Drinking to my health

Yesterday, as I complained over apparent weight gain (real or illusory), I admitted several outings involving the consumption of cocktails. I don't think I even mentioned that the prior week I also went out with friends several times and had a couple (literally, two) drinks each time then as well. Despite these indulgences, I am confident that with care over the next few days, I can maintain a stable weight.

But ultimately, I firmly believe that alcohol and weight loss do not mix. Even alcohol and weight maintenance is a volatile and dangerous experiment.

There are so many reasons why drinking and dieting do not go hand in hand. First, there is the simple matter of the number of calories in alcoholic beverages. There are about the same number of calories, approximately 100, in a 5 ounce glass of red or white wine, a 12 ounce light beer, or a 1.5 ounce shot of liquor. Each drink you have multiplies the number of calories. And that's just for simple, unmixed drinks. When you're talking fun cocktails - margaritas, cosmopolitans, appletinis, etc. - the calories multiply exponentially.

Despite the calories, alcohol doesn't really have food value and it doesn't satiate you the way food does. A small 5 ounce glass of wine has about the same number of calories as a large apple, without the fiber and nutrition. After you eat a large apple, you're probably not going to be tempted to have another, but with a glass of wine, you very likely might. Of course, wine does have antioxidants and some health benefits, so some people might want to figure out a sensible way to include a small amount of wine in their diets.

But there is another diet risk inherent in alcohol consumption, and I invariably experience this when I go out drinking with friends. Alcohol seems to lower inhibitions, and that includes the inhibitions against eating fattening food, and too much of it. You start out with a yummy cocktail, and then it seems like a good idea to order the onion rings (and maybe another drink), and before you know it you're finishing the french fries off of someone's plate. And let's just hope that's someone at your own table!

Another thing to be aware of, and guard against, is the addictive nature of alcohol. Many people with food and weight issues have obsessive tendencies, including (obviously) over-consumption issues. Beware of the risk of turning your obsessive consumption from food to alcohol.

The March 2007 issue of More magazine has a great section on women and weight loss. I highly recommend you find that magazine to read it. Here is a link to some health and nutrition articles from More, which may in fact be from this issue. I especially enjoyed the article by Laura Fraser (author of An Italian Affair) about her experience with gradual weight gain despite a healthy diet and exercise. After a consultation with professionals, she realized (and was told) that it was probably her wine consumption that was responsible for her gaining weight. After cutting back on wine by half, and making a few other minor adjustments to her diet and lifestyle, she began to lose the excess pounds.

For myself, I prefer to avoid alcohol entirely, except for special occasions. Prior to my weight loss, drinking with friends was a regular occurrence, at least once a week if not more. That meant two or three margaritas every week, plus a glass or two or three of wine on other frequent occasions. While I never drank enough to get intoxicated (just that happy buzz, you know what it's like), and didn't get real hangovers, I would often wake up the following morning feeling less than perky, often dehydrated and kind of fuzzy. When I started losing weight, I cut out the margaritas entirely, drinking diet coke when I went out with friends. I drank wine less and less often. While I missed the tasty beverages, I never felt deprived, and the benefits (faster weight loss, no unpleasant after effects) certainly paid for themselves.

The plethora of social events over the last couple of weeks has been an aberration. While I wouldn't want to give up the opportunities to hang out with friends (a social life has its own positive health benefits), I need to guard against the temptation to succumb to the siren song of a cosmopolitan or other sugary drink. The diet coke is still a good option. Or iced tea (especially as spring and summer approach), or even a virgin bloody mary (a glass full of vegetables, albeit perhaps a little high in sodium).

Will I say I'll never again have a cosmopolitan or champagne cocktail or glass of wine? No, of course not. But I'll keep it in the same category as a piece of cake (another favorite temptation, worthy of its own post) - a special treat that I indulge in rarely, rather than as a matter of habit. A large apple? That is something I'll indulge in freely, and frequently!