Cycling, weight loss and alcohol

[dellzeqq]

Too much and increasing, which is why I stopped. On average 2-3 glasses wine most nights. No beer or spirits.
I found as I get older (I'm 55) even a couple of glasses would leave me feeling sluggish next day.
So now I can put much more effort into my rides which I think has also helped with the weight loss.

that's barely enough! Good grief man, you had me convinced you were one step away from a starring role in a Hogarth engraving!

I genuinely don't think that if I stopped drinking (my intake is a little less modest than your own) that I would lose two or three pounds in total, never mind a week. And the risks of sobriety are considerable!

(Actually I gave up drink for six months in 2003 and lost about half a stone, but I was also doing 250 miles a week at a tad under Mach 1)

 

[rich p]

I do a 'cut-down on certain things but not booze' diet at regular intervals, before the effort and misery makes me give up. I hardly lose a pound but I gave up the alcohol ( 1/2 bottle of wine a night, a few beers at the weekend, the odd nippy sweetie etc ) for a month before my recent operation and lost 7lbs.

It seemed to make a big difference to me but I am creeping back to my previous intake and levels of enjoyment now.

 

[Woldwanderer]

that's pretty good going. When I did LEJOG last year, I was in the pub every night living like a king - big meal and several pints every night of the trip.

 

[Woldwanderer]

Sorry about the mistake above still getting the hang of this!!

Would love to do the big one up the country. Still training for the 100miler, which I reckon could be done if the weather and work put a halt to that.

The tatse of beer is so much better after a long ride!!!

 

[Woldwanderer]

Worked in some hot and sweaty places and always think of the final scene in 'Ice Cold in Alex' - keeps you going sometimes!!

 

[chigman]

The tatse of beer is so much better after a long ride!!!

You are so right my freind, you are so right.

Steve

 

[TrevorM]

I just noticed tonight that my local off licence (I still prefer the South African name 'bottle store'), has closed down after 16 years. I wonder if I am responsible?

 

[Garz]

The alcohol intake would make a difference over time if your consumption was steady. I do however feel a glass of wine say once a week (or two glasses if you were really enjoying it) would do you no harm, add no weight and should give you some health benefits of the fruity goodness!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I've known this for years - every few months I go on a 2 week business trip to Africa where I probably don't walk more than a mile in the fortnight and I drink a lot of beer. I always come home feeling full around the waist but after a couple of weeks of normal life it's back to the regular 32 inches.

Skinny git...

 

[Fab Foodie]

I gave up alcohol once... it was the worst day of my life...

 

[ventoux50]

I had a couple of glasses of a nice red last night, feel as rough as a badgers a**e this morning . . . . . . I'm wondering if I'm developing an aversion to alcohol ?

I've done my fair share of imbibing over the years (Rugby club, CID, etc) but now I reckon that although I enjoy the taste, I really don't enjoy the after effects which seem to be getting worse.

Right - thats it I've done drinking.

I am now teatotal.

Merry Christmas.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I had a couple of glasses of a nice red last night, feel as rough as a badgers a**e this morning . . . . . . I'm wondering if I'm developing an aversion to alcohol ?

I've done my fair share of imbibing over the years (Rugby club, CID, etc) but now I reckon that although I enjoy the taste, I really don't enjoy the after effects which seem to be getting worse.

Right - thats it I've done drinking.

I am now teatotal.

Merry Christmas.

and to you! - been there, done that - its not that difficult - there's nothing like a nice pint of lime and soda (he said with feeling).

 

[fossyant]

I've cut down a fair amount recently, and now only 'try' and drink one night at weekends. Mainly as I need to take pain killers for my shoulder - drinking helped, but was crap for sleep......... so pain killers, no booze.

Lost 2kg's within a couple of weeks - been a steady 80kg's for a long time.....

 

[MarkF]

I stopped drinking on New Year Eve, not had a drop since. I was drinking too much, not ga-ga drinking, but a bottle of wine every night, maybe a couple of beers too on a weekend. Was also developing a "belly". My diet has otherwise remained the same, it was pretty good anyway, I don't eat meat or any crap, sweets, pasties etc

Was 89kg on Jan 1st and am now 82kg, with the weather I haven't done much cycling either.

 

[Fiona N]

It's not fair

I gave up alcohol on January 1st and have stuck to it except for a 2 weeks business trip to Japan where it would have been socially awkward to be teetotal. I have lost 0 kgs - that's it. Given up the pleasure of a bottle of wine and a beer or two each weeks (pretty much stayed within the 14 units limit) and it's made no difference. I haven't upped the biscuits or anything to compensate - I have a glass of water with my meal instead of wine.

Mind you, I'm used to this. One a typical 2 week training camp in Mallorca where I'll do 1000-1200 km in 11 days of riding (rest day in the middle), plenty of hills and a decent speed and I'll lose maybe 1 kg if I'm lucky while male colleagues lose a stone or more without cutting back on the evening beers, either. On a mtb tour in northern India a few years ago, one of the guys lost 14kg (over 2 stone) over the trip where I lost about 1 kg when I got a touch of Dehli-belly but put it back on when we had a rest day

This is the downside of a physiology built for endurance.