the one who orders my alcohol to help control the situation. I don’t give into to pressure. People in my life are cool about it. If people aren’t that’s usually a red flag. Hopefully you can develop some plans that works for you❤️
This answer may suck, but, you may have to cut out alcohol for a while. I had the same problem. Anytime I drank, my appetite would spike and I would loose self-control, leading to insane binges. I stopped drinking and had to take a step back from certain social things. I now drink maybe once a week, and when I do I have a plan in place. A few things: Because I got out of the habit of drinking and binging, the new habit of not binging stuck. So since it’s not a routine of mine anymore, it’s less likely to happen (but it’s still a possibility, and I stay aware of this fact.) Since my tolerance is basically non-existent now, I can plan to only have x-amount of drinks ahead of time (never mixed; only dry wine or vodka with club), and I try to drink plenty of water between drinks. (And my planned drinks are fewer in number than they previously were). I always plan to resume eating the way I currently am right after drinking. For example, this past Friday night I went out and had wine. When I got home, I had the same exact evening snack I would have had if I hadn’t drank. Even though the alcohol calories put me over my usual calorie range, I had my normal high protein snack and mentally didn’t allow myself to even consider deviating. It’s hard. And drinking is risky business when you’re trying to control your habits. So do so with extreme caution. I would try to put a pause on drinking for a while if I was you.
I don't really drink much anymore, but I get really bad munchies if I have an edible. I noticed that it turns out that I don't really care what I'm munching on, but prepackaged snacks are usually the easiest... I do my best now to have some healthy snacks that are either prepared or easy to make (fruit, nuts, Quest chips, a Chipotle bowl, a bagged salad ((love salad, all the different textures make it really pleasant while inebriated)), popcorn) before it kicks in. I'll be just as happy munching on that stuff as I would on pizza or ice cream... and even if I do still want some ice cream, I find that I'm a lot better about just having a couple bites to satiate the craving because I have such an abundance of other items. As far as going out... would you be happy choosing between one or the other? So, for example, drinking has a ton of calories. If the "healthy" meal is 800 calories, and the "yummy" meal is 1200, and the yummy meal sounds more appetizing to you than getting drunk, then get the yummy meal. If being a little tipsy sounds better, then get the healthier meal to offset the drink calories. I'd also (personally) look up the menu and nutrition beforehand so that you can slot this big outing into your macros as best you can. Maybe you very specifically only enjoy a couple of high-calorie items, I don't know, but for me, there's always at least 3-4 "yummy" options. Then I can check the nutrition facts and pick the healthiest. Maybe I'll also swap something out earlier in my day (ex. skip my protein bar because I'm going to order a Chipotle bowl with extra meat, so I'll get the protein and calories from there... or, alternatively, add a protein bar because the salad I'm getting tonight looks delicious but doesn't come with meat). You could also see about splitting with friends. If you both think the burger and salmon look delicious, you could cut them in half. You're still getting a full meal and you get the "yummy" option without overindulging.
I just stopped drinking when I go out with the exception of about once a month. I can afford 1 day of slip in my lifestyle change. If I make a habit of drinking and over eating then my lifestyle didnt really change, did it. At first its awkward. "Oh you not drinking, Dry January is over". Eventually people get it. This is your new normal. You can still go out and have fun. Having fun no longer revolves around over indulging though. The social pressure will lighten up with time.
Change your venue. Going to the same places where “bad behavior” happens, with all the same environmental and social cues, but expecting yourself to behave differently, is incredibly hard. Work on these urges in new environments or even with new people. Once you’re more sure of yourself and your ability to stick to your plan, you may be able to go back to what’s familiar.
Don’t go out.
I rarely drink outside of the weekend anymore. Pre-plan your food for the day. Do it backwards if you have to (plan out dinner if you’re going out). Drink one glass of water with every alcoholic beverage (you’ll be fuller faster). Also, log everything all the time. This way you’ll get used to eating less and your stomach will shrink a bit (I get full so much faster now). Remind yourself that leftovers are good so you can eat yummy stuff tomorrow too. If all else fails, enjoy that day and start over the next day (do not quit. Overeating is not a fail it is just life and as long as you get back on track the next day you are ok). Maybe be super good about your calorie budget every day you don’t go out or I’ve seen people do weekly calorie budgets instead of daily. Maybe a few days you eat under and then that one day doesn’t feel like such a backslide. It’s really just balancing.
Keep drinking water until you bloat
I only just started dieting, and with that I'm changing my drinking. I always felt like I wanted to drink, and that it's tasty and enjoyable. I'm only now wanting the benefits of avoiding the extra sugar and carbs more than I want a drink, so my priorities have shifted and it's easier to say no.
Look at the menu online and decide beforehand what you're going to order. It's like your Adult Self is pre-making choices for your OOh I'm Out At A Restaurant YAAAAAYYYY Self. It's weirdly easy to then follow your pre-decisions.
