Substituting for that little glass of wine

[Anonymous]

Well, it depends on whether one's longing is for the buzz of alcohol, any alcohol, or whether the longing is instead for the palate of a complex wine. Both are legit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, it depends on whether one's longing is for the buzz of alcohol, any alcohol, or whether the longing is instead for the palate of a complex wine. Both are legit!

Lots of beer are complex and deep. Microbrew, Belgium's, Stouts... It's not all about the buzz with a true beer drinker.

[Anonymous]

Xanax, yes please.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but the PP suggested Miller Lite, which isn't exactly known for its complexity (it's not THAT low cal, either).

[Anonymous]

I am drinking that "little glass of wine" right now while my kids watch cartoons and get ready for bed. One glass goes to my head, these days. I do find that when I do not indulge (even one glass) I have more energy during the day and even feel "lighter". I think alcohol makes me feel bloated and sluggish. I do like the little buzz - esp. after a long day with my wild and crazy toddler!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am drinking that "little glass of wine" right now while my kids watch cartoons and get ready for bed. One glass goes to my head, these days. I do find that when I do not indulge (even one glass) I have more energy during the day and even feel "lighter". I think alcohol makes me feel bloated and sluggish. I do like the little buzz - esp. after a long day with my wild and crazy toddler!

I can't even drink one glass anymore without it screwing up my sleep at night. It's not that I don't like it, I do. And I get that little buzz after half a glass of wine these days (so, so different from college). But it just puts me under now. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Club soda with a splash of cranberry or other juice.

OK, I still choose the wine most nights, but this gives you something fun and colorful to sip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am drinking that "little glass of wine" right now while my kids watch cartoons and get ready for bed. One glass goes to my head, these days. I do find that when I do not indulge (even one glass) I have more energy during the day and even feel "lighter". I think alcohol makes me feel bloated and sluggish. I do like the little buzz - esp. after a long day with my wild and crazy toddler!

I agree. It makes me feel very sluggish and slower the next day. Doesn't it slow down the metabolism for a few days, as well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the tips! I appreciate those who say don't give it up, but at my age my doc says I probably shouldn't drink more than 3 glasses a week anyway. Something about it hitting you harder and breast cancer risk. Sometimes I feel like once you hit 40 all that's left are good books and a tiny quantity of chocolate. Not that those things are bad, but youth really is wasted on the young! Now that I know how to spot a really good wine, I can hardly drink it.

You know, I read the Post's coverage of the study (a sample of middle-aged British women) that found increased cancer risk with one drink a day. Now perhaps if one has a family history of cancer, particularly breast cancer, I could see being more concerned. But French and Italian women routinely drink wine with meals. Do they also have an elevated risk of cancer? I'd like to see more data, myself.

[zumbamama]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the tips! I appreciate those who say don't give it up, but at my age my doc says I probably shouldn't drink more than 3 glasses a week anyway. Something about it hitting you harder and breast cancer risk. Sometimes I feel like once you hit 40 all that's left are good books and a tiny quantity of chocolate. Not that those things are bad, but youth really is wasted on the young! Now that I know how to spot a really good wine, I can hardly drink it.

You know, I read the Post's coverage of the study (a sample of middle-aged British women) that found increased cancer risk with one drink a day. Now perhaps if one has a family history of cancer, particularly breast cancer, I could see being more concerned. But French and Italian women routinely drink wine with meals. Do they also have an elevated risk of cancer? I'd like to see more data, myself.

I saw something on Nat. Geo. a while ago about people with longest life spans and lowest cancer risk. At the top were people of Okinawa and Tuscany. They attributed it to relaxed lifestyles, and with Okinawans their seaweed/fish diet and the Tuscans their red wine and mediterranean diet. I would be interested to learn the stats for the French and Italian also. My grandmother is 85, cancer free, can still mow the lawn, dance across the floor and has a super clean bill of health. She drinks a small amount of red wine frequently, but it also helps that her diet is mainly fish/vegetables and stretches everyday.

[Anonymous]

Being super skinny in your 40s starts to have a negative impact on your looks--it makes you look older. If you aren't in your 20s or 30s, you probably could use a little more flesh to avoid that sunken look. I don't mean fat, but seriously, who only eats 1200 calories a day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being super skinny in your 40s starts to have a negative impact on your looks--it makes you look older. If you aren't in your 20s or 30s, you probably could use a little more flesh to avoid that sunken look. I don't mean fat, but seriously, who only eats 1200 calories a day?

I generally agree with you, but if a person weighs around 120 or so, and is very sedentary, I think 1200 a day is fine.

[Anonymous]

an example of a 1200 calorie diet:

*******

Breakfast:

1 cup Oatmeal Squares by Quaker

4 oz. skim milk (nonfat)

4 oz. orange juice

½ cup blueberries

Midmorning snack:

8 TLC Crackers – Kashi Original Whole Grain

1 piece mini Babybel light cheese

Lunch:

1 slice Flax & Fiber bread by Arnold

1 tbsp. peanut butter – natural creamy

1 medium apple

8 carrot sticks

water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or diet soda

Afternoon snack:

Your choice of a 100-calorie snack

Supper:

Make a large salad

1-3 cups spinach leaves with salad greens

½ chopped ripe red tomatoes

½ cup drained and rinsed chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

½ cup lowfat 1% cottage cheese

½ tbsp. salad dressing light Ranch

water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or diet soda

½ cup light vanilla ice cream

Total calories about 1215

[Anonymous]

Ok def not enough food for me at 5'5'' 115 lbs. I think I would pass out by dinnertime.

[Anonymous]

OP here. 5'4" weigh 120. Trying to get to under 115.

On the sunken thing, this is why God invented Juvederm...

I was down as low as 109 within the last year. My weight has been all over the place as has my clothing size (2 to 6). This may mot make sense to a lot of people, but I went out and dropped a ton of money a couple years back on designer clothing (over $25K) to help get me out of my post-kids funk, and I now I have to fit back into them. When I bought them they were fine. Then my DH got obsessed with weight loss (he was probably 30 pounds overweight). It was all he talked about, day and night. I dropped to 109 without doing anything, and then I had to get my clothes taken in a good bit. Once I started working out, I started eating more, which is when I started gaining. We hit a rough patch marriage-wise, I stopped working out, and poof - I weighed 123. Call this crazy or whatever you want to, but I don't have a bunch of money in this ecnomy to go drop on all new designer clothes. I work full time outside the home and make more money than he does (about twice), so all the people who are about to comment on my extravagance, just save it for somebody else.