Weight Loss Exercising

[timewerx]

Sleep after alcohol may seem better because of its sedative effects, but in reality, the regeneration stops and the sleep is not as deep and healthy as it should be.

Alcohol and Sleep

Many people rely on alcohol to help them fall asleep, but their sleep quality may suffer in the long run. Learn more about how alcohol affects sleep.

www.sleepfoundation.org

4 Reasons Nightly Drinks Are Causing Bad Sleep and How to Stop It

Got a nightcap habit? Here's how it might be affecting your sleep quality, and what you can do to change that.

www.cnet.com

If your sleep is not good without alcohol, then I would first find out why, instead of using the alcohol sedation. My wild guess is that you exercise too much, this can also disrupts sleep. So you basically need to knock your system down, to be able to sleep. But who knows.

You're imagining problems that I don't have. Have you been reading my posts at all?

 

[trophy33]

You're imagining problems that I don't have. Have you been reading my posts at all?

I am saying that you are simply mistaken. It seems to you that alcohol gives you a better sleep/regeneration, but it does not. It worsens it.

You may think whatever you want, but for people trying to get into health and overall fitness (and possibly reading this convo), I posted what alcohol really does to our bodies.

 

[timewerx]

I am saying that you are simply mistaken. It seems to you that alcohol gives you a better sleep/regeneration, but it does not. It worsens it.

You may think whatever you want, but for people trying to get into health and overall fitness (and possibly reading this convo), I posted what alcohol really does to our bodies.

Think for a second, is 2 teaspoons vs 1-2 glass of wine the same amount to you?

I'm not even recommending anyone to drink a glass of red wine a day if you have been reading my posts. Only 2 teaspoons of red wine a day for me as flavoring added to my homemade cacao snack, that's it.

 

[trophy33]

Think for a second, is 2 teaspoons vs 1-2 glass of wine the same amount to you?

I'm not even recommending anyone to drink a glass of red wine a day if you have been reading my posts. Only 2 teaspoons of red wine a day for me as flavoring added to my homemade cacao snack, that's it.

No matter what you personally do, my advice is generally for people trying to get healthy. Alcohol is not a part of that journey.

Alcohol in any amount is harmful. There are better ways to get to sleep, healthier ways.

I am not saying that you personally are living as unhealthily as a heavy alcoholic, of course there are various degrees of gray between perfection and heavy damage. But there is no real need for others to compromise just because you personally find it OK.

 

[timewerx]

No matter what you personally do, my advice is generally for people trying to get healthy. Alcohol is not a part of that journey.

Alcohol in any amount is harmful. There are better ways to get to sleep, healthier ways.

I am not saying that you personally are living as unhealthily as a heavy alcoholic, of course there are various degrees of gray between perfection and heavy damage. But there is no real need for others to compromise just because you personally find it OK.

These are links to scientific journals to the subject of Red Wine. So these are not just some some blogs by unqualified authors but journals of serious research by highly qualified experts on the subject.

If you don't have time to read through these lengthy and boring journals, you may skip to the Conclusions:

Frontiers | Red Wine and Health: Approaches to Improve the Phenolic Content During Winemaking

There is ample evidence regarding the health benefits of red wine consumption due to its content of phenolic compounds, as an alternative to improve the stat...

www.frontiersin.org

Beneficial Effects of Red Wine Polyphenols on Human Health: Comprehensive Review

Polyphenols are secondary plant metabolites synthesized during the development of the grape berry as a response to stress conditions. They are important constituents in red wines that contribute to the sensory properties and antioxidant activity of wines. Due to the development of highly...

www.mdpi.com

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.030387

Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection - PMC

Wine consumption has been popular worldwide for many centuries. Based on in vitro and in vivo studies, a certain amount of everyday wine consumption may prevent various chronic diseases. This is due, in part, to the presence and amount of important ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Based on these journals, red wine have generally positive effect on health and mortality with moderate consumption.