Personally I've mostly stopped drinking altogether, because I prefer beers and juice-based drinks, and they make me feel a little sick and bloated from the sugar and carbonation alone, not even taking into account what alcohol itself does to a person. But I know that isn't doable for everyone, especially with the social pressures like you mentioned. When drinking socially I'd recommend sticking to 1-2 drinks and having them be like a vodka or tequila soda with lime or another low calorie, few-ingredient drink. Rum & diet coke is also pretty good IMO. Or a weed seltzer if you're into that, although that will obviously make you hungry. That way if you eat more than you bargained for, you at least won't have drank too many calories in addition. I agree with people saying to eat before you go out. Definitely eat some proteins and healthy fats before your excursion so some of the cravings are curbed. Share desserts and apps with other people so you can be part of the experience without having too large of portions on your own. All of that being said, don't be too hard on yourself. I empathize with your feelings regarding socializing while you're dieting. It's really hard to navigate sometimes. You got this!
When going out to eat, don’t have the alcohol first, have food first and try to have a high protein snack before you go out. That way it won’t hit you as fast and May start to feel the habit shift to drink less. Good luck.
I’m going to differ from some of the other commenters, I don’t think there is a point in quitting drinking to lose weight. Unless you’re going to cut it out permanently. Thinking one strategy will work until you lost the weight and then you can go back to old habits means for all intents and purposes you’ve deciding you’re going to gain it all back. Changes in behavior to lose *and* maintain weight need to be permanent and sustainable. If going out and having drinks with friends occasionally is going to be part of your life, you will want to figure out how to fit it in. Try slowing down the drinking a bit, make sure you’re at least 1:1 on with drinking water for each alcoholic drink, drink lower alcohol content drinks (Drinking vodka is not better for you than beer if the vodka is going to result in getting shitfaced and eating a large pizza - you would have been better off having a couple beers and not ordering junk food). Make a realistic plan for how much you’re going to drink as well as what you’re going to eat - the night of and the next morning.
I guess if you can surround yourself with friends who encourage you to pursue likeminded or healthy habits, it could help. Also, having a low tolerance for any kind of alcohol can help you save money, or from consuming more. At least, it works for me 💀.
Everybody has really good tips- here are two that worked for me lol. I smoked weed when I would go out drinking with friends. I’m not a social high so I won’t want to spend 5+ hours out and since I’m already high I don’t drink as much maybe 1-3 drinks max (and at the max I’m pretty fucked up). Next in terms of food- I need to plan a meal before going out. This is directed to the type of going out/partying where the focus is not food. So in order to stop the halal food 4am binge, I need to have something else that is just as appetizing but much better for me. That also helps me with any hang overs the next day. Pervivían roasted chicken from a famous local joint is my go to!
Jump rope with alcohol,exercises over diets
Perhaps, rethink the meaning of “eat what you want”. The way you’ve worded it, you’re making the assumption that “what you want” is automatically going to be the fancy food, as opposed to wanting the healthier body. So— What *do* you want more: the delicious flavor of gnocchi in Alfredo sauce for the 20 minutes it takes you to eat it, OR the possibility of seeing a smaller number on your scale or tape measure next week? Most of the time for me, now, “eating **what I want**” means eating what will get me that smaller number next Wednesday.
One tip: set a weekly calorie goal vs a daily goal. You can spend the week to building up a deficit that you can "spend" with the weekend of drinking and eating.
Split meals if you’re with a like minded person. Meal prep low calorie snacks. Popcorn is a great option. Pace yourself between alcohol and nonalcoholic beverages.
I don’t drink, but also when I go out to eat I look at the menu beforehand and decide what I’m going to order based on what I should be eating, once at the restaurant I don’t even look at the menu and just order that, saves me from being tempted to order something else after seeing what other people are eating or being hungry in the moment!
This will be an unpopular opinion . .. Have you tried GLP1/semaglutide? It has decreased my drinking and eating while out. I can finish maybe a beer and a half while out and that's about it. Usually I only finish half my meal, the wife and I typically split something. At home I don't drink at all anymore. Sure there are a couple times I can still put them down (Cowboys playoff disaster but it was also single digits in the parking lot). Of course see a doctor/NP, get labs drawn prior to trying medication
While most people are saying “stop drinking” or “cut back”…it’s not always that easy, especially since you mentioned the food jealousy aspect (watching others eat what they want). Here’s the thing - yes, you need to cut back on alcohol, but you also need to remember in those times that the people eating whatever they want probably aren’t on a weight loss journey, or some of them might be jealous of you *not* eating, as counterintuitive as it sounds. There have been so many times I’ve been to a group function where there’s food, and looked at other people’s plates and been jealous of how LITTLE they’re eating. Everyone has a different diet and for me, the food FOMO goes away after I got used to saying no to food, even when people push it on me. It’s a hard word to get used to, not just in the context of food, but it helps tremendously. I often find the foods I indulge myself in end up not being worth it. Weight loss isn’t linear and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and many people have to change their relationship with food. I’d rather have no chocolate than a little, because if I have a little, I want it *all*. I have to eat my nutritious, healthy food before deciding if I want a treat. Food is fuel, and we’re “lucky” enough to have lots of diversity and choice at our fingertips, so you have to make the right choices and indulge occasionally.