Alcohol and weight loss

Posts: 33,498
6/28/12 3:30 P

I doubt there's a distinct connection between alcohol itself and your result, except possibly for the dehydration.

Like the PP who has had both ways, I normally weigh more after drinking than before.

Some people have found that an occasional high-intake day has helped them get back to losing when they're struggling to - people who aren't eating enough day to day. This could be what you've done, but you'd really need to experiment and test it a few times, and keep your body starving to do it, so it's not something I'd advocate trying again.

Just try not to be disappointed if that weight shows up again in a day or two, and if it stays away, be happy about it. It's not worth trying to replicate - any number of factors could have been in play.

Posts: 1,572
6/27/12 4:41 P

I've definitely been at my lowest weights after a night of drinking.... as well as the other way around! Even on the low weight mornings, I know I didn't eat the best the night before either. I figure I'm definitely dehydrated, as SARAHD33 mentioned. Sometimes you might be more dehydrated than other times. Overall I just try to keep my drinks in moderation. Even if I managed to lose weight, I typically wouldn't feel my best the next day after very heavy drinking, so I'm more likely to eat comfort foods and not work out. I'd rather weigh a little more but feel better! I still enjoy my drinks, but I stop before it gets to that feeling sick point.

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6/27/12 4:36 P

Well, alcohol is a diuretic, so you probably lost a lot of water weight! That is also why you felt hung over. A big part of a hangover is dehydration. So alas, you did not torch a bunch of fat by overindulging. Sorry!

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6/27/12 4:10 P

Alas Monday night was a terribly messy night; bonding with new co-workers descended into madness and I had to break out the dark sunglasses for work the next day. Not how I planned my evening to go. I'm using my diet as an excuse to take a leave of absence from alcohol for a while.

HOWEVER, I wonder if any of you have made any sort of connection between momentary, rare (and regrettable) bouts of heavy alcohol consumption and weight loss/gain. On the (horrible) morning after I weighed in at my lowest weight yet, seemingly breaking through a 6 week plateau. This after consuming probably a days worth of my normal calories in alcohol alone (not to mention the terrible food I had!). I thought "must be dehydration", but I hit that low again this morning. Part of me wonders if I just shocked and abused my body into letting go of whatever it was clinging to despite my caloric deficit.

Again, I'm not at all advocating this...and I am seriously not drinking for a very long time, but I see this as sort of a grand scientific experiment. It is weird to do "well" after a splurge I think and I wonder what others have observed in themselves.