to think i should be losing weight even when drinking most evenings?

[Martha1000]

I’m having quite a stressful time at the minute and am probably drinking more than I should be which I’m working on but I can’t help feeling I should still be losing weight
I’m being very healthy and always eating no more than 1500 calories a day
I’m working out a minimum of 3 times a week at high intensity classes plus at least an hours walking on the other days
I probably drink 2 glasses of wine every night apart from maybe 2 so even if that’s 300 calories that’s only an additional 1500 per week which is still way under with what I’m eating plus all the training.
AIBU to expect to lose weight without giving up wine completely!?

for me alcohol made me bloated and affected my metabolism
when I stopped drinking I lost weight easily

I’m not bloated to be fair - I carry weight everywhere so not a middle fat concern that some friends have who drink wine
I guess I haven’t wanted to admit it could affect my metabolism!

Could it be age? I used to joke about the liquid diet and how i could lose weight whilst not giving up alcohol. That is no longer the case.

Well… can make you bloated, affect your metabolism, affect your impulse control (hello Twix my old friend), and you may be underestimating your alcohol or food calories. Or overestimating your TDEE / number of cals you need to maintain.

You're not necessarily being unreasonable - but are you aware of the actual amount you are drinking? A glass poured at home is often pretty large (at least my pours are!)

Calories vary by alcohol content of the wine and (obviously) the size of the glass you pour.

www.thewinesociety.com/discover/wine-basics/serve-store-taste/wine-basics-how-worried-should-i-be-about-calories-in-wine

And then of course you have to be sure of the calories you are actually eating in relation to the calories you burn. Which you may be, of course, but if you guesstimate or ignore small snacks or tastes of this, that and the other it can really mount up without you realising.

Sorry to hear you are having a stressful time - that does not help and I hope things resolve soon.

If I want to lose weight I can only have 1,300 calories a day.

I also find that while exercise helps tone my body (and helps me feel healthier and fitter), it doesn’t actually help me lose weight.

You are drinking far more calories than you realise. Cut the booze, lose the weight.

Stress could be the factor here.

You will be eating or drinking more than you think. A large glass of wine will be north of 200 calories, so measure that and log what you eat on nutracheck or somewhere like that.

And then just reduce till you hit the point you begin to lose.

Wine is all sugar so for some people it does seem to really impact on weight gain, and as a PP says it can blind you to snacking.

If you can maybe knock it on the head for a month and gradually add back in, or try ye olde vodka and soda instead.

How have you calculated how many calories are in your glass of wine? Are you calculating it for the exact volume of wine that you’re pouring and the % alcohol content? It will vary wildly depending on both of these things.

If you really want to lose the weight you should probably just stop drinking so much wine.

I only lose on 1200 calories a day, depending on the size of your glasses of wine, 2 could easily be more like 500 calories, which puts you at c.2000 calories a day. Gym classes burn c.200-300 each (I was quite disappointed/surprised when I realised how little they actually burn), so you probably need less than 2000 to lose.

I track my weight and calories religiously. To maintain I need to eat 1300 calories, I’m 5 foot 6. Some people need less than others.

You're drinking in the evening, and those evening calories are the worst.

Well seeing as piss heads tend to be thin and not fat, if your not eating much you should still lose

My friend always says, "Don't drink your calories."

I have to be on 1100 to 1200 to lose weight and even then it's slow and steady. If you're determined you want to lose you'll have to ditch the wine, I suspect.

You could just stick to like vodka and lime soda there's hardly any calories in those

You're probably not eating 1500 cals a day. Food labels lie and studies show most people under calculate by a third. As said by someone already don't drink your calories.

Sorry to say but your body uses alcohol as a fuel source first - it won't look for other sources (ie fat) until it's burned all the energy from the alcohol

www.healthline.com/health/alcohol-and-weight-loss#alcohol-and-weight-loss

Cut the booze altogether or switch to a spirit with slimline tonic

If you're in your 40s or over, that'll be the problem. Your metabolism changes as you get older.

If you're not losing weight you're not in a calorie deficit. Stop kidding yourself, cut the booze and the weight will follow. Wine is very calorific.

A lot fat burning comes from nonexercise movement, so getting the steps in, walking more, taking the stairs etc. And wine is high in calories. Maybe save it for the weekend? I'm trying to lose a bit of weight and only have wine at weekends (which of course starts on Thursdays 😉)

Are you eating your exercise calories too? A lot of calorie counting apps subtract them making you think you can eat more. You can't.

I work out three times a week, don't drink during the week, and I only eat 1300/1400. You're probably eating too much

Are you measuring your alcohol intake accurately?

Alcohol has more calories than butter per gram.