Mayonnaise

It started at the scale. I'm accustomed to putting on a few pounds in the winter but when I got on the scale after a long absence I found I'd put on more pounds than usual. For the next few days I kept looking at my stomach and once the denial wore off I admitted it had gotten bigger than usual.

I began reading "Racing Weight" (a wonderful book for many reasons) and decided to take a close look at the calories in and the calories out. Using trainingpeaks.com I recorded all of my workouts and everything I put in my mouth. Even the oreos, even the booze. I was convinced I was eating too many carbs.

An aspect of my job is to know and taste wine. Further, I've become a wine enthusiast and am always on the lookout for something new and different. Honesty, I've been drinking wine almost daily for quite some time. Since I rarely drink to excess or wake up feeling lousy, I didn't much consider it an issue.

After a week of logging all my food the picture became very clear: I was consuming too many calories of alcohol. If I subtracted the alcohol calories from my daily intake I had a near perfect balance of calories in and calories out for this time of year.

Due to a change in my work dynamic for the next few months it became easy to experiment and decided to abstain from alcohol, so I stopped.

I woke up feeling crappy every day until the light went on three days into my abstinence: I'm having some kind of alcohol withdrawal. I was sleeping fitfully, kinda irritable, and generally tired and uninspired.

Damn, I thought, alcohol has really affected my body.

I became interested in the effects of alcohol on endurance training, wondered how long this withdrawal would last and how others dealt with the issue. I soon found that alcohol and google don't go together very well: you get all this preachy junk from who-knows-who or dire warnings from alcoholics and related professionals. There is no subtlety.

I have no intention of giving up drinking. I like it and feel (like many people) that when balanced appropriately it fits into a normal adult lifestyle. At the same time, I've learned an interesting lesson about alcohol and am ready to redefine how it fits in my life, my training, and my racing.

I come here to see how others have managed to balance this issue and ask for links to interesting articles dealing with alcohol and endurance training.

Carbonfiberboy 

As you've already learned, alcohol has been a difficult issue for humans ever since we discovered how to make it. I've never heard of an easy answer. In my personal life, I treat alcohol as a poison. A poison not to be absolutely avoided, but a poison nonetheless. If I have a glass of wine in the evening, I gain weight. Same with beer. If I have a glass of wine or even one beer before a hard ride the next day, my ride will not be as good, or at minimum the first 50 miles will be compromised. There's a reason that serious athletes are forbidden alcohol during the season. Ordinary training rides are not so badly affected, but intervals the next morning are.

OTOH, I am also a wine aficionado and I love a great beer. I find that one good microbrew after a hard ride helps my recovery, or at least reduces the pain in my legs to a tolerable level. I rationalize that it's hydration, carbs, minerals, and vitamins, too. Once in a while, I'll have a beer in the evening for pleasure, but not frequently, as I have to reduce other calories to make room for it. I have to get my wine jones satisfied through social events and dinner parties. I try not to participate in these the evening before a hard ride, or if I do have to participate, not to drink alcohol then. I also normally have one 4 oz. glass of wine with Shabbat dinner, and take care with my wine storage. I find that holding my alcohol consumption to once or twice a week, and not large quantities even then, for me eliminates the addictive potential and harms my athletic life so little that it's a good trade-off. YMMV.

Dire warnings dept: I have a brother and a dear cycling friend who are alcoholics. It's not something to mess with. Contrary to popular supposition, many alcoholics can drink in moderation, approximately as outlined above, always stopping at the first feel of a buzz or with one drink. The Big Book is nonsense.

Agave

Well, the other choice is to burn more calories and keep drinking the same ammount. I drank enough when I was younger [OK, waaaaay more then enough] so I really don't miss not drinking a lot now at 53. One or two beers now or then or some wine and I'm good.

Racing Weight = 1+

sonnetg

I find myself drinking few beers each night during the summer. Even if its a beer or two, it's easy to get dependent.

I try not to drink at all anymore. I am getting older, and that's also what the doctor recommends. I simply can't control it. If I have 6 or 12 pack, I will have to finish it...so i dont keep beer at home anymore.

I learned cycling/working out induces good sleep. If not, I do take sleep aids once in while for a good night sleep during weekdays. (mostly work related stress). It works like a charm. (Oh and your body can be dependent on sleep aids too, so take it no more than once or twice a week).

Cheers.

Mayonnaise

It's been a few weeks now with no alcohol. I thought I'd have a real hard time giving it up, and I also had a nagging fear that I couldn't give it up because I was dependent upon it. Neither of these fears proved true.

It was much easier say no than I thought. I hardly even think about it anymore. I know I am sleeping better and I wake up faster and more refreshed in the morning.

My intention is to still drink when appropriate. My intention is to also drink mindfully and not because longstanding habit suggests I drink

simonaway427

Its a difficult situation. I gave it up completely for about 6 months (not for weight reasons, but for other), and while I felt better, my weight wasn't affected at all. Its all about calories. Plain and simple. Drink more, eat less - or eat more efficiently.

To be honest, in my personal experience, its not about what you drink, its about what you eat WHEN you drink. The way alcohol induces hunger (lowering of blood sugar) and inhibitions (would you go eat a bag of chips at 11pm if you weren't buzzing?) are the main factors.

