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)

The non alcolholic beer, that's a great idea, ltlmsmfft. I will check the calories. Fridays are hard for me, but I did refrain last weekend. I think I drink on Fridays to wind down from the week. Then I think I will limit myself to 2 beers or 2 glasses wine and the next thing I know, the whole bottle is gone. Those are my wasted calories. If I eat 1200 and burn 1700(sedentary day) and then drink 550(bottle of wine), I have no deficit on that day. Therefore no weight loss. I hope that is the solution for me. And one certainly can't eat 600 cals a day and drink 600 a day  for very long.   Good luck to all.

I'm going to try to check in over the weekend but EVERYONE STAY STRONG!!!!!!  Remember that you have other options for drinks.  Bring your own stuff to a party to make VIRGIN drinks.  They also make NA beer and wine!  Or just say I'll have water, soda, etc.  You can even lie to people to shut them up.  Say "Oh I'm taking some medication that does not mix well with alchohol"

Karenleek - thanks for the congrats on almost 4 years clean and sober..
Where I live right now there is no AA meeting that I can go to so I am actually missing those pats on the back and 'group strength'.. so thanks again.
On another note: when I totally crashed four years ago, and then went to a rehab place I was able to give up booze, drugs and cigarettes... but I couldn't stop eating. I couldn't even cut down.
So... these last three days have been pretty amazing. I'm losing about 1/2 pound every day!! and I not starving.. just eating about 1000 calories and doing my normal day.
I think keeping track of my calories, and sort of looking into the various foods I eat (using the handy dandy gadgets on Claorie-count) I am getting into it.
Tonight was a bit more of a challenge... 3day, beginning to think I deserve a reward!! lol.. like 3 or four chocolates??? laughing

I'm sipping a Vernor's Diet Ginger Ale on ice - hope everyone else is doing okay as well!

is there still time to join?  i am living in france for the moment, so i won't be having valentine's day with my finance anyway... and i think i can withstand the call of the red wine for 28 days!!!

I'm most certain you'd be more than welcome beckie! 

France - how wonderful for you!

Welcome beckieb!!!!!  It's great to have you here.  I know most of us are at superbowl parties so stay strong!

How did everyone do over the weekend?????

no worries, first weekend of the month over with, broke down and had a White chocolate and raspberry cookie but no booze!  There is a bottle of wine in the fridge opened which I opened in December, I think I should really throw it out as I'm sure it's off by now.

I'm as pure as.... well, never mind.  But I didn't have a drink this weekend!  LOL!

Hello all, things are good. no booze - no surprize,,, but I'm impressed with others going without... specially in France!!  away from home... nobody looking..

yes I am in for no alcohol in febuary, It is actually my goal until May, but I will be in for this month more motivation for me. I am weighing in at 153pounds I am 5'7".

Still alcohol-free here on the fifth day!  It was tough on Friday when we went out for dinner and then back to my house for margarita's.  I kept the fact that I was going without alcohol to myself as to not put no much emphasis on it.  And Superbowl was just fine without it as well.  I'm glad to see that we still have members on board with it.  I enjoy the support and certainly feel that I do much better with it. 

tauretszenjazz - Thanks for the kind words.  We need your inspiration more than you know :)

Where'd everybody go?

Wow, it's already the 7th and I'm seeing this post for the first time. The month of Superbowl, Valentine's day, and I'll be at an NHL game tomorrow night, so it's the wrong month for me.

Would anyone want to go for March? It'll be 10.7% more productive due to the 3 extra days!

Well.  First post to CC evar.  I know im kinda late in posting but i just found this thread today.  Sounds like an entertaining challenge.  So im in even though im late I guess i'll just add some march days to make up for it lol. 

Better late than never. Welcome.

I am down 1 pound since Feb. 1.  I did have one glasss of red wine at dinner out (steak)  last Friday night, but i had no super bowl party and I watched it myself, so there was no liquor in my home. I am glad about that. It was so cold here in chicagoland, noone wanted to go out. 

Today is the 8th day of no beer, no wine . . .  no liquor at all.  I don't think I've done that since my 20's especially during superbowl and dinner's out.  I feel pretty darn good other than PMS which should happen at any moment.  I am glad to see others on board.  Please stay with us even though it is 1 week in.  Fortunately, there are only 28 days in February!  Although, now that I've come this far I am feeling stronger and am considering March as well.  :) 

chpastor - Good for you . . . 1 pound! 

hello all
weighing in at 175.1... down about 5 pounds!!
and no booze
congrats Karen

*rubs bump on head and looks around for the wagon he fell off*

Went out to dinner and a show last night (Ron James is hysterical, btw!), and had not one but two glasses of wine with dinner!