I'm just curious about alcohol and healthy weight loss. Those two words seem like they shouldn't even be in the same sentence together!
I know alcohol isn't "good" and certainly doesn't aid in weight loss, but I'm just curious if others drink occasionally and still lose weight? Or if you're at a maintenance stage, do you drink occasionally and maintain?
Can/do you use alcohol like a "cheat" meal?
Do you eat less calories during the day to account for the alcohol (if you know you're going to drink that night for example)?

I guess I would just like some reassurance that if I decide to have a few drinks with friends once and a while, but eat well and exercise the rest of the time, that I can still lose weight without slowing myself down too much.

Any help or advice regarding the subject would be greatly appreciated! Let me know what you do/did! Thank you!!

I think there are a lot of people here who drink alochol and still manage to lose and maintain weight loss.

You just have to remember that alcohol has calories - and they are completely empty, non-nutritional calories. So budget accordingly.

I personally have a glass of red wine with or before dinner at least 3x a week (and red wine does have some health benefits). And usually once or twice a week I'll have a vodka martini (sometimes 2 in the evenings).

Once a month or so, a group of us from the office will go out for margaritas and I try to make that coincide with my free day - and usually I go all out. I'll have 2 or 3 frozen margaritas, and mexican food. But like I said that's maybe once a month - if that.

It just depends on your priorities. Some people budget calories for chocolate, some people budget calories for french fries. Some people budget calories for alcohol.

Thanks KaraCooks! That makes it seem manageable and doable!
Obviously everyone still wants to enjoy whatever it is that they enjoy ^_^

While alcohol is indeed empty calories, you can certainly still have it if you make room for it in your diet.

Like Kara says, you budget for the things you want to still have now and then.

I only have a drink or two a year, so it is not an issue for me (unlike french fries, chocolate, ice cream, etc...).