No alchohol in Feb. Challenge!!!! Sign up here!

I have found the challenges on here to be very helpful in my battle of the bulge so I thought why not take the one thing I am still struggling with and turn it into a challenge and maybe help some others as I help myself.  So here it is... for the entire month of February I want to challenge myself and you to be alchohol free!  I will be taking names until Feb 5th (because it's so close to the first) and will divide us into 2 teams. 

If you want to sign up please submit your current weight because every thurs. I am asking everyone to weigh in and admit to any *gasp* cheating.  Let's see which team looses the most weight and cheats the least...or not at all.

FYI-  I wanted to see exactly what alchohol does to your dieting efforts and was pretty shocked.

According to conventional wisdom, the infamous "beer belly" is caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. Yet, less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy.

Some evidence for this comes from research carried in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [4]. Eight men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) dropped by a massive 73%.

Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into a substance called acetate. In fact, blood levels of acetate after drinking the vodka were 2.5 times higher than normal. And it appears this sharp rise in acetate puts the brakes on fat loss.

Not only does too much alcohol put the brakes on fat loss, it's also one of the most effective ways to slash your testosterone levels. Just a single bout of heavy drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours [6]. The damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking [1].

The effect of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle. In fact, a 1993 study shows that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than teetotalers [2].

(I got this info from Christian Finn's facts about fitness)

Nah, I'll pass.

Well, I'd join, but it's kinda meaningless. I don't drink. Not a bad idea, though. :)

Just about to finish my no drinking month.... unfortunately I had one slip up soooo.... I may try again for March or April! I should say yes..... my boyfriend and I have agreed on two drinking and 2 non drinking weekends a month from now on, so atleast thats a start! However summer sure makes it more tempting

Sure I'll give it a go, just finished no booze for Jan, I'll go for two in a row!

well, I tried for a no booze January but didn't make it, so please, sign me up!

I'm in!

This strategy doesn't work well with me when ever I try and deny myself something I'm used to eating or drinking....I start to become obsessive about NOT EATING THE "FORBIDDEN FRUIT." 

Instead of having 2 beers I'll have a glass of red wine.  Instead of not having any cake I'll cut a piece in half.  IT seems to work at least for me.:)

Good luck!

Hey there anniemarie13, yvetteroma and tankgirlxx!  It's great to have you all on board.  We can do this!  I know at the end of the month we will have increased our wieght loss and feel great about ourselves!

I'd love to join you, but I just finished all of January with no alcohol, and I am dying for a beer!!  Maybe later in the year I will be able to do it, but for now, I am going to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!

Friends of mine too January off and they are dying for Feb 1st to have a drink.  I dont think I have that discipline.  They had great results. Not just in weight loss, but over all feeling.

February is a good month to do it though - only 28 days!!

I love the idea of doing this, but February will be a bad month for me since it's my Birthday shindig with my family this weekend, and then I'll be snowboaring in the Rockies with my friends for a week ... too much temptation I think. But if anyone wants to start this up again in March, I'm so in!

I would love the challange, but are you kidding me....Go Bears!!!

hello,  count me in.   I'm new.  I'd like to prove to myself that alcohol is stalling my weight loss.

welcome chpastor!!!  i know how you feel.  i think i'm really going to see a huge difference in my wight loss for feb than i did in jan!

Hi there!

I'm in!

I am new to this site.  I started Dec. 31st.  I lost 8 pounds but don't even think of congratulating me ... because I have 79 to go :(

I KNOW that alcohol is the biggest culprit for me.  After a couple of beers ...  not only do the calories add up but the alcohol affects my blood sugar gives me the munchies. 

oops ... by the way ... weight is currently 210

Hello  all,
I am new to the site but definitely enjoying it (after two days only..lol) I wasn't going to join in on the 'no alcohol' contest since I am an 'AA' guy and haven't had a drink for almost four years. But then I thought... hey , I want to be connected with some people and I want to lose weight.. and , maybe my forty one years of drinking and then discovering that I was an alcoholic and then stopping drinking at the verge of living in the ditch... well maybe my experiences might be useful to someone... otherwise no problem, I enjoyed everyone elses comments.
I'm 57 and my weight is 180... Gads... and my goal is 150 by Aug.1 2007...  shortly before my daughters birthday.
thanks

Welcome karenleek and tauretszenjazz!!!!! 

Karenleek-  Alchohol has been my biggest culprit too!  It was the main reason I started eating high fat foods late at night and the next day to mask the hangovers.  It totally decreased my energy levels and I stopped exercising as a result.  Then.....in one year I gained 15.bs (was still exercising sporadically) but, as the weight incresed I drank more and more till last year I gained almost 40 lbs more!!!! So keep with it and we'll be better and healthier people at the end of this month and hopefully it will change our patterns and we will keep up with the no drinking for good or mabye on just a couple holidays in theyear!

tauretszenjazz- thank's for joining us.  I'm sure your experience will be an inspiration to us all!  Keep up the good work.

Well, I would join, but I don't drink anymore as it is. I'll be a support, though! I had to give it up for medical reasons (ulcerative colitis + any alcohol = tantek in pain, sometimes in the hospital). Not worth it to me.

My family (brother, sister, parents) all make their own wine - and the blackberry smells amazing, but I've learned that even a sip affects me :( I used to looove Bailey's, and peach schnapps, and strawberry zinfandel, but I've replaced with flavoured coffee and different fun juices (sometimes adding gingerale).

To those who commit to this challenge: Good for you! I wish you the best! 

Hmmm...In February we've got Super Bowl party, Mardi Gras party, Valentines Day...umm Groudhog's Day, George Washington's birthday...think I'll pass for February.

Maybe March? Oh wait, St. Patrick's Day...I am not really good at not drinking :)