Winter here, like 4 or 5 feet of snow winter, so there's no way I'm riding outside. But I've been on the trainer at least 4 times a week (no base miles, all SUFFERFEST sessions) - and I've actually lost about 8 lbs. I still drink on the weekends, about a 12 pack over 3 evenings, but nothing during the week...but I eat well. No boxed foods, all fresh veggies and meat, and no snacking while sipping the booze.

Lots of rambling, but bottom line, calories in calories out changes your weight. Screw the carbs theory. If you plan on drinking in the evening, be more conservative with your diet - stick with the fresh stuff, and you'll be good.

blaine

I have read that it is virtually impossible to lose weight while consuming a daily dose of alcohol due to the alcohol being metabolized in the liver...the place that glycogen is produced. How does this work?

Richard Cranium

Because of the chemistry of alcohol - the liver can not deal with its presence successfully in one pass. So alcohol repeatedly flows through the blood stream - building up in greater quantities as you continue to drink.

The some total - repeatedly challenging the liver beyond its capacity -causes higher lipid (fat) volumes in the blood that eventually clogs all sorts of tissues.

Having a six-pack is similar to eating six rich-chocolate candy bars or a quart and half of rich ice cream. Not exactly racing food.

gregf83 

Sounds like nonsense. At least for drinking in moderation <2 drinks/day.

paulclaude

Agreed. Don't ask me how or why, but i've always found alcohol to make very little difference to weight (for me). I know other people that just look at a beer and they gain...

HorsCO

I can't say what is best for me is what anyone else should do, but quitting the booze was one of the best things I have ever done. Not easy at first, and drinking holiday's like New Years and Patty's day can be a drag (but only if you MENTALLY let it get you down)

Like many others, I did not do it for weight loss, I did it for personal reasons. If alc was in my house, I did not hesitate to crack a beer. Saddens me to admit, but I maybe have a bit of lack of self control in this realm. Making the decision to go cold turkey made it much easier.

However, I have lost a considerable amount of weight since going sober. I am sure part of the weight loss is contributed to cutting out a lot of empty calories, but as others have stated I think it is the externalities of drinking that have contributed most to the weight loss. Alcohol lowers inhibition. Not only social, but eating. I am not buzzed in the evening so my cravings for crap have gone way down.

Additionally, I now have a totally new mindset. It is about trying to live as positive, clean, and healthy life as possible. Quitting booze has increased my motivation to train hard. Perhaps I am filling that gap in my life with increased exercise, but I am not complaining. I am not sitting around drinking beer in the evening. I am way more productive. I pop out of bed in the morning ready to ride, work, whatever, whereas my friends are nursing groginess

I quit drinking mid december, cold turkey, and have not had a sip since. My weight has gone from a consistent 150/2 to 140/2 My life is much improved, my weight is below what it was mid-season last year and the season is just getting going. I am excited to really see my potential on the bike.

Cheers!

-Ride Clean!

531phile 

Booze is one thing I cut out in order for me to lose weight. I also cut out ice cream and cookies. So far it's working. I lost about 35lbs. I want to lose another 23lbs. I told myself once I lose about 25lbs, I'll treat myself to a microbrew that I've been wanting to try, but then I never got around to it and kept on losing more weight. After I lose another 23lbs, I'll treat myself. I hope I don't keep losing weight after this and become one of them anorexic folks. Weight lost has been top priority for me this year. Just like the OP, the impetus for my lifestyle change(I don't want to call this a diet b/c that would mean this would be temporary) started when I weighed myself one day and saw I was technically OBESE!!! Losing 35lbs or a full suspension mountain bike in weight makes me feel great. I can't wait until I reach my target weight. I've been lugging a mountain bike and road bike around me for too long last year. I just have to shed a Schwinn Prelude circa 1987 in weight and I'll be good. I should be able to climb like a mountain goat after this.

humboldt'sroads

More difficult to lose weight? Yes. Impossible? Not a chance. I've dropped about 15lbs in the last 2 months drinking a glass of wine or beer with dinner 4 nights a week and a few more during weekends (just something wonderful about snowboarding and ice cold PBR!).

paulclaude

Interesting. I always seem to find that a couple of beers, especially after a day of hard training, increases my motivation to train. Also, I often seem to ride harder/faster the next day if I have 1-2 beers in the evening. I've spoken to other riders who feel the same effect. Increased carbs/calories? Who knows. Everything in moderation as they say. I think if I was carrying excess weight then I would perhaps drop my weekend beer... but for me, nailing myself on a long training ride, then enjoying a couple of beers to relax is one of life's little pleasures.

Agave

Beer takes the S out of fast.

Brontide

It's net calories, not the macro nutrients that matter ( within moderation ).

BarracksSi

I started wondering whether it was better to have one beer or one diet soda. I was even guessing that maybe the beer (in my house, I was only buying the super-light beers, MGD 64 or Bud 55) would be better since it might have more natural ingredients and fewer weird chemicals.

At any rate, I still lost weight even with moderate beer consumption (maybe 4 per week).

Nikephoros

I went from drinking socially to not drinking at all 4 months ago, and from a fitness and health perspective I've never been better. From a social life perspective, I'm way less fun at parties.

v70cat

I thought that someone said that high fructose sweeter (like that found in sports drinks) has the same impact on the liver as alcohol ?

gregf83 

True. Zero impact for either when taken in moderation.