Alcohol and weight gain!!

I don't want to come across as an alcoholic, ;-) but before i decided to overhaul my life and become healthy alcohol played a significant part in my weight gain. Not just in the amount of calories in alcohol but the temptation to eat bad foods when i've had a few drinks. Having looked at alot of the topics on here i haven't seen much mention if it, so either everyone is incredibley well behaved or i just haven't looked hard enough. I know what drinks are lower in calories and i know that my weight loss will be greater without alcohol, i just wanted to know over people's opinions. Does this only happen to me or are there people out there who've had the same experience???

I'm on day 6 of my new healthy life, taking it day by day and feeling good!! xxx

Hi,  I'm with you only maybe a little differently.  I had weight loss surgery 3 years ago never got very small from 340lbs to 220lbs but then started drinking nightly martinis full of calories and I think I've put on 30lbs or better not completely sure as I'm afraid to weigh myself.  I join this site because I saw your post on the Internet and decided I needed help.  I've been drinking now for about 6 months straight and feel it's becoming a real problem as it's getting harder and harder to not make those drinks every night.  I'm going to try again tomorrow not to make them and hope it works but I just feel out of control to the point where I can't sleep tonight.  Thanks for listening...PB 

I stopped drinking booze and coffee (until Sept 21st..Big E!) and it has been hard, but I feel healthier and I know its helping my weight loss.

Was hard yesterday.....there was a big ol' bottle of red just for me....I'm giving it away :)

Hi, I’d like to come here often as I am trying to lose the same 15 pounds for the last few years.  After pruning my diet of sugar (chromium picolinate works wonders) I am still not losing and worse, my waistline is expanding.  So I am at the final frontier.  I’ve got to get my drinking habits under control.  My drug of choice red wine.  Due to my low carbing habots, I avoid cocktails and the other types of alchol.

 So in the last two weeks, I have designated alcohol free days, MWF.  I’ve been able to achieve them.  Firstly, because of the promise that I can drink the next day.  But also, I remind myself of all the bad that goes with too much drinking.  Not only the weight gain, but the appearance; the fact that my clothes don’t fit and I don’t want to buy new clothes (not in this recession).

 I hope that I can blog here and find support.  My plan is to continue until January with these alcohol free days but to start greater limits in the New Year.  I also need to contemplate what are acceptable limits on drinking.  What’s interesting is that regarding smoking (something that I gave up more than three years ago), one cigarette, even once a month or once a year makes you a smoker, IMO anyway.  But one drink, once a month or even once a week, doesn’t IMO, make you an alcoholic. 

Anyway, first things first.  I want to lose weight.  Get rid of this burgeoning waistline.  And create a lifestyle that I can live with.