Do you have equally authoritative links on Red Wine contradicting these claims?

 

[BurningBush84]

Try the 22:2 diet. Consume ALL your calories within a 2 hour window, then fast for 22 hours.

 

[trophy33]

These are links to scientific journals to the subject of Red Wine. So these are not just some some blogs by unqualified authors but journals of serious research by highly qualified experts on the subject.

If you don't have time to read through these lengthy and boring journals, you may skip to the Conclusions:

Frontiers | Red Wine and Health: Approaches to Improve the Phenolic Content During Winemaking

There is ample evidence regarding the health benefits of red wine consumption due to its content of phenolic compounds, as an alternative to improve the stat...

www.frontiersin.org

Beneficial Effects of Red Wine Polyphenols on Human Health: Comprehensive Review

Polyphenols are secondary plant metabolites synthesized during the development of the grape berry as a response to stress conditions. They are important constituents in red wines that contribute to the sensory properties and antioxidant activity of wines. Due to the development of highly...

www.mdpi.com

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.030387

Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection - PMC

Wine consumption has been popular worldwide for many centuries. Based on in vitro and in vivo studies, a certain amount of everyday wine consumption may prevent various chronic diseases. This is due, in part, to the presence and amount of important ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Based on these journals, red wine have generally positive effect on health and mortality with moderate consumption.

Do you have equally authoritative links on Red Wine contradicting these claims?

I am not sure what is your point now, exactly:
a) alcohol
b) polyphenols
c) red wine

Alcohol is harmful in any amount.
Polyphenols are healthy.
Red wine contains both healthy and harmful ingredients. Red wine contains 12-15% of alcohol.

If somebody wants the protective effect of polyphenols without the harmful effects of alcohol, there are plenty of them in in vegetables, fruit, tea or cacao.

 

[timewerx]

I am not sure what is your point now, exactly:
a) alcohol
b) polyphenols
c) red wine

Alcohol is harmful in any amount.
Polyphenols are healthy.
Red wine contains both healthy and harmful ingredients. Red wine contains 12-15% of alcohol.

If somebody wants the protective effect of polyphenols without the harmful effects of alcohol, there are plenty of them in in vegetables, fruit, tea or cacao.

Now we're getting to real matter at hand! Alcohol.

Here's another journal about Alcohol consumption, not just about red wine or white wine or beer but any alcoholic drink in general:

Health Risks and Benefits of Alcohol Consumption - PMC

Alcohol consumption has consequences for the health and well-being of those who drink and, by extension, the lives of those around them. The research reviewed here represents a wide spectrum of approaches to understanding the risks and benefits of ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

You may skip to the end in "The Overall Impact" section if you don't have time to read the entire journal.

The conclusion is mostly favorable in terms of consuming alcohol BUT only if you drank alcohol in moderation like less than 1 glass of alcoholic beverage per day for women or less than 2 glasses per day for men.

But just to be safe, drink even less like only 1/2 glass for women and 1 glass for men per day. 1/2 glass per day is actually my max and I'm a guy. I won't even drink 1/2 glass in just one sitting but divide that amount evenly between meals. Else, it will affect my sobriety and don't want that!

The benefit concerning diabetes is also present in the study journal and that information may benefit the OP concerning her prediabetes. I was prediabetic also but not anymore. But my diet did included certain fruits that are quite potent against diabetic symptoms like raw cacao powder and raw coconut edibles.

 

[trophy33]

Now we're getting to real matter at hand! Alcohol.

Here's another journal about Alcohol consumption, not just about red wine or white wine or beer but any alcoholic drink in general:

Health Risks and Benefits of Alcohol Consumption - PMC

Alcohol consumption has consequences for the health and well-being of those who drink and, by extension, the lives of those around them. The research reviewed here represents a wide spectrum of approaches to understanding the risks and benefits of ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

You may skip to the end in "The Overall Impact" section if you don't have time to read the entire journal.

