Not all calories are created equal....

[LeighaMason 19]

You may have seen my posts on other threads where I finally decided that to get to goal weight I would have to stop drinking wine on a daily basis. My goal weight is pretty aggressive at 21.6 BMI.

I had reached a point where it took 46 days to lose 2 pounds, 21 days for one then 25 days for the next one. So I knew I had to make a change. I am doing a very aggressive exercise schedule and I have a very streamlined diet so the only thing left was the wine.

I usually had a glass of wine a night, and maybe a couple on the weekend nights but I made sure that the calories still fit into my budget. So even though I was fitting the alcohol calories into my calorie budget they were still keeping me from losing weight. I stopped drinking wine 12 days ago and I have lost 3 pounds, and it isn't that I am taking in less calories, I added food to replace the alcohol calories so the moral of my story is its not just calories in vs. calories out its also what kind of calories in vs. calories out too.

Here are a couple things I learned from this experience.

I was looking for a flavored drink more than looking for alcohol. The night I stopped, I was wandering around the kitchen and so I decided to have a G2 Gatorade that I buy for our boys. I drank half of one (25 calories) and that settled my cravings. Substitution is very important when you are creating your new band lifestyle.

I can still have an occasional drink and still lose weight. I had a drink on 2 nights since I quit drinking daily and I am still losing. Moderation is key. (DUH:biggrin:)

[KimmyTx 0]

Thanks so much for sharing your story. Would you mind sharing what works for you as far as calorie limits? I'm having trouble finding a good place. I'm not going hungry but am limiting myself to 800 calories per day, eating very healthy, and exercising every day, yet my loss constantly stalls out. I just want it to be steady and find an overall plan that fits.

[LeighaMason 19]

Here is the link to a blog that tells what I eat. This is what works for me, that doesn't mean it is for everyone. You have to find your own way on this journey.

What I eat... - LAP-BAND

I stay between 800-1200 calories a day but that depends on if I worked out that day or if I am going to work out the next day then I am around 1200 if I am not working out that day or the next I am at 800.

I don't work out everyday instead I work out really hard 3 days a week. I am talking about my pulse being at 90% for an hour, sweating like you wouldn't believe. I have to have 1200 calories to work this hard or I run out of gas. Oh and I worked up to this over a period of time.

Keep in mind you have just been banded for 6 weeks or so, I gained weight in the first 6 weeks so don't start beating yourself up for not losing steady. My advice is to look at what you are doing every week and find 1 thing that you can include or eliminate that will give you better results. If you do this every week you will learn a new lifestyle with continuous improvement instead of trying to change your whole life all at once.

[KimmyTx 0]

Thanks SO MUCH for the great advice and link.

[kcg 6]

Of course not, hun. Well done on your achievement. Keep up the good work.

[elcee 3,342]

Leigha that is quite interesting. I have heard that alchol can make you gain weight as often people snack more when they drink but just swapping those calories for something else and still losing seems strange. I wonder if there is any kind of scientific explanation.

[Jachut 487]

Alcohol calories are always the first burned, even when the body is in deficit, they are such a ready source of energy. So if you drink, and drinking, even white wine can certainly add up calorie wise, the rest of what you eat will only be burned after the alcohol, its really just sugar.

Everyone here knows I'm no fan of high Protein diets but it is certainly true that if you take in sugar and readily burned refined carbs, then you are giving your body such an easy source of energy that it will always burn in preference to fat. Your body only turns to fat if your glycogen stores are fairly depleted, and that will never happen if you keep filling up on sugar.

I like my wine too though, not sure whether giving it up is worth it to be 10lb lighter, lol.