The conclusion is mostly favorable in terms of consuming alcohol BUT only if you drank alcohol in moderation like less than 1 glass of alcoholic beverage per day for women or less than 2 glasses per day for men.

But just to be safe, drink even less like only 1/2 glass for women and 1 glass for men per day. 1/2 glass per day is actually my max and I'm a guy. I won't even drink 1/2 glass in just one sitting but divide that amount evenly between meals. Else, it will affect my sobriety and don't want that!

The benefit concerning diabetes is also present in the study journal and that information may benefit the OP concerning her prediabetes. I was prediabetic also but not anymore. But my diet did included certain fruits that are quite potent against diabetic symptoms like raw cacao powder and raw coconut edibles.

We must carefully distinguish between the harmful effects of alcohol on body, which are very well understood, from observable studies saying "people drinking alcohol have less of this or that", which is not causality, but correlation.

That means that those people are not healthier because they drink alcohol. They are healthier and drink alcohol. Thats why its important to describe the mechanism inside the body to understand what is going on, not just to observe some large group of people who are doing tons of other things.

Which is what your own source is saying:
"An association between moderate drinking and lower risk for CHD does not necessarily mean that alcohol itself is the cause of the lower risk. For example, a review of population studies indicates that the higher mortality risk among abstainers may be attributable to socioeconomic and employment status, mental health, overall health, and health habits such as smoking rather than participants’ nonuse of alcohol"

They also mention the risk of various cancer:
Alcohol is clearly established as a cause of cancer of various tissues in the airway and digestive tract, including the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus

Here, you can see they are talking about causality, not just association.

Reading just conclusions is not enough, because conclusions are frequently wrong, biased and subjective. Data and how a study was conducted is more important.

In 2023, there is not even a slight doubt about alcohol being a serious carcinogen and generally harmful to body, in any amount:

No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health

The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented.

www.who.int

And its not just about cancer, alcohol also damages DNA, heart, brain synapses, liver, immunity, regeneration, gut microbiome, slows down reaction time etc. All well documented.

 

[timewerx]

We must carefully distinguish between the harmful effects of alcohol on body, which are very well understood, from observable studies saying "people drinking alcohol have less of this or that", which is not causality, but correlation.

That means that those people are not healthier because they drink alcohol. They are healthier and drink alcohol. Thats why its important to describe the mechanism inside the body to understand what is going on, not just to observe some large group of people who are doing tons of other things.

Which is what your own source is saying:
"An association between moderate drinking and lower risk for CHD does not necessarily mean that alcohol itself is the cause of the lower risk. For example, a review of population studies indicates that the higher mortality risk among abstainers may be attributable to socioeconomic and employment status, mental health, overall health, and health habits such as smoking rather than participants’ nonuse of alcohol"

They also mention the risk of various cancer:
Alcohol is clearly established as a cause of cancer of various tissues in the airway and digestive tract, including the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus

Here, you can see they are talking about causality, not just association.

Reading just conclusions is not enough, because conclusions are frequently wrong, biased and subjective. Data and how a study was conducted is more important.

In 2023, there is not even a slight doubt about alcohol being a serious carcinogen and generally harmful to body, in any amount:

No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health

The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented.

www.who.int

And its not just about cancer, alcohol also damages DNA, heart, brain synapses, liver, immunity, regeneration, gut microbiome, slows down reaction time etc. All well documented.

I agree with your assessment on alcohol regarding cancer so I'm no longer recommending it!

However, I'd still use red wine for flavoring because the amount I use is far less than the lowest amount used in the studies. I only use 3 tsp a day for flavoring and I don't consume that same amount in one sitting but throughout the day.

But that's for me only because strangely somehow, I recover better from exercise if I add tiny amount of red wine to my recovery foods as flavor. But I'm not recommending it's use for anybody else anymore!

I found a study journal on the topic (just for additional reference):

Alcohol and Cancer: Epidemiology and Biological Mechanisms

Approximately 4% of cancers worldwide are caused by alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of several cancer types, including cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, liver, colorectum, and breast. In this review, we summarise the epidemiological ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[WilliamMikesy]

I totally get where you're coming from, and it's fantastic that you're ready to make these positive changes.
Walking is a great way to start. I've been on a similar journey, and trust me, once you get into the habit, it becomes addictive. Turning it into a fun game with the "Lord of the Rings" theme is brilliant! Also, you can check out this site (reverse.health) to get a coach of loosing weight. Good luck!

 

[YorkieGal]

Hi, I've posted about this somewhere else but posting again in case it helps you or someone else.

I weighed between 320-360lbs 22 years ago. 21 years ago, I lost 100 lbs in a year by eating 1000kcal per day of whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, usually between 8 a.m - 11 p.m.

I rode a stationary bike and did home aerobics but was told to stop both due to a foot problem so never excercised again until 2021.

For the next 18 years, I maintained original weight loss (and very slowly lost about 20 lbs more) by eating about 1800kcal a day of whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.

In 2020, I discovered keto/low carb. I have lost 60-80lbs more since then. Since 2021, I lift 3x week/minimum, run 30/min 3/week and do Krav Maga bi-weekly. I also do mobility/flexibility training each Sunday.

I started doing all of the exercises when I was more capable due to weight loss. These things did not and do not help me lose or maintain weight loss. They have other benefits like respiratory, cardio, bone, joint, mental health etc.

If I would have known about keto/low carb 20 years ago, my weight loss journey would have been over by now. But, better late than never.

I've never been on weight loss medicine and allegedly have Hashimotos Thyroiditis.

I have gone from a size 34/32 US to 8/10 US. I want to lose more and will be seeing a consultant soon to see if this is the right course of action or if I'm just weighing more than I would like due to excess skin.

Definitely look up keto/low carb and intermittent fasting and see if this is something which might work for you.

My last vice is alcohol. I drink about a bottle of wine every weekend. It messes with my fitness goals and sometimes weight loss.

Best of luck!

 

[timewerx]

Hi, I've posted about this somewhere else but posting again in case it helps you or someone else.

I weighed between 320-360lbs 22 years ago. 21 years ago, I lost 100 lbs in a year by eating 1000kcal per day of whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, usually between 8 a.m - 11 p.m.

I rode a stationary bike and did home aerobics but was told to stop both due to a foot problem so never excercised again until 2021.

For the next 18 years, I maintained original weight loss (and very slowly lost about 20 lbs more) by eating about 1800kcal a day of whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.

In 2020, I discovered keto/low carb. I have lost 60-80lbs more since then. Since 2021, I lift 3x week/minimum, run 30/min 3/week and do Krav Maga bi-weekly. I also do mobility/flexibility training each Sunday.

I started doing all of the exercises when I was more capable due to weight loss. These things did not and do not help me lose or maintain weight loss. They have other benefits like respiratory, cardio, bone, joint, mental health etc.

If I would have known about keto/low carb 20 years ago, my weight loss journey would have been over by now. But, better late than never.

I've never been on weight loss medicine and allegedly have Hashimotos Thyroiditis.

I have gone from a size 34/32 US to 8/10 US. I want to lose more and will be seeing a consultant soon to see if this is the right course of action or if I'm just weighing more than I would like due to excess skin.

Definitely look up keto/low carb and intermittent fasting and see if this is something which might work for you.

My last vice is alcohol. I drink about a bottle of wine every weekend. It messes with my fitness goals and sometimes weight loss.

Best of luck!

Incredible journey!

We have similar workout routine. lift and run 3x a week, both on the same days. 3 days of relatively easy cardio only and 1 day of long bicycle ride up the mountain.

Lifting and running for bone strength because if I only did low impact cardio and cycling, my bones would actually be weaker than people who don't exercise